The objective of this systematic review is to present a critical overview of current studies to explore issues such as the factors causing EFL learners’ poor oral performance and the teaching and assessment methods of oral English communication skills (OECSs) for developing tertiary level learners’ OECSs in EFL contexts. For this purpose, 51 empirical studies of the 2907 retrieved from SpringerLink, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and the Google Scholar database that were published between 2010 and 2019 in different EFL contexts were analyzed. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was analyzed thematically using NVIVO 12, followed by the Mendeley reference management software. Studies that were conducted in native English contexts and non-empirical studies were excluded from consideration for this study. The findings showed that the environmental factor was the primary factor for learners’ poor OECS performance in EFL contexts. For the method of teaching and assessment of learners’ OECSs, the use of technology is rapidly increasing in different EFL contexts. This study suggests some implications for both future researchers and academics for developing EFL learners’ oral English communication skills dealing with environmental, psychological, and linguistic factors along with teaching and learning resources at the tertiary level in EFL contexts.

The use of mobile devices for English language teaching (ELT) is increasing rapidly all over the world. This review study surveys the empirical research on using mobile phones in ELT published in Scopus and Web of Science indexing journals from 2010 to 2020 in Bangladesh. Out of 103 studies, 11 studies met the criteria of this study to analyze the effects of mobile phones on ELT. The findings show that the major research trends of these studies aim at teachers’ professional development using mobile phones for teaching language. The findings also reveal that the use of mobile phones is effective in ELT through facilitating feasible, ubiquitous, and effective learning environments with some limitations, i.e., an issue with charging, a small screen, affection, and a lack of teacher confidence. Of the studies conducted, 83% have employed a qualitative research design for investigating learners’ readiness and concepts on the use of this device. In addition, there is a lack of empirical studies with the intention to observe and justify the effect of mobile phones on developing learners’ language skills. There is also a lack of evidence describing which mobile applications are effective for developing relevant language skills. Overall, the results of this systematic review might be applicable in the context of similarly developing countries, as well as triggering empirical research in the field of technology-enhanced ELT in these countries.

Although extensive research has been carried out to investigate EFL learners’ readiness of using smartphone and problems in EFL contexts, there remains a scarcity of evidence on EFL learners’ readiness of using smartphone and problems for learning oral English communication skills at tertiary level in EFL context, especially in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted to explore Bangladeshi tertiary level learners’ readiness of using smartphone and problems for learning oral English communication skills. This study employed a mixed-method design, using a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview as data collection instruments. The participants of this study were sixty-one learners (35 females and 26 males) who were studying at the department of English of a university. The findings from the questionnaire illustrated that EFL learners’ level of readiness of using a smartphone was high and the frequent problems they faced were authentic materials, audio-video aids, oral practice environment, large size class and existing teaching method. Similarly, the findings of semi-structured interview emerged three themes regarding EFL learners’ readiness were availability, usability and positivity for the use of smartphone and four themes regarding EFL learners’ problems, such as psychological, linguistic, teachers’ efficacy and use of mother tongue and for learning oral English communication skills.

A growing body of literature has highlighted the pivotal role of peer feedback in teaching and learning. However, a paucity of studies explore the trend of literature in this research area, particularly using a bibliometric approach. Therefore, this study was conducted to reveal the major trends in the research area and construct an intellectual landscape of the relevant studies in the field. Bibliometric details of a total of 276 research articles, published from 1985 to 2020 (August), were retrieved from the Scopus database for further analysis. In particular, the publication trend, the most productive countries, the most productive authors, the top ten source titles, and keyword used in the research area, were explored using bibliometric indicators. The rapid growth of publications on peer feedback was observed since 2010, with a sharp peak noted in 2019. Furthermore, writing context was found as the central focus of peer feedback research. Among others, three key themes that surfaced out of term-occurrence analysis included: impacts/effects of using peer feedback approach, sub-themes concerning peer feedback implementation, and peer feedback in writing context. Additionally, from the review of 30 top-cited publications, 3 prominent themes: effects of using peer feedback approach, effective or ineffective peer feedback, and potential challenges or issues in peer feedback implementation emerged. Based on the findings, this paper concludes with some recommended avenues for future research.

Websites are commonly regarded as valuable educational resources that extend beyond the confines of the traditional classroom setting. The primary challenge lies in the identification of reputable online sources. The aforementioned concept underscores the imperative necessity of conducting website evaluations. The use of methodological frameworks as an evaluative instrument can effectively examine the potential of a website within a specific context, as frameworks possess descriptive qualities. Despite the extensive body of studies done concerning website evaluation, there are still a significant number of unresolved issues. Therefore, in order to address these significant deficiencies, this qualitative study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an English Language Learning (ELL) website by examining its technical and pedagogical dimensions. The LearnEnglish Kids website was chosen due to its adherence to all of the screening criteria. The evaluation process was conducted in accordance with the methodological framework. Despite the limitations identified, the LearnEnglish Kids proves to be a suitable English Language Learning (ELL) website for integration within the Malaysian educational context. The examination of the six evaluation aspects provides a comprehensive guide for the Ministry of Education in the development of open educational resources (OER) for primary school students in Malaysia.

His study aims to examine the EFL teachers’ perception of their readiness to use different smartphone applications for teaching oral skills at the tertiary level in Bangladesh and compares this to the relevant demographic factors. To reach these objectives, a mixed method research design was implemented: A survey questionnaire was answered by 46 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers from twelve different universities in Bangladesh and a semi-structured interview was conducted with five of these teachers. The results showed that these EFL teachers had a high degree of readiness to use smartphones for teaching oral skills. The teachers agreed that smartphones could help them to deal with the problems like a large class size, a lack of authentic materials, learners' inactiveness, as well as a lack of an oral practice environment inside and outside the classroom. Moreover, there was no statistically significant relationship between the EFL teachers' demographics and their readiness to use a smartphone. The results suggest that smartphone applications have certain potentials/benefits for the university teachers, and that a smartphone-based teaching method for developing EFL learners’ oral skills should be promoted in an EFL context like Bangladesh.