Ethiopian Journal of Language, Culture and Communication

The impact of teacher educators’ mediation on developing cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies for learning reading skills

2025-07-16T15:08:40+02:00

This study investigated the impact of teacher educators' mediation on the development of cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies essential for autonomous learning in EFL reading skills and its effect on reading performance. A quasi-experimental design with mixed methods was employed at Kotebe University of Education in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, involving two intact sections of first-year social science students (N=80). Participants were randomly assigned to experimental (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. An experienced English instructor mediated the experimental group using mediation strategies (MLE), while the control group received traditional instruction. Data were collected through reading proficiency standardized tests, questionnaires, and classroom observations, then analyzed using percentages, mean, standard deviation, t-tests, and thematic analysis. The results of the research indicated that mediation significantly enhanced the experimental group’s cognitive and meta-cognitive strategy use, leading to greater autonomy in EFL reading. The experimental group also achieved higher scores on reading skills tests compared to the control group, with Cohen’s d indicating a large effect size. The study concludes that mediated teaching strategies substantially improve trainees’ cognitive and meta-cognitive abilities, fostering autonomy and academic success. The study recommends that English instructors integrate mediation techniques into their teaching practices to enhance students' learning strategies and overall reading performance.

University students’ perceptions on the role of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) in developing listening skills

2025-07-17T16:01:01+02:00

This study examines first-year students’ perceptions of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, focusing on enhancing listening skills through the Canvas Student platform. A descriptive research design and a mixed-method approach were employed. To this end, a total of 99 students (23 females, 76 males) participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected via a questionnaire, while qualitative insights were gathered through observation. The findings showed high student engagement with mobile-assisted learning both in and outside the classroom. Survey results revealed that 96% of students viewed mobile technology as essential for improving academic performance. The Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis indicated that students used mobile devices mainly for sharing course materials (RII = 0.941), accessing dictionaries (RII = 0.927), and reading PDF notes (RII = 0.925). This highlights the need for integrating platforms like Canvas Student into the curriculum. Generally, the study emphasizes MALL’s role in developing listening skills and improving learning outcomes. Therefore, based on the results it was recommended that English as a Foreign Language (hereafter EFL) experts and curriculum designers integrate mobile technology into (EFL) instruction to enhance collaboration, accessibility, and student lifelong learning.

A postcolonial Afrocentric reading of Adichie’s novel Americanah

2025-08-26T09:14:36+02:00

This study is a postcolonial Afrocentric reading of the novel ‘Americanah’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for its application of Afrocentricity in reconstructing distorted African identity. It employed postcolonial theory and its strand, Afrocentricity, which gives a special focus to Africanism as its overarching framework. Through a qualitative approach which comprises textual analysis, the study probed how Adichie, in her novel, applied an Afrocentric perspective to reclaim African identity disparaged by colonial discourses. The findings of this textual analysis revealed that re-centering African identity, critique of European beauty standards, celebration of African narratives, challenging colonial legacies, and amplifying African diaspora experiences are the major Afrocentric themes and values treated in the novel. These themes were emphasized by Adichie’s innovative use of blogs as narrative devices, which served as tools for conscious-raising, racial identity development, critique of misrepresentation, and commodification of Blackness, particularly concerning African women and their hair. Based on the discussions held in the analysis, this paper, thus, concludes that African identity can be reconstructed even within the contexts of colonization, racial discrimination, and globalization.

The influence of parental involvement and teachers' background variables on early grade students’ Amharic reading achievement

2025-08-26T09:14:32+02:00