ETERNAL: English Teaching Journal
Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025): August

Beyond the ‘Uh-Oh’ Moment: Refusal Strategies in a Young EFL Learner’s Extensive Reading Responses

Zalva Fajhira Shabrina Putri (Unknown)
Utami Widiati (Unknown)
Evynurul Laily Zen (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
11 Jul 2025

Abstract

Understanding refusal strategies utilized by young learners in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) is essential for teachers to foster more effective interaction in the classroom. The present study explores how a young EFL learner applies refusal strategies when interacting during extensive reading (ER) activities. Data were collected through real-time observations, the learner’s diaries, and a parent interview, and further analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed how the young EFL learner applied more direct refusals, influenced by the learner’s developmental traits. Indirect refusals, which appeared mostly as avoidance, emerged frequently only during the initial ER sessions. Refusals, regardless, did not appear as frequent towards the end of ER sessions as the learner became comfortable and confident with the teacher’s scaffolding. Considering the findings, the current study suggests future studies to investigate how refusal strategies are applied by young EFL learners in a larger group, which may be influenced by different developmental traits, learning situations, and language proficiencies, to further generalize the findings.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

eternal

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

The aim of this journal publication is to disseminate the conceptual thoughts or ideas and research results that have been achieved in the area of English language teaching and learnings, literature and research ETERNAL: English Teaching Journal particularly focuses on the main problems in the ...