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With the growing use of technology in second language learning (L2), many techniques of incorporating digital video in L2 learning and platforms of task implementation appear in the field, however, with little, if any, research on how tasks can be designed and developed in these contexts. Based on Chapelle (2001, 2014) task design criteria, the current paper evaluates specifically the “interactivity” of task design interface and how it may contribute towards either dispersing or directing the learners' attention (Robinson, 2011) during the process of task completion in video-based L2 listening.

Using a qualitative approach – mainly focus groups and interviews – the current study evaluated a number of tasks that were used for computer-based L2 listening when digital video is the mode of presentation. The participants, i.e. English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and learners, were presented with a number of task designs to try and evaluate.

The findings revealed that some task designs are perceived to be less interactive and can disperse the learner's attentional resources during the process of task completion. They also shed light on the importance of improving EFL teachers' current practices of task design in computer-based L2 listening.

This paper has contributed to our growing understanding of interactivity in relation to video-based learning and its task designs.

This study aims to propose and test a model that examines the potential connections between two teacher situational variables (teacher immediacy and credibility) and three learner affective factors (motivation, attitudes and communication confidence) and to examine how such associations predict learners’ L2WTC (Foreign/second language willingness to communicate) in a language class via a comprehensive communication model to structurally verify the theoretically based associations among these variables.

In total, 214 females and 198 males took part in the study with age range between 19 and 38 years. Participants filled in a verified, translated Arabic version of the questionnaires using an online questionnaire. Data were gathered using questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis and sequential mediation analysis using bootstrapping methods to identify and verify direct and indirect paths in the model.

The initial L2 communication structural model showed acceptable goodness of model fit. Teacher credibility and immediacy behaviors only indirectly predicted L2WTC through the mediation of affective variables. Motivation and communication confidence mediated the relationship between credibility and L2WTC, while the association between immediacy and L2WTC was mediated by communication confidence.

The findings of this study have important pedagogical implications globally for professions related to communication instruction, especially with regard to teacher credibility behaviors and particularly for practitioners and beneficiaries in EFL contexts where learners are widely acknowledged for their unwillingness to communicate in foreign language classes.

Based on an experimental study on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students, at the Business Department at the University of Bisha, the purpose of the study is to examine the effect of chatbot use on learning ESP in online classrooms during COVID-19 and find out how Dialogflow chabot can be a useful and interactive online platform to help ESP learners in learning vocabulary well.

The research paper is based on an experimental study of two groups, an experiential group and a controlled group. Two tests were carried out. Pre-tests and post-test of vocabulary knowledge were conducted for both groups to explore the usefulness of using the Dialogflow chatbot in learning ESP vocabulary. A designed chatbot content was prepared and included all the vocabulary details related to words' synonyms and a brief explanation of words’ meanings. An informal interview is another tool used in the study. The purpose of using the interview with the participants was to elicit more data from the participants about using the chatbot and about how and in what aspects chatbot using the conversational program was useful and productive.

The findings of the study explored that the use of chatbots plays a major role in enhancing and learning ESP vocabulary. That was clear as the results showed that the students who used the chatbot Dialogflow in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group.

The study displays an important pedagogical implication as the use of chatbots could be applied in several settings to improve language learning in general or learning ESP courses in particular. Chatbot creates an interesting environment to foster build good interactions where negotiation of meaning takes place clearly seems to be of great benefit to help learners advance in their L2 lexical development.

Examining and exploring whether the use of chatbots plays a major role in enhancing and learning ESP vocabulary in English as Foreign Language setting.

The purpose of this paper is to ease the methodological application of critical realist multilevel research in business marketing. Although there has been plenty of theoretical contributions in this field, it is not always clear how critical realism can be best applied in business marketing settings. Accordingly, this paper addresses this gap in literature. Also, this paper addresses the calls for a multilevel conceptualization for resilience, based on the critical realist laminated systems.

This is a conceptual paper, which uses pre-existing literature to develop a critical realist methodological approach for the purposes of multilevel business marketing research. The contribution is based on literature by combining pre-existing ideas in a new way in the context of business marketing.

This paper makes a methodological contribution by introducing the critical realist “laminated systems” to business marketing as a multilevel research approach. Furthermore, the authors conceptualize a specific laminated model, the Laminated Interactional Model (LIM), that is designed for the purpose of business marketing research. The LIM is a methodological tool that conceptualizes business marketing based on six levels of analysis, easing the methodological application of critical realism in business marketing settings. In addition, to provide an example, the authors apply the LIM to the literature on resilience, providing a multilevel conceptualization. This is a timely contribution, as resilience has emerged as a central concept addressing interorganizational survival during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper makes three main contributions to business marketing. First, this paper provides a methodological contribution by introducing the critical realist notion of “laminated systems” to business marketing. Second, this paper conceptualizes a specific laminated model for business marketing, namely, the LIM. Third, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper will apply critical realism and the LIM to the notion of resilience, addressing the calls for multilevel conceptualizations.

This study explores whether metacognitive strategy training can influence the lexical knowledge of L2 learners of the present study, and what they think about the use of metacognitive strategies in language learning classes. To do so, a 50-item multiple-choice vocabulary test, developed by the researchers based upon Nation’s (1990) levels of language proficiency, was employed to measure the learners’ vocabulary knowledge progress during the period of instruction. The instruction received by the experimental group was based on the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) Model, developed and validated by Chamot and O’Malley (1994). The findings revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in their endeavors for comprehending and producing vocabulary. This may be attributed to the fact that after this intervention, participants have developed their metacognitive awareness and their thinking skills. The study concludes with pedagogical implications and highlights avenues for future research.

ﺗ مّ د ﻣ ﺞ ا ﺳ ﺗ ر ا ﺗ ﯾ ﺟ ﯾ ﺎ ت ﻣ ﺎ و ر ا ء ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﯾ ﺔ (MS) ، ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﺗ ﻌ ﺗ ﺑ ر ا ﻟ ﻔ ﺋ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﻔ ر ﻋ ﯾ ﺔ ا ﻟ ر ﺋ ﯾ ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ ﻻ ﺳ ﺗ ر ا ﺗ ﯾ ﺟ ﯾ ﺎ ت ﺗ ﻌ ﻠّ م ا ﻟ ﻠّ ﻐ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﻣ ﻧ ﺎ ھ ﺞ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠّ م ا ﻟ ﻠّ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻷ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ ﻟ ﺗ ﺳ ﮭ ﯾ ل ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻔ ﻛ ﯾ ر ا ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﻟ ﻲ و ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺧ ط ﯾ ط ا ﻟ ذ ا ﺗ ﻲ و ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠّ م ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ ﻘِّل و ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ م ا ﻷ ﻓ ﺿ ل ﻓ ﻲ ﻧ ﮭ ﺎ ﯾ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﻣ ط ﺎ ف . و ﻓ ﻘًﺎ ﻟ ذ ﻟ ك ، ﺗ ﻌ دّ ھ ذ ه ا ﻟ دّر ا ﺳ ﺔ ﻣ ﺣ ﺎ و ﻟ ﺔً ﻟ ﻺ ﺟ ﺎ ﺑ ﺔ ﻋ ﻣ ﺎ إ ذ ا ﻛ ﺎ ن ا ﻟ ﺗ د ر ﯾ ب ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ا ﺳ ﺗ ر ا ﺗ ﯾ ﺟ ﯾ ﺔ ﻣ ﺎ و ر ا ء ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﻲ ﯾ ﻣ ﻛ ن أ ن ﯾ ؤ ﺛّ ر ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﻣُﻌ ﺟ ﻣ ﯾ ﺔ ﻟ ﻠ ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ ﻣ ﯾ ن و ﻣ ﺎ ذ ا ﯾ ﻔ ﻛّر ﻓ ﯾ ﮫ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠّ ﻣ و ن ﺣ ول ﺗ د ر ﯾ س ا ﺳ ﺗ ر ا ﺗ ﯾ ﺟ ﯾ ﺎ ت ﻣ ﺎ و ر ا ء ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﯾ ﺔ . و ﻟ ﻠ ﻘ ﯾ ﺎ م ﺑ ذ ﻟ ك ، ﺗ مّ ا ﺳ ﺗ ﺧ د ا م ا ﺧ ﺗ ﺑ ﺎ ر ﻣ ﻛ و ن ﻣ ن 50 ﻋ ﻧ ﺻ ر اً ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ د د ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗ ﯾ ﺎ ر ا ت ا ﻟّ ذ ي ﺗ مّ ﺗ ط و ﯾ ر ه ﺑ و ا ﺳ ط ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺎ ﺣ ﺛ ﯾ ن ا ﺳ ﺗ ﻧ ﺎ دًا إ ﻟ ﻰ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ و ﯾ ﺎ ت ا ﻟ ﻛ ﻔ ﺎ ء ة ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ و ﯾ ﺔ ﻟ د ى ا ﻟ ﺷ ﻌ ب (Nation) (1990 م ( ، ﻟ ﻘ ﯾ ﺎ س ﺗ ط وّ ر ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻔ ر د ا ت أ ﺛ ﻧ ﺎ ء ﻓ ﺗ ر ة اﻟ ﺗد ر ﯾ س . ا ﺳ ﺗ ﻧ د ت ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ ﯾ ﻣ ﺎ ت ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﺗ ﻠ ﻘّﺗ ﮭ ﺎ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺟ ﻣ و ﻋ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ إ ﻟ ﻰ ﻧ ﻣ و ذ ج ﻣ ﻧ ﮭ ﺞ ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ م ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻷ ﻛ ﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ) CALLA ( ا ﻟ ذّي أ ﻋ دّه و و ا ﻓ ق ﻋﻠ ﯾ ﮫ ﺷﺎ ﻣو ت وأ وﻣﺎﻟ ﻲ ) 1994 ( . ﻛ ﺷ ﻔ ت ا ﻟ ﻧ ﺗ ﺎ ﺋ ﺞ أ نّ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺟ ﻣ و ﻋ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ ﺗ ﻔ و ﻗ ت ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺟ ﻣ و ﻋ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺣ ﻛ ﻣ ﯾ ﺔ ﺑ ﺎ ﻟ ﻧّﺳ ﺑ ﺔ ﻟ ﻔ ﮭ م و إ ﻧ ﺗ ﺎ ج ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻔ ر د ا ت . ﻣن اﻟ ﻣﻣﮑن أ ن ﯾﻌود ذ ﻟ ك إ ﻟ ﻰ ﺣ ﻘ ﯾ ﻘ ﺔ أ نّ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ ﻣ ﯾ ن ﺑ ﻌ د ھ ذ ا ا ﻟ ﻌ ﻼ ج ﯾ ﻣ ﻛ ﻧ ﮭ م ا ﻟ ﺗ ﻔ ﻛ ﯾ ر أ ﻛ ﺛ ر و ر ا ء ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻌ ر ﻓ ﯾ ﺔ و ﺗ ط و ﯾ ر ﺗ ﻘ دّم ﺗ ﻔ ﻛ ﯾ ر ھ م . ﺗ ﺧ ﺗ ﺗ م ا ﻟ دّر ا ﺳ ﺔ ﺑ ذ ﮐ ر ﺑ ﻌ ض ا ﻵ ﻓ ﺎ ق ا ﻟ ﺗ ر ﺑ و ﯾّﺔ و ﺗ ﺳ ﻠ ﯾ ط ا ﻟ ﺿّو ء ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺑ ﻌ ض ا ﻟ ﺳّﺑ ل ﻟ ﻠ ﺑ ﺣ ث ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ ﻘ ﺑ ل .

The nose length is the key design parameter affecting the aerodynamic performance of high-speed maglev train, and the horizontal profile has a significant impact on the aerodynamic lift of the leading and trailing cars Hence, the study analyzes aerodynamic parameters with multi-objective optimization design.

The nose of normal temperature and normal conduction high-speed maglev train is divided into streamlined part and equipment cabin according to its geometric characteristics. Then the modified vehicle modeling function (VMF) parameterization method and surface discretization method are adopted for the parametric design of the nose. For the 12 key design parameters extracted, combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), support vector machine (SVR) model and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MPSO) algorithm, the multi-objective aerodynamic optimization design of high-speed maglev train nose and the sensitivity analysis of design parameters are carried out with aerodynamic drag coefficient of the whole vehicle and the aerodynamic lift coefficient of the trailing car as the optimization objectives and the aerodynamic lift coefficient of the leading car as the constraint. The engineering improvement and wind tunnel test verification of the optimized shape are done.

Results show that the parametric design method can use less design parameters to describe the nose shape of high-speed maglev train. The prediction accuracy of the SVR model with the reduced amount of calculation and improved optimization efficiency meets the design requirements.

Compared with the original shape, the aerodynamic drag coefficient of the whole vehicle is reduced by 19.2%, and the aerodynamic lift coefficients of the leading and trailing cars are reduced by 24.8 and 51.3%, respectively, after adopting the optimized shape modified according to engineering design requirements.

The purpose of this study is mainly to find out the EFL learners' attitude towards corrective feedback. This paper also investigates types of learners who prefer the online or offline corrective feedback, and how feedback should be tailored to the needs of the learners.

The study was conducted on sixty female participants who were students of levels 7 and 8 of the B. A. program (English) at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. They were administered a questionnaire comprising eight questions about corrective feedback from teachers individually and independently so that they could identify their own choices without any influence from other participants. The items in the questionnaire were closed items.

It was found that both types of feedbacks are essential to enhance learners' linguistic accuracy. Learners have shown their positive attitude towards teachers' corrective feedback because they consider it a motivating learning tool. Not only that the learners have expressed the view that corrective feedback is very useful in enhancing the learning process for EFL learners. On the other hand, some of the learners are not serious about going through corrective feedback given by teachers because sometimes they are unable to differentiate between what helps or hampers progress towards language learning. However, they preferred both online (immediate/automated) feedback and offline (delayed) feedback. In general, the results state that the learners have expressed the view that corrective feedback is very useful in enhancing the learning process for EFL learners.

This study has some limitations. The first one is the sample size. Only students from levels 7 and 8 (undergraduates) were taken into consideration. The second limitation is that the researchers focused on only one university in Saudi Arabia. The third limitation is that no male students participated in this study. The results might be different if the male students participated as well.

One vital point in employing CF in the language classrooms is timing. Considering the timing of corrective feedback, teachers face the problem of whether CF should be immediate (online) or delayed (offline).

The purpose of this study is to address the extended travel time caused by dwelling time at stations for passengers on traditional rail transit lines. To mitigate this issue, the authors propose the “Non-stop” design, which involves trains comprised of modular vehicles that can couple and uncouple from each other during operation, thereby eliminating dwelling time at stations..

The main contributions of this paper are threefold: first, to introduce the concept of non-stop rail transit lines, which, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has not been researched in the literature; second, to develop a framework for the operation schedule of such a line; and third, the author evaluate the potential of its implementation in terms of total passenger travel time.

The total travel time was reduced by 6% to 32.91%. The results show that the savings were more significant for long commutes and low train occupancy rates.

The non-stop system can improve existing lines without the need for the construction of additional facilities, but it requires technological advances for rolling stock.

To eliminate dwelling time at stations, the authors present the “Non-stop” design, which is based on trains composed of locomotives that couple and uncouple from each other during operation, which to the best of the authors’ knowledge has not been researched in the literature.

Grounded in second-language acquisition (SLA) field, with a particular focus on the positive psychology (PP) theoretical perspective, this study examined the potential interplay between learning engagement (LE) and language learning strategies (LLSs), and their impact on language learning achievement of Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners.

This quantitative study adopted a cross-sectional design using an online questionnaire distributed to 168 Saudi EFL college-level students in Saudi Arabia. Various statistical analyses (descriptive analyses, correlations and simple linear regression) were used.

The findings revealed that the most frequently LLSs used were metacognitive, followed by compensation, cognitive, affective, social and memory strategies. High levels of behavioral, followed by cognitive, emotional and agentic, engagement were reported. There was a significant and positive correlation between LLS and LE. LLS use and LE were significant predictors of language learning achievement.

The findings contribute to the domain of second language (L2) educational research and SLA field by emphasizing the importance of researching positive psychological factors such as engagement in relation to individual learners' learning strategies and styles to enhance learners' language learning achievement. A number of pedagogical implications for policymakers, educational stakeholders and foreign language teachers were provided.

This paper analyzes the attitudes Saudi university students hold toward Western culture. Saudi participants completed an open-ended questionnaire about attitudes toward Western culture, consisting of five open-ended questions. This paper presents questionnaire responses from 210 university students in Saudi Arabia (male and female). This paper finds that most of these students are integratively motivated and therefore show a positive disposition toward Western culture. It also shows a correlation between instrumental motivation and students who study on science and engineering tracks. The study shows that a clear majority of students like some aspect of the West or Western culture. The study concludes that these Saudi students are predisposed to interact favorably with the West.