English language learning

The article examines the potential of mindfulness exercises for promoting students’ well-being and improving the effectiveness of English language teaching in higher education institutions of Ukraine. The relevance of the study is due to the increasing levels of stress, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and reduced motivation among students, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, which highlights the need for educational approaches that support both academic achievement and psychological well-being. The paper reviews contemporary theoretical and empirical research on mindfulness, outlines its core principles, and analyses their application to the foreign language classroom. Particular attention is paid to the contribution of mindfulness to reducing foreign language anxiety, strengthening emotional regulation, increasing resilience, motivation, self-efficacy, concentration, memory, communication skills, and speaking performance. The article also discusses the pedagogical principles underlying effective mindfulness instruction, including intention, attention, attitude, inquiry-based learning, and the creation of a supportive and non-judgemental learning environment. Furthermore, the principles of non-judgement, acceptance, beginner’s mind, patience, non-striving, trust, letting go, and compassion are interpreted in relation to English language learning. Based on the analysed literature, the paper proposes a set of practical mindfulness activities that can be integrated into English language lessons, including mindful breathing, listening, writing, conversations, body scanning, movement, grounding, visualisation, art practices, and savouring. These activities may be used as lesson warm-ups, fillers, transitions, or independent learning tasks to foster students’ emotional well-being while simultaneously developing their communicative competence. It is concluded that mindfulness represents a valuable pedagogical approach capable of creating psychologically safe and engaging learning environments that support both language acquisition and personal development.

Teaching English as a foreign language faces several challenges related to student motivation, active participation, and the development of communicative skills, particularly speaking. In response to this situation, gamification has emerged as an innovative teaching strategy that incorporates game elements into educational contexts in order to promote meaningful learning experiences. The aim of this study is to analyze the potential of gamification for the development of English-speaking skills, considering its theoretical foundations, key components, and practical applications in the teaching and learning process of foreign languages. From a theoretical and descriptive perspective, the study examines contributions from various scholars who emphasize the value of elements such as points, badges, levels, challenges, and immediate feedback systems in fostering motivation, participation, and learners' self-confidence. Likewise, practical experiences involving role-playing games, gamified debates, digital platforms, and collaborative learning environments are discussed as effective means of encouraging the contextualized use of the language. The analysis reveals that gamification contributes to reducing communication anxiety, increasing student interaction, and strengthening linguistic and social skills that are essential for English language learning. It is concluded that this methodology represents an effective alternative for enriching foreign language instruction, provided that its implementation is guided by clearly defined pedagogical objectives and adapted to the characteristics of the educational context in which it is applied.

This community service activity reports the implementation of a token economy technique to support attention during English-language learning at LKP Endemic, Warungjayeng, Nganjuk. The activity used a classroom-action-oriented plan–act–observe–reflect framework involving 12 learners. Attention was operationalized through 20 observable indicators grouped into seven dimensions: attention orientation, sustained attention, task engagement, response to instruction, active participation, distraction control, and self-regulation. The intervention combined immediate token delivery, behavior-specific verbal praise, token recording, exchange opportunities, and gradual fading. Descriptive results showed a group mean of 43.92/80 at pre-intervention, 56.08/80 in Cycle I, and 67.75/80 in Cycle II. The absolute increase from baseline to Cycle II was 23.83 points, corresponding to a relative increase of approximately 54.26% from baseline. The largest descriptive improvements were observed in response to instruction, active participation, distraction control, and self-regulation. Cycle I reflection identified the need for more consistent timing of token delivery, more explicit behavior-specific praise, and reduced dependence on external rewards; these changes informed Cycle II through selective token delivery and gradual fading. Because the activity involved a small group without a comparison condition, the findings should be interpreted as descriptive evidence of local implementation rather than as a causal estimate of effectiveness. The findings provide a practical framework for integrating behavioral reinforcement with English-learning activities in a non-formal learning setting.

The article aimed to explore learning styles, approaches and differentiated learning strategies in English language teaching process. We include the introduction of new foreign language learning approaches, strategies and styles from other sources, as well as disseminating and gathering strategy ideas from the learner´s peers. Different students are likely to approach the task of learning language in different ways. Some learners may instinctively fell that there is a benefit to studying the rules and patterns of a language, while others may be less inclined to formal study and prefer learning in more experiential manner, where they use the language to achieve tasks and goals. The extent of students’ achievement may be influenced by some factors, which one of them is learning style and approach. The experience and studies show that most of the students prefer ‘reflective’, ‘sensing’, ‘visual’, and ‘sequential’ learning styles, individualised (or personalised), self-directed learning, autonomy approach in English language learning. With an appropriate range of resources, materials and pedagogic support, where students would set their own language learning purposes and would be supported to reach these goals in ways which are effective, which are of real interest to them and which can co-exist with each student´s lifestyle, not just their learning style.

English language learning among Muslim students in Indonesia often faces tensions between Western cultural influences and Islamic values. This study aims to understand how Muslim students' lived experiences in English learning shape their Islamic identity, how they negotiate tensions between Islamic values and Western culture, and how social contexts such as pesantren influence identity construction. This qualitative research employs a phenomenological approach. Participants were seven Muslim students at UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan with backgrounds in pesantren or Islamic boarding schools. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that Muslim students perceive English as a bridge for global da'wah and academic advancement, not as a threat. They actively practice critical cultural filtration taking linguistic benefits while rejecting values contradicting Islam. The pesantren environment supports this harmonization, for example through integrating vocabulary memorization after the Subuh prayer. This study concludes that learning a foreign language and preserving Islamic identity can coexist harmoniously. It recommends developing culturally and religiously sensitive English curricula in Islamic educational institutions.

یادگیری زبان انگلیسی در میان دانشجویان مسلمان اندونزی غالباً با تنش‌هایی میان تأثیرات فرهنگی غربی و ارزش‌های اسلامی مواجه است. هدف این پژوهش، فهم چگونگی تأثیر تجارب زیسته دانشجویان مسلمان در یادگیری زبان انگلیسی بر هویت اسلامی آنان، نحوه مذاکره آن‌ها با تنش‌های میان ارزش‌های اسلامی و فرهنگ غربی، و نقش زمینه‌های اجتماعی همچون پیام‌رسان (pesantren) در ساخت هویت است. این پژوهش کیفی با رویکرد پدیدارشناسی انجام شده است. شرکت‌کنندگان شامل هفت دانشجوی مسلمان دانشگاه UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan با پیشینه تحصیل در پیام‌رسان یا مدارس شبانه‌روزی اسلامی بودند. داده‌ها از طریق مصاحبه‌های نیمه‌ساختاریافته و عمیق گردآوری شد. یافته‌ها نشان می‌دهد که دانشجویان مسلمان، زبان انگلیسی را به عنوان پلی برای دعوت جهانی (da'wah) و پیشرفت علمی تلقی می‌کنند و آن را تهدید نمی‌دانند. آن‌ها با رویکرد انتقادی به پالایش فرهنگی می‌پردازند و ضمن بهره‌گیری از مزایای زبانی، ارزش‌هایی را که با اسلام مغایرت دارد، رد می‌کنند. محیط پیام‌رسان از این همسویی حمایت می‌کند؛ به عنوان مثال، از طریق ادغام حفظ واژگان پس از نماز صبح (Subuh). این پژوهش نتیجه می‌گیرد که یادگیری زبان خارجی و حفظ هویت اسلامی می‌تواند به طور هماهنگ همزیستی داشته باشد. همچنین، توسعه برنامه‌های درسی زبان انگلیسی حساس به فرهنگ و مذهب در مؤسسات آموزشی اسلامی توصیه می‌شود.

Even though there is a lot of research that examines the types of student misbehavior at school, there seems to be little research that discusses the causes of student misbehavior during English classes in the high school context. Considering various previous studies conducted by many researchers from different contexts and backgrounds, in this study, the researcher conducted this research with the aim of identifying types of student misbehavior and the causes of misbehavior carried out by students through classroom observations during learning and conducting activities. interviews with teachers at high schools. This research uses naturalistic observation and semi-structured interviews at a state high school in Yogyakarta. Apart from that, descriptive qualitative methods were used to know at the types of student delinquency and the causes of this delinquency in senior high school. The data was analyzed by referring to the categories developed by Debreli & Ishanova (2019), namely: playing handphone, lacking motivation, talking too much, using mother tongue, and asking irrelevant questions. The finding of this research found that the types of misbehavior that students most often engage in are playing with mobile phones during the learning process, secondly the lack of motivation and enthusiasm for student learning which makes students not focus on class. Apart from that, the causes of this behavior were explained by the class teacher, namely that students were easily provoked if someone asked them to chat and students were inconsistent with the rules made by the teacher in using cellphones in class, and there was misbehavior outside the categories that had been developed in previous research, namely students who likes to skip class during class hours. Therefore, the causes of students' misbehavior in English class are interrelated.

اگرچه پژوهش‌های بسیاری به بررسی انواع رفتارهای ناهنجار دانش‌آموزان در مدرسه پرداخته‌اند، به نظر می‌رسد تحقیقات اندکی به علل رفتارهای ناهنجار دانش‌آموزان در کلاس‌های زبان انگلیسی در بستر دبیرستان پرداخته‌اند. با توجه به مطالعات پیشین متعددی که توسط پژوهشگران مختلف از زمینه‌ها و پیشینه‌های متفاوت انجام شده است، پژوهشگر در این مطالعه با هدف شناسایی انواع رفتارهای ناهنجار دانش‌آموزان و علل بروز این رفتارها از طریق مشاهده کلاسی در حین یادگیری و انجام مصاحبه با معلمان دبیرستان‌ها، این پژوهش را انجام داده است. این پژوهش از مشاهده طبیعی و مصاحبه نیمه‌ساختاریافته در یک دبیرستان دولتی در یوگیاکارتا بهره برده است. افزون بر این، روش کیفی توصیفی برای شناسایی انواع بزهکاری دانش‌آموزان و علل این بزهکاری در دبیرستان به کار رفته است. داده‌ها با ارجاع به دسته‌بندی‌های ارائه‌شده توسط Debreli & Ishanova (2019) شامل: بازی با تلفن همراه، کمبود انگیزه، پرحرفی، استفاده از زبان مادری و پرسیدن سؤالات نامرتبط تحلیل شدند. یافته‌های این پژوهش نشان داد که شایع‌ترین نوع رفتار ناهنجار دانش‌آموزان، بازی با تلفن همراه در طول فرایند یادگیری است و در مرتبه دوم، کمبود انگیزه و اشتیاق به یادگیری که موجب عدم تمرکز دانش‌آموزان در کلاس می‌شود قرار دارد. همچنین، علل این رفتارها توسط معلم کلاس توضیح داده شد؛ از جمله اینکه دانش‌آموزان به‌راحتی تحریک می‌شوند اگر کسی آن‌ها را به صحبت دعوت کند و دانش‌آموزان در رعایت قوانین استفاده از تلفن همراه که توسط معلم تعیین شده، ثبات ندارند. افزون بر این، رفتار ناهنجاری خارج از دسته‌بندی‌های پژوهش‌های پیشین نیز مشاهده شد، از جمله دانش‌آموزانی که تمایل به ترک کلاس در ساعات درس دارند. بنابراین، علل رفتارهای ناهنجار دانش‌آموزان در کلاس زبان انگلیسی به هم مرتبط هستند.

Background Teacher burnout is an increasing psychological challenge in educational settings, affecting teachers’ emotional wellbeing and students’ learning experiences. Aim This study examined the psychological mechanisms through which teacher burnout influences learner engagement in English language classrooms, with particular attention to the role of emotional regulation. Framework Drawing on emotion regulation theory and educational psychology perspectives, this study explored whether teachers’ ability to manage emotional demands can reduce the negative impact of burnout on students’ classroom involvement. Method Data were collected in 2025 from 428 English language teachers and 1,284 students from secondary and higher education institutions. Teacher burnout was assessed through emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced professional efficacy; emotional regulation was measured through cognitive reappraisal and emotional control strategies; learner engagement was evaluated through behavioral participation, emotional involvement, and cognitive engagement indicators. Structural equation modelling was used to test direct and indirect relationships while controlling for relevant contextual factors. Findings Teacher burnout significantly predicted lower learner engagement ( β = −0.36, p < 0.001), whereas emotion regulation showed a positive association with student engagement ( β = 0.42, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that emotion regulation partially mediated the adverse effects of burnout, highlighting its role in classroom interactions. Implications Improving teachers’ emotional regulation skills and reducing occupational stress should be important priorities in educational policy. Integrating psychological support, emotional skills training, and burnout prevention initiatives may enhance teachers’ wellbeing and promote more engaging English language learning environments.

زمینه: فرسودگی شغلی معلمان به‌عنوان یک چالش روان‌شناختی رو به افزایش در محیط‌های آموزشی، بر سلامت هیجانی معلمان و تجربیات یادگیری دانش‌آموزان تأثیر می‌گذارد. هدف: این پژوهش به بررسی سازوکارهای روان‌شناختی پرداخت که از طریق آن‌ها فرسودگی شغلی معلمان بر مشارکت یادگیرندگان در کلاس‌های زبان انگلیسی تأثیر می‌گذارد و به‌ویژه نقش تنظیم هیجان را مورد توجه قرار داد. چارچوب: با تکیه بر نظریه تنظیم هیجان و دیدگاه‌های روان‌شناسی تربیتی، این مطالعه بررسی کرد که آیا توانایی معلمان در مدیریت تقاضاهای هیجانی می‌تواند اثرات منفی فرسودگی شغلی بر درگیری دانش‌آموزان در کلاس را کاهش دهد یا خیر. روش: داده‌ها در سال ۲۰۲۵ از ۴۲۸ معلم زبان انگلیسی و ۱۲۸۴ دانش‌آموز از مؤسسات آموزش متوسطه و عالی گردآوری شد. فرسودگی شغلی معلمان از طریق خستگی هیجانی، مسخ شخصیت و کاهش کارآمدی حرفه‌ای ارزیابی شد؛ تنظیم هیجان با استفاده از راهبردهای بازارزیابی شناختی و کنترل هیجانی سنجیده شد؛ مشارکت یادگیرندگان نیز از طریق شاخص‌های مشارکت رفتاری، درگیری هیجانی و مشارکت شناختی ارزیابی گردید. برای آزمون روابط مستقیم و غیرمستقیم و کنترل عوامل زمینه‌ای مرتبط، مدل‌سازی معادلات ساختاری به کار رفت. یافته‌ها: فرسودگی شغلی معلمان به طور معناداری پیش‌بینی‌کننده کاهش مشارکت یادگیرندگان بود (β = −۰.۳۶, p < ۰.۰۰۱)، در حالی که تنظیم هیجان با مشارکت دانش‌آموزان رابطه مثبت نشان داد (β = ۰.۴۲, p < ۰.۰۰۱). تحلیل میانجی‌گری نشان داد که تنظیم هیجان به طور جزئی اثرات منفی فرسودگی شغلی را میانجی‌گری می‌کند و نقش آن را در تعاملات کلاسی برجسته می‌سازد. پیامدها: بهبود مهارت‌های تنظیم هیجان معلمان و کاهش استرس شغلی باید از اولویت‌های مهم سیاست‌گذاری آموزشی باشد. ادغام حمایت روان‌شناختی، آموزش مهارت‌های هیجانی و ابتکارات پیشگیری از فرسودگی شغلی می‌تواند به ارتقای سلامت روان معلمان و ایجاد محیط‌های یادگیری زبان انگلیسی پویاتر کمک کند.