BRU ELT JOURNAL

Exploring Chinese Teachers' Experiences in Teaching English as a Foreign Language Focusing on Large Class Management: A Case of One Beijing Elementary School

Haonan Ju — 2026-02-03

This study explored Chinese primary school EFL teachers’ experiences, large-class size management practices, and guidelines needs within the context of recent educational reforms. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the research collected questionnaire responses from 43 teachers, the whole population, and conducted semi-structured interviews with 8 teachers from a school in Beijing. The quantitative findings from the questionnaire revealed that teachers reported relatively strong colleague support (M=4.11) and the lowest mean score for workload manageable (M=2.91), indicating significant stress in large-class teaching environments. Regarding management strategies for large class sizes, preventive and organizational measures (e.g., establishing classroom routines, addressing disruptions) were employed more frequently. Assessment-related findings further indicate that while the use of quick formative assessments was moderately frequent (M=3.79), providing timely personalized feedback in large classes was perceived as particularly challenging, scoring lowest in this domain (M=3.08). The qualitative findings from semi-structured interviews provided deeper insights. Teachers consistently described heavy administrative burdens and non-teaching workloads as the most prominent challenges (N=41). Interview data also highlighted difficulties in addressing student ability differences when class sizes frequently exceeded 40 students (N=37). Furthermore, teachers expressed ambivalent attitudes towards educational technology: while acknowledging its potential value, they reported inadequate instructional training and increased operational burdens that hindered effective classroom implementation. The qualitative findings contextualize statistical trends by explaining how systemic pressures, class size, and limited institutional support collectively shape teachers' instructional choices and professional confidence within the context of teaching foreign languages in large classes.

Effects of Using Microsoft Flip on Undergraduate Students’ Speaking Skills

Santhoshkanth Kamaraj — 2026-03-20

A persistent disparity exists between EFL learners' theoretical linguistic knowledge and their practical oral proficiency-a phenomenon often described as 'mute English.' This study addresses this critical gap by examining the efficacy of integrating Microsoft Flip, an asynchronous video discussion platform, into a structured teaching-speaking cycle model based on Goh and Burns’ (2012). The research aimed to (1) compare undergraduate students’ speaking skill scores before and after the intervention and (2) investigate students’ perceptions of the platform’s utility. Using a pre-experimental, one-group pre-test/post-test design, the study employed cluster random sampling to recruit 53 first-year nursing undergraduate students at a public university in Thailand. Over an eight-week intervention, participants engaged in asynchronous speaking tasks designed to foster planning, rehearsal, and reflection across eight thematic modules. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test. Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in speaking proficiency, with mean scores rising from 10.23 to 16.56 (t (52) = 30.28, p < .001), representing a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 4.16). All sub-skills showed growth, with vocabulary exhibiting substantial gains. Furthermore, quantitative data from questionnaires indicated positive student perceptions (M = 3.96), particularly regarding the platform's ability to expand vocabulary (M = 4.17) and encourage regular practice. These findings suggest that combining asynchronous technology with teaching-speaking cycle instruction effectively ameliorates speaking deficits, offering a scalable pedagogical model for EFL educators seeking to enhance learner autonomy and oral competence in non-native contexts.

Implementing English as an International Language in EFL Contexts: A Qualitative Case Study of Teachers’ Challenges in Thai Secondary Education

Rat Lamphuttha — 2026-03-20

English as an International Language (EIL) emphasizes intelligibility, linguistic diversity, and intercultural communication. Yet in high-stakes secondary contexts, its integration often conflicts with examination-driven curricular structures. This qualitative case study investigates the challenges of implementing EIL in Thai secondary English classrooms, focusing on how curriculum and assessment requirements shape pedagogical practice. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify recurring themes and structural tensions. The findings reveal that although national curricula promote communicative competence, classroom practice is strongly regulated by high-stakes examinations, prescribed textbooks, and limited instructional time. These institutional pressures restrict opportunities to integrate EIL-informed practices, such as engagement with diverse English varieties and intercultural communicative tasks. Teachers demonstrate increasing awareness of EIL principles but must negotiate these ideals within an assessment-oriented system prioritizing standardized norms. The study extends Global Englishes scholarship by showing that EIL implementation in Expanding Circle settings is mediated by systemic assessment constraints rather than teacher disposition alone. By conceptualizing teachers as pedagogical mediators, the study underscores the need for closer alignment among curriculum policy, assessment design, and teacher education to enable sustainable EIL integration.

The Effects of Online Peer Feedback on Chinese University Students’ English Writing Ability

Xueqin Zhang — 2026-04-10

The main purposes of this study were 1) to study the effects of online peer feedback on Chinese university students’ English writing ability; and 2) to investigate the perceptions of Chinese university students towards online peer feedback in English writing. The samples were 80 first-year non-English major students at Health College from Hebei Oriental University, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China in 2025-2026 academic year. They were obtained by using cluster random sampling technique. They were divided into two groups, one control group and a experimental group according to their English scores from the College Entrance Exams. The research instruments were lesson plans, writing performance tests and semi-structured interview. The obtained data were analyzed by using mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, dependent samples t-test and content analysis. The findings revealed as follows: 1) There was statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test in the writing achievements of experimental group at p < .001. The students’ English writing ability post-test mean score of the experimental group was higher than the post-test mean score of the control group with statistically significant difference at .00 level. 2) The experimental group students had positive perceptions towards online peer feedback for improving English writing ability with the content results from Chao Xing Platform. They found the usefulness of online peer feedback in English writing, the fairness of peers, the ease of platform usage and made emotional impact of self-motivation.

Evaluating a Communicative Instructional Package for English Competence in Upper Secondary Education

Phonnipha Tophon — 2026-04-21

This study aimed to develop a communicative-based instructional package for the learning unit Relation with Other People for upper secondary school students and to evaluate its instructional efficiency based on the 80/80 criterion. The objectives were: (1) to develop the instructional package and evaluate its efficiency, (2) to compare students’ English learning achievement before and after learning through the package, (3) to investigate students’ English communicative competence after the implementation of the package, and (4) to examine students’ satisfaction toward learning through the package. This study employed a one-group pre-test-post-test design. The sample consisted of 30 Grade 12 students in an upper secondary school in north-eastern Thailand, selected by simple random sampling. The research instruments included the communicative-based instructional package, lesson plans, a 40-item English learning achievement test, a communicative competence assessment based on role-play performance, and a student satisfaction questionnaire. The data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, percentage, and paired-samples t-test. The results showed that the instructional package achieved an efficiency of 80.93/80.83, meeting the 80/80 criterion. The students’ post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores at the .05 level. The English communicative competence was at a good level overall, and students’ satisfaction with learning through the package was at a high level. The findings suggest that the communicative-based instructional package may contribute to the improvement of students’ English learning achievement, communicative competence, and learning satisfaction in the upper secondary school context.

Adaptation to AI-integrated Translation Education: A Case Study

Vu-Khanh Nguyen — 2026-04-22

Translation teaching and learning (TTL) in Vietnamese higher education, particularly within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) programmes, is increasingly reshaped by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in translation education through AI translation tools. This development has prompted lecturers, especially novices, to reconsider their teaching practices. This qualitative single-case study explores how a novice lecturer at a university in central Vietnam perceives the benefits and challenges of these tools in TTL and how she adapts her instructions in response. Collected through a semi-structured interview and video-based classroom observations of four online class sessions conducted in January 2026, the data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach, with themes developed through iterative coding and triangulation across interview and observational sources. The findings indicate that AI translation tools are seen as an inevitable feature of contemporary TTL. While acknowledging their affordances in supporting drafting, comparison, reflective learning, and pedagogical innovation, the lecturer also raise concerns about student overreliance, assessment validity, and institutional constraints. In response, she adopts a three-step approach-independent translation, consultation of AI translation tools, and critical justification-which appears to enhance students’ performance, confidence, and decision-making. The study highlights the importance of pedagogically guided AI integration in TLL and its implications for EFL and English Language Teaching.

Implementing CLIL Materials to Promote Intercultural Competence in an English Program in Thailand

Sirirat Suriya — 2026-04-28

This study aimed to design and implement CLIL lesson plans based on Coyle’s 4Cs framework and Byram’s (1997) model to promote intercultural competence (IC), and to examine the observed development of IC through four types of materials: ready-made, authentic, teacher-brought, and student-brought. The participants were 35 Grade 12 students at a secondary school in eastern Thailand. The study adopted a qualitative research design, employing classroom video recordings and the researcher’s reflections as data sources. Thematic Analysis was used to analyze the researcher’s reflective journals and the classroom video recordings. The analysis followed a systematic coding process to identify patterns related to IC. The findings revealed that all four types of CLIL materials contributed to students’ intercultural competence, particularly in developing attitudes of openness and curiosity. Among these, student-brought materials were found to be the most effective in fostering intercultural engagement, as they encouraged learners to research, present, and reflect on cultural behaviors and practices. The study concludes that integrating diverse materials within the CLIL framework can promote IC and provide meaningful, context-rich language learning experiences in secondary classrooms.

Epenthesis as a Hiatus Breaker: The Case of Esahie Phonology

Solomon Owusu Amoh — 2026-04-30

This study investigates hiatus resolution in Esahie (Sehwi), a Central Comoe language, with particular focus on glide epenthesis and feature-driven conditioning. The analysis is based on primary phonological data collected from 10 native speakers through structured elicitation tasks involving approximately 100 lexical items and phrasal constructions designed to create vowel hiatus environments. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and systematically coded according to vowel height, backness, and Advanced Tongue Root (ATR) features. The reliability of the data was checked using speaker validation and iterative elicitation and feedback session procedures. The study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach within the frameworks of Generative Phonology and Feature Geometry to examine how these features condition the selection of epenthetic glides [j] and [w]. The findings show that high-front vowels strongly favor palatal glide insertion regardless of position, providing evidence for both progressive V1 and regressive V2 spreading. This challenges the traditional assumption of V1 dominance in hiatus resolution. Additionally, [-ATR] high-back vowels consistently trigger labio-velar [w], even in environments where front vowels are present. These results support a feature hierarchy model in which palatal and ATR features determine glide selection, demonstrating that hiatus resolution in Esahie is a systematic, feature-driven process rather than a purely positional one.