Editorial

Abstract

The Journal of NELTA Gandaki (JoNG) serves as an academic forum in the fields of English language teaching (ELT), teacher education, and continuing professional development. The journal provides ELT practitioners and researchers in Nepal and beyond with a platform for disseminating empirical research, theoretical perspectives, and pedagogical practices through scholarly publication. We are pleased to present the ninth volume of JoNG, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the NELTA Gandaki Province Committee and recognised as a one-star journal under the Journal Publishing Practices and Standards (JPPS) framework and indexed in Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL). This volume brings together a diverse range of empirical and theoretical contributions addressing contemporary issues in English language education, including EFL pedagogy, emerging technologies in ELT and applied linguistics, and various dimensions of English language and literary studies. The first article explores the ways of developing a reading culture in the 21st century educational setting, employing a qualitative research design. Similarly, employing a qualitative inquiry design, the second article examines teachers' enactment of reading instruction while teaching university reading courses. Likewise, guided by the Lexical Approach and Game-Based Learning Theory, this third article examines the role of Scrabble-mediated tasks in enhancing EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge. Exploring data from Bachelor-level students at Tribhuvan University, the fourth article investigates the patterns of errors in writing English. Following a single case study design, the fifth article explores the influencing factors of job satisfaction of English language teachers and investigates their perceptions of these factors in Nepal. Similarly, the next article focuses on the issues of nervousness and hesitation experienced by EFL learners at the undergraduate level. Highlighting the role of feedback in the EFL classroom, the seventh article explores how different types of oral feedback provided by teachers enhance students' engagement and participation in basic-level classrooms. In a different context, the next article identifies supervisors’ and research scholars’ perceptions of Research Ethics Education (REE), focusing on how ethics is violated in thesis writing. The ninth article critically examines the literature on ecosystem-based pedagogy and how it can support integrating language skills in ELT classrooms. Using a lens of critical discourse analysis, the next article examines the vlog of Hirdayendra Bir Bikram Shah analysing how language, image, and ideology construct royal identity and authority in Nepal’s democracy after the monarchy. In a different context, the eleventh article explores teachers’ and students’ experiences of teaching and learning English along with the challenges they face and opportunities they envision. The final article analyses Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's short story, The Revolt of 'Mother', to explore social-justice education. We envisage that this volume will serve as a valuable scholarly resource and a source of inspiration for educators and researchers seeking to foster a research-oriented academic culture. We extend our sincere appreciation to the contributing authors, reviewers, and the wider NELTA community for their continued support, scholarly contributions, and encouragement in bringing this volume to fruition. The JoNG remains committed to providing a rigorous and inclusive scholarly platform for innovative ideas, exemplary pedagogical practices, and research-informed perspectives in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. While the copyright of the articles published in this volume rests with NELTA Gandaki Province, the respective authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and scholarly integrity of their contributions, as well as for the views and interpretations expressed therein. We welcome constructive feedback and suggestions from our readers, contributors, and well-wishers, which will be instrumental in the journal’s ongoing efforts to enhance its scholarly quality, editorial practices, and academic standards.