Students' intrinsic motivation in EFL academic writing: Topic-based interest in focus.

Writing as a productive skill is extremely challenging for EFL students. To promote their writing effectiveness, students' intrinsic motivation must be enhanced by allowing them to self-assign writing topics or write about topics of interest. Therefore, this study describes how EFL students become motivated by self-assigning their writing topics and identifies students' attitudes and writing skills in topic-based interest in the EFL writing context. A descriptive-diagnostic method was applied to achieve the study objectives. A sample of 200 EFL students responded to a closed-item questionnaire on intrinsic motivation based on topic-based interest in writing. In addition, 20 students participated in semi-structured interviews on their attitudes toward topic-based interest. The study sample showed a high level of intrinsic motivation based on their self-assignment of writing topics. Furthermore, female students showed higher intrinsic motivation if they could self-assign their writing topics than male students. In addition, students with higher GPAs exhibited higher intrinsic motivation. Moreover, the interviews revealed that intrinsically motivated students most enhanced their writing skills in ideas, vocabulary, and choice of words. The researchers suggest that students' self-assignment of writing topics be considered in teaching writing as it contributes to improving intrinsic motivation.

Enhancing EFL students' critical thinking skills using a technology-mediated self-study approach: EFL graduates and labor market in perspective.

This research project bridges the gap between Saudi Vision 2030 and labor market needs by strengthening English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' critical thinking skills. The increasing unemployment rates may not be due to insufficient vacancies in the labor market, but graduates' lack of the general abilities deemed vital to meet the labor market needs. With employability in mind, this study reiterates that graduates should ideally be advanced specialists, critical researchers, creative initiators, and active communicators to be more competitive and contribute to the prosperity of their nation. Therefore, this research employs a quasi-experimental design (time series design) to investigate how effectively students' critical thinking skills are enriched using a video-mediated self-study program through Telegram. Studies in this respect, regarding the Saudi EFL context, are limited. Therefore, this research employed a video-mediated self-study program through Telegram on learning critical thinking skills for EFL students majoring in English or Translation. The data collection included a pre-and post-test on critical thinking skills and a semi-structured interview. The findings showed that students improved their critical thinking skills due to the training program compared to their performance before the treatment at a low level. Besides, the participants evaluated learning critical thinking skills from thinking ways, feelings, benefits, motivation, challenges and problems, and suggestions. In light of the findings, recommendations were presented.

Strengthening English language undergraduates' presentation skills: A blackboard-mediated intervention program.

Studies and reports indicate that some graduates struggle to find jobs, in part because they lack the key presentation skills and competencies the labor market needs. Thus, this research investigated the effectiveness of a Blackboard-mediated intervention program in strengthening English as a foreign language (EFL) students' presentation skills. The research followed a quasi-experimental (time series) design, delivering workshops on presentation skills and collecting data from the students (N = 30) using a set of instruments: a pre-and post-assessment checklist and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the students' presentation skills improved significantly post intervention. Also, the participants reported positive attitudes concerning the intervention. Drawing on these findings, recommendations and suggestions are presented.