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Open research questions in English Language Learning and Teaching

32 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,056 English Language Learning and Teaching papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • provide a structured approach to beginner- Future studies are recommended to include a level Chinese listening instruction not just as control group, larger samples, longer a general teaching innovation, but also as a implementation periods, and additional data systematic listening-learning technique.

    IMPROVING BEGINNER STUDENT’S CHINESE LISTENING SKILLS THROUGH THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD: A ONE-GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST STUDY AT UNIVERSITAS NEGERI SEMARANG · 2026 · DOI

  • for Practitioners The findings indicate that using VRT significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, motivation, and confidence compared to conventional teaching methods. The paired sample t-tests and Mann–Whitney U tests showed statistically significant gains (p < 0.05) in all three domains, with large effect sizes observed for pronunciation (d = 1.14), motivation (d = 1.37), and confidence (d = 1.48). The overall motivation levels among the learners rose from a mean score of 47.80 (pre-test) to 50.84 (post-test), with an improvement of 6.36%. Experts should consider integrating VRT into their EFL curriculum to support pronunciation training, motivation, and confidence-building. Various classroom activities, such as pronunciation drills, interactive voice exercises, and peer feedback using technology, can help learners become more confident and accurate in spoken English.

    Enhancing Pronunciation, Motivation, and Confidence Through Voice Recognition Tools in Indian EFL Classrooms: A Psychological Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • In light of the findings obtained from this research, various recommendations have been developed for implementation and future research in order to improve the quality of native language education and positively develop students' attitudes towards the course. First, it has been observed that students receiving preparatory education can transfer their structural awareness in the foreign language to their native languages. In this context, it is recommended that a “comparative linguistics” approach be adopted in native language education through interdisciplinary collaboration. Analysis activities that allow students to discover the similarities and differences between the concepts they learn in the foreign language (tenses, sentence structure, etc.) and their native language can prevent possible negative transfer, especially in students who do not receive preparatory education. In addition, it has been determined that the attitudes of students who do not receive preparatory education towards the course are highly dependent on the teacher factor and that they need external motivation. To overcome the “affective barriers” of students in this group and turn them into more autonomous learners, emphasis should be placed on student-centered practices such as peer assessment, project-based learning, and portfolios, rather than traditional methods where the teacher is merely a knowledge transmitter. Both groups' demand for a structure in their native language classes that is interactive rather than rote memorization aligns with the philosophy of The Century of Türkiye Education Model, which came into effect in 2024. In this regard, applications such as the “Literature Workshop” in the curriculum should not remain on paper; the course should be enriched with discussion environments where students can express themselves verbally and in writing, as well as creative writing and drama activities. In the measurement and evaluation processes, the use of process- oriented tools that measure students' communication skills, rather than traditional tools such as end-of-text questions, will meet students' expectations for “practice and production.” Furthermore, considering the significant decline in attitudes and exam anxiety observed at the 11th grade level, it is important to relate the course content at this level to students' academic Participatory Educational Research (PER) -16- Participatory Educational Research (PER), 13(2); 1-19, 1 March 2026 and career goals and to focus on functional skills such as academic literacy and critical reading in order to rescue the course from being a “back-burner” subject. Finally, it is recommended that researchers focus on the gender factor, the reasons for which cannot be fully explained in this study. In-depth qualitative studies examining the underlying sociocultural reasons for male students' distant attitude towards their native language course or the impact of course materials would contribute to the literature. Furthermore, conducting longitudinal tracking studies to determine whether the “language awareness” effect created by the preparatory class persists throughout high school and how the standard curriculum in upper grades affects this situation would be useful in guiding language education policies.

    An Investigation of Secondary School Students' Attitudes Towards Their Native Language Course in the Context of Foreign Language Preparatory Education · 2026 · DOI

  • 23 Despite the occasional use of indirect forms of communication, such as praise and open questions, the students in the present study are not active co-creators of the lear- ning process.

    Speech, Communication Styles and Classroom Management: A Case Study · 2026 · DOI

  • This study concludes that the students from non-English departments in particular can learn from using YouTube to study the vocabulary effectively with the teachers and other students more effectively. 2. Providing students with playlists, level-based video lessons and vocabulary logs would keep them from getting lost and distracted; to take effective notes and lead discussions they can improve vocabulary recall. 3. Creating department-specific materials and having students practice recall of new words in activities within classroom can improve YouTube's value as an instructive and trustworthy tool for all students. REFERENCES Ali, M., & Shah, S. (2024). The impact of digital media on vocabulary acquisition among EFL learners. Journal of Language and Education, 10 (1), 45–59. Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2022). Learning as a generative activity: Eight learning strategies that promote understanding (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Harris, A., & Graham, D. S. (2021). Evaluating the online learning resources: Challenges and opportunities for language learners. Computers & Education, 168, 104204. Hussein, E. T. (2021). Effectiveness of YouTube videos in developing EFL learners’ communication skills. International Journal of Instruction, 14 (3), 123–138. Jati, P., Saukah, A., & Suryati, S. (2019). Teaching using YouTube tutorial video to enhance learning. Jurnal Pendidik Humaniora, 7(3), 101–116. Khan, R. M. I. (2022). The role of vocabulary knowledge in second language acquisition: A review study. Arab World English Journal, 13 (2), 123–135. Khan, S. (2023). The effect of subtitles on vocabulary learning in multimedia environments. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 32 (1), 67–82. Khan, S., Ali, N., & Ullah, H. (2023). Multimedia input and vocabulary acquisition: A study on subtitle-assisted learning. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 34, 88–102. Journal of Social Sciences Development, Volume 05, Issue 01, MARCH, 2026 85 Nawaz, Khan & Saeed … Impact Of YouTube Khan, T., Ahmad, M., & Rehman, A. (2021). Digital distractions and learning outcomes: A study of YouTube use among university students. Education and Information Technologies, 26 (6), 7311–7325. Kristiani, P. E., & Pradnyadewi, D. A. M. (2021). Effectiveness of YouTube as learning media in improving learners’ speaking skills. The Art of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, 1 (2), 8–12. Liu, Y., Chen, C., & Hwang, G. J. (2023). Effects of multimedia design principles on cognitive load and learning outcomes: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 35 (2), 567–589. Mayer, R. E. E. G. (2021). The Multimedia learning (3rd edition). The Cambridge University Press. Putri, N. S., Wahyuni, S., & Fitriani, S. (2021). The use of YouTube videos in improving students’ vocabulary mastery.

    IMPACT OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS UPON LEARNING VOCABULARY FOR NON- NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS · 2026 · DOI

  • Although multimodality has received vigorous attention and debate in English as a foreign language (EFL) research and classroom pedagogies, the practicality of using multimodal activities in curricula that are designed to teach language skills rather than multimodality is under researched.

    Using Multimodal Public Service Announcement Video Projects as Communicative Language Assessments · 2022 · DOI

  • In the rural school, theater is used as a speech activity about two or three to one over debate, and further study is needed to determine if administrators want it that way or if their speech teachers feel more qualified or interested in theater than in debate or whether there are other reasons.

    Speech teachers’ assignments in secondary schools · 1970 · DOI

  • To initiate measures for the improve- ment of instruction in oral communica- tion in the schools, the following are recommended: A. Training of Teachers 1. Institutes (set up as rapidly as possible) to train teachers in pre-school and grades K-6 in the special knowledge and skills of teaching oral communication. a. At this stage in the development of methods for teaching the oral com- munication skills to children, each teacher must also be a researcher. b. A special effort should be made to lo- cate such institutes in areas where there is a large concentration of cul- turally disadvantaged pupils.

    Speech education in the public schools · 1967 · DOI

  • Since instruc- tional materials and procedures appear to be important factors contributing to remedial improvement, further research is needed to discover just what features of formal instruction in sound produc- tion lead to the type of enduring im- provement achieved in this study. Televised instruction seems not to enhance a group speech-improvement course when the telecasts are limited to a series of 30 fifteen-minute bi-weekly pro- grams. Since no significant differ- ence was found at any time between the two experimental groups, it is probable that television as a vehicle for instruc- tion is not a significant factor in a class- room speech-improvement course when the telecasts are limited to a series of 30 fifteen-minute bi-weekly programs.

    Television education in elementary school speech improvement · 1966 · DOI

  • Future research is recommended to conduct needs analyses in a wider range of educational settings involving larger and more diverse participant groups.

    Needs Analysis for Developing Communicative Speaking Materials for Tenth Grade Senior High School Students · 2026 · DOI

  • for Researchers More work with diverse learners is needed to examine long-term effects on pronunciation, motivation, and confidence, and using both qualitative and quantitative methods will give a fuller picture of student progress and engagement.

    Enhancing Pronunciation, Motivation, and Confidence Through Voice Recognition Tools in Indian EFL Classrooms: A Psychological Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • Oral examinations in higher education context have been an under-explored genre in academic discourse since it is not easily accessible for public, rendering a complexity in understanding examiners’ expectations during the exam.

    A thematic analysis of examiners’ questions in master’s students’ thesis oral examination · 2024 · DOI

  • Indeed, many laboratory and experiment conditions have investigated the positive effect of multimodality to pronunciation learning but little is known about applying it in teaching English consonants that are unavailable in Indonesian language.

    The Embodied Work of Multimodality in Teaching English Pronunciation of Consonants Unavailable in Indonesian Language · 2023 · DOI

  • Out of eight or ten words equally common, equally intelligible, with nearly equal pretensions, it is a matter of some nicety and discrimination to pick out the very one the preferableness of which is scarcely perceptible, but de- cisive.

    The “methods” course in the teaching of speech in the secondary schools: Report of a survey · 1969 · DOI

  • Within the limitations of this study, one may retain the hypothesis that stu- dents can acquire a knowledge of the principles of communication and achieve skill in speaking, writing, reading, and listening equally well from each of the methods of instruction tested.

    The effect of instructional methods upon achievement and attitudes in communication skills∗ · 1960 · DOI

  • nt reading habits are not well established, practice is im- peded by long training in oral reading, but silent reading habits already estab- lished are reinforced by training in oral reading.

    A reaffirmation in support of essentials in secondary speech education · 1959 · DOI

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32 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,056 English Language Learning and Teaching papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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