This conceptual paper addresses the information lacuna in the amalgamation between the areas of language learning strategies and international students in Malaysia. Malaysia is considered a hybrid or mixed setting where English as a Second Language (ESL) meets English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Thus in dissecting the big areas of language learning strategies and international students in relation to Malaysia, it gives rise to four notions hybrid environment, agency, out-of-class language learning strategies and acculturation strategies. Underpinned by tenets derived from four flagship theories/model Experiential Learning Theory by Kolb, Sociocultural Theory by Vygotsky, Social Cognitive Theory by Bandura, and Second Language Acquisition Model by Ellis a framework is conceptualized. The conceptual framework elucidates the interplay of the four notions and their connections which will inform the main purpose of the study that is to explore the English language learning experiences of the international students in Malaysia.

The importance of environment in students' language learning process should not be undervalued. This research, underpinned by the Sociocultural Theory by Vygotsky that centres on the tenet of mediation, looks at how the environmental conditions assist and hamper the English learning of a group of international students. The research questions that guide this study are (1) What are the elements in the environment that assist/hamper the English language learning of international students learning English in an institution in Malaysia? (2) How do the conditions in one of these elements assist and hamper the English language learning of international students learning English in an institution in Malaysia? The participants for this study were nine international students studying English in an institution in Malaysia. Data were gathered through observations, interviews and document analysis. Data were analysed thematically and managed by ATLAS.ti. The data revealed that firstly, there were three themes emerging from the data - situations, people, and things/media. Secondly, further deliberation presents two sides of a coin to the 'situations' - where on one side, there are, for example, situations that promote English, while on the other side, there are situations which do not. All in all, the findings further enhanced the importance of conducive environment to promote learning.

English Language teachers are expected to keep abreast with expectations and challenges that they come across in assisting their students to attain higher level of academic achievement. Studies show that teachers are unable to assess students accordingly as the current education system in Malaysia is too examination-oriented and over emphasises rote-learning. The research aims at investigating and analysing in-service teachers’ alternative assessment strategies in selected Malaysian ESL classrooms. This study employed a qualitative case study involving eleven ESL teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. Two instruments were used in data collection, namely interview protocol and classroom observation form. The findings showed that teachers employed different assessment strategies namely integrated alternative assessment, summative assessment, formative assessment, informal assessment via observation, online assessment, self-assessment, portfolio assessment, peer assessment and school-based assessment. The results revealed that besides alternative assessment, teachers still showed preference for employing summative assessment in the classroom. Some teachers embedded assessment activities to ensure students are given sufficient opportunity to perform, create, produce based on the tasks given in the classroom. The findings suggest that teachers need exposure and training in current assessment that they can employ in instruction.

In line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the world is facing technological transformation in which the Internet, cloud computing, and social media are creating different opportunities and challenges for formal education systems, specifically in relation to tertiary level education. This advancement has improved learningenvironments in universities, particularly in language teaching and learning. However, the dependency on teachers to facilitate the learning process is still crucial despite the various technological tools used. Thus, the blended learning approach is adopted to cater to the needs of millennial learners. A case study (focused on the implementation of features in a blended learning approach) used in an English for Specific Purpose (ESP) course at a Malaysian public university ispresented to illustrate the benefits gained through this mode of learning. This study includes an in-depth discussion of how students benefitted from the combination of traditional face-to-face learning and online teaching modes in language learning. Among the findings of this study, it was discovered that the combination of these two methods managed to encourage students to become independent learners, enabled them to gain easy access to course materials, and assisted them in utilising up-to-date technological tools in their learning processes.

Introduction- Gamification, or widely defined as the integration of game elements in a non-gaming context has widely being accepted as an engaging experience induced with fun elements. In education context, the term “game-based learning” is highly being discussed among researchers. Despite of the prevalence of game-based learning among academicians, the implementation of games in teaching and learning remained low particularly in the context of second language (L2) learning. Purpose – Scrutinizing into this context, writing skills are found to be the least researched area among scholars in regards to game-based learning approach. From the aforementioned situation, 32 pre-service teachers have participated in a survey conducted to discover their views on the implementation of games in a writing classroom. Methodology – A survey has been conducted to 32 participants to analyse their views on the use of games in writing classroom. Main data were analysed quantitatively and supported by focus-group discussion with selected participants. Findings – Findings from the study revealed that these students responded positively to the use of games in writing classroom. The students also believed that engagement among peers in the classroom appeared to be less threatening; therefore, knowledge transfer became naturally favorable throughout the pedagogical process. Significance – These results implied a useful insight for writing instructors to further equip language learners with the use of games in classroom learning.

Malaysia aspires to be the hub of education regionally (Kerr, 2011) and also internationally (Model for Success, 2008). Thus, Malaysia strives to recruit 200,000 international students (ISs henceforth) by year 2020 (Chi, 2011). The 2010 statistics indicate that there were 86,923 foreigners registered as ISs in public and private higher education institutions in Malaysia in 2010 (Ministry of Higher Education, 2010). Public universities, especially the five research universities – Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Universiti Putra Malaysia have been enrolling more ISs in their establishment as this increases their world ranking (Tham & Kam, 2008). Having more ISs in the education landscape in Malaysia would mean that there is a need for a common language for interaction especially in the academic sector. In this case, English is the lingua franca as it is widely used as the “language of international communication and trade, science and technology, and as the vehicle for the acquisition of knowledge” (Zuraidah Mohd. Don, 2012:2). Although not an English-speaking country, Malaysia, like other receiving countries, puts emphasis on English as it is the language to be used in the academic milieu. Furthermore, Yusliza Mohd. Yusoff and Chelliah (2010) propose proficiency in the English language as one of the seven variables that can predict the adaptation level of ISs in Malaysia. Thus, reporting one part of the findings from a larger study, this article looks at opportunities in learning and using the English language reported by nine ISs studying at a public university in Malaysia.

Implementation of game-based learning has been perceived by educators as a means to enhance effective classroom learning. Aspects in games have been identified to motivate learners to actively engage throughout the learning as it provides a fun, engaging, and rewarding experience for the learners. Despite the widespread of games implementation in classroom learning, limited exposure has been noted in the context of language learning particularly in ESL classrooms. In regard to the aforementioned situation, the current study aims to discover the implementation of game-based learning in the context of language learning. Research related to writing skills found to be limited in nature; therefore, the current study has discovered a need to further investigate the implementation of game-based learning in writing classrooms. In this study, a total of 32 pre-service teachers have participated in a survey conducted to discover their views on the implementation of games in a writing classroom. Data were analyzed quantitatively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) by evaluating the mean value of the findings. The analysis from the data obtained showed that these students responded positively to the use of games in the writing classroom. The students also believed that engagement among peers in the classroom appeared to be less threatening; therefore, knowledge transfer became naturally favorable throughout the pedagogical process. These results implied a useful insight for writing instructors to further equip language learners with the use of games in classroom learning.

Often times, many English as Second Language (ESL) facilitators speculate why some learners learn faster than other learners. Provided the students were exposed with the same amount of years in the formal education system in Malaysia, the language instructors curious about the variety of performance in the English language among the learners. This study revealed the language learning strategies used by ten successful ESL learners of a private university in Kajang, Selangor, using Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). The findings indicated that successful language learners are high frequency users of language learning strategies. The total mean of each category showed that metacognitive strategies (Mean=3.964) are among the most frequently used strategies, followed respectively by compensatory (Mean=3.814), cognitive (Mean=3.812), social (Mean=3.700), memory (Mean=3.100) and affective strategies (Mean=2.890) found as the least used strategies among successful language learners. Interestingly, the study also identified that successful language learners used more direct strategies compared to indirect strategies. The findings have significant implications for research on language learning strategies for successful language learners and teacher planning in order to promote and boost the use of strategies among the poor language learners.