IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103962

Derya Tuzcu-Eken , Ayşen Tuzcu

{"title":"Enhancing technical vocabulary learning: A comparative study of a mobile multimedia app and a word list","authors":"Derya Tuzcu-Eken , Ayşen Tuzcu","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional word lists have long served as a foundational technique in vocabulary learning, yet recent advancements in language learning technologies have offered alternative approaches, such as multimedia apps, that aim to enhance learner engagement and retention. In light of these technological advancements, the present quasi-experimental study investigates the effectiveness of a multimedia app in learning technical vocabulary compared to traditional word lists. The study involved 56 low-proficiency L2 English learners majoring in computer programming at a university in Turkey. The study had a within-participant design, and these learners learned a set of technical words related to computer programming using a word list (learning phase 1) and the WordUp app (learning phase 2). Vocabulary learning gains were measured using a vocabulary posttest administered immediately after each learning phase and again five weeks later. In addition to test results, students' (<em>n</em> = 10) perceptions of both learning techniques were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that the use of the multimedia app led to greater gains in both immediate and delayed vocabulary posttests compared to the use of a word list, and students responded favorably to its use for vocabulary learning. However, the findings also revealed certain limitations and areas for improvement in the app's design and its alignment with technical vocabulary learning needs, which should be considered in the use and development of multimedia vocabulary learning applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103962"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Navigating the decades: A narrative inquiry into tertiary EFL teacher wellbeing amid Chinese educational reforms 跨越几十年：中国教育改革背景下高校英语教师幸福感的叙事探究

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2026.103983

Xinxin Wu , Jia Liu

{"title":"Navigating the decades: A narrative inquiry into tertiary EFL teacher wellbeing amid Chinese educational reforms","authors":"Xinxin Wu , Jia Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While teacher wellbeing is critical, its long-term evolution remains under-researched, particularly for EFL teachers in contexts of intense, sustained educational reform. This study addresses this gap by employing narrative inquiry to explore the 30-year career wellbeing trajectories of two tertiary EFL teachers in China. Findings revealed two distinct, non-linear pathways, consisting of one of episodic diversification driven by a quest for autonomy, and one of sustained striving characterized by a “slow burn” of resilience against systemic demands and work-family conflicts. Analysis of these trajectories demonstrates that wellbeing is a dynamic negotiation between teachers' internal worlds and their external contexts. Based on this analysis, we propose the adaptive equilibrium model of long-term EFL teacher wellbeing (AEM-LTEW). This model conceptualizes wellbeing as a dynamic equilibrium across four key domains (values and motivational core, professional identity architecture, environmental context and systemic forces, and life-course integration), maintained through three adaptive mechanisms, namely environmental modification, cognitive reframing, and strategic adaptation. This framework provides a new lens for understanding career-long adaptation and the cumulative impact of systemic reforms. The study's implications call for career-stage-specific support and for addressing structural inequities, such as gendered career paths and narrow evaluative metrics, that impact long-term teacher sustainability in Chinese higher education and similar reform-intensive contexts globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103983"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Junior secondary EFL learners’ enjoyment of homework: A mixed-methods comparative study of a high-, average-, and low-achieving school in Hong Kong 初中英语学习者对家庭作业的享受：香港一所高、中、低成绩学校的混合方法比较研究

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2026.103981

Art Tsang , Benjamin Luke Moorhouse

{"title":"Junior secondary EFL learners’ enjoyment of homework: A mixed-methods comparative study of a high-, average-, and low-achieving school in Hong Kong","authors":"Art Tsang , Benjamin Luke Moorhouse","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103981","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103981","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Positive emotions such as enjoyment have recently come to the fore in FL research and education. However, very few studies to date have focused on learners' emotions associated with doing homework, a common practice institutionalized in many FL education settings. In this comparative study, we examined 327 Grade 7 EFL learners' levels of enjoyment of homework in a high-, an average-, and a low-achieving school in Hong Kong. We elicited, through a questionnaire, their enjoyment of the most common types of English homework assigned by their teachers in their specific schools at two timepoints with a one-year gap. 24 participants were interviewed after the second timepoint. Overall, the participants’ levels of enjoyment were neutral to negative. The high-achieving participants had the highest level of enjoyment while the low-achievers had the lowest. This pattern remained largely the same across the two timepoints. The qualitative data shed light on the overall low enjoyment associated with homework and different levels of enjoyment between different kinds of homework in specific schools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103981"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Linking mindsets to emotions in foreign language learning: A study integrating situated expectancy-value and control-value theories across proficiency levels 在外语学习中连结心态与情绪：一项跨熟练程度整合情境期望值与控制值理论的研究

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-17 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2026.103975

Dawei Wei , Luk Van Mensel , Chunyan Xu

{"title":"Linking mindsets to emotions in foreign language learning: A study integrating situated expectancy-value and control-value theories across proficiency levels","authors":"Dawei Wei , Luk Van Mensel , Chunyan Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103975","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103975","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grounded in situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT) and control-value theory (CVT), this three-wave time-ordered study investigates how motivational constructs – self-efficacy, utility, interest, and cost – mediate the effects of mindsets on achievement emotions in English as a Foreign Language (FL) learning, with a specific focus on proficiency level as a moderating factor. Data were collected from 778 university students at three time points over one semester, with mindsets assessed at T1, motivation at T2, and emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom) at T3. Structural equation modelling revealed that a growth mindset was associated with lower anxiety and boredom and higher enjoyment through distinct control- and value-related appraisals. In contrast, a fixed mindset intensified anxiety and boredom via perceived cost. Notably, proficiency level moderated these pathways: the protective effect of a growth mindset on anxiety and boredom – via reduced perceived cost – was observed only among higher-proficiency learners. These findings advance the integration of SEVT and CVT in FL research and underscore the importance of differentiating motivational-emotional interventions by proficiency level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103975"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A typology of metalinguistic feedback 元语言反馈的一种类型

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103956

Mari Wærner Wesenberg

引用次数: 0

(Re)conceptualising the teaching of English and Chinese as pluricentric languages: A Hong Kong stakeholders’ perspective （重新）从香港持份者的角度，把英文和中文教学视为多中心语言

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-08 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103938

Jim Yee Him Chan

{"title":"(Re)conceptualising the teaching of English and Chinese as pluricentric languages: A Hong Kong stakeholders’ perspective","authors":"Jim Yee Him Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103938","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103938","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the growing visibility and large first/second language (L1/L2) speaker population, the recent development of the Chinese language has revealed characteristics of a pluricentric language, similar to those observed in English. Drawing on the World Englishes (WE) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) frameworks, this study compared the language use experiences and attitudes of Hong Kong educated stakeholders (university students and professionals) towards learning and teaching English and Putonghua as pluricentric languages based on a large-scale questionnaire (N = 1700). Principal Components Analysis was applied to the questionnaire data, which identified seven areas for comparison related to their experience of language use, recognition of non-dominant varieties, preference for L1 accents and perceptions of speaking with an L1/L2 accent.</div><div>The findings indicate that participants were exposed to both L1 and L2 English/Putonghua accents in face-to-face communication (e.g., university, workplace, travelling). While L1 accents (especially for English) were generally preferred, the participants also showed recognition of a range of non-dominant English and Putonghua varieties. Interestingly, most participants, particularly the professionals, expressed greater acceptance of L2 Putonghua varieties than of L2 English. Based on these findings, the paper explores the potential for (re)conceptualising the Chinese language and Chinese language education (CLE) through the lens of the WE/ELF literature, and critically (re-)examines key issues such as the status and identity of language varieties, language ownership, standards, norms and models, teaching/learning priorities, the roles of language teachers, and materials design. It advocates for further in-depth linguistic and sociolinguistic research to inform the future development of CLE.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103938"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

How high-achieving and struggling learners at the novice level engage with written corrective feedback: Insights from a Japanese as a foreign language classroom 高成就和挣扎的初学者如何参与书面纠正反馈：来自日语作为外语课堂的见解

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-28 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2026.103976

Jun Takahashi

引用次数: 0

Teaching and social presence in Chinese EFL blended learning: A mixed-methods investigation of cognitive presence development 汉语英语混合式学习中的教学与社会在场：认知在场发展的混合方法研究

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103965

Min Huang , Ying Ling

{"title":"Teaching and social presence in Chinese EFL blended learning: A mixed-methods investigation of cognitive presence development","authors":"Min Huang , Ying Ling","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103965","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103965","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Blended learning has become increasingly integrated into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction at Chinese universities; however, limited research has examined how the sub-categories of teaching presence and social presence shape the development of cognitive presence. Grounded in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, this mixed-methods study investigates both direct and mediated relationships among the three presences in EFL blended learning contexts. Survey data were collected from 1258 undergraduate students and complemented by semi-structured interviews with ten instructors and fifteen students from nine Chinese universities. Quantitative analyses and thematic analysis were combined to capture both structural patterns and contextualized learning experiences. The results indicate that social presence exerts the stronger influence on cognitive presence and partially mediates the effect of teaching presence. In addition, the sub-categories of teaching and social presence interact in differentiated ways across the four phases of cognitive presence, with group cohesion emerging as the most powerful predictor. These findings highlight the central role of social-emotional dynamics in supporting cognitive engagement in EFL blended learning. This study extends the CoI framework by offering discipline-sensitive evidence and offers pedagogical implications for the design of effective EFL blended learning in higher education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103965"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between Hong Kong CSL learners’ L2 selves and their writing performance 自尊在香港学习者二语自我与写作表现关系中的中介作用

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103957

Xinhua Zhu , Yuan Yao , Wanru Pang , Siyu Zhu , Qingyang Li

{"title":"The mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between Hong Kong CSL learners’ L2 selves and their writing performance","authors":"Xinhua Zhu , Yuan Yao , Wanru Pang , Siyu Zhu , Qingyang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103957","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2025.103957","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The crucial roles of both possible L2 selves (ideal and ought-to L2 self) and self-esteem (self-liking and self-competence) in language education have been well documented in existing research. However, few studies link L2 selves and self-esteem and explore the specific pathways through which they affect writing achievement. This study explores how L2 selves influence writing performance through the mediating role of self-esteem, using a sample of 171 senior secondary students enrolled in a Chinese-as-a-second-language (CSL) writing course in Hong Kong. Participants completed adapted questionnaires to measure their possible L2 selves and self-esteem levels, alongside three writing tasks to assess their writing performance. Path analysis yielded several significant and novel findings. First, the ideal L2 self exhibited a positive direct effect on both self-competence and writing performance, underscoring the empowering influence of personal aspirations in language learning. In contrast, the ought-to L2 self was significantly associated only with self-liking. Notably, self-liking demonstrated a negative correlation with writing performance. Mediation analysis further revealed that the ought-to L2 self impacted writing performance indirectly through self-liking. This pathway suggests how motivations rooted in external pressure may foster fragile, contingent self-esteem that ultimately undermines academic achievement. Pedagogical implications highlight the importance of fostering students' ideal L2 self while addressing the potentially negative mediating role of self-liking. By nurturing authentic motivation and balanced self-esteem, educators can more effectively support students’ language development and academic success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103957"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Digital Native Speakerism as a Marketing Strategy on YouTube Instructional Videos: “SPEAK ENGLISH LIKE A NATIVE!” YouTube教学视频中的数字母语主义营销策略：“像母语一样说英语！”

IF 5.6 1区文学

System Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-08 DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2026.103971

Ӧzge Güney , Antonella Gazzardi

{"title":"Digital Native Speakerism as a Marketing Strategy on YouTube Instructional Videos: “SPEAK ENGLISH LIKE A NATIVE!”","authors":"Ӧzge Güney , Antonella Gazzardi","doi":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.system.2026.103971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated instructional videos of English on two most popular YouTube channels (<em>Lily</em> and <em>Maria</em>) to explore how native speakerism is employed as a marketing strategy. We used multimodal content analysis to examine the titles and thumbnails of videos (<em>n</em> = 268 from Maria and <em>n</em> = 316 from Lily), which play a significant role in persuading the audience to watch videos. The findings showed that the YouTubers employed native speakerism most commonly as part of a digital marketization process under the influence of neoliberalism in the ELT industry. The YouTubers encourage learners to emulate native speaker performance in diverse areas from vocabulary to accent, grammar, culture and pragmatics. They promote mainstream Englishes as the norm through their discourse of the Self and the Others and semiotic tools such as national flags. The words <em>native speaker</em>, <em>American</em>, and <em>British</em> have become buzzwords for greater visibility and attention on these channels. The study offers implications for teacher education, teachers, online content creators, and learners interested in interacting with instructional videos of English on social media.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48185,"journal":{"name":"System","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103971"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

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