Yang, Fang-Ying

Language Teaching and Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

Abstract: This study explored how a flipped classroom approach, guided by Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), supported EFL university students’ motivation and participation in academic oral communication in an EAP course. A qualitative case study approach was adopted to examine students’ learning processes and strategies. Fourteen EFL university students participated in a flipped EAP course. The course integrated pre-class preparation and in-class discussion tasks designed based on BPNT to satisfy students’ needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, and learning logs. The findings demonstrated that structured preparation tasks, freedom to choose topics and materials, and peer interactions fostered students’ internal motivation to prepare for and participate in academic discussions. The findings also revealed students’ language practices and challenges in academic oral communication. While English was used to summarize prepared content, students frequently switched to L1 during collaborative knowledge construction. Their spoken English often relied on written notes; L1 use did not always resolve communication breakdowns and at times created tension among peers. This study highlights the value of BPNT-informed flipped instruction in fostering students’ internal motivation and offers pedagogical implications for supporting spontaneous academic speaking and maximizing students’ English-speaking opportunities.

Key words: academic oral communication, flipped classroom, Basic Psychological Needs Theory

Note: This is a pre-proof version and is subject to change during the editing process.