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Open access Aug 2026

Content and Language Integration in Academic Reading: Fostering EFL Learners’ Comprehension and Critical Thinking

The study investigates how this integration affects comprehension, critical thinking, student engagement, learner autonomy, and the particular difficulties that students face using thematic analysis. Student perspectives, classroom observations, and classroom records were used to collect data. Using detailed information from ten informants with a range of skill levels, this qualitative case study examines the impact of combining language and content in academic reading for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in higher education. The results show that students' reading comprehension is much improved by contextualizing reading materials, structuring instruction, and connecting the subject to real-world scenarios. Giving students the chance to relate academic material to their own experiences increases their engagement and sense of autonomy. However, issues with technical jargon, a lack of prior knowledge, and the interpretation of statistical or graphical data remain obstacles. Scaffolded analysis, modeling of reading strategies, and pre-teaching of specialist terminology are among the effective tactics identified. These findings highlight the importance of adaptable, targeted teaching strategies for EFL students. Such interventions are essential for fostering critical thinking, academic literacy, and independence. Integrating language and content supports EFL learners in overcoming reading challenges and achieving academic success.

Asrul Asrul, Abdulhalim Daud, Awaludin Rizal et al. · 0 citations
Open access Aug 2026

ELT Students' Writing Strategies and Grammar Challenges in Academic and Professional Contexts: Exploring Meaningful, Mindful, and Joyful Learning

Academic and professional writing remains a significant challenge for English Language Teaching (ELT) students, particularly in managing grammatical accuracy and organizing ideas effectively. Recent discussions in language education emphasize the importance of deeper learning approaches that support students’ cognitive and emotional engagement during writing tasks. This study draws on the framework of deep learning, particularly the concepts of meaningful learning, mindful learning, and joyful learning, to examine ELT students’ writing experiences in academic and professional contexts. Using a qualitative case study design, the research involved five ELT students who had experience completing academic writing assignments. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the qualitative analysis framework proposed by Miles and Huberman. The findings revealed that students employed several writing strategies, including planning, revising drafts, and using external resources to address grammar-related challenges. These strategies were closely connected to meaningful learning through task relevance, mindful learning through awareness of writing processes, and joyful learning through positive engagement during writing activities. The study suggests that integrating meaningful, mindful, and joyful learning into writing instruction can enhance students’ engagement, self-regulation, and writing development in ELT contexts

Kamila Rahmasari, Ratri Nur Hidayati, Astry Fajria · 0 citations
Open access Jul 2026

Critical Discourse Analysis and Academic Writing Skills for Effective Communication in Higher Education

Good communication and academic writing is essential to success in higher education. This study focuses on the use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to develop Academic Writing abilities, and to facilitate effective communication among students in the university. This study was descriptive using quantitative method involving sample size of 200 of under- and post- graduate students from higher education institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyse the data obtained by using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that 82% of students showed the understanding of the CDA concepts and 79% of respondents were very good at their academic writing skills in aspects like organising, coherence and referencing. About 83% of these respondents reported their good performance in communicating in academic contexts, and this shows that discourse awareness is playing an important role in making it possible to be effectively communicated by expressing it clearly and convincingly. Additionally, the findings revealed that 88% of students agreed that CDA helped them improve their critical thinking skills, 84% of students stated that CDA helped them with the construction of arguments, and 82% of students indicated that CDA helped them become more effective communicators. Strong positive correlation was found, respectively, between academic writing and CDA awareness (r = 0.81) and between communication effectiveness and CDA awareness (r = 0.84) through the correlation analysis. The study also revealed 83% of the respondents used AI and digital writing tools to assist in academic writing practices. A difficulty with critical analysis, vocabulary building and/or constructing a statement with an argument, however, persisted with many students. The results indicated that teaching students academic writing skills using the Critical Discourse Analysis approach is very conducive to enhancing students' analytical skills, academic writing skills, and communication skills. Through the study, it is concluded that the discourse-based pedagogical method applied together with digital technologies that are used judiciously can support academic literacy and be effective in communication in higher education environments.

Iqra Idrees, Laiba Naz · 0 citations
Review Open access Aug 2026

The Impact of Writing Instruction for English Language Learners in the United States: A Meta-Analysis

Writing is a cornerstone of academic success, yet English language learners (ELL) in the United States must learn to write while also developing English proficiency. Although descriptive reviews suggest that writing instruction can benefit these learners, no prior meta-analysis has synthesized its effects quantitatively. This study addressed that gap by synthesizing 39 comparisons in 20 experimental and quasi-experimental investigations of writing interventions in K-12 classrooms with ELL students in the United States. From 122 effect sizes, the overall impact of writing instruction was statistically significant and positive (g = 0.33). Writing quality was the most frequently assessed outcome (in 33 comparisons across 16 studies) and showed an effect of 0.33. With regard to the most often implemented interventions, strategy instruction (g = 0.36) was statistically significant, while process writing (g = 0.51) yielded a meaningful but not statistically significant result. Moderator analyses found no significant variation by study quality indicators, participant characteristics, or intervention characteristics. Findings underscore the promise of writing interventions for English language learners in the United States and suggest directions for future research, including the importance of examining linguistic supports.

A. Aitken, Steve Graham, Yucheng Cao et al. · 0 citations
Open access Jul 2026

What Does English Learners’ Writing Reveal? A Case Study of Structured Academic Controversy in a High School Social Studies Classroom

This paper investigates how a Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) approach can support English learners (ELs) with below-grade-level English proficiency in meeting rigorous national social studies standards. In a case study, three high school ELs in a U.S. History class wrote protest letters to President Franklin D. Roosevelt about the World War II Japanese American internment (Executive Order 9066). Prior to writing, students analyzed primary sources using guiding questions to consider multiple perspectives. Analysis of the letters revealed evidence of four National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) thematic standards (Themes 1, 2, 5, and 10), while focus group interviews showed student awareness of two of the same themes (Themes 2 and 5) and one additional theme (Theme 6). These findings suggest that SAC enabled ELs to access rigorous content while addressing NCSS standards. A key benefit of SAC was the development of critical thinking and communication skills essential for democratic participation. The SAC process also afforded ELs meaningful opportunities to produce authentic writing that demonstrated engagement with high-level social studies concepts and civic reasoning.

C. Brown, S. Waters, W. Russell · 0 citations
Open access Jul 2026

Transforming Creative Writing Instruction through Dialogic Pedagogy among Senior High School Learners

Traditional creative writing instruction in secondary education is often characterized by a product-oriented, teacher-centered approach in which assessment emphasizes conformity to instructor-defined standards. Such practices may limit students’ opportunities for meaningful engagement, peer interaction, and the development of an independent authorial voice. This study examined the effects of dialogic pedagogy on the creative writing performance and writing self-efficacy of Senior High School learners, with additional focus on narrative agency and writing experiences. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed. A 12-week instructional intervention was conducted with 120 Grade 12 Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students across two intact classroom sections assigned to experimental and control groups. Quantitative data were collected through pre-test and post-test assessments using an analytical creative writing rubric and the Creative Writing Self-Efficacy Scale (CWSES), while qualitative data were obtained from focus group discussions and reflective journals. Results revealed that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group in both creative writing performance and self-efficacy (p < .001), with notable gains in narrative voice, structural risk-taking, and metacognitive task monitoring. Qualitative findings indicated that dialogic pedagogy fostered a more interactive and supportive learning environment, reduced writing anxiety, enhanced narrative agency, and promoted active engagement in peer feedback and collaborative meaning-making. Overall, the findings suggest that dialogic pedagogy can transform creative writing instruction into a more participatory and process-oriented learning environment that supports student agency, confidence, and expressive development.

Joan Algo · 0 citations