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The present study examined students' perceptions of immediacy behaviours and credibility of their teachers as well as their willingness to communicate in class, in the South Korean context, with undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Participants were 252 undergraduate Korean students enrolled in a mandatory English conversation course, and they were exposed to either native or non-native English-speaking instructors. The two groups exposed to different types of teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire on teacher immediacy, credibility, student willingness to communicate in English, and self-rated English-speaking ability around the end of the semester. Results indicated that sub-components of teacher immediacy and credibility were positively and significantly correlated with each other in both groups. Further, for the participants who had native and non-native English-speaking teachers, different sub-components of teacher immediacy and credibility were found to be related to the participants' willingness to communicate in English during class.

The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) raises critical questions about learner autonomy and agency. This exploratory case study examines how four university-level German language learners with diverse backgrounds developed autonomy in their learning process through engagement with AI tools. The study was conducted in early 2023 when most learners were first discovering ChatGPT’s potential for language learning. Data were collected through reflective journals, digital portfolios, and interviews during a semester-long course that scaffolded self-directed learning with AI integration. The findings reveal emerging patterns of shared agency between learners and AI tools. Learners developed distinct strategies for AI integration based on their language learning backgrounds, with heritage speakers focusing on accuracy improvement while classroom learners emphasized communication practice. Cross-case analyses identified key dimensions of autonomy development: a critical evaluation of AI output, evolving learner–AI relationships, maintaining and developing a second language (L2) voice, and the strategic integration of AI tools while preserving learner agency. These patterns suggest that autonomy in AI-mediated environments manifests through learners’ capacity to engage productively with AI while maintaining critical awareness and personal agency in their learning process.

The Vygotskian concept of perezhivanie, or emotional lived experience, was adopted to examine the learner identities of 2 Japanese university students in English language learning. Current studies on language learner identities have given analytic primacy to either psychological processes or social influences. In contrast, perezhivanie offers a holistic unit of analysis for examining simultaneous influences derived from internal and external realms on identity pursuits. Misaki and Hina participated in a 60-minute interview designed to understand their English learning experiences and how they made sense of them in school and university settings. In addition, a series of class observations―each followed by an informal interview―were conducted to examine their learning experiences in a conversational English course. Their reflective postings on the course online blog were also collected. The analytical process located identifiable instances of perezhivanie (perezhivaniya), based on participants' memorable events or personally significant moments, and elaborated how these perezhivaniya brought forth different learner identities. Using the concept of perezhivanie, this study draws attention to a dynamic perspective on researching language-learner identities that foregrounds an identity-making process whereby students relived, refracted, and transformed through emotional-cognitive events or episodes characterized by complex transactions between the person and context.

The purpose of the article is to determine the role of critical thinking and unconscious competence in the implementation of effective communication during group discussions, debates and dialogues. The necessary conditions for creating an effective educational environment conducive to the development of students' conversational skills are demonstrated. An educational experiment was conducted with the participation of 75 third-year students from the School of [BLINDED], [BLINDED], during which the students practiced both critical thinking and unconscious competence in the process of group discussions. The conducted survey at the beginning and end of training, was determined the degree of use of critical thinking skills and unconscious competence in the process of finding answers to arguments during debates, discussions and disputes. The results of the surveys showed that in the process of speaking, critical thinking skills are used more often (79%) than unconscious competence (21%), but at the same time, students considered that unconscious competence (81%) is more effective in debates and discussions, than critical thinking (19%). It was concluded that critical thinking skills are easier and faster to learn to participate in a constructive discussion than the skills of unconscious competence, the development of which must take place in an authentic learning environment for a longer period. The results of the study confirmed that the participation of students in the conversation class increased their ability to analyze, critically evaluate, argue, unconsciously respond and understand the interlocutor. Therefore, it is important to invest additional efforts and create conditions for open, flexible and comfortable communication of students using modern pedagogical methods aimed at developing students' thinking skills of a higher order. The findings can be useful in the field of language teaching, psychology, and linguistics, as well as become the basis for the development of new curricula using collective discussions.

Taiwanese learners find it hard to communicate with others in English in their daily lives because of living in an EFL environment. However, ICT and blended learning have recently been recognised as being beneficial to English learners who live in a non-English-speaking country due to the formation of a virtual native-like setting based on online learning. The purpose of this research is to assess whether teaching English conversation in both online and offline settings can improve learners’ communicative performance as well as feedback from both instructors and learners. A pre-experimental method was used to investigate the effect of blended learning on the English speaking and listening performance of 136 participants, who were divided into 3 groups and invited to join an 18-week English conversation course based on both face-to-face teaching and online learning. The data was collected and analysed from the students’ pre-test and post-test scores, a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. As expected, the results indicated that blended learning had an overall positive effect on the students’ English conversation performance. The students themselves had a positive attitude toward the blended course arrangement and agreed that blended learning supported their learning of English conversation, while the instructors also indicated that the online course had helped the students’ learning of English conversation to some extent. However, more supportive policies are required for a more comprehensive implementation of blended learning. All in all, Hitutor was employed in this study to design a blended English conversation course and demonstrate its positive effect. Non-English native speakers can overcome the restriction of an EFL learning environment with both traditional lectures and ICT.

Foreign language (FL) teachers and students may have very similar or disparate notions of effective teaching, and the intersection of the two sets of beliefs has ramifications for language learning and the effectiveness of instruction. Horwitz (1990), Kern (1995), and Schulz (1996) have argued that mismatches between FL students' and teachers' expectations can negatively affect the students' satisfaction with the language class and can potentially lead to the discontinuation of study. The principal objectives of the reported study were to identify and compare, overall and by teacher, teachers' and students' ideals of effective teacher behaviors. Of 83 intact 1st- and 2nd-year classes across 9 languages at the University of Arizona, 49 FL teachers and their students responded to a 24-item Likert-scale questionnaire covering several areas of FL pedagogy. The students seemed to favor a grammar-based approach, whereas their teachers preferred a more communicative classroom, as evidenced by significant differences in such areas as target language use, error correction, and group work. The significant discrepancies between teacher and student beliefs in several relevant areas point to the need for FL teachers to seek out their students' perspectives actively and to engage them in brief classroom discussions about the rationale behind certain instructional strategies. (Verlag, adapt.).

The objectives of this research article were to survey the evolution of Thai conversation learning based on Thai culture studies for foreign students in the International B.A. Program in Communicative Thai Language for Foreigners (CTLF) at Kasetsart University from the Program’s beginning up until the present day, and to explore the inno-creative approaches to be added in the digital era. The findings revealed that Thai conversation for foreigners was first offered as one of the core subjects in the International B.A. Program in the CTLF at Kasetsart University, which was founded in 2008. It has evolved and grown from the first program to the current program. Its course outlines have been revised based on content relevant to Thai culture studies. This has helped to achieve success in learning. To help Thai conversation learning become more successful in the digital era, the following 10 inno-creative approaches should be focused on, namely, 1. Digital and Innovative Learning and Teaching 2. Touch screen materials and inno-creative textbooks 3. Intellectual Networking and Joint Thai Learning and Teaching 4. Cross-cultural Communication through Inter-culture Diffusions 5. Learning and teaching based on multiculturalism 6. International Student Exchange Programs 7. Knowledge-career-life Skills 8. Continuing and Thai Language Learning and teaching Networking 9. High Technology-based Learning and teaching in the Digital Era and 10. Buddhist Moral knowledge and balanced development in the digital era. Furthermore, digital technologies and inno-creative learning such as devices and innovative textbooks as keys to success should be taken into account in order to drive Thai conversation learning.

According to the functional model proposed by Sampasivam and Clément in 2014, the two determinants that build towards second language confidence (L2C) are richness and self‐involvement of the contact experience. This study adds to previous research by investigating, for the first time, the role of interlocutor type in the context of videoconferencing on L2C development. The participants (n = 28) were students enrolled in a fifth‐semester Spanish conversation course. Using a counter‐balanced design, they conversed with a peer on Zoom and with a native speaker on TalkAbroad and also responded to an initial and two postconversation questionnaires. The results showed that overall the learners' L2C increased with both interlocutor types, but differences emerged in the examination of the underlying components of the data. Theoretically, the findings support the integrated model of Sampasivam and Clément and their assertion that videoconferencing is high in richness and self‐involvement and, thus, facilitates L2C development. The Challenge In the age of online learning, what are the best instructional approaches to build learners' second language confidence? Does videoconferencing between peers offer the same benefits as conversing with native speakers? This study investigates the impact of the interlocutor in videoconferencing on learners' second language confidence development.

In Iran’s higher education English language teaching (ELT) context, we explored the moral nuances embedded in two conversation courses offered to undergraduate students majoring in English Literature at one of the branches of the Islamic Azad University (IAU) in Tehran. We collected data through classroom observations, field notes, and semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. Our content analysis revealed a range of moral values embedded in significant incidents, which we categorized into five themes: (a) relations, (b) rules and regulations, (c) assessment, (d) curricular substructure, and (I) culture. These themes were further subcategorized into more specific concepts that emerged from our data. We selectively focused on two subthemes, Class Initiation and Turn Taking, as well as the main theme of Assessment, as these were the most morally loaded, with a higher frequency of moral values extracted from related class episodes compared to other categories. This selection allowed for a deeper exploration of the complexities and nuances within these themes, providing further support on the role of ELT teachers as moral exemplars for their students.

This study's goal was to determine if appropriately designed, completely virtual formats of language courses are able to engender in students speaking ability progress comparable to that fostered within traditional face‐to‐face (F2F) classrooms. The study further sought to clarify language learners' perceptions of online Japanese courses. The speaking ability of all participants was assessed at the beginning and end of their Japanese language course. A mixed‐design analysis of variance was conducted to analyze the effect of course type on speaking ability. Results showed that participant speaking ability improved significantly over time regardless of course type (online or F2F). This study also revealed that the majority of participants were able to use online tools with ease and found the online format to be an effective method of learning Japanese. Two principal reasons for studying Japanese online are reported. Implications and suggestions are discussed. The Challenge Online language instruction has become a new normal for language learners and teachers during the pandemic. Can these online courses engender learner speaking ability progress comparable to that previously fostered within face‐to‐face classrooms? How do learners perceive the efficacy of these online courses for learning a language?