Volume 22, Number 2, December 2025
DOI: 10.56040/e-flt.213

Editorial DOI: 10.56040/koos2220

Articles

J. M. Hall

The Perplexity of Conducting Language Activities at Junior High Schools in Japan: From the Perspective of Student Teachers

DOI: 10.56040/jmhl2221

Abstract
One significant change in the latest curricular guidelines in Japan for junior high schools is that students are intended to learn grammar and vocabulary through language activities. This study describes the experience of carrying out language activities in junior high school English classrooms from the perspective of student teachers, focusing on the perplexities, or conundrums, that they encounter. These perplexities were identified through an analysis of the critical incident reports written by 172 student teachers between 2016 and 2024. The reports described incidents during the student teachers’ junior high school English teaching practicums that went against their expectations. The critical incidents were coded using thematic analysis, and five perplexities extrapolated from the coding are described. Two perplexities relate to activity facilitation: Creating a shared understanding of activity participation with students and Managing oneself, learners, and time. The remaining perplexities relate to facilitating language learning: Dynamicity of language instruction, The unpredictable nature of student language use, and The difficulty of using English. Exploratory Practice, which prioritizes deep understanding of issues over quick solutions, informs the discussion of this study. Based on the discussion, this paper proposes a longitudinal process for exploring perplexities student teachers face.

Abdu Al-Kadi

Towards Digital Reading Mindset: Digital Reading Habits, Strategies, and Challenges 

DOI: 10.56040/abkd2222

Abstract
Digital technology has created opportunities for new learning habits and strategies. This study examined how university students engage with emerging digital reading formats and multimodal texts. It explored their digital reading habits, strategies, and associated challenges. Data were collected in two rounds from 34 students at the entry level of a program in English language and literature. In the first round, this cohort completed a survey on digital reading materials, devices, habits, and strategies. In the second round, sixteen participants were singled out from the overall sample for a reading task. Survey results indicated a set of selective reading strategies, including goal setting, skimming, and bypassing non-essential content such as ads and external links. Participants indicated that they employed such strategies while reading web pages, social media content, and the like. In the reading task, students who completed the reading more quickly had previously reported stronger reading habits and strategies. However, only half of those reading from screens provided responses that demonstrated full comprehension of the text in question. These preliminary findings raise concerns about the cognitive demands of multimodal ensem-bles and underscore the need for further research to clarify how digital reading platforms can be optimized to reduce cognitive load and enhance engagement with digital reading.

Marie-Theres Gruber et al.

Early Career Primary School Teachers' Agency in Relation to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

DOI: 10.56040/msak2223

Abstract
Even though there has been vast research focusing on teacher agency, primary school foreign language (FL) teachers remain relatively under-researched. In order to understand which aspects contribute to early career primary school teachers’ sense of agency in their FL learning as well as teaching, semi-structured online interviews were conducted with nine Austrian primary school teachers in their first year of teach-ing. The findings are presented as individual case studies and a cross-case analysis. It was found that an interplay of psychological and ecological aspects impacted early career primary school teachers as FL edu-cators and in their transition from learner to teacher. As part of professional development, early-career primary school teachers need to reflect on past, present, and future disjunctures in order to develop and sustain professional agency and effectively deliver foreign language lessons.

Hyeseon Jeong

Demotivating and Remotivating Factors Affecting Korean Language Learners in Thailand

DOI: 10.56040/hysj2224

Abstract
This study examined the demotivation and remotivation of Thai university students majoring in Korean as a foreign language. While motivation in English learning has been extensively researched, studies on languages other than English (LOTEs) remain limited. To address this gap, a mixed-methods approach was applied to data from 204 Korean majors in Thailand. The findings indicated that learners were most strongly demotivated by assessment-related anxiety, loss of confidence, and the heavy academic burden of studying Korean, alongside a gradual decline in cultural interest. In contrast, remotivation was fostered by recognizing the instrumental value of Korean for future goals and by renewed engagement with Kore-an culture, often supported by teachers and peers. These results highlighted the shifting interplay of psy-chological, academic, and cultural factors in sustaining motivation. The study extends research on LOTEs and offers practical implications for fostering supportive and goal-oriented learning environments.

Reviews

Yiqian Yan and Xin Lyu

Review of "Teacher Well-Being in English Language Teaching: An Ecological Approach"

DOI: 10.56040/yyxl2225

Muhammed Parviz

Review of "Principles of Language Learning and Teaching"

DOI: 10.56040/prvz2226