Online language learning applications have transformed English as a foreign language instruction by providing flexible and personalized pathways to language learning. For EFL learners, proficiency is crucial for academic and career advancement, necessitating understanding how motivation, self-regulated learning strategies, and self-efficacy interact within the digital environment. However, a scholarly gap remains regarding how these psychological factors influence language learning outcomes. Thus, this study investigates the relationships between motivation, self-regulated learning strategies, and English self-efficacy among Saudi EFL learners utilizing online language applications. Employing a quantitative correlational design, this study sampled 808 university students through stratified selection to ensure representative diversity. Data were collected using three validated instruments to measure each construct and were analyzed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, followed by Structural Equation Modelling. The results revealed three significant insights. First, Duolingo emerged as the most widely utilized application, supporting a comprehensive range of language skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Other popular applications were frequently used for specific skill development, such as conversational practice and vocabulary enhancement, displaying the high frequency of online language learning app use. Second, strong positive correlations were found among motivation, self-regulated learning strategies, and English self-efficacy, accentuating their combined influence on language learning success. Finally, hypothesis testing confirmed that motivation directly influences self-regulation and self-efficacy, with self-regulated learning strategies mediating between motivation and self-efficacy. This suggests that online language learning applications fostering motivation and self-regulation can significantly improve learners' confidence and proficiency in English, providing practical insights for teachers and practitioners in language instruction.

Whereas the topic of “Religion” has garnered considerable scholarly attention in the general education literature, its place within TESOL circles has long been contentious. It is only recently that the religious dimension of the TESOL profession and professionals has seen the light of day. Yet, even when the literature in ELT does engage with these issues, it mostly investigates links between evangelical Christianity and ELT. The relationship between other religions [e.g., Islam] and English language education remains remarkably underexplored . This qualitative multiple case study is an endeavor to address this scholarly gap as it investigates the place of religion within the professional identity construction of two male Saudi Muslim English language teachers in Saudi Arabia. By drawing on in-depth interviews as the primary source of data, and following the principles of an abductive content analysis approach, the study illuminates that Islam was central to the participants’ professional identities in three significant ways, namely: (1) supporting their wellbeing, (2) shaping their relationships with students, and (3) providing them with a sense of duty to safeguard students’ religious values. The study concludes with both theoretical and pedagogical implications as well as future research directions.

‘Translanguaging’ has recently become a buzzword in TESOL scholarship, serving as both a theoretical concept to decribe the ways in which langauge learners fluidly use their whole linguistic repertoires to communicate and convey meaning as well as a pedagogical tool to leverage those repertoires as valuable learning resources. Over the past two decades, numerous empirical studies have been conducted in many corners of the world to investigate pedagogical translingual practices inside language learning classrooms. Yet, little is known about this phenomenon within the context of KSA, wherein TESOL policies ban the use of students’ native langauge(s) and render them as an impediment to language learning. This study addresses this lacuna as it firstly explores English language teachers’ attitudes towards pedagogical translanguaging, and secondly examines the extent to which those attitudes are reflected into their reoprted pedagogical practices. 101 mono-, bi-, and multilingual English language teachers at a Saudi unveristiy voluntarily participated in this study. By drawing on survey data, the findings showcase a considerable discrepancy between teachers’ stated attitudes and reported pedagogical practices. The findings also illuminate the constraints that hindered the participants’ adoption of pedagogical translanguaging in their teaching. The study finally concludes with pedagogical and policy implications.

This study examined the relationships between feedback engagement, writing self-efficacy, and perceived assessment performance among Saudi EFL university students. Drawing on the Feedback Engagement Framework and Self-Regulated Learning theory, the research investigated how students’ engagement with feedback relates to their confidence in writing and their perceived achievement. A total of 725 undergraduates completed a validated questionnaire, and the proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling following exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results indicated that feedback engagement positively predicted writing self-efficacy (β = 0.54, p < 0.001) and perceived assessment performance (β = 0.28, p = 0.002). Writing self-efficacy also had a positive effect on perceived performance (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) and partially mediated the relationship between engagement and performance (β = 0.23, p < 0.001). These outcomes show that students who engage actively with feedback develop stronger confidence in their writing abilities, which contributes to higher perceived performance. The study advances understanding of feedback as a motivational and self-regulatory process and offers practical guidance for encouraging learner autonomy, reflection, and improvement within formative assessment practices in Saudi higher education.

Microlearning, with its potential to deliver focused, engaging, and learner-centred instruction, has become an innovative strategy in English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction. However, its practical implementation in Saudi classrooms remains underexplored, particularly from the teachers’ perspective. This study investigated the relationships among familiarity with microlearning, perceived benefits, challenges, and recommendations for its integration into EFL instruction. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 248 EFL teachers selected using stratified sampling to ensure diverse representations across gender, age, teaching experience, and institutional type. The study utilized a validated questionnaire to gather insights, with data analyzed using structural equation modelling. The findings revealed that familiarity with microlearning significantly enhanced perceived benefits (β = 0.93, p < 0.01) and reduced perceived challenges (β = − 0.68, p < 0.01). Perceived benefits positively influenced recommendations for adoption (β = 0.48, p < 0.01), whereas challenges negatively impacted recommendations (β = − 0.32, p < 0.01). Moderating effects demonstrated that teaching experience strengthened the relationship between familiarity and perceived benefits, whereas institution type influenced how challenges affected recommendations. Based on these findings, implications are suggested to support the effective integration of microlearning into Saudi EFL classrooms. These include implementing targeted teacher training programs to enhance familiarity with microlearning strategies, investing in technological infrastructure to address practical challenges, and developing institution-specific support systems to ensure equitable access to resources.