<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The present study explores Japanese student teachers’ identity construction and transition with focuses on contexts both inside and outside the classroom in the online environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. By integrating language teacher identities as a complex and dynamic entirety rather than detached pieces, this qualitative research study utilizes both narrative inquiry and positioning analysis to examine four Japanese student teacher identities through both discursive construction in discourse and momentary behavior in talk-in-interaction. The data collected from the surveys, class observations, interviews and weekly meetings revealed four aspects of Japanese student teacher identities: (1) beliefs on foreign language education in and beyond the classroom, (2) self-perceptions of not only language teachers but also future supporters and life helpers, (3) perceptions of teaching Japanese live-online during the COVID-19 pandemic and (4) beliefs on successful language teaching relying on bidirectional cooperation of both teachers and students. The article concludes with a discussion about how the possible directions for future research in terms of the contextual narrative exploration in languages other than English and the integration of both narrative inquiry and positioning analysis methods.
</abstract>

Narratives to identities: Japanese graduate teaching assistants as language teachers

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The rapid change in education in March 2020, triggered by the pandemic, prompted an equally swift response from stakeholders, managers, teachers, and, not least, pupils. Struggling with physical, technological, and methodological problems, teachers also had to contend with the social isolation of their pupils, as well as the emotional, technical, and learning challenges faced by the pupils, all of which, of course, had an impact on their own mental and physical well-being. The aim of the study is to investigate the extent to which the ability to use online tools influences the stress teachers faced during a pandemic, similar to the effect of school and government management support on stress intensity. The sample for this study comprised 72 male and female participants between the ages of 24 and 54 years. Convenient sampling was employed to collect data. The questionnaire with binary, Likert scale, and open-ended questions was administered to the sample. Correlation tests and t-tests were used to analyze the data in this study. The research revealed a statistically significant medium negative correlation between the intensity of stress and the ability to use digital tools, as well as a similar correlation between stress and the perceived support from the government. The results indicate that teachers’ ability to use online tools significantly improved during the pandemic. However, it also highlights the urgent need for changes in teacher training education to equip pre-service teachers with 21st-century skills.
</abstract>

Perceived teacher stress during COVID-19 pandemic

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Culture study is highly interdisciplinary, and thus a culture learning class in an educational institution often deals with many different cultural aspects. Accordingly, on different cultural topics to discuss in the class, it cannot be helped that students exhibit different degrees of interest on each topic. The current paper reports research on what kind of topics interest students based on gender and country of origin. The survey results showed great variation among students. Asian and female students relatively prefer less serious topics while male and European students tend to prefer serious and controversial topics to discuss with peers.
</abstract>

Students’ interests in discussion topics in culture learning class

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

To enhance learners’ speaking proficiency, teachers’ beliefs and classroom actions have crucial impacts in EFL classes. This study was conducted to investigate EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching speaking skills at secondary schools in Ethiopia. The study adopted descriptive and correlational research designs in which the data were collected through quantitative and qualitative methods. Sixty-four EFL teachers from some selected secondary schools were taken as a source of data. Data were collected using questionnaires, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: frequency, percentage, and mean. Two-tailed Pearson correlation was also used to show the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices. Qualitative data were analyzed in a verbal and narrative description. The findings from the teachers’ responses indicated that teachers have in general positive beliefs towards teaching the speaking skills communicatively. However, classroom observation results revealed that EFL teachers’ practices of teaching speaking skills contradict what they believe to be. The overall result indicated that teachers were not teaching the speaking skills as per language teaching theories, methods, and mainly to their stated beliefs. The study also showed a moderate positive relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding teaching speaking skills. Based on the result, it was recommended that the Ethiopian Ministry of Education should offer in-service professional development programs that focus on classroom teaching of speaking skills to teachers. EFL teachers should also exert their maximum effort to put their beliefs of teaching speaking skills into practice by overcoming unfavorable conditions inside and outside the classroom environment.
</abstract>

EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching the speaking skills: the case of secondary schools in Bale Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

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This paper attempts to explore Slovak EFL learners’ perceptions of the fundamental principles of communicative approach, which has been employed as the primary way of teaching foreign languages for the past five decades. Research participants were formed by 111 Slovak university EFL leaners – teacher trainees (n = 111), who were asked to demonstrate their level of agreement to the statements concerning communicative language teaching by responding to a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The calculated means indicate that overall, the research participants are in agreement with the selected principles of CLT as they agreed with 16 out of the 18 chosen statements. However, they appear to be neutral about two aspects of CLT, the use of native language at EFL lessons and discovering and investigating grammatical rules by learners themselves. Arising out of the research results, the conclusions are drawn, and pedagogical implications are discussed.
</abstract>

University EFL learners’ perceptions of communicative language teaching and learning

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Proverbs in English pose a challenge for EFL learners due to their metaphorical nature. This study compared three approaches to enhance EFL students’ proverb comprehension: Conventional-based, Pictorial-based, and Conceptual Metaphor-based. Pre- and post-tests were conducted on 70 EFL students divided into three groups. The Conventional-based Approach was used with 22 students, the Pictorial-based with 25, and the Conceptual Metaphor-based with 23. A one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among the groups. The Conceptual Metaphor-based group outperformed the Conventional-based and Pictorial-based groups. It is recommended that EFL teachers adopt the Conceptual Metaphor-based Approach to deepen proverb understanding and retention. This approach enables learners to uncover the cultural values within proverbs, fostering language proficiency and critical thinking.
</abstract>

Enhancing EFL students’ proverb comprehension through the conceptual metaphor approach: A cognitive linguistic perspective

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Vocabulary is an essential part of any language. The study discussed in this article intended to explore how Lithuanian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students studying English at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, learn English vocabulary. To achieve the set aim, the following research questions were raised to answer: 1) Which vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) do the students use the most while studying English as a foreign language? 2) Which VLS do the students use the least while studying English as a foreign language? The study was carried out in 2023 using 31 open and closed questions in an online questionnaire that the students were asked to voluntarily fill in. The questions were based on the earlier done literature review distinguishing cognitive, social, and metacognitive vocabulary learning strategies. The students were not familiarised with the terminology of the strategies, but it was hoped that the described strategies in the given questions would also serve as useful information that the students could use while learning vocabulary in the future (if they had never used them before). As the study was both quantitative and qualitative, the latter data was processed using thematic grouping, content and descriptive analysis. The findings reveal interesting vocabulary learning preferences. Some of the VLS are used incidentally and occasionally (e.g., paraphrasing and placing words in sentences) while some others intentionally and frequently (e.g., guessing from the context or oral and written repetition).
</abstract>

How do Lithuanian EFL students learn vocabulary?

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Learning Management System (LMS) Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is used by educators and institutions around the world and is an effective solution for creating and delivering engaging online courses. Moodle has also gained popularity in universities across Slovakia which have adopted it as their preferred Learning Management System for managing and providing e-learning content. The use of Moodle courses in university education in Slovakia has several benefits, including increased access to education for students, improved engagement and interaction between students and instructors, and greater flexibility for students in terms of when and where they can complete coursework. The paper aims to investigate the integration of this learning/content management system in the area of philology (linguistics/applied linguistics, translation, culture, literature, didactics) by analysing Moodle courses offered by the Department of English Language and Literature at Trnava University’s Faculty of Education. The study analyses existing Moodle courses from multiple perspectives to identify digital service advancements in philological study programs, including teacher and non-teacher training programs. The study examines various features of Moodle courses, including the number of courses offered, the subjects covered, course structure, learning materials employed, methods of assessment and feedback, communication and collaboration tools utilised, and integration of online and multimedia resources. The paper presents the essential findings and provides insights into the current situation. Identifying gaps in the existing state and suggesting areas for further research, aims to advance understanding in the field.
</abstract>

Philological study programs in the digital age: A comprehensive analysis of Moodle integration and utilization

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This study aims to investigate the use of text-organising metadiscourse markers as a means of the author’s stance expression in academic texts from a cross-linguistic and cross-disciplinary perspectives. This comparative study analyses scientific research articles in the fields of technology and social sciences (economics) written in Lithuanian and English. The results of the study revealed that the authors of the studied articles tend to create a coherent text, therefore the markers such as transition, endophorics, and references to the text are quite often. The more frequent evidentials, which are intended to refer to the publications of other authors, show the individual choices of the authors in the field of technology, probably determined by the peculiarities of the discipline or the requirements for publications of the scientific journals regarding the scope and organisation of the text. The results of the quantitative research demonstrated that more text-organising markers were found in the articles written in Lithuanian rather than English. The cross-disciplinary research indicated that authors use text-organising markers in the scientific articles of economics more often than the authors of technological academic texts, which means that disciplinary differences prevail. Qualitative research disclosed cross-linguistic and cross-disciplinary similarities, as the analysed examples of markers were employed by authors to perform the same functions. Furthemore, a similar perception of the organisation of the text emerged. No qualitative differences were observed in the use of the text-organising markers.
</abstract>

Text-organising metadiscourse markers in academic texts

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In this paper, the authors discuss specific methods and innovative trends in education. They analyse the conditions for effective teaching and focus on modern teaching practices. The primary method of foreign language education consists mainly of a communicative approach with a dominant orientation on cultural aspects. The authors are not only concerned with linguistic competences but also point out how they can be achieved. In the research part, they set as their primary goal the observation of the use of illustrative means in German language teaching in terms of the changes that can be brought about by teachers themselves through the simplest possible intervention - in our case, by pictures, under which one can imagine materials ranging from the most concrete to the more abstract representations of reality.
</abstract>

Current trends in German language teaching: Analysis of pupils’ knowledge, its comparison, and attitudes towards the German language

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“Reynard the Fox” and the <italic>Maqamat al-Hamadhani</italic> demonstrate the emergence of satire and subversion as important themes in medieval allegories. The authors of both texts utilized the trickster-protagonist to portray dualism in society—especially right versus wrong. In both stories, the trickster figures have two roles: as protagonists and as villains. Both medieval allegories criticize the hypocrisy of their societies, in which mediocrity was praised and excellence was ignored. “Reynard the Fox” and the <italic>Maqamat al-Hamadhani</italic> are forms of constructive social criticism that readers desperately need today. An analysis of “Reynard the Fox” and the <italic>Maqamat al-Hamadhani</italic> contributes to a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural contexts in which these works emerged, as well as of the literary techniques employed to convey their satirical messages. Hopefully, this article will enrich the study of medieval literature by providing valuable insights into the role of satire and subversion in allegorical narratives.
</abstract>

Satire and subversion in Medieval allegories: “Reynard the Fox” and the Maqamat al-Hamadhani

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 11 (2023): Issue 3 (December 2023)

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Volume 8 (2020): Issue 3 (December 2020)

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Volume 7 (2019): Issue 3 (December 2019)

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Volume 5 (2017): Issue 3 (September 2017)

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Volume 3 (2015): Issue 3 (September 2015)

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Journal of Language and Cultural Education

 Journal of Language and Cultural Education (JoLaCE) is a double-blind peer-reviewed international journal promoting international scholarly exchange among researchers, academics, and professionals. It carries only original, previously unpublished full-length research and survey articles that reflect the latest research and developments in both theoretical and practical aspects of language, literary and cultural education. Review studies, research-in-progress reports, short research notes, commentaries, and in-field publications reviews are invited to be published as well.  Rejection Rate   53,2%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 