Examining the impact of flipped learning on second language development: A quasi-experiment in higher education.

This article reports on a study that examined the impact of a flipped English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course on college students' second language (L2) development. Specifically, an 18-week quasi-experiment was administered in a general English course at a Chinese university, with a total of 612 first-year students randomly assigned to the treatment (n = 137) and control (n = 475) groups. Using the propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) model, we analyzed norm scores on high-stakes assessments administered on the entry and completion of the intervention. The results revealed a causal link between flipped learning (FL) and improved L2 language performance though the impact of FL had substantial heterogeneity as greater gains were found in reading than in writing and listening. Quantile regression analysis suggested the effectiveness of FL varied greatly by proficiency level in that students in the lowest quantiles achieved high improvement in reading and listening but moderate improvement in writing. We discuss the pedagogical implications of these findings to college L2 flipped instruction and recommend that future research be conducted in a more rigorous experimental design to obtain robust and accurate estimates of the effectiveness of FL.

Unveiling the dynamics of self-regulated learning in project-based learning environments.

Project-based learning (PBL) has been found to exert a positive influence on learners' academic achievements, while also fostering their intrinsic motivation and playing a crucial role in nurturing sustainable learning capacities. Understanding individual differences in self-regulated learning (SRL) within project-based foreign language learning can guide language teachers in delivering personalized instruction. This study utilized a blended learning management system to collect and analyze data on SRL from 95 learners enrolled in a project-based College English course. Through microanalysis, latent profile analysis (LPA), and epistemic network analysis (ENA), the study identified distinct learner profiles and traced their developmental trajectories in project-based language learning. The findings revealed that PBL facilitates the occurrence of SRL behaviors and strengthens connections across different regulation phases. Notably, learners with diverse profiles displayed variations in their SRL epistemic network structures and developmental trajectories. These results highlight the dynamic nature of SRL within the PBL context, underscoring the significance of considering individual differences and supporting learners' evolving self-regulatory behaviors and strategies throughout their engagement in PBL activities. To enhance SRL in PBL, educators are encouraged to provide scaffolding support, promote help-seeking behaviors, and implement interventions targeting metacognitive processes and reflective practices.

Factors influencing Chinese EFL students' online learning anxiety in the post-COVID-19 era.

Online learning has evolved as an attractive and viable option for education, yet there is a need for further research to investigate the factors contributing to students' online learning anxiety regarding the college English course. Based on Keegan's distance education framework, this study examines the factors impacting online learning anxiety among English as foreign language (EFL) students in the Chinese context during the post-COVID-19 era. Data were collected from 899 EFL students across different regions of China through an online survey. Follow-up interviews with ten students provided additional insights into the association between online English learning and anxiety. The collected data underwent descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis to examine the relationship between online learning anxiety and the identified factors. The results of our study indicate that many Chinese EFL students experienced different degrees of anxiety, ranging from mild to moderate or severe. Moreover, online learning anxiety among Chinese EFL students was positively predicted by a lack of learning motivation, separation from instructors, separation from peers, and technological challenges, while a lack of two-way communication negatively predicted it. The findings underscore the importance of taking effective measures and offering psychological guidance for Chinese EFL students to alleviate anxiety and facilitate their successful adaptation to the new normal of online learning.

Relative Effectiveness of Morphological Analysis Training and Context Clue Training on Multidimensional Vocabulary Knowledge.

The study explored the relative effectiveness of morphological analysis training and context clue training on multidimensional EFL vocabulary knowledge. A total of 90 college English learners were equally and randomly assigned to three groups: a morphological analysis group, a context clue group, and a control group. Vocabulary development was measured in four dimensions: inferencing, grammar, meaning, and collocation. The ANOVA results indicated that both experimental groups outperformed the control group in multiple aspects of word knowledge. In addition, in the word inferencing and meaning tests, the morphological group demonstrated significantly better performance; while the context clue group showed superior word grammar and collocation knowledge. Relevant implications are discussed based on the findings.

Academic word coverage and language difficulty of reading passages in College English Test and Test of English for Academic Purposes in China.

The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gained considerable attention, mainly due to the growing importance of English teaching and the need for preparing international professionals. The primary academic emphasis of this field is largely centered on the study of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It has become increasingly important for China to provide EAP education to its vast population of college students, who represent a significant proportion of global tertiary-level English learners. By doing so, they can improve their academic literacy and participate more effectively in international academic communication. In 2016, China's College English Test Examination Board issued the National College English Test Syllabus which emphasized the importance of academic English literacy in the test design. This syllabus was released during a contentious debate among Chinese academics about the role of EAP in college English teaching and testing. Despite this heated discussion, there are currently few studies that have analyzed the linguistic nature of academic English tests in a quantitative manner. This paper calculates the academic word coverage of the reading passages in two crucial English proficiency tests designed for college students in China, the College English Test (CET) and the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP). It is found that the academic word coverage of CET is increasing from the year 2013 to 2021 and that the academic word coverage of TEAP is slightly higher than that of CET. In this sense, these English tests can meet the requirements for measuring Chinese college students' academic literacy. It is also found that there is a positive correlation between academic word coverage and language difficulty as is indicated by Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. These findings provide an empirical reference for the study of academic English tests in China, and other parts of the world, and contribute to EAP teaching and testing reform for the development of students' academic literacy.

Research on the construction of ideological and political teaching resource database for College English course in medical colleges from the perspective of students / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To probe the exploration and integration of ideological and political teaching resources for College English by medical students' teams, and to build a College English ideological and political teaching resource database in medical colleges, so as to provide feasible experience for the integration of medical students' College English and ideological and political education.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1 030 students in a medical college, and SPSSAU statistical software was employed to analyze the results to investigate the attitudes and demands of students towards the integration of English teaching and ideological and political education, the construction methods of College English ideological and political teaching resource database, and the presentation methods and types of resources. Based on the questionnaire results, textbook themes, teaching modules and students' majors, the content analysis and classification method were employed to construct a College English ideological and political teaching resource database that meets the expectations of medical students.Results:① A total of 836 students agreed with the necessity to integrate College English with ideological and political education, hoping to build an ideological and political resource database with videos and audios related to daily life ( n = 731), medical knowledge ( n = 664), social practice ( n = 622), news and current affairs ( n = 604) and guide the students to learn the above resources through the methods "teacher instruction + classroom discussion" ( n = 528). ② The ideological and political integration points in the questionnaire results were matched according to the subjects of the textbook, and further divided into two categories: universal and medically specific ideological and political teaching elements according to the content of the unit modules. Finally, the resource database of College English ideological and political teaching in medical colleges was built. Conclusion:Outstanding courses and resources are jointly explored and built by teachers and students.

Exploration on the Paths of Integrating the Spirit of Yimeng Red Sister-in-Law into Nursing College Students’ English Courses / 中国医学伦理学

College English courses are both instrumental and humanistic, and have become the main position for nursing students to cultivate their humanistic qualities. Integrating the spirit of Yimeng red sister-in-law into the college English teaching of nursing students reflects the new requirements of "curriculum ideology and politics" in colleges and universities, and is also an important way to implement the fundamental task of establishing morality and cultivating students. The integration of Yimeng red sister-in-law spirit into college English teaching can enhance the sense of mission and cultural confidence of nursing students, and promote them to form correct values and medical ethics. College English teachers should strive to explore methods and paths to integrate the spirit of Yimeng red sister-in-law into college English teaching, fully utilize the humanistic resources contained in textbooks, comprehensively display the image of Yimeng red sister-in-law through literary works, and use the second classroom to cultivate students’ ability to communicate the spirit of Yimeng red sister-in-law in English.

Status and strategies of college English teaching using adaptive deep learning from the perspective of multiculturalism.

The aim is to deeply understand the current situation of College English Teaching (CET). By consulting the theories of Deep Learning (DL) and Edge Computing (EC), this work designs a Questionnaire Survey (QS) to understand the current situation of college English learning and teaching. Then, Adaptive Deep Learning (ADL) and EC are introduced into CET. Finally, the corresponding conclusions and suggestions are drawn. Specifically, the purpose and time of college students' vocabulary learning are investigated. The results suggest that students' English vocabulary learning is shallow. They have not really mastered the meaning and usage of vocabulary. Simultaneously, teachers' vocabulary teaching methods are analyzed from three aspects: root affixes, vocabulary collocation, or repeated reading and memory. The teaching method is excellent from the teacher's perspective but far from perfect from the students' perspective. Introducing ADL and EC into CET enhances students' class concentration time, homework submission efficiency, and academic performance. More than half of the students believe that the new teaching method introducing ADL and EC can make them more confident and motivated in English learning. Therefore, it has great reference significance for applying ADL and EC in CET.

A review of burnout in college English teachers in China.

College English teachers' job burnout has become prominent in the field of education. Using China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, this review research on burnout of college English language teachers in China from 2006 to 2021. The review demonstrates key research areas including teacher burnout severity and influencing variables related to teacher burnout. Individual factors, such as age, gender, marital status, educational background, professional title, and years of teaching experience are associated with burnout rates. University type and level, teaching-related role overload, scientific research stress induced by promotion, limited job autonomy, a stern hierarchical organizational system, and opaque operating rules are influencing factors discussed. Possible ways to reduce burnout across micro, meso, and macro-levels, along with practical implications and limitations are discussed.

A Study on the Effectiveness of College English Teaching Based on Content-Based Instruction Teaching Philosophy.

With the development of world globalization, English plays an increasingly important role. English is the international language used in foreign communication, so English learning has become more and more important. Therefore, the innovation and research of College English teaching has become a hot spot in the field of education. Relevant research results are also constantly updated, but there are no ideas and methods that can adapt to the actual teaching. To improve students' English level and cultivate excellent English talents for the development of the country, the CBI teaching concept aims to completely combine language learning with subject learning, so as to get rid of the artificial separation between language teaching and subject teaching in most educational backgrounds. This study constructs and implements the college English teaching model based on CBI teaching concept from an empirical perspective. In the teaching, it focuses on the theme content that students are interested in. Teachers take explaining the theme content as a means, use content teaching to drive language teaching, and realize the purpose of language teaching. The experimental class adopts CBI teaching concept, the blank class adopts ordinary teaching methods, and the control class adopts task-based teaching concept. Through one semester of teaching, the teaching effect of three classes is evaluated. Under the evaluation of teachers, the full score of CBI teaching effectiveness is 66. Under the evaluation of students, the full score of CBI teaching effectiveness is 64, which is the highest. This shows that the effectiveness of teaching under CBI is higher than task-based teaching and general teaching. The results showed that the average score of the pretest control class was the highest, the average score of the middle test experimental class was the highest, an increase of 4.7 points, and the average score of the post-test experimental class was the highest, an increase of 112.2 points, whereas the scores of the control group and the blank group were 108.7 and 104.3 points, respectively. This shows that the learning effect of CBI teaching concept is higher than task-based teaching and general teaching. Therefore, college English teaching based on CBI teaching concept has high effect, can improve students' English knowledge and ability, and can be promoted in college English teaching.

The Effects of Contextual Factors, Self-Efficacy and Motivation on Learners' Adaptability to Blended Learning in College English: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.

Objective: Few research efforts have substantially introduced relevant studies on Chinese students' adaptability in relation to the ineffectiveness of blended learning mode in College English. This study is guided by social cognitive theory, and related literature has been reviewed concerning adaptability. In this study, we aim to examine the involved relationships among contextual factors, self-efficacy, motivation, and adaptability to blended learning mode among non-English majored Chinese learners in the College English course. Methods: The quantitative research method was employed in this study, and 595 respondents were eventually collected to enable the data analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to analyze the data. Results: (1) The non-English majored learners' adaptability to blended learning mode in College English was at a low level with a mean value of 2.26, indicating that students still suffer difficulties from class conducted in blended learning; (2) the fit indices were at the level of good fit, and it suggested the structural model had an overall good fit to the data as shown: x 2/df = 2.496, RMESA = 0.050, GFI = 0.956, AGFI = 0.936, NFI = 0.968, RFI = 0.959, IFI = 0.980, TLI = 0.975, CFI = 0.980; (3) adaptability was positively related to contextual factors, self-efficacy, and motivation (p < 0.001); (4) contextual factors exerted an indirect effect on the adaptability not only through the separate mediating role of self-efficacy and motivation, but through the chain mediating role of self-efficacy and motivation (p < 0.01). Implications: This study theoretically extends previous studies on adaptability by investigating the affecting factors in the framework of social cognitive theory. More practically important is that this study sheds light on the impact mechanism of positive and enjoyable environment, self-efficacy and motivation on non-English majored learners' adaptability to blended learning mode in English course, which would provide a vital insight for administrators and College English instructors to reconsider the role of learners' responses in the mixed mode to improve their English achievement more effectively, as well as to enhance and promote their user experience of the offered blended learning service.

Development of Chinese College English Teachers' Psychological Empowerment Scale: A Validation Study.

Relevant research shows teachers' "psychological power" plays a more essential role in promoting their professional development compared with the powers provided by various external factors, and it is therefore held that exploring college English teachers' individual psychological power is of great significance. To this end, this study investigated college English teachers' psychological empowerment (CETPE) via the development and validation of CETPE's scale. Based on our literature review on psychological empowerment and analysis of teachers professional development's status quo, we made a working definition of CETPE as a system involving perception of their occupation, sense of competence, experiencing of autonomy, judgment of their impact and understanding of their status. In our study, firstly the literature review and the interview with 17 college English teachers were adopted to conceptualize the dimensions of CETPE, and an exploratory factor analysis of data was conducted from 227 college English teachers and then the subsequent confirmatory factor analysis of data collected from another sample of 1030 generated 15 items belonging to five factors. The findings reveal that CETPE is systematically composed of teachers' positive perception and experience of work meaningfulness, teaching autonomy, occupational competence, professional impact and social status. This study provides a new path for teachers' professional development via strengthening their intrinsic driving force and thus helps improve the college English teaching effects.

The role and features of peer assessment feedback in college English writing.

Peer assessment is a common pedagogical practice for evaluating students' writing in college English classrooms. However, in-depth research on the learning outcomes after peer assessment is scarce and inconsistent; how peer feedback is used has not been fully explored either. This study compared peer feedback to teacher feedback and explored the different features of feedback and its impact on draft revision. Two specific research questions were answered in this study: (1) In which aspects can peer feedback supplement teacher feedback in improving the linguistic features in writing? (2) What are the differences in features of peer feedback versus teacher feedback? And how do they connect to feedback take-in? Two writing tasks were assigned to 94 students. One received teacher feedback and the other peer feedback. Pre-feedback and post-feedback writings in both tasks (4 sets in total) were scored and human ratings were adjusted using Many-Facet Rasch modeling to control for differences in leniency. Drawing on three natural language processing (NLP) tools, this study also assessed writing qualities by comparing 22 selected indices related to the scoring rubrics for human raters, which involve three dimensions: cohesion, lexical quality and syntactic complexity. Peer and teacher feedback was then coded based on features of feedback to explore their influence on draft revision. The results showed that both peer and teacher feedback had positive effects on rating scores. We confirmed peer feedback as an effective classroom approach to improve writing, though limited compared to teacher feedback as reflected in the indices. In terms of feedback features, students often stopped at identifying the language problems, while the teacher provided more explanations, solutions or suggestions regarding the problems identified. Implications for peer feedback research and implementation of peer assessment activities are provided.

"Teaching, my passion; publishing, my pain": unpacking academics' professional identity tensions through the lens of emotional resilience.

In the global competition of higher education, an increasing emphasis has been placed on university research excellence. Accordingly, academics have to engage in both research and teaching activities. The multiple and fragmented identities of academics can sometimes be contested, leading to identity tensions, and impeding their professional development. This raises the issue of how, and whether at all, academics integrate their professional identities in a culture of performativity. Against this backdrop, this qualitative study explored how a specific group of Chinese academics negotiate identity tensions as teachers and researchers through an emotional resilience lens. The narrative frames and interviews with 10 college English teachers yielded four types of identity negotiation in the continuum from identity conflicts to identity integration mediated by emotional resilience, including the disheartened performer, the miserable follower, the strenuous accommodator, and the fulfilled integrator. Emotional resilience as a mediator in professional identity tensions is discussed. Our findings offer a nuanced understanding of the complexity of academics developing an integrated professional identity. Policymakers should recognize the potential of emotional resilience in integrating academic professional identities and jointly support academics to cope with their identity tensions. However, if identity tensions are too complex for academics to solve, the policymakers should consider tensions as signals that the existing institutional policies may be counterproductive and need to be revised, rather than merely calling on academics' resilience.

Teaching design and implementation of "maker-oriented flipped classroom" based on WeChat Official Platform—Taking "Med Show" as an example / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Drawing experience from the theory and practice of flipped classroom, this paper proposes a new concept of "maker-oriented flipped classroom", differentiates it from the orthodox flipped classroom teaching, and expounds its teaching design and actual implementation in details through the example of WeChat Official Platform "Med Show". By adopting the 5-point Likert Scale, a survey was conducted on students' satisfaction degree about the effectiveness of "Med Show". The results reveal that students have made considerable progress in terms of medical English proficiency, awareness of medical humanities, and abilities of self-regulated learning and innovation. In conclusion, "Med Show" has made achievements in optimizing conventional teaching approaches, refining evaluation methods of teaching and learning, and redefining the role of teachers, and thus it provides some enlightenments for college English teaching in the era of Internet Plus.

Relationship between learning motivation and academic performance among medical undergraduates in emergency remote teaching / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between foreign language learning motivation and academic performance of medical students in emergency remote teaching.Methods:A total of 131 medical undergraduates from the Batch 2018 participated in this study. The motivation part in the "motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ)" was used to test students' learning motivation. SPSS 27.0 was used for statistical analysis. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to describe the correlation between learning motivation and academic performance. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was adopted to compare differences between students with different characteristics. Results:①There were strong positive correlations between learning beliefs, self-efficacy, goal orientation, and task value pairwise; ②self-efficacy and goal orientation were found to have significant positive correlations with academic achievement; ③the differences in self-efficacy and learning goals between high-achieving and low-achieving groups were statistically significant; ④there was no statistical difference in learning motivation between different gender groups.Conclusion:Under the background of online learning, self-efficacy should be strengthened for English learning, making learning goals that focus on deep learning and improving the value of learning tasks and learning beliefs.

Exploration of college English curriculum reform under the background of new medical science—a case study of Xiamen Medical College / 中华医学教育探索杂志

This study proposes the guiding principles, reform ideas and realization paths of college English curriculum reform based on the orientation of medical colleges and the objectives of talents cultivation. Taking Xiamen Medical College's English curriculum reform as an example, it has systematically built a curriculum system which incorporates medical humanities and medical disciplines, and is featured by medical science. Meanwhile it has probed into the connotation of "new medical science" and explored curriculum construction and teaching reform integrated by information technology, as well as the intelligent curriculum evaluation system, thus providing reference for college English curriculum reform in medical colleges and universities under the background of "new medical science".

Emotion Recognition of Foreign Language Teachers in College English Classroom Teaching.

In order to improve students' learning effect, more and more universities favor foreign language teachers who are native speakers of English. Based on the analysis and summary of the research status of emotion recognition, this paper proposes that, in college English classroom teaching, foreign language teachers can reduce the communication barriers with Chinese students through emotion recognition. Based on literature review and actual situation investigation, this study identified four influencing factors on emotion recognition of foreign language teachers, namely, interactive action, facial expression, vocal emotion, and body posture. In our opinion, in the teaching process, teachers can adjust the four factors of emotion recognition to achieve better teaching effect. Further, improve students' learning efficiency. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is chosen as the research method in this study. After building the analysis model, we collected the questionnaire using the Questionnaire Star, and finally got 12 valid data. After determining the importance of different factors by pairwise comparison, we draw the following conclusions: the influence degree of emotion recognition factors of foreign language teachers is in descending order, interactive action (43%), facial expression (28%), vocal emotion (21%), and body posture (9%). Our research adds to the body of knowledge on emotion recognition among college English teachers. Furthermore, this research assists students in improving their grasp of course content based on the emotions of foreign English lecturers. Based on the findings, we recommend that foreign language teachers in college English classrooms alter their interactive behaviors, facial expressions, and vocal emotions in response to various instructional materials and emphases.

Problematising formative assessment in an undeveloped region of China: voices from practitioners.

Despite the widely acknowledged pro-learning function of formative assessment and its wide adoption around the globe, the gaps between policy intention, interpretation and implementation remain a problem to be solved. While this problem is noted universally, it could be particularly serious in China, where Confucian Heritage Culture is deeply ingrained and education development is not quite balanced. This study, via interview data with English teachers and deans from eight universities in an undeveloped region of the Mid-western China, explores the overall environment for a formative assessment initiative that is currently in place. Data analysis reveals multiple issues, such as insufficient support, improper dissemination and ineffective training at the meso-level and the instructors' limited assessment ability, large class sizes and student's resistance at the micro-level. A conclusion is thus drawn that the overall environment in this region is by no means favourable for the effective implementation of formative assessment, and implications are derived for better realisation of assessment innovations in this and other undeveloped regions of China.

Exploring collective identity of a group of teaching-oriented academics amid research discourse: a Chinese case.

This article explores how a group of teaching-oriented academics-College English (CE) teachers in China-negotiate their collective identity at the workplace amid research discourse. Drawing on an integrated theoretical framework focusing on the interrelationship between discourse, practice, and social networks, the study reveals the field of research where CE teachers lived imbued by multiple, dynamic discourses and power relations, i.e., the discourse of illegitimate pedagogic research v. the discourse of officially valued research, the discourse of the lower-status department oriented to teaching and public service v. the higher-status, disciplinary department. Drawing upon discursive resources, CE teachers positioned themselves as marginal pedagogic researchers and inferior CE teachers. Meanwhile, CE teachers constructed their identity-in-practice as pedagogic researchers by developing a pedagogic research community through their daily teaching practice. The contradiction between identity-in-discourse and identity-in-practice suggests the complexity of teaching-oriented, public service-oriented academics' professional life and the predicament they face, such as the limited access to research networks, and the lack of shared understanding in constructing a pedagogic research community. The study argues for more attention to be given to these academics who occupy the bottom of academic hierarchy in higher education context and might be the most vulnerable group in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.