This paper intends to understand how the nine principles for deep knowledge (PDK) affect reading habits and language achievements by conducting a small-scale, experimental and statistical study. All 32 students participating in this study exhibit significant traits of PDK. The results suggest that inner-connection principle significantly correlates with academic performances. Deep-and-down and alternating principles significantly correlate with reading habits. Meanwhile, inner-connection principle effectively predicts academic performances and deep-and-low principle effectively forecasts reading habits. The mediating effect of PDK on language achievement is not statistically significant, possibly due to sample size, but nonetheless relevant and valuable to the prediction of reading habits. The development of reading habits for English-language materials takes a long time and good reading habits absolutely have profound impacts on the effectiveness of language learning. The integration of PDK characteristics into the establishment of reading habits can help build good habits in a more effective manner.

PurposeThis research attempts to reveal ways of addressing challenges in open universities related to empowering lifelong learning; establishing policies and strategies in dropouts, student portfolio and support services for students with special needs; and implementing online instructional design and strategies. Two institutions were investigated, namely National Open University (NOU) Taiwan and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia, both founded in the 1980s to serve lifelong learners with diverse backgrounds and needs. This study was aimed at understanding good practices and challenges for improvement for the two open universities in those areas being investigated.Design/methodology/approachThis research was qualitative using document analysis along with focus group discussions and interviews with administrators, academic staff, students and alumni to collect data for analysis.FindingsLifelong learning is the necessity of individual in societies for continuing professional development through enabling access to quality university education. Open universities have been tasked to cater for lifelong learners using non-traditional approaches, new technology and adapting to online learning and teaching in digital age. This research was exploratory, and the findings were expected to improve understanding of lifelong learning in open universities, particularly in NOU and UT.Practical implicationsFindings of this research are relevant to open universities to enhance its missions and define its possible new roles to serve lifelong learners.Originality/valueThis research reveals the roles of open universities in lifelong learning and enhances understanding of open universities that have a wide range of responsibilities in offering programs and courses to accommodate lifelong learners.

This paper reports the effect of additive assigned extracurricular reading at the tertiary level of education in Taiwan. Chiang [1] implemented additive assigned reading after school in a college English course and used the General English Proficiency Test for the measurement of students for three consecutive academic years. The pre-/post comparison showed significant gains over all three years. The current study repeated the procedure and reported on the 4 th and the last year from of study before course reform took place. The results continuously showed significant improvement in GEPT scores between the pre-/post-tests. Implications of the results for potential factors such as reading amount and frequency are discussed.

Welcome to the January edition of the English as a Foreign Language International Journal (EFLIJ) in 2022. This inspiring edition contains three articles of quality.

Nine Principles for Deep Knowledge (PDKs) have been identified as an effective method to expand an individual's Habitual Domains (HDs), which in a broader sense improves learning. This study examines the relationship between Principles of Deep Knowledge and two classical variables, i.e. Integrative Orientation and Motivational Intensity (a.k.a. effort), as well as investigates the relationships among these three constructs and English learning achievement. A total of 194 tertiary education students participated. Overall, the results suggested that the three tested variables correlated and can predict achievement, with more than half of the subscales of Principles for Deep Knowledge. Further analysis showed that Integrative Motivation and Motivational Intensity can predict learning achievement whereas Deep and Down, Alternating and Changing, and Transforming principles can predict Integrative Orientation. Deep and Down and Contradiction can predict Motivation Intensity. The findings show the potential status of PDK as a new alternative measure and predictor, closely relating with the other two constructs. Limitations, pedagogical suggestions, and future study areas are given at the end of this study.