Journal of English as A Foreign Language Teaching and Research

Understanding and Addressing Reading Comprehension Challenges: Magnitude, Causes and Solutions

Getachew Mihret — 2025-03-31

Reading comprehension is a critical skill that forms the foundation for academic success and lifelong learning. However, many students face difficulties in understanding written texts, which negatively impacts their academic performance and overall literacy development. In Ethiopian secondary schools, poor reading comprehension has become a major concern, yet limited research has investigated the underlying causes and potential solutions within the local context. This study examines the extent and causes of students' reading comprehension difficulties and proposes actionable interventions. Employing a mixed-method research design, the study utilized a stratified random sampling technique to ensure the representation of diverse student subgroups. A total of 105 participants were selected from a population of 145. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions, providing quantitative insights into the severity and nature of the problem. The findings reveal that students' reading comprehension challenges stem from inadequate teaching strategies, a lack of reading materials, and low motivation. The study identifies a significant gap in the existing literature regarding localized solutions to reading comprehension difficulties in Ethiopian secondary schools. Based on the findings, targeted recommendations are proposed, including the adoption of interactive teaching methodologies, enhanced access to reading resources, and teacher training programs aimed at improving pedagogical skills. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on reading comprehension and offers practical strategies for educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to enhance student's literacy skills and overall academic performance

The Use of English Double Prepositions in English as a Second Language (ESL) Nursing Students

Bello Muhammad Jajere — 2025-03-31

This study examines the use of English prepositions among students of Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery (SSCNM), Damaturu, with a focus on double prepositions. The goal of this study is to identify common errors, classify error types, determine the most problematic prepositions, analyze underlying causes, and propose instructional solutions. Data were collected from 92 students through questionnaires and essay tasks requiring the insertion of appropriate prepositions in given contexts. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that spatial and directional prepositions posed significant challenges, with “Above” having the highest error rate (39.7%), followed by “Onto” (25.9%) and “Toward” (22.4%). The occurrence of errors involving “Within” and “Into” were lower (5.2% each), while “Without” had the least occurrence (1.7%). This study attributes these difficulties to inadequate exposure to authentic language use, first language interference, and insufficient explicit instruction. To mitigate these challenges, it recommends contrastive analysis in teaching, where English prepositions are compared with their equivalents in students’ native languages. Task-based learning should be integrated into nursing scenarios to reinforce contextual understanding. In addition, error analysis workshops should be held to help students identify and correct common prepositional errors. Exposure to authentic English materials, such as medical texts and recorded professional conversations, is also encouraged to enhance practical use. Implementing these strategies can improve students’ prepositional competence and overall English proficiency.

ns, analyze underlying causes, and propose instructional solutions. Data were collected from 92 students through questionnaires and essay tasks requiring the insertion of appropriate prepositions in given contexts. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that spatial and directional prepositions posed significant challenges, with “Above” having the highest error rate (39.7%), followed by “Onto” (25.9%) and “Towards” (22.4%). Errors involving “Within” and “Into” were lower (5.2% each), while “Without” had the least occurrences (1.7%). The study attributes these difficulties to inadequate exposure to authentic language use, first language interference, and insufficient explicit instruction. To mitigate these challenges, it recommends contrastive analysis in teaching, where English prepositions are compared with their equivalents in students’ native languages. Task-based learning should be integrated into real-life nursing scenarios to reinforce contextual understanding. Additionally, error analysis workshops should be conducted to help students identify and correct common prepositional errors. Exposure to authentic English materials, such as medical texts and recorded professional conversations, is also encouraged to enhance practical usage. Implementing these strategies can improve students’ prepositional competence and overall English proficiency.

Lived Experiences of English Pre-Service Teachers on Public Speaking Anxiety: A Speech Improvement Program

Arman Navarro — 2025-03-31

This study explored the lived experiences of 10 English pre-service teachers with public speaking anxiety. Hermeneutic phenomenology guided the qualitative research design, employing interviews and focus group discussions to gather data. Findings revealed seven key themes: language skill gaps, attitudes toward second language learning, low self-confidence hindering speaking, improved teaching strategies, the importance of a supportive, nonjudgmental environment, and the influence of varied internal and external factors on anxiety. The study highlights the need for educators to foster supportive learning environments that mitigate anxiety and encourage confident public speaking. To address this, the researcher proposes "SPEECH: Strategies for Public Speaking Empowerment and Confidence Heightening," a project designed to equip learners with effective public speaking skills and reduce anxiety through targeted activities. This research provides valuable insights into the complexities of public speaking anxiety among preservice teachers, offering practical implications for pedagogical approaches and interventions.

Describing the Educational Journey of Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English Students

Trishia Cesar Patalinghug — 2025-03-31

This qualitative study explores the educational experiences of Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) students majoring in English, focusing on their motivations, expectations, challenges, and coping strategies. This study addresses the phenomenon of students dealing with challenging educational programs while desiring to develop the abilities essential for effective teaching. This section aims to understand the factors influencing their decision to pursue this program, the skills they develop, and how they overcome academic and personal obstacles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 BSED English students, two English teachers, and two peers. Using thematic analysis, recurring themes and patterns were identified. Results reveal that students were driven by job opportunities, family and social influences, and personal interests. They expect to improve their speaking skills, language proficiency, and teaching strategies. Challenges include low self-esteem, teacher incompetence, and academic difficulties, while coping mechanisms involve using online resources, seeking support, and practicing self-directed learning. This study emphasizes the importance of personal and academic support systems in fostering student resilience and offers recommendations for aspiring students, such as cultivating a passion for teaching, engaging in collaborative learning, and adopting strategic reviewing.

Social Media as a Tool for Improving English Proficiency Among Students of the Shehu Sule College of Nursing Sciences Damaturu

Adamu Abubakar Muhammad — 2025-03-31

This study explores the role of social media in enhancing English proficiency among students at the Shehu Sule College of Nursing Sciences, Damaturu. Despite the growing use of digital platforms in education, limited research has examined their specific impact on language learning in this context. This study addresses this gap using a quantitative approach by distributing an online questionnaire via college students’ WhatsApp groups. A total of 104 students participated in the study, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency distribution. Google Docs spreadsheets were used for chart visualization. Findings reveal a gender disparity, with 79.8% of male and 20.2% of female respondents. The frequency of social media usage varied, with 42.3% using it daily, 36.5% several times a week, 18.3% occasionally, and 2.9% infrequently. WhatsApp was the most preferred platform (42.4%), followed by Facebook (20.7%), YouTube and Instagram (17.4% each), and TikTok (2.2%). Key learning activities included watching educational videos (28.0%), following language-learning groups (26.2%), reading posts (20.9%), and language exchanges (14.2%), while podcast listening was less common (10.7%). Students reported improvements in vocabulary (41.4%), grammar (50.0%), and pronunciation (55.7%), with 47.2% experiencing increased motivation. Additionally, 70.2% of respondents support integrating social media into formal education, while 21.2% advocate a cautious approach. The study recommends promoting female engagement, developing tailored learning resources, incorporating emerging platforms, enhancing interactive activities, and formally integrating social media into English curricula. These findings underscore social media’s potential as an effective supplementary tool for language learning.

Can English Camp Predict The Interest of Mountain Tribe Children in Binaiya in Learning English?

Nurlaila Sopamena — 2025-03-31

The toughest challenge for education policy makers is to provide programmes that can help mountain tribe children to be immersed into the English learning process, so that they can overcome their learning difficulties. This research highlights this by providing an English camp for mountain tribe children at the foot of Binaiya mountain, Central Maluku, Indonesia. Through a quasi-experiment on a group of 13 people, it was found that English camp strongly predicted the interest of mountain tribe children in Binaiya in learning English (p = 0.009). This is because English camp can help children immerse themselves into the learning process and facilitate their self-determination and comfort. However, the limitations of this study are that it did not fully control for threat factors and present a comparison group. Therefore, the recommendation for future researchers is to pay attention to this, and make self-determination and comfort as moderator and/or mediator variables in predicting English camp on interest in learning English.