The students in the Brunei mainstream education system eventually learn most subjects in English, which is not the first language for most of them. Reading in English is valued as it provides access to knowledge across the curriculum for the majority of students in Brunei as elsewhere too. Reading both for comprehension and learning are two areas of interest in this study. This thesis looks at the strategy use of (upper) secondary students of different abilities from three schools in Brunei when reading their academic materials in English. It aims to compare reading strategies the students used and which strategies the teachers taught (the use of) in two subject areas: English Language and Content Subjects. Adopting both quantitative and qualitative approaches, data was primarily collected from upper secondary students in three schools in Brunei; one of which consists of high ability students while the other two schools have mixed ability students. In the quantitative part of the study, students responded to the questionnaire on the perceived reading strategies used when reading. In the qualitative part of the study, twenty five students participated in semi-structured interviews where ten of them did a think-aloud reading activity. In terms of reading strategy use, the quantitative results showed that students employed cognitive reading strategies more than metacognitive strategies when they read in English. The qualitative results also revealed that students of different ability groups, in general did not differ greatly in the types of strategies they used. However, the frequency in the use of strategies and in the elaboration and execution of these strategies do vary among the students and across the two subject areas. Findings of the study further suggest that; (a) reading in the two subject areas differ in the emphasis of reading strategies, (b) ability may contribute to the differences in strategy use among students in the two subject areas.

Although English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach is widely applied in science to many non-native speakers around the world, higher education institutions in Libya are striving to remain competitive in on-going changes in the science field. There is an ever increasing demand for communication in English in study and in work places, and some institutions have taken steps to develop newer academic programs as a means to meet students’ needs. However, few studies have been carried out to customise ESP courses to suit the Libyan scientific environment. The primary focus of this study is to explore the language needs of undergraduate science students in Libya. The Needs Analysis Framework was used to investigate the extent of English use among computer science, chemistry and physics undergraduates. For this purpose, multiple-instruments were used including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and teaching materials. The questionnaires were completed by 127 science students while the semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 faculty members. The classroom observations were conducted with three classes namely Computer Science, Chemistry and ESP, and teaching materials were collected from each of these subjects. The study reveals that English language is generally needed in the science settings. Moreover, it plays a significant role in computer science in particular, as most of its discourses are conducted in English. However, it plays only a limited role in the teaching of Chemistry and Physics. The study suggests that collaboration between science disciplines and English teachers are needed in terms of the ESP programme if such programmes are to be successful.

This study investigates the potential of the interactive board to affect the interaction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in Greece. In Greece, the long term goals of the EFL classes are to prepare learners to cope with the demands of our times, that is, to use the target language appropriately to handle real world information in a wide range of interactional transactions. The Greek Ministry of Education, acknowledging these needs and the importance of interaction in EFL classes, proposes a syllabus that encourages communicative classrooms and activities that inspire interaction. Despite the innovations the curriculum suggests, there is research reporting that the teaching of English as a foreign language in Greece remains unchanged over the years.

The research presented in this dissertation explores the interaction between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and the classroom materials they develop. It aims to illuminate the potential value of this creative process for teachers’ development of critically reflective practice (CRP). For many EFL teachers, materials are an essential part of their pedagogy. Despite the widespread availability of publications for this compulsory subject in Dutch secondary education, many teachers choose to supplement the coursebook with their own materials. A premise of this research is that the materials teachers develop embody their personal theories of action regarding EFL teaching and learning. These theories, consisting of espoused principles and principles-in-use, are conceptualised as the teachers’ pedagogic principles. Critical reflection may help teachers uncover their espoused and tacit principles with the aim to align them, and improve their teaching practice. The central question is: In what ways does classroom materials development offer teachers of English a tool for CRP? The research questions are addressed through a qualitative, exploratory, embedded multiple-case study approach. Four Dutch EFL teachers are considered as individual cases. The components of each case are analysed to present an encompassing view of the materials development process: reflective logs (creation), the materials themselves (product), and lesson observations (use) are supplemented with pre- and post-lesson interviews to complete data collection. Data are analysed through deductive and inductive within-case analysis and cross-case synthesis. Findings suggest that teachers’ pedagogic principles are multifarious, informed by practical and pragmatic considerations, and revealed at several points and in a variety of ways during the materials development process. Yet it is only when teachers engage in dialogue about them that increased awareness of these principles ensues. CRP may thus be stimulated by a critical friend, and the materials development process can provide an impetus for discussion and dialogue.

This study examined the quality of English language programmes at Libyan universities and in particular at Tripoli University, in order to identify the factors that have contributed to the decline in standards of students studying English at degree level. The motivation behind selecting this topic area is that English language programme at Tripoli University is dated and not fit for purpose. Thus English programmes are in need of major changes to improve students’ language skills. There is a broad literature on the need for research on language programme evaluation across many parts of the world. Many educational systems and teaching institutions undertake periodic evaluation of their programmes. Many key authors agree on the importance of evaluation and argue that evaluation is more than just the collection of information and data, it involves making judgements about the worth, merit or value of a programme. Programme evaluation is also a form of validation process to find out if the assessed programme is fit for purpose and meets the students’ needs and expectations. This study adopted a mixed methods approach as relying on one single research approach and strategy would reduce the effectiveness of this study. The rationale for adopting a quantitative and qualitative research approach is related to the purpose of the study, the nature of the problem and research questions. Thus quantitative data were collected through questionnaires involving (300) students at Tripoli University (Libya) and was analysed using SPSS. This was supported by qualitative data using semi-structured interviews involving eight lecturers at Tripoli University using content analysis. The findings revealed that most of the students recognise the need for radical changes to revamp the language programme to address the decline of English language skills. Students are aware of their inadequate English standards, as the findings showed that a majority of students had positive attitudes and were highly motivated to learn the English language. The conclusions indicated that the English language programme has major shortcomings that need to be addressed such as resources, teaching and learning facilities, training workshops for staff development and insufficient library resources. The results also clarified that the English language programme needs to be evaluated on a regular basis in order to assess its effectiveness in order to enhance the quality of education. The study makes suggestions that will have implications for improvement and development for the English language programme. A framework is proposed to reform and revamp the English language programme. This study contributes to raise awareness regarding the importance of evaluating English language programmes, to allow decision-makers to take necessary steps to promote the English language. This study also makes a theoretical contribution by expanding the literature on the research topic which is Quality assessment English language programmes at Libyan Universities. It also raises awareness about the root causes of the decline of English language standards.

This study investigated the main challenges that faced Libyan students in reading comprehension within the English language programme at Zawia University, Libya, through the perceptions of lecturers and students at the Department of English. This study also evaluated the current teaching practices of reading comprehension at the Department of English at Zawia University. It also identified the key causal factors that contributed to the students' inadequate reading comprehension performance. Reading comprehension as a research topic has been extensively researched and it is still of current interest. The key literature in this study is polarised around two streams. The first stream presents different aspects of reading: definitions, importance, complexity, purposes of reading, types of reading and approaches to reading. The second stream is related to various issues about the three main components of the reading comprehension module: learners, teachers and reading material. The philosophical paradigm underpinning this study is predominantly positivist; thus, eight hundred questionnaires were distributed to reach as many students as possible in order to find out the answer to an inquiry through numerical evidence. After distributing the questionnaires, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gauge the lecturers’ viewpoints about the teaching and learning of reading comprehension. Four hundred and forty nine students filled up the questionnaires, which were analysed using SPSS while seven lecturers participated in the interviews that were analysed through content analysis. Findings revealed that students at the Department of English at Zawia University lack the reading skills and the culture of reading and face difficulties in English reading comprehension. Many lecturers are not aware of reading skills and they teach reading comprehension in a traditional way with over-emphasis on decoding and accuracy. The insufficient learning environment at the department has a negative impact on the process of learning and teaching because of the lack of facilities and library resources, overcrowded classes, and limited time allocated to reading classes. This study has added a theoretical contribution through expanding the literature, which brings about academic benefits for future researchers in education in the Arab world, particularly in Libya. Future researchers can use the conceptual model for reading comprehension that is designed by the researcher to investigate what factors influence this process.

The notion of ‘authenticity’ has been revisited and discussed by the researchers and practitioners in the field of English language teaching (ELT) over recent years. However, it is usually described within a limited framework that focuses on the quality of texts used in ELT, often without paying attention to the ways and contexts in which those texts are used by language learners and teachers. Following van Lier’s definition of authenticity as ‘the result of acts of authentication, by students and their teacher, of the learning process and the language used in it’ (1996, p.128), this study focuses on the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of authenticity in the language classroom. In ELT literature, there are a limited number of studies on this issue and the majority of them have provided prescriptive or theoretical discussion or focused on ‘text authenticity’ and the ‘correspondence account’ of authenticity rather than encompassing different dimensions and accounts of authenticity in a more holistic way. The present study addresses this gap and explores the relationships between different dimensions of authenticity in four 9th grade classrooms in two Anatolian High Schools in Ankara, Turkey. This study adopts the qualitative research tradition and is tailored as an embedded multiple-case design with multiple data collection methods such as classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and documents (e.g. textbook extracts). The data was analysed separately for each unit of analysis (i.e. classroom) and themes were developed inductively. The findings revealed that authenticity should be seen as a phenomenon (co)constructed through human actors’ engagement and validation in the classroom context rather than as an inherent quality of materials or activities. The main characteristics of this process were discussed under the key themes that emerged from cross-case comparison. These themes were listed as Spontaneity, Discrepancy, Personalisation, Humour, Didacticity (genesis and accommodation) and Localisation.

In this thesis I present an original theory of language learning behaviour derived from a grounded theory analysis of interview testimony from five Japanese learners of English. The theory takes the form of the basic English Learning as a Means of Self-fulfilment (ELMS) model. This model explains English-learning behaviour in terms of the engagement of four types of self-fulfilment drive: a drive for intellectual and affective stimulation (entertainment drive); a drive to ‘expand one’s horizons’ (perspective drive); a drive to make a ‘success’ of oneself (status drive); and a drive to engage in interaction with others (communication drive). Two additional models built on the foundation of the basic ELMS model are also introduced: the expanded ELMS model explains how learning behaviour is mediated by cultural and institutional context, and by the individual’s attempts to make sense of, and control, experience; and the Learning as a Means of Self-fulfilment (LMS) model is a hypothetical general model of learning which incorporates existing concepts from the literature. The results of the analysis demonstrate the importance of structure, rather than agency, in shaping language-learning behaviour. The theoretical rendering of motivation that emerges from the analysis is differentiated from that of motivation as a force constantly underlying behaviour. Instead, motivation is seen to make only sporadic appearances on the stage of consciousness, and to be responsible for behavioural change rather than behavioural routine. It follows that unexpected events that stimulate changes in beliefs about the self or about language learning may have much to tell us about motivation. This research does not so much build upon existing theory as problematise it. The results challenge prevailing conceptualisations of motivation, dominant discourses and practices associated with the term within applied linguistics and Japanese English language education, and the utility of the concept itself. It is a methodologically innovative investigation into the relationship between motivation and English learning in the Japanese context, with implications that extend beyond this context.

This study investigated Taiwanese university students’ and teachers’ perceptions of foreign language anxiety in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. The main aims were: (a) to identify the situations, sources, effects of, and coping tactics for the anxiety of Taiwanese tertiary students and (b) to examine tertiary English teachers’ perceptions of their students’ anxiety and how they deal with it. An anxiety scale, the ELCAS, was first administered to English major and non-English major students to identify the ten most anxious students in each group for individual semi-structured interviews. English majors’ teachers and those of non-English majors also had semi-structured interviews. The students’ degree of anxiety was statistically analyzed and revealed by IBM SPSS 20. The interview data from students and teachers were transcribed verbatim, coded, categorized, and then thematized in order to obtain the patterns of their perceptions on the issues. The summarized findings are:  The English major and non-major students were similar to each other in the situations, effects of, and coping strategies for anxiety, except for the sources of their anxiety.  The students reported a number of strategies, but most of these only helped them cope with individual anxious situations, not the root causes of their anxiety.  The English majors and their teachers had similar perceptions of anxiety in class although the latter revealed less specific situations than the former.  The similarity was also quite high between the non-majors’ and their teachers’ perceptions of their anxiety. These teachers also reported relatively broader contexts than their students.  Both groups of teachers employed quite diverse strategies for reducing students’ anxiety. Their tactics demonstrated their attempts to address problems at their sources.

Rhetoric about the ‘crisis’ state of language learning in predominantly Anglophone countries is nothing new, given the widely-held belief about English having ‘global lingua franca’ status. Similarly long-standing are notions of language learning being a particularly gendered or classed activity, specifically, one that is perceived as being appropriate for female, and middle-class, pupils. This thesis explores the extent of the role played by notions of gender and class in the formation of language-learning attitudes among native speakers of the ‘global’ language, through a mixed qualitative methodology. Providing some context to the issue of language-learning attitudes in Scotland is textual analysis of news articles and political party manifestos, to ascertain the nature of media reporting, and claimed political commitment, to foreign language education. Against this background, case studies of four urban secondary schools are built up, using textual analysis of their publicly available promotional literature, classroom observation, and interviews with pupils, classroom teachers and members of senior management. Schools were chosen specifically to represent a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as both mixed- and single-sex environments, in order to probe the aforementioned stereotyped notions attached to these two variables, as they relate to language-learning attitudes. Influencing the methodological approach is Norton’s (1995; 2000; 2008) ‘investment’ framework, which has pushed conceptualisations of language-learning motivation forward beyond simple dichotomies, such as ‘integrative versus instrumental’. I re-adapt her framework to better suit the specific context of native speakers of the ‘global’ language embarking upon foreign, rather than second, language learning. This study makes a contribution to knowledge in three separate areas of research literature, namely, language-learning attitudes and motivation among speakers of English (which as yet has been little explored, at least in comparison to motivation theories developed specifically for those learning English as an L2); the role of gender in the formation of language-learning attitudes; and the role of socioeconomic status in the same context, and also its influence on attitudes towards education more generally. Among the key findings are the importance of placing an emphasis on enjoyment of language learning for native English speakers, given the general lack of imperative felt by most; gendered notions attached to different areas of the curriculum, including modern foreign languages (for example, language learning is a ‘girlie’ subject), do exist, but are less pervasive than is suggested by much of the previous literature; the role played by socioeconomic status, however, appears much more influential, and teachers’ expectations of pupils in this regard can exercise a significant impact on a child’s language-learning motivation.