DaF, COVID-19, and newer technologies: Experiences from an Indian University

[...]flexibility ensures that students feel included and stay interested in learning. [...]dealing with varied genres allows students to get acquainted with different registers of the language. [...]the lack of physical classes also resulted in a lack of group activities. [...]as part of its policy of inclusion, JNU offers admission to students with visual impairment and also offers extra classes for them. [...]for overcoming the impersonal nature of online teaching, I made sure to get each student to speak in the class. The purpose was to ensure that students were active during the entire class. [...]I had to make sure that whilst recording the teaching session, I started recording only after having played the DW video.

Validation of CES-D8 among Czech university students during COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives: Due to the rise of depressive symptomatology especially among vulnerable populations such as young adults during the COVID-19 outbreak, a reliable measuring tool is needed. Because of the lack of such studies, the authors decided to validate the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8) among Czech university students capturing the beginning of lockdown experience. Statistical analyses: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and structural equation modelling with diagonally weighted least squares estimation using lavaan was employed. Different hypotheses about the dimensionality of the CES-D 8 scale were tested. The authors assessed the measurement equivalence of the CES-D 8 scale according to gender using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The effect of socio-demographic and COVID-19 issues variables on depression was examined. Results: One dimensional model with correlated errors showed sufficient validity and therefore, the best fit. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results revealed that the factor structure is invariant across gender. Women and those who reported financial distress and academic stress showed a higher level of depressive symptomatology. On the other hand, relationships proved to have a protective effect. Limitations: The sample came from an online survey, respondents were self-selected. There was a gender imbalance in the sample that cannot be explained by a higher number of women in the Czech university environment. Conclusions: The CES-D 8 proved to be a useful instrument for measuring depressed mood that opens further possibilities for depression research in the university environment and during pandemic situations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Czech) Cile: Vzhledem k narustu depresivni sympto-matologie behem pandemie covid-19 zejmena u zranitelnych skupin, jako jsou mladi dospeli, narostla potrebnost spolehliveho nastroje na mereni depresivity. Z duvodu chybejici validizace se autori rozhodli overit osmipolozkovou skalu Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8) u ceskych vysokoskolskych studentu v dobe sameho pocatku pandemie. Statisticke analyzy: Byla provedena konfirmacni faktorova analyza za pouziti strukturniho modelovani metodou DWLS (diagonally weighted least squares) pomoci baliku laavan. Byly testovany ruzne hypotezy o dimenzionalite skaly CES-D 8. Pomoci MCFA (multigroup confirmatory factor analysis) autori posuzovali ekvivalenci mereni skaly CES-D 8 podle pohlavi. Byl zkouman vliv sociodemografickych promennych a promennych tykajicich se problematiky covid-19 na depresivni symptoma-tologii. Vysledky: Jednodimenzionalni model s korelo-vanymi rezidualnimi rozptyly u dvou polozek prokazal dostatecnou validitu a nejlepe odpovidal datum. Vysledky MCFA ukazaly, ze faktorova struktura zvoleneho modelu byla invariantni vzhledem k pohlavi. Zeny a osoby, ktere byly ve financni nouzi nebo prozivaly zvyseny stres ze studia, vykazovaly vyssi uroven depresivni symptomatologie. Naopak partnersky vztah se ukazal mit protektivni efekt. Limity prace: Vzorek pochazi z online pruzku-mu, respondenti byli vybrani samovyberem. Nadreprezentaci zen-studentek v datech nelze zduvodnit vyssim podilem zen na ceskych univerzitach. Zaver: CES-D 8 se ukazal byt uzitecnym nastro-jem pro mereni depresivity, jenz otevira dalsi moznosti pro vyzkum deprese v univerzitnim prostredi a behem pandemickych situaci. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A bibliometric analysis of the trends, topics, and findings of research publications on asynchronous and synchronous online language learning over three decades

Since the first study on computer-mediated communication tools in support of language learning was published in 1992, asynchronous and synchronous tools have been widely adopted;however, few reviews have been conducted to explore the research status in this field. As COVID-19 has increased the use of online tools in education, the need to understand how asynchronous and synchronous tools are being used in language education has grown. In this bibliometric analysis, we reviewed asynchronous and synchronous online language learning (ASOLL) by analyzing the trends, topics, and findings of 319 articles on ASOLL. The results indicate that interest in ASOLL has increased over the past three decades with ASOLL for oral proficiency development and collaborative ASOLL being the two main research issues. Interest in three topics collaborative ASOLL, emotions, and corrective feedback - was especially apparent. The review contributes to the understanding of ASOLL while providing practical implications for using information communication technologies to enhance language learning.

Challenges in online learning of English as a foreign language during the COVID-19 pandemic: Students' perspective at Ajman University, UAE

The purpose of this paper was to explore the challenges of online learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) during the spread of COVID-19 from the students' perspective at Ajman University, UAE. The study used the descriptive approach. A questionnaire consisting of 26-items was distributed to a random sample of (282) students from different colleges who were studying online English Language courses during the pandemic. SPSS software was used to analyze the collected data. The results of the study indicated that the perspective of Ajman University students regarding the challenges of online learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) during the COVID-19 pandemic came at a high level, with an overall arithmetic mean of 3.54 and a standard deviation of 0.84. Students' responses varied by gender (in favor of female students) and by academic year (in favor of first year students). Additionally, the student academic evaluation (SAE) variable did not show statistical significance. The findings show that a deeper understanding of instructors' perspectives and experiences regarding the challenges of online English language learning is required. Likewise, developing EFL skills also requires a blended learning approach. The study recommended more understanding of instructors' perspectives and experiences concerning online English language learning challenges. © 2023 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved.

The Impact of the Online Project-Based Learning on Students' Communication, Engagement, Motivation, and Academic Achievement

Purpose. Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered environment that emphasizes a dynamic classroom approach. It is founded on the idea that students gain a deeper understanding by actively tackling difficulties and issues from the real world. Students gain knowledge in a subject by devoting a significant amount of time to researching and solving a challenging question or interesting issue. Methods & Procedure. PBL was used in online classes during the pandemic of COVID-19. The study concentrated on projects that were created by students themselves under the guidance of teachers with the aim of determining their impact on their communication, engagement, motivation, and academic accomplishment in L2 acquisition context. The sample of the study that consisted of 100 EFL college students deployed this methodology in their weekly lectures. Results. The results show that PBL can have some positive effect on the entire spectrum of parameters under consideration as well as have a substantial impact on communication, engagement, motivation, and academic performance in online education. The findings clearly show that PBL can be a useful methodology for L2 acquisition and can provide students with various challenging activities and topics that increase their motivation and engagement, and thus, academic achievement. © The Author(s) 2023.

COVID-19 in Patients with a Primary Refugee-Associated Language in a Kentucky Emergency Department During 2020.

COVID-19 has heavily impacted the refugee population in the United States due to exposure risks, living and working conditions, and healthcare access, but little is known about outcomes. We reviewed emergency department visits to a Kentucky hospital among 2163 patients from March-December 2020, studying incidence of COVID-19 diagnosis for patients with a primary refugee-associated language compared to English speakers, and outcomes after diagnosis including hospitalization, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Patients in the population of interest had higher odds of COVID-19 diagnosis in the hospital (OR = 12.31, 95% CI 7.80-19.40), but, among those with COVID-19, lower odds of hospital admission (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.90) and shorter median length of stay (4.1 vs. 10.5 days) compared to English speakers. The study corroborates reports of comparatively higher COVID-19 incidence in patients speaking a primary refugee-associated language, but implies milder illness severity, possibly reflecting this population's baseline health.

Teaching presence in students' WhatsApp groups: Affordances for language learning

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic and disruption of campus-based education, the use of mobile social networking applications to supplement formal education has attracted a great deal of attention. Teachers do have opportunities to join students' online groups to share, clarify, and exchange housekeeping information and course-related content with them. Teachers can, in particular, provide English as a foreign language (EFL) students with more sources of linguistic input, interaction, and feedback. Research investigating this potential, however, is still scarce in such contexts. The current study explores the likely affordances of teaching presence in students' WhatsApp groups for designing, facilitating, and guiding cognitive and social processes conducive to their language learning. A mixed-method design was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data and information from English-major undergraduates (N = 111) and faculty teachers (N = 8) who joined the same WhatsApp groups for one academic semester at a major university in Oman. Descriptive and thematic analyses of data from a survey with both closed-ended and open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews indicate that the shared WhatsApp groups functioned as small close-knit communities where students were able to constantly access teachers for their assistance, feedback, and clarification of content. Despite these merits, however, the participating faculty believed that the presence of teachers in WhatsApp groups might have consequences for students' tolerance of ambiguity, scaffolding, and autonomous language learning. The paper concludes by discussing several pedagogical implications and directions for future research.

Effect of Anxiety and Self-Efficacy on Class Performance in Arabic Language Online Class

This study aimed to explore the effect of anxiety and self-efficacy on class performance in Arabic language online classes. This study used a quantitative research approach, and the data was collected through a survey instrument administered to 148 first-year Arabic learner students enrolled in an Arabic language online class. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics as well as a structural equation model to examine the relationship between variables. The study‟s results showed that anxiety had a negative effect on class performance, while self-efficacy positively impacted class performance. Therefore, anxiety is the main contributor to Arabic online learning performance. Additionally, self-efficacy was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between anxiety and class performance. The findings of this study suggest that anxiety and self-efficacy are important factors to consider in an online learning environment, as they can significantly impact class performance. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that educators in online learning environments implement strategies to enhance self-efficacy and reduce anxiety levels among their students. © International Network on Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, 2023.

Language Anxiety of Older Adults in an Online and In-class EFL Course: Results of a Pilot Study

As recent meta-analyses reveal, language anxiety (LA) is one of the most important determinants of success in foreign language (FL) learning, next to aptitude, motivation, and working memory. Although studies on LA have been carried out for a few decades, exploring its nature, causes, correlates and influence on FL achievements, there are still several questions to be answered. One of such under-researched areas is LA experienced by older adults (60+), who nowadays constitute an important group of FL learners in Poland. A few years ago, their attempts to master English as a FL were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought several limitations and changes, forcing them to switch from learning in a classroom setting to an online mode. The main objective of this chapter is to report the outcomes of a mixed-method pilot study, aimed at measuring the level of LA of older adults (OAs) in the in-class and online modes, exploring its causes, and identifying the most anxiety-provoking skills. Data were collected among six OAs via a questionnaire, draw-a-picture technique, and semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that there is a complex interrelated network of external and internal factors of LA, which should be taken into account when teaching this age group. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Learner emotions, autonomy and trait emotional intelligence in ‘in-person' versus emergency remote English foreign language teaching in Europe

Due to the spread of Covid-19, universities had to move their courses online abruptly. This paper explores its impact on 510 European tertiary-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' classroom emotions and analyses possible links to their trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and learner autonomy. Statistical analyses of data gathered with a web survey revealed that students rated their ‘in-person' classes as significantly more enjoyable and also more anxiety-provoking. Overall, levels of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) were positively correlated between both contexts. The moderate negative correlation between FLE and FLCA in ‘in-person' classes disappeared in emergency remotely taught classes. TEI and learner autonomy were positively correlated, and both were positively linked to FLE and negatively to FLCA in both contexts. This means that more autonomous, emotionally intelligent students tend to be able to enjoy the FL class more – even more so under particularly challenging circumstances. Overall, it seems that learners not being physically present in classrooms weakens all emotions, and breaks the relationship between them. One possible explanation is that disembodied classes have less emotional resonance.

Remote Chinese Language Teaching at the University of Queensland During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reflection from Australia

This chapter firstly provides a brief overview of the overall structure of the Chinese program and the Chinese language teaching at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia. Then it reports the findings of a one-on-one interviews with 35 students enrolled to a Chinese second year spoken course delivered in remote/online mode. The chapter ends with reflections on the points that were considered important in managing virtual classroom in online teaching. The conclusion is that it is possible to maintain high levels of student satisfaction by ensuring an interactive and engaging teaching style in a fully online delivery mode. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Dialog chatbot as an interactive online tool in enhancing ESP vocabulary learning

PurposeBased on an experimental study on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students, at the Business Department at the University of Bisha, the purpose of the study is to examine the effect of chatbot use on learning ESP in online classrooms during COVID-19 and find out how Dialogflow chabot can be a useful and interactive online platform to help ESP learners in learning vocabulary well.Design/methodology/approachThe research paper is based on an experimental study of two groups, an experiential group and a controlled group. Two tests were carried out. Pre-tests and post-test of vocabulary knowledge were conducted for both groups to explore the usefulness of using the Dialogflow chatbot in learning ESP vocabulary. A designed chatbot content was prepared and included all the vocabulary details related to words' synonyms and a brief explanation of words' meanings. An informal interview is another tool used in the study. The purpose of using the interview with the participants was to elicit more data from the participants about using the chatbot and about how and in what aspects chatbot using the conversational program was useful and productive.FindingsThe findings of the study explored that the use of chatbots plays a major role in enhancing and learning ESP vocabulary. That was clear as the results showed that the students who used the chatbot Dialogflow in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group.Research limitations/implicationsThe study displays an important pedagogical implication as the use of chatbots could be applied in several settings to improve language learning in general or learning ESP courses in particular. Chatbot creates an interesting environment to foster build good interactions where negotiation of meaning takes place clearly seems to be of great benefit to help learners advance in their L2 lexical development.Originality/valueExamining and exploring whether the use of chatbots plays a major role in enhancing and learning ESP vocabulary in English as Foreign Language setting.

Kahoot, Quizizz, and Quizalize in the English Class and their Impact on Motivation

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way education was being taught. Due to school closures to prevent the spread of the disease, the education system resorted to distance learning to grant students' learning process. This research article reports a mixed-method study on technological resources and their impact on motivation during online lessons. The study seeks to explore the students' perceptions regarding the implementation of some game-based learning platforms (Kahoot, Quizizz, and Quizalize) during their EFL virtual classes and to determine the impact of these platforms on students' motivation toward language learning. A convergent parallel design was implemented to gather quantitative and qualitative data from the twenty-seven participants of the study simultaneously. A four-point Likert scale questionnaire and a focus group were the instruments employed to collect this statistical and descriptive information. The results show that the students perceived Kahoot, Quizizz, and Quizalize as useful, entertaining, fun, and engaging tools. As a conclusion, the enjoyment factor of these tools increases learner motivation and level of attainment.

Chinese Teachers' Methodological Adaptation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This research describes the methodological adaptation carried out by teachers of Chinese as a foreign language in the context of emergency remote teaching context produced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica in 2020. An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted which included the participation of eleven teachers who responded to an online questionnaire and participated in a focus group discussion. The results suggest that information and communication technologies played a major role in this methodological adaptation and that, thanks to their integration into the teaching staff's methodology, the continuity of teaching in their courses' four macrocompetences could be ensured. It was also found that, for the development of the four language skills, a very varied range of activities was used, and a greater participation of students in their learning was achieved. As a conclusion, it was confirmed that the adaptations led to a considerable increase in the working hours of Chinese teaching staff.

The Techniques of Non-Muslim Students? in Learning Arabic Speaking Skills Online

The learning of Arabic in Malaysia, which was once exclusive for Muslim students, is now gaining popularity among local non-Muslims. Learning Arabic, even at the beginner's level, is not easy for non-Muslim students. The situation is even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic which witnessed a total shift to the online teaching and learning mode. The aim of this study is to identify the learning techniques employed by non-Muslim students to learn Arabic speaking skills online. This qualitative study interviewed six non-Muslim undergraduate students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) who were taking a level 2 Arabic course. The results of shows that non -Muslim students were able to follow the process of learning speaking skills online, even though they had some difficulties at the beginning due to the lack of basics in Arabic. Their ability to follow the learning process were mainly the result of mastering the basic skills of reading Arabic texts and writing Arabic letters. Equipped with these two skills, the students demonstrated 22 learning techniques which can be divided into three categories according to their intended use, namely Malay-Arabic translation, reading Arabic texts without diacritical marks, and Arabic speech improvement. This study also suggests that fiurther research should be carried out to explore the potential of Asynchronous Multimedia-based Oral Communication (AMOC) in Arabic language learning for beginners.

The merit of grit and emotions in L2 Chinese online language achievement: a case of Arabian students

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided second language (L2) learners with additional challenges regarding how to obtain an enjoyable experience while achieving a better learning attainment. Despite a growing body of studies that substantiated the predictive effect of grit, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLA) on Chinese language achievement (CLA), no previous research has explored their predictive effects in online L2 Chinese learning. To address this gap, this study clarifies the nature of the complex correlation between grit, FLE, FLA, and online CLA by analyzing 169 responses from Arabic multilingual learners using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that: (i) FLE, not FLA, significantly predicts online L2 CLA;(ii) FLE acts as a positive mediator between grit and online L2 CLA;and (iii) FLE has a stronger impact in catalyzing an individual's online L2 success. This study enriches the applicability of the broaden-and-build and control-and-value theories in the field of Chinese language learning. We hope that this study will serve as a call for further attention to emotions and grit, especially for languages other than English, in order to advance the growth of positive psychology in L2 learning and teaching. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The challenges that basic stage EFL students face in online listening comprehension from their teachers' perspectives in Jordan

This study explored the challenges that Basic Stage EFL students encountered in online listening comprehension from their teachers' perspectives during the Corona Virus pandemic. It included (161) EFL teachers from public schools in Jordan who were randomly selected from Marka Directorate of Education in Amman during the first semester of the academic year 2021/2022. A special questionnaire was developed for data collection. The results indicated that teachers regardless of their experience and gender confirmed a set of challenges that face EFL students in online listening comprehension. The results also revealed that the students' domain of these challenges received the highest mean score. Based on the study's results, the researcher proposed some recommendations to overcome online listening comprehension challenges. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Technium Social Sciences Journal is the property of Technium Press Constanta and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

An exploratory study of young EFL learners' aural and written receptive multi-word unit knowledge

While accounting for recent theoretical arguments regarding the modality-specific nature of lexical knowledge, this exploratory study sought to measure young EFL learners' aural receptive multi-word unit (MWU) knowledge and then to compare this to their written counterpart. A total of 120 sixth-grade Korean EFL learners participated in the study, completing aural and written receptive MWU tests that included the identical set of 40 MWUs, which were extracted from the Corpus of Contemporary American English. Both measured participants' meaning-recall knowledge, with the only difference being the mode of target MWU presentation. The results demonstrated that the participants had aural receptive knowledge of about one-third of all MWUs in the first four 500-word levels. They also showed that their aural receptive knowledge of the target MWUs was significantly smaller than their written counterpart. The analysis also indicated that the participants' incorrect recognition of aural forms of some MWUs may partially account for the relatively lower aural test scores. We conclude this paper by highlighting our findings' implications for research and teaching regarding aural MWU knowledge. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of System is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Digital Innovation in Language Teaching—Analysis of the Digital Competence of Teachers according to the DigCompEdu Framework

The utilization of technology in the process of teaching and learning, as well as the influence of the COVID-19 crisis on education, are widely recognized and interconnected factors. This investigation is primarily focused on a group of formal education teachers who have received little attention to date, teachers from Official Language Schools, which are a part of the Special Regime Education system of Andalucía, a southern region of Spain, which provides foreign language education. Specifically, we aim to assess their level of digital proficiency in relation to their experience and use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom. We also analyze how the March 2020 lockdown impacted their confidence levels in utilizing ICT in their teaching practices. One hundred and four teachers took part in the study and answered the DigCompEdu check-in questionnaire. The findings indicate that teachers' overall self-assessment of their digital competence is low, with particular attention needed in the least developed areas, which is the facilitation of digital proficiency to students. Additionally, there are noteworthy differences in the variables of ICT experience and confidence. For example, the amount of time spent utilizing ICT in teaching does not necessarily correlate with teaching proficiency. Based on these results, we discuss potential strategies for enhancing digital competence in this educational group and propose some curriculum content for teacher training in digital competence.