A qualitative study of ten Thai undergraduates revealed a strong preference for verbal strategies—message reduction, replacement, and paraphrasing—when interacting in English with foreign visitors. Non-verbal and interactive strategies were used less consistently and consciously. The authors note the small sample size and single institutional setting as limitations, suggesting that EFL pedagogy in Thailand should systematically integrate training in non-verbal and interactive strategies.
This autoethnographic account describes Canadian educators' efforts to develop disciplinary literacies among international undergraduate students. The course integrated language and content from first-year history, psychology, and geography using task-based and functional approaches. The authors illustrate how such pedagogy invites students to position themselves as meaning producers and fosters more empowered academic identities.
Learning language: English
Key takeaways2
Task-based and functional language learning approaches create educational spaces where students act as legitimate participants in scholarly discourse rather than merely "non-native" speakers or writers.
Such pedagogical efforts support the development of learners' affective, cognitive, and communicative dispositions.
A meta-analysis of 33 empirical studies (November 2022–March 2026) found a large overall effect of generative AI on EFL/ESL learning outcomes (g = 1.253). Strong effects emerged for language performance and affective outcomes, while self-regulation effects were non-significant. The evidence is overwhelmingly from tertiary education (87.9%) and rated as moderate certainty.
Learning language: English
Key takeaways2
Research design and intervention duration were significant moderators, with experimental designs producing the strongest effects.
Egger’s test indicated no evidence of publication bias in the corrected dataset.