The present study attempted to validate the linguistic threshold hypothesis (LTH) and the interactive-compensatory model (ICM) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) setting by assessing the relative contributions of English proficiency and reading strategy use to English reading and examining the mutual compensation between these two factors…

In post-colonial Hong Kong, despite the Chinese government's effort to promote the national language, English is still held to be the most marketable language, particularly in this age of globalization. Most tertiary institutions in Hong Kong therefore continue to adhere to the English-medium instruction (EMI) policy. However, with the changing…

Literature circles [LC] are student-centered discussion groups that use various roles to make reading meaningful, comprehensible and enjoyable. The current research investigated the questioning effects and students' perceptions of integrating EFL [English-as-a-foreign-language] literature circles through student-led Facebook Groups. Findings…

MA students often find writing the discussion section of a thesis (hereafter discussion writing) a difficult task (Bitchener & Basturkmen, 2006). Thesis advisors, research writing instructors, and graduate students are able to recognize the strength and weakness of discussion writing through established levels of quality. Therefore, grading…

Rater subjectivity has long been an intriguing topic. The use of discussion as a resolution method is a practical way to reduce this subjectivity. However, the efficacy of discussion depends on whether different raters get equally engaged in it or one rater tends to dominate others. This study investigated whether and how rater dominance occurs in…

The use of relative pronouns is an intriguing topic for learners and teachers. The past two decades have witnessed exponential growth in research on the use of relative pronouns. However, little attention has been given to relativizer omission among nonnative speakers in writing. This research examined the distribution of zero relativizers and the…

This study aimed to examine junior college students' group dialogues on the use of high-level comprehension features in an EFL reading class. The participants were one high-ability group and one low-ability group in terms of discussion proficiency. Eight representative discussions conducted in the students' first language served as the major data…

Conceptual beliefs learners hold may influence learning strategies and outcomes of learning. Little research, however, has investigated English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' views of multimodality presented in the most accessible learning materials, their English textbooks. A total of sixteen 11th graders participated, half from the…

The present study aimed at exploring the joint effects of reading motivation and reading anxiety on English reading comprehension in the Taiwanese English as a foreign language (EFL) context. To this end, a total of 140 (26 males, 114 females) EFL freshmen from required General English I courses at a university in southern Taiwan satisfactorily…

This study investigated the effects of communication strategies (CSs) on Intermediate Iranian EFL Low- and Mid-Willing Learners' Willingness to Communicate (LWTC and MWTC). Sixty-five intermediate EFL learners were placed in LWTC (n = 32) and MWTC (n = 33) group. All learners attended two discussion sessions as the pretest and two discussion…

Back-interpreting practice refers to interpreting the translated version of a speech back to its source language. The learning opportunities provided by backinterpreting practice can be explained by Swain's (1985) comprehensible output hypothesis, Laufer and Hulstijn's (2001) involvement load hypothesis, and Schmidt's (1990) noticing hypothesis.…

Writing in L2 is considered a very challenging task by both teachers and students. Language teachers play a critical role in facilitating students' L2 writing development. Therefore, it is important to explore their beliefs about writing instruction as their beliefs exert influence on classroom practices. This study draws on the Repertory Grid…

Lexical competence is considered as an important indicator of language proficiency. While learning vocabulary, learners need to remember various aspects of knowledge about the word (e.g., meaning, form and use). Many vocabulary learning strategies have been proposed to help learners consolidate vocabulary knowledge. Among them, grouping words…

Given that most humanities courses in higher education are already interactive and constructive, it is not clear whether a flipped model of learning adds any additional value to student learning. This study assessed the impacts of flipped learning on EFL learners' performance and perceptions of a two-semester linguistics course in a Taiwan…

This article examines the test-taking strategies of high- and low-scoring Chinese-speaking participants when they answer English multiple-choice reading comprehension questions. Thirty-two participants took a TOEIC reading test, provided think-aloud protocols, and joined a post-task interview. The data come primarily from qualitative analysis and…