Purpose of Study: The present study investigated the impact of critical discourse analysis (CDA) on Indonesian students teachers’ critical thinking skills in their final projects. Methodology: The study analyzed four final projects of student teachers text analysis. It was a qualitative meta-study applying four stages of Brengtsson'scontent analysis. These student teachers analyzed the world leaders’ political speeches and lawyers’ arguments in court using the CDA approach. Results: The result of the analysis indicated that 58.3% of the students got the Proficient Level achievement, spreading from the critical skills of communication, analysis (interpretation) and synthesis. Implications/Applications: The result illustrates that text analysis with CDA devices positively influenced the student teachers’ critical thinking skills. Meanwhile, 75% of them were at low achievement, at the Emergent level, for Reflection (Self-regulating) skills, due to the fact that these students were not accustomed to observing their own analysis.

Research has shown that the initial few years of children’s lives are the best times for language to develop at a rapid pace, the first language (L1) or a foreign language (FL) may be acquired these times. Researches on preschoolers FL acquisition with home-based intervention (HBI) have not been studied extensively under the L1 environment. This study aims to examine the results of HBI on the development of the acquisition of Indonesian preschoolers’ English as a Foreign Language (EFL) sentences. This research is a case study with naturalistic observation design, where data were obtained from logbooks and interview. The research subjects were 2 preschoolers about 36 months. The study’s duration was 24 months from the 13th until the 36th month with HBI, namely parents-based and authentic/semi authentic-media intervention. The data were the children’s English sentences taken at 24th to 36th months at their own homes. The Owens’ acquisition of sentence forms measured the English sentences’ development of in the respondents’ conversation and self-narration. This research found that at about 36th month, these Indonesian preschoolers were able to communicate in English in various sentences such as declarative, negative, interrogative, imperative, embedded and conjoining. HIGHLIGHTS: Simultaneous foreign language learning and first language acquisition for children is tangible advantage. Authentic input and active interaction act as the language environment substitute in foreign language learning. Intensive learning makes preschoolers speak a foreign language earlier.

Language attitude study has proven to reveal students' success and failure in learning language. Attitude is not innate, but learned. Students learn to grow and improve their positive language attitudes towards foreign languages through certain programs at schools. The aim of this research is to investigate the language attitude of students in an Indonesian Islamic boarding school towards English as a foreign Language and to describe why they have the attitude. The respondents were 49 students of 2 nd grade of senior high school classes from HAC (High-Achieving Class) and LAC (Low-Achieving Class). The design of this research was mixed method using explanatory sequential design. To obtain the data, the instrument used was a questionnaire consisting of cognitive, affective and conative components of language attitudes. Interview was carried out to acquire the reason the students had the attitudes. The finding was both HAC and LAC students' language attitudes were mostly positive (91.83%) in cognitive, affective and conative language attitudes. Some (8.17%) had different language attitudes. They showed positive language attitudes, but acquired low scores and showed negative language attitudes, but acquired high scores. The interview revealed this phenomenon.

In learning English as Foreign Language, there are many background factors that play important roles to be success in learning. In the case of foreign students who study English in non-English speaking country, these factors become more complex. This study aims to analyze the background factors of Thai students’ speaking achievement and the different background factors between student’s high and low scores of speaking achievement. This study used mixed method design as method of study. The theories of factors were used to answer the objective of this research such as self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, anxiety, empathy, extroversion, introversion, motivation, attitude, language exposure, and social situation. The subject was five students from Thailand who studied at Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya. The finding was that each of students mostly possessed different background factors. However, their intensity and ability were different among of them. All of those factors were greatly influence their acquiring of TEFL as well. There were two students who had the highest and lowest scores in their speaking achievement after several years they have learned English in Indonesia. The different background factors between both of them were self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, anxiety, extroversion, introversion, attitude, and social situation factors. Their background factors in speaking were supported by many factors to reach a good achievement. Therefore, the factors mainly play important roles to tend students learning foreign language successfully.

The aim of this research was to develop character education model based on common values of local wisdom. The research applied a modified development research with four stages: survey to find common value in local wisdom, develop character education model, model internal validation and external validation. This research found thirty three common values and those associated with two dimensions of life; the heart versus mind and personal versus social. Three instructional strategies were successfully developed: integrated into every theme, as an objective in extra-curricular, and implemented as school culture. Internal validation indicated that the strategies were appropriate for improving students' character. External validation found that the strategies could improve students' capability in implementing the values of honesty, creativity, toughness, and caring. The finding reinforces theory that moral knowing does not automatically become a moral feeling and moral feeling does not automatically become moral action. Thus, teacher's example is the key factor in the development of student character.