We investigate sensitivity to island constraints in English native speakers and Najdi Arabic learners of English, examining (1) whether second language (L2) learners whose native language (L1) does not instantiate overt "wh"-movement are sensitive to island constraints and (2) the source of island effects. Under a grammatical account of…

Previous research in L2 perception has shown limited and diverge findings for final stop voicing contrasts by learners with different L1 backgrounds in comparison to natives of the target language. This paper aimed to investigate L2 learners' perceptual identification of voicing in English final stops based on the duration of succeeding vowel, and…

This survey investigated the interaction of e-learning settings through teaching English as a foreign language by native-English teachers. It examined the instructional virtual environment in teaching EFL at the University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 crisis during the academic year 2019/2020. Sample consisted of 20 informants.…

This study investigated the effect of consciousness-raising instruction and corpus-based instruction on EFL (English as a foreign language) students' development of compliment responses. It employed a quasi-experimental design with 136 EFL university students divided between three groups: control, consciousness-raising, and corpus groups. A…

This study contributes to the Global Southern epistemological debates on the professional identity negotiations of Global-North-educated English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors. Using semi-structured interviews, the study analyses how two Saudi Arabian EFL instructors, during their PhD studies in the United States, and upon their return…

Guided by Activity Theory framework, this study tends to uncover prominent contradictions in the activity systems in which non-native English as a Foreign Language (EFL) grammar teacher cognition operates. The study attempts to fill the existing research gaps, as there are visible gaps in the literature to address the problem from this angle. To…

Writing native-like has always been a primary purpose for non-native writers of English and, accordingly, many language components have been investigated to develop writers' fluency. One of these language components is syntactic complexity (SC), which is often regarded as a reliable way to grade any texts from easy to difficult. This study aims to…

This study sought to investigate the impact of using Cambly, a computer-mediated communication tool, on the speaking proficiency of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Further, it aimed to explore the participants' perceptions of using Cambly. The study employed an experimental design featuring a mixed-methods approach to data collection…

Identity research, L2 learner identity included, has of late, witnessed an unprecedented surge. Changes in the concepts of 'language" "community", and the "individual" "competence", have all influenced researching identities, leading ultimately to them perceived as "complex", "multi-faceted",…

The aim of the current study is to test whether explicit instruction of various L2 request forms can be a useful measure in developing Saudi learners' linguistic and pragmatic competences. This study is based on the results obtained from a previous research investigating interlanguage requests. The findings in that study suggested that the second…

Many studies have been conducted on code-switching worldwide, but few were carried out on Saudi context. Therefore, this study inquires the use of code-switching among Saudis who speak both Arabic and English to identify the reasons of code-switching and to know the significant differences regarding gender, age, qualification, and level of…

The present study investigates the patterns of word associations among Arab EFL learners and compares these patterns with those of native speakers of English. The study also examines the influence of increased language exposure and word characteristics on the learners' association patterns. To this end, 45 native speakers of English and 421 Arab…

English articles are thought to be complex, ambiguous and not salient in spoken language, which is why second language (L2) learners of English exhibit usage variability. Much of the L2 acquisition literature seems to agree that L2 learners are affected, one way or another, by their first language (L1). However, the debatable and controversial…

This research aims to create a smart electronic course, which simplifies the information, and reduces the time and effort in acquiring it actively and interactively, with the implicit message that all courses should be updated and improved to a modern ornament that suits the learner's psychology, inclinations, and possibilities. It also meets the…

This study investigates the effect of Facebook on Arabic language attrition, i.e., decrease in language proficiency, as exhibited in the use of Colloquial instead of Standard Arabic, use of foreign words although Arabic equivalents exist, and committing spelling errors. A sample of Facebook posts and a corpus of spelling errors on Facebook were…