Models of Educational Management and the Implementation of Change: A Case Study

The current paper reported on a case study of the implications of change implemented by a Saudi Arabian public university located in an urban setting. The university implemented a change in the process of preparing students to study in English as a medium of instruction in scientific departments, which required establishing an English Language Center (ELC) within the University. Bush’s models of management and leadership (2020) were applied to analyze the case from a leadership perspective. Results indicated that the formal model was the most dominant followed by the subjective, cultural, collegial, and Political models. Although the nature of the institution and its cultural context demonstrated certain formal and cultural features, the author argues that it is possible to implement more collegial practices.

Analysis on the Localization Characteristics of Phonetic Teaching in Chinese Textbooks in Hungary and Italy

In the context of the global Chinese language boom, Hungary and Italy are countries along the Belt and Road, and the Chinese language learning in the two countries is in the ascendant. However, the number of small language textbooks published on the market is scarce. For this reason, this article selects Hungarian Chinese Textbook and Italian Learn Chinese to analyze and compare the localization characteristics of phonetic teaching, hoping to provide concrete and substantive suggestions for future revision or compilation of targeted localized Chinese textbooks.

An Evaluation of the National English Language Exam in Jordan for Postgraduate Studies: Validity and Reliability

This paper aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the National English Language Exam (NELE) in Jordan for postgraduate studies. According to reviewing the most related studies using the review method, it was found that the NELE is valid and reliable depending on the evaluation of the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA) in Jordan. However, it was indicated that no studies discussed the validity and reliability of the NELE in Jordan. Otherwise, few studies evaluated the English language courses like Action Pack and Petra used by the Ministry of Education in Jordan to teach English as a foreign language. These studies found that these courses are valid and reliable. As well as, it was concluded that an enormous shortage in the literature that discussed the validity and reliability of the NELE in more depth and details. Therefore, this paper recommends more studies to evaluation the reliability and validity of the NELE in Jordan.

L2 Listening Expertise: A Deliberate Practice Approach

The significant role listening plays in second language acquisition is now well-established. However, despite changes in the perception of second language (L2) listening, it remains an under-researched skill. Listening is the most challenging of the four language skills in terms of both learning and teaching. This calls for more research to tackle issues with the teaching and learning of L2 listening. Expertise is thought to be the end result of engaging in extensive amounts of deliberate practice. However, metacognitive instruction and deliberate practice done separately are rarely enough to achieve L2 listening expertise. Thus, this article proposes a new approach to L2 listening, in which metacognitive instruction is an essential element, but not an end in itself. This new approach to L2 listening integrates both metacognitive instruction and deliberate practice to gain benefits and overcome the shortcomings in the two approaches. Therefore, the combining of metacognitive instruction with deliberate practice challenges the current approach to teaching L2 listening.

A Contrapuntal Reading of Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim in the Light of Edward Said’s Culture and Imperialism

This article targets to converge in analyzing the novel Lord Jim and Said’s Culture and Imperialism to illustrate the critical development of the term ‘contrapuntal reading’ that demonstrates spatial rather than temporal relationship between them. This study deeply endeavors to present the relation between the colonized and colonizer as it is marked in Said’s Culture and Imperialism that demonstrates Conrad’s Lord Jim while it exposes the relationship of Jim and all other characters and the experiences of Jim that he gathers in his journey in the novel. In addition, this study scrutinizes the different aspects related with the term ‘contrapuntal reading’-colonialism, modernism and imperialism. However, qualitative approach has been applied to analyze the novel Lord Jim. As a consequence, this effort will pave the way to interpret the novel Lord Jim with an in-depth analysis that will lead the researchers to investigate other texts under the light of the term ‘contrapuntal reading’. More specifically this research paper investigates the inner incidents that took place in the novel Lord Jim in the light of Said’s Culture and Imperialism to establish various relationships as a contrapuntal reading study.

Effect of Artificial Intelligence-Based Application on Saudi Preparatory -Year Students’ EFL Speaking Skills at Albaha University

This study aimed at investigating the effect of Artificial Intelligence(AI) for developing non-English major students at preparatory year, Albaha University some speaking skills. Two instruments were developed for the purpose of this study; a pre-post-speaking test and a speaking rubric. The participants were 20 engineering students at preparatory-year Albaha University, Saudi Arabia. A speaking pre and posttest, speaking rubric and students' self-reflection were administered. The study followed a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design. The selected speaking skills were developed through a mobile application [ELSA Speak] based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The selected speaking sub-skills skills were fluency and accuracy. Findings of the study revealed significant differences in the mean scores of the treatment group on the speaking pretest and posttest in favor of the posttest. The results showed that AI enhanced the students’ speaking skills. This study concluded with recommendations pertinent to using artificial intelligence as a tool for teaching speaking skills.

Strategic Criticism in Second Language Class

Criticism is one of the important speech acts in class. Some teachers' criticism may threaten students’ face and lower their self-confidence and motivation in L2 learning. “Green Criticism”, which is indirect and friendly, is suggested to establish a harmonious relationship between teachers and students as well as improving teaching efficiency. It can be presented in two forms: verbal criticism and non-verbal criticism: As to verbal criticism, appropriate words like appropriate person deixis, hedges and positive words should be carefully selected to protect students’ self-esteem. Besides, empathetic mood such as passive voice, subjunctive, rising tone and stroking can be utilized to lessen face-threatening acts. Other pragmatic skills including application of request and humor as well as violation of CP are also effective in solving problems occurring in class. As for non-verbal criticism, keeping silent, using eye contact, walking around, changing facial expression and employing gestures are techniques to solve problems in class effectively. Different problems occurring in an English class of 7th grade in a training school in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province of China are used as examples to illustrate the strategies of criticism.

An Analysis of Ghanaian Tertiary ESL Classroom Lectures: The Case of Achievement Communicative Strategies

Whenever we speak, we use specific strategies to help us achieve our communication goals (Nakatani, 2006). These can be reduction or achievement strategies. Achievement strategies are used by teachers and students to help them overcome their inadequate linguistic knowledge (Trihastuti & Zamzani, 2018) so that lessons can ensue smoothly. This study sought to investigate achievement communicative strategies used by lecturers and students in two public tertiary institutions in Ghana. An observational descriptive case study design was adopted with 12 Communication Skills classrooms purposively sampled from the two institutions. Lesson recording and observation were the instruments used to collect data and analysed using conversation analysis. The analysis revealed that strategies such as code-switching, all-purpose words, literal translation, and appeal for assistance were employed whenever lecturers and students realized they had problems expressing their intended meaning and they needed to solve the problems. It was revealed that the functions of the strategies were for repair to reach communication goals, to convey meaning, to ensure language accuracy, and to request for explanation and clarification. It also showed that the reasons for using the strategies were to avoid a break in the communication process, to develop learner autonomy, and to deepen lecturer-student interaction. Accordingly, it is recommended that such strategies (and others) should be incorporated into the teaching and learning process to create opportunities for meaningful communication to enable lecturers and students develop their communicative competence.

Improving the Writing Skills of EFL High School Learners through Alternative Methods of Assessment and Differentiated Instruction

The study described in this article investigated EFL writing in the 1st Grade of a State Junior High School. More particularly, the study examined whether the use of alternative assessment methods, such as self-assessment and peer-assessment checklists, in a differentiated class environment, can have a positive effect on learners’ writing skills. For the needs of this research an experimental and a control group were targeted. The teaching materials which were used in the research process were differentiated according to the principles of Differentiated Instruction and learners were assigned to write different writing genres.Findings revealed that differentiated instruction had an impact on the learners’ writings. However, there were limitations regarding the time that had to be allotted in the designing of the lessons and the instruction itself. Also, the instruction was limited to a small group of learners. However, the implications of the research brought to light the involvement of the learners in the assessment process.

Making Teacher-Student Interaction Humorous Through Xiangsheng Techniques in the Chinese EFL Classroom

This paper aims to propose the use of Xiangsheng techniques in the Chinese EFL classroom. Many previous studies have discussed the perceptions and benefits of the use of humor in the language classroom, but there are rarely any discussions on how to initiate humor. This article summarizes 10 Xiangsheng techniques, which meant to engage teachers and students in interactions which are both interesting and humorous. It is hoped that these Xiangsheng techniques will be able to provide insights into the use of humor for those teachers who wish to use it in their language classrooms.