Teaching English with Technology, 23(2), 2023, 2, http://www.tewtjournal.org

FROM THE EDITORS

by Christopher Alexander and Jarosław Krajka

University of Nicosia, Cyprus/ Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Poland

alexander.c @ unic.ac.cy & jarek.krajka @ gmail.com

The Editors in Chief would like to announce some exciting recent news in this Issue-two message!

Firstly, in the Scopus 2022 Yearly Ranking, Teaching English with Technology (TEwT) moved up 25 positions to 101 out of 1001 in the highly competitive Scopus Language and Linguistics category. Moreover, the Journal’s Scopus percentile went up from 87 to 89, and TEwT’s CiteScore moved up from 2.5 [2021] to 3.2 [2022]. TEwT therefore now is the 4th highest-ranked Scopuslisted Computer-Assisted-Language-Learning journal in the world.

Secondly, both Irena Lichnerowicz-Augustyn, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Cyprus (Nicosia) and Petros T. Nacouzis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cyprus kindly accepted to become honorary members of TEwT board recently in 2023, thereby symbolically enhancing bilateral ties between Poland and Cyprus. Furthermore, this is also in line with the Cooperation Program between the two governments on education, culture, sport and youth for the years 2021-2025.

Thirdly, TEwT now, as of Volume 23 Issue 2 2023, uses Scholastica typesetting services to improve the overall appearance of papers. Scholastica therefore now manages the entire typesetting process from the time it receives a typesetting request. Finally, TEwT would like to announce the addition of copyeditor and proofreader, Aileen O’Donoghue (University of Nicosia) to the Editorial Board.

Issue 2, 2023, comprises four papers from authors in well-known universities in Hawaii, UK, Cyprus and Thailand. Additionally, two of these papers are related to ChatGPT, and this resonates with TEwT’s recently stated aims of fast-tracking and prioritising studies that are associated with 4th Industrial Revolution technology trends.

Paper One highlights potential affordances of AI generative tools, such as ChatGPT, for creating language learning and teaching materials and assessments. The paper, authored by Austin Pack and Jeffrey Maloney of the Faculty of Education and Social Work, Brigham Young University-Hawaii,
offers suggestions on crafting prompts, and it provides example prompts and the materials and assessments generated by ChatGPT in response. Paper One is particularly timely considering recent public access to large language models via chatbots, and the levels of interest in how AI will affect language learning and teaching.

Considering recent developments in AI technologies and the increasing access to AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Paper Two by Katarzyna Alexander, Christine Savvidou (both from Department of Languages and Literature, University of Nicosia), and Chris Alexander, Head of the Technology Enhanced Learning Centre, University of Nicosia, aims to shed light on the challenges faced by English as a Second Language (ESL) lecturers in identifying AI-generated texts, and highlighting the skills and resources needed to enhance their detection capabilities. This study identifies the growing challenges encountered by ESL lecturers and underlines the need for digital literacy training, targeted professional development, the use of advanced detection tools and a review of assessment policies and practices in relation to AI. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of reviewing and reinforcing institutional policies and practices that safeguard academic integrity and ensure quality higher education.

In paper three, Lesley J. Fearn (Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The Open University, UK) employs analytic autoethnography to investigate the experiences of a secondary-school English as a Foreign Language teacher using OCPs in southern Italy. Data were analysed and debated through relevant EFL and sociocultural theory literature. Results revealed the learnercentred qualities of OCP activities and their effects on secondary-school EFL curricula. This research contributes to the literature on teaching English with technology, learner autonomy and online community projects in secondaryschool EFL curricula. It will interest policymakers and teachers who wish to include learner-centred approaches in their practices.

The final paper, written by Rizza Ann Cruz and Zainee Waemusa of Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, aims at identifying Social Presence indicators used by EFL learners in their Facebook group chats. The data were collected for eight weeks from 52 Thai undergraduate students taking an English for Conversation course in a Thai university. Using the Social Presence categories by Rourke et al. (1999) and Swan and Shih (2005), quantitative coding was used to analyze the exchanged Facebook group text messages. The results showed that the Interactive Category garnered the highest percentage compared to the Affective and Cohesive Category, suggesting that CMC with Facebook group chats engendered relationship building and sustainability among Thai EFL learners with CMC community members. Pedagogical implications are discussed on the significance of Social Presence for developing an effective CMC environment on Facebook among EFL learners.

We wish you good reading!