Conference Agenda

This study focuses on investigating how secondary school EFL learners in Kazakhstan, who often acquire English as a third or fourth language, can develop stronger argumentation and critical thinking skills through cooperative reading practices. In Kazakhstan, English instruction has traditionally emphasized individual, exam-oriented drills centered on grammar and reading proficiency (Tleuov, 2020). Although recent reforms have introduced innovative technologies and active teaching methods into classrooms (Brakhmetova, 2024; Kalykova, Akhmetova, & Zhusupbekov, 2025), opportunities for collaborative reasoning and evidence-based text analysis remain limited. At the same time, global educational discourse highlights the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), which cultivates competencies such as self-awareness, communication, collaboration, and responsible decision-making. In Kazakhstan, however, SEL integration into EFL classrooms is still emerging, with most practices focusing primarily on cognitive outcomes rather than socio-emotional development. By contrast, European contexts emphasize task-based learning, digital literacy, and collaborative approaches to language education (Chen, Hwang, Majumdar, Toyokawa, & Ogata, 2021; Amaliawati, Aulia, & Susanti, 2024; Phillipson, 2009), demonstrating how language learning can simultaneously advance critical thinking and SEL competencies. Against this backdrop, this study argues that cooperative reading through the Reading-Writing Application (RWA) not only enhances measurable skills but also reshapes classroom discourse practices, fostering dialogic interaction and shared authority in learning.

Research topic: Cooperative Reading through RWA as a Tool to Enhance Argumentation and Critical Thinking.

Research questions:

1. How does structured cooperative reading influence students’ ability to construct evidence-based arguments in text analysis tasks?
2. To what extent does RWA improve students’ critical evaluation of texts and ideas?
3. How does cooperative reading reshape classroom discourse patterns and dialogic interaction among learners?

Objective: The primary objective of this research is to assess the effectiveness of cooperative reading techniques via RWA in improving secondary school students’ argumentation and critical thinking skills. A secondary objective is to explore how cooperative reading alters classroom dynamics, particularly in terms of dialogic pedagogy, collaborative reasoning, and socio-emotional engagement.

The theoretical framework combines the Cambridge Life Competencies Framework—emphasizing critical thinking (evaluating texts, synthesizing ideas, constructing arguments), learning to learn (identifying effective strategies, reflecting on progress), and social skills (managing conversations, using appropriate language) with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978). In this study, Vygotskian concepts such as mediation, scaffolding, the zone of proximal development, and dialogic interaction are explicitly operationalized in the design of cooperative reading tasks. For example, prompts were structured to encourage peer scaffolding, while teacher facilitation emphasized dialogic exchanges rather than monologic instruction. (Vygotsky, 1978). Together, these frameworks provide a robust foundation for analyzing how cooperative reading can bridge the gap between traditional EFL practices in Kazakhstan and contemporary European approaches. Additionally, scholarship on argumentation theory (Kuhn, 1991), dialogic pedagogy (Alexander, 2018), and critical literacy (Janks, 2010) informs the analytical lens, ensuring that the study engages with contested notions of “criticality” rather than treating them as static outcomes.

Language anxiety is a common barrier to spoken interaction in second and foreign language classrooms, even among learners who demonstrate sufficient linguistic competence. In many multilingual educational contexts, students possess the necessary vocabulary and grammar but avoid speaking due to fear of making mistakes, negative evaluation, and self-criticism. This gap between language knowledge and actual spoken performance limits the effectiveness of communicative and learner-centred approaches promoted within contemporary language education.

This poster presents the results of a classroom-based pedagogical study focusing on language anxiety among lower secondary learners studying Russian as a second language and English as a foreign language. The main aim of the study is to examine how language anxiety constrains speaking performance and to demonstrate how targeted, role-based classroom practices can reduce anxiety and support spoken interaction. Language anxiety is approached as a classroom-mediated phenomenon shaped by instructional design, feedback practices, and interactional roles rather than as an individual learner deficit.

The study was conducted in a multilingual school context with learners aged 13–15. Empirical data were collected using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) alongside observation of speaking performance during regular classroom activities. Diagnostic results indicated moderate to high levels of language anxiety, with a predominance of cognitive symptoms such as negative self-evaluation and fear of making mistakes. These findings confirmed the need for pedagogical intervention targeting affective barriers to speaking.

The pedagogical intervention focused on reducing evaluative pressure and increasing communicative confidence through structured role-based practices. Instruction was organised in small groups and included role-reversal tasks in which learners temporarily assumed the role of “expert”. This shift reduced self-critical pressure and redistributed classroom authority. In addition, thematic role-play scenarios were systematically integrated into speaking activities to provide meaningful and socially relevant communicative contexts. Examples included simulated court trials of literary characters, counselling scenarios addressing bullying, medical consultations involving doctors and patients, and role-plays focused on parent–child communication problems. Speaking through assigned roles allowed learners to participate in interaction without direct personal exposure.

Post-intervention results showed a statistically significant reduction in language anxiety and observable improvement in speaking performance. Learners demonstrated increased willingness to participate in spoken interaction, greater communicative confidence, and improvements in fluency and lexical range as defined by CEFR-based descriptors. Post-intervention FLCAS scores dropped by 22% (from a pre-test mean of 92.5 to 72.1; t = 4.2, p < 0.01), while CEFR-based speaking performance improved by 28%, particularly in fluency and lexical range. These changes suggest that affective barriers to speaking can be addressed through pedagogically mediated classroom practices rather than through increased linguistic input alone.

This study contributes novel classroom-based evidence by demonstrating that role-reversal tasks and thematic role-plays significantly reduce language anxiety and enhance spoken interaction in multilingual lower secondary settings, extending prior work by Horwitz and MacIntyre through a focus on redistribution of classroom authority and meaningful, low-exposure communicative contexts.

The poster highlights practical implications for language teachers working in multilingual and diverse classrooms. The proposed role-based practices require no additional resources and can be easily integrated into everyday instruction. From a European and global perspective, the study contributes to discussions on inclusive language education, learner well-being, and multilingual citizenship by offering transferable strategies for supporting spoken interaction and equitable participation in language learning.