International Journal of English Linguistics 

About: International Journal of English Linguistics is an academic journal published by Canadian Center of Science and Education. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Foreign language & Vocabulary. It has an ISSN identifier of 1923-869X. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1434 publications have been published receiving 8248 citations.

The Four Most Common Constraints Affecting English Teaching in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: The central issue to be addressed in this paper pertains to the current major and persistent constraints facing English education in Saudi Arabia. These constraints are observed in several areas, including students’ beliefs, aspects of curriculum, pedagogy, and administrative processes. Addressing these considerations will enable the people involved to continue to advance in the right direction, and will also enlighten them to the fact that identifying, analyzing, and suggesting corrective action for the existing problems or issues would be beneficial in bringing about much-needed curriculum reform. This awareness will also pave the way for, and aid in, the acquisition of resources to ensure a better future for English as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia, kindling bright hopes for the country and enhancing the country’s ability to actively participate in the international community.

Factors Underlying Low Achievement of Saudi EFL Learners

Abstract: This paper is devoted to examining the factors responsible for the low achievement in English as a foreign language (EFL) among Saudi students. While some of these factors are demographic variables that pertain specifically to the learners themselves, such as gender, age, motivation, attitudes, aptitude, anxiety, autonomy, learning strategies, and learning style, most are external and outside the learners’ control. These external factors are particularly represented by sociocultural factors, such as the influence of Arabic as the first language (L1); religion, culture, and society; instructional variables, such as teacher behavior and teaching styles, the curriculum, and the teaching methods; and finally, problems with the educational system in Saudi Arabia, such as overcrowded classes, lack of teacher training, and a lack of technology. This paper begins by emphasizing the importance of English language learning for Saudis, followed by an analysis and a discussion of the factors that might explain their lack of achievement. The paper concludes by presenting some implications and offering recommendations for EFL practitioners and policymakers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to address the factors contributing to low EFL achievement among Saudi learners.

A Review of the Literature on the Integration of Technology into the Learning and Teaching of English Language Skills

Abstract: Technologies have dramatically changed the way people gather information, carry out research, and communicate with others worldwide. Technology has removed the distance obstacles and has made it possible for higher education to effectively teach anyone. Technology integration is being increasingly used in instruction to improve teaching and learning. This rapid development of technology integration has presented a better pattern to find the new teaching models. Consequently, it has a key role in learning and teaching language skills. The integration of technology to create a context to teach and learn English skills has a lot of advantages. The fundamental aim of this paper is to review the issues related to technology integration in the learning and teaching of language skills. In this paper, the researcher defines the term technology integration, expresses the reason of integrating technology, explains the role of technologies in promoting learning, elaborates teachers’ roles and learners’ roles, reviews previous studies on the benefits of technology in the learning and teaching of language skills, indicates the situation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Iran, and finally mentions the recommendations for the successful integration of technology. The review of literature revealed that the integration of technology into the classrooms considerably improves the learning and teaching of English language skills.

Listening Anxiety and Its Relationship with Listening Strategy Use and Listening Comprehension among Iranian IELTS Learners

Abstract: This study aimed at investigating listening anxiety and its relationship with listening strategy use and listening comprehension among Iranian IELTS learners. Sixty-three IELTS learners from two language institutes in Shiraz were selected for this study. To collect the data, four instruments were used: a Background Questionnaire developed by Lee (1997), a Listening Anxiety Questionnaire developed by Kim (2000), Lee’s (1997) Listening Comprehension Strategy Questionnaire and an IELTS listening test. The results revealed that listening anxiety had negative correlation with listening comprehension and listening strategy use. Moreover, the findings showed that low anxious learners used metacognitive strategies more than did high anxious learners. In relation to cognitive and social/affective strategies, the two groups did not differ significantly. Low anxious learners also performed better in the listening comprehension test. Regarding learner characteristics, it was revealed that female learners were more anxious than male learners. Years of studying English also had a significant negative effect on IELTS learners’ anxiety.

Analyses of Move Structure and Verb Tense of Research Article Abstracts in Applied Linguistics

Abstract: This study examined 90 research article abstracts in three applied linguistics journals (i.e., TESOL Quarterly, Applied Linguistics, and Language Learning) from two dimensions: the move structure features and the verb tense of each move. The results showed that the abstracts analyzed tended to take a four-move structure instead of a five-move one as proposed in literature. In addition, since some publishers have word limits on abstract length, authors would usually follow the publisher’s guideline accordingly, thus there existing some differences concerning the move structure features among the abstracts in the three journals. In terms of the verb tense in each move, the preferred pattern was as follows: the present tense usually occurred in the first, second, and fifth move, while the past tense was often used in the third and fourth moves. It was also found that there were some variations between the abstracts written by native speakers and nonnative speakers of English. It is hoped that with detailed analyses of abstracts, the results of this study may serve as a complement to the guidelines for novice writers to construct a proper research article abstract in applied linguistics.