A  Bibliometric Analysis of Research on CEFR-Based English Speaking Pedagogy:  Trends and Directions

Saima Khan; Azidah Abu Ziden; Zoofishan Khan

doi:10.66947/pasaa.v73ispc.2180

Authors

Saima Khan -
Associate Professor Dr. Azidah Abu Ziden School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Zoofishan Khan Al-Madinah International University, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66947/pasaa.v73ispc.2180

Keywords:

CEFR, English language education, speaking skills, bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on CEFR-based English speaking pedagogy, aiming to examine publication patterns, leading journals, and emerging thematic trends. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection. The dataset spans from 2009 to 2026, covering nearly two decades of research on CEFR-based English speaking pedagogy. The analysis combined performance analysis in order to investigate yearly publication trends, geographic hotspots, and journal impact, with science mapping to explore keyword co-occurrence, thematic clusters, and the conceptual structure of the field. Data processing and visualization were conducted using Tableau and VOSviewer 1.6.20. The findings indicate a steady growth in publications over time, with Spain, Russia, and Malaysia emerging as top contributing countries and seven nations demonstrating collaborative research efforts. The top journals reflect both the breadth of scholarly engagement and varying levels of influence. Analysis of 592 author keywords identified the ten most frequently used terms, forming five thematic clusters that reflect the conceptual focus of the field. The research trends show a progression from technology-mediated teaching innovations to CEFR-aligned assessment research, and more recently toward affective dimensions of speaking performance.

Author Biography

Associate Professor Dr. Azidah Abu Ziden, School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Azidah Abu Ziden (PhD) is an Associate Professor at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She is currently on secondment as the Director of Academic Excellence Division, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia. Her research interest includes educational technology, multimedia & IT education, and e-learning.

References

Abdullah, K. H., Roslan, M. F., Ishak, N. S., Ilias, M., & Dani, R. (2023). Unearthing hidden research opportunities through bibliometric analysis: A review. Asian Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences, 5(1), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2023.5.1.23

Agulló, G. L., & Díez-Bedmar, M. B. (2025). Listening to teachers: CEFR implementation in University Language Centres in Spain. Revista De Lingüística Y Lenguas Aplicadas, 20, 72–86. https://doi.org/10.4995/rlyla.2025.21285

Ali, M. Q., Siddique, F., & Nurlaili, L. (2025). Uncovering trends in CEFR-focused educational research: A comprehensive descriptive and bibliometric study. International Journal of Innovation in Teaching and Learning, 11(2), 57–86. http://irigs.iiu.edu.pk:64447/ojs/index.php/IJITL/article/view/7411

Astrianingsih, L., & Dwinalida, K. (2024). The implementation of curriculum based on CEFR in English teaching. Tarling: Journal of Language Education, 8(1), 83–108.

Batmaz, Ö. (2023). The effect of student-centered teaching practices on the development of speaking skills: A meta-analysis study. Dil Eğitimi ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 9(1), 59–105.

Can, H. (2023). Using corpora in teaching vocabulary to advanced EFL learners in a higher education context. Language Learning in Higher Education, 13(2), 461–477. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2023-2028

Ch’ng, L.-C., Mahmud, F. F., Sahari, S. H., Arshad, A., & Gafar @ Abd Ghaffar, S. Z. (2024). Evaluating students’ views on the importance and usefulness of CEFR in speaking test. Issues in Language Studies, 13(1), 166–180. https://doi.org/10.33736/ils.6219.2024

Cózar, M. F., Acero, J. M. A., & Pérez, F. J. S. (2020). The challenge of the skill of speaking in monolingual secondary education centres of Andalusia. Encuentro : Revista de investigación e innovación en la clase de idiomas, (28), 33–48. http://hdl.handle.net/10017/42191

Cuartas, D. E. de la H., & Toro, C. A. (2024). Working memory and intrinsic motivation in oral skills performance in English as a foreign language students. Revista de Lingüística Teórica y Aplicada, 62(2), 113–138. https://doi.org/10.29393/RLA62-5WMDC20005

Dagli, N., Kurian, J. R., & Haque, M. (2025). A Perspective on merging databases for bibliometric analysis. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science, 24(4), 1025–1028.

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Firoozeh, N., Nazarenko, A., Alizon, F., & Daille, B. (2020). Keyword extraction: Issues and methods. Natural Language Engineering, 26(3), 259–291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1351324919000457

Gauffriau, M. (2021). Counting methods introduced into the bibliometric research literature 1970–2018: A review. Quantitative Science Studies, 2(3), 932–975. https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00141

Ghorbani, B. D. (2024). Bibliometrix: Science mapping analysis with R Biblioshiny based on Web of Science in applied linguistics. In H. Meihami & R. Esfandiari (Eds.), A scientometrics research perspective in applied linguistics (pp. 197–234). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51726-6_8

Gorter, D., & Cenoz, J. (2017). Language education policy and multilingual assessment. Language and Education, 31(3), 231–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2016.1261892

Hadianti, S., Nugraha, B., Isman, S. M., Millah, R., & Murtini, A. (2025). Curriculum alignment and skill acquisition: A case study of CEFR implementation on speaking course. INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa, 12(1), 151–165.

Hallinger, P. (2019). Science mapping the knowledge base on educational leadership and management from the emerging regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, 1965-2018. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(2), 209–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218822772

Hamid, H. A., Fakhruddin, W. F., Afip, L. A., & Hamid, M. O. (2025). Navigating global standards in local contexts: A systematic review of CEFR-aligned English language curriculum in the ASEAN region. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 10(1), 324–352. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol10iss1pp324-352

Hassan, W., & Duarte, A. E. (2024). Bibliometric analysis: A few suggestions. Current Problems in Cardiology, 49(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102640

Havey, N., & Chang, M.J. (2022). Do journals have preferences? Insights from The Journal of Higher Education. Innovation Higher Education, 47, 915–926. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-022-09634-5

Jamain, S., & Jamaludin, K. (2023). Issues and challenges in the implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in Malaysian primary school. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(12), 5863–5877. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i12/20394

Jeon, J.-h. (2022). A systematic review of CEFR-related research of English education in South Korea. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 11(8), 363–375. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v11n8p363

Lee, J. Y. (2025). Trends and patterns in self-assessment research in the Korean EFL context: A bibliometric study. Linguistic Research, 42, 179–212.

Lee, N. A. A., Kassim, A. A. M., & Bakar, R. A. (2023). The CEFR-aligned curriculum execution in Malaysia and other countries: A conceptual paper. Malaysian Journal of ELT Research, 19(1), 1–15.

Lim, B. C. Y., Ramanair, J., & Soo, R. S. (2023). Exploring vocabulary teaching: Planning and challenges with the implementation of audio-visual approach in rural East Malaysian primary-level English language classrooms. 3L; Language, Linguistics and Literature, The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 29(4), 228–243. http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2023-2904-15

Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2024). How to combine and clean bibliometric data and use bibliometric tools synergistically: Guidelines using metaverse research. Journal of Business Research, 182, Article 114760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114760

McCarthy, M. (2009). Rethinking spoken fluency. Elia, 9, 11–29.

Mesh, L. J. (2009). Collaborative language learning for professional adults. In Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on e-Learning: ECEL (p. 374). Academic Conferences Ltd.

Muhammad, A. M., Kamil, M. A., & Druckman, Z. A. (2021). Towards a CEFR framework for workplace communication: Students’ perceptions of the sub-skills, use and importance of language productive skills (LPS). Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 29(S3), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.29.S3.02

Musa, N. C., Nizam, A. S., Mohamad, W. N. A. W., & Othman, Z. (2021). Framing the English Language (EL) CEFR-informed curriculum structure: The UKM experience. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 29, 243–261. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.29.S3.13

Nadtayay, N., & Wongsaphan, M. (2025). Bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer with publish or perish of CEFR-based comparison of English language teaching models for communication. ASEAN Journal of Educational Research and Technology, 4(1), 1–10.

Nageen, S., Sarwar, M., Alam, M., Jabeen, M., & Tayyab, J. (2025). Assessing English-speaking proficiency among secondary school students in Pakistan: A quantitative cross-sectional study. Language Testing in Asia, 15(49), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-025-00384-7

Nguyen, V. H., & Hamid, M. O. (2020). The CEFR as a national language policy in Vietnam: Insights from a sociogenetic analysis. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 42(7), 650–662. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1715416

Nicolas, C., Valenzuela-Fernández, L., & Merigó, J. M. (2020). Research trends of marketing: A bibliometric study 1990–2017. Journal of Promotion Management, 26(5), 674–703. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2020.1729315

North, B., & Piccardo, E. (2023). Aligning language frameworks: An example with the CLB and CEFR. Language Assessment Quarterly, 20(2), 143–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2023.2184266

Nowakowska, M. (2025). A comprehensive approach to preprocessing data for bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics, 130, 5191–5225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-025-05415-x

Özdemir-Yılmazer, M., & Özkan, Y. (2017). Speaking assessment perceptions and practices of English teachers at tertiary level in the Turkish context. Language Learning in Higher Education, 7(2), 371–391. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2017-0015

Öztürk, O., Kocaman, R., & Kanbach, D. K. (2024). How to design bibliometric research: An overview and a framework proposal. Review of Managerial Science, 18, 3333–3361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-024-00738-0

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Research Methods and Reporting, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Passas, I. (2024). Bibliometric analysis: The main steps. Encyclopedia, 4(2), 1014-1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4020065

Pillai, R., Sankaran, K., Ramnarayan, K., & Prabhu, N. (2021). Research in higher education governance: Past performance and an agenda for the future. Educational Review, 75(6), 1255–1278. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.1984214

Punnakitikashem, P., & Hallinger, P. (2020). Bibliometric review of the knowledge base on healthcare management for sustainability, 1994–2018. Sustainability, 12(1), 205. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010205

Roehr-Brackin, K. (2024). Explicit and implicit knowledge and learning of an additional language: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 57(1), 68–86. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026144482200026X

Runnels, J., & Runnels, V. (2019). Impact of the Common European Framework of Reference – A bibliometric analysis of research from 1990–2017. CEFR Journal, 1, 18–32.

Sahib, F. H., & Stapa, M. (2022). Global trends of the Common European Framework of Reference: A bibliometric analysis. Review of Education, 10(1), Article e3331. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3331

Strand, S., & Lindorff, A. (2020). English as an additional language: Proficiency in English, educational achievement and rate of progression in English language learning. University of Oxford, The Bell Foundation & Unbound Philanthropy.

Taquechel, A. Q., Álvarez, M. J., & Negret, O. D. (2023). A visit to museum Emilio Bacardí from an action focus and intercultural approach in speaking. Revista Conrado, 19(S1), 360–368.

Tikhonenko, M. (2023). A longitudinal study of fluency and complexity of English spoken interaction by two high school Japanese [Doctoral dissertation, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies].

Viora, D., & Surya, Y. F. (2025). Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): A systematic literature review and bibliometric. Innovative: Journal of Social Science Research, 5(4), 3150–3165. https://doi.org/10.31004/innovative.v5i4.20653

Wang, D., & Jia, Q. (2023). Twenty years of research development on teachers’ critical thinking: Current status and future implications—A bibliometric analysis of research articles collected in WOS. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 48, Article 101252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101252

Wang, J., Abdullah, R., & Leong, L. M. (2022). Studies of teaching and learning English-speaking skills: A review and bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 880990. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.880990

Zaki, A. W., & Darmi, R. (2021). CEFR: Education towards 21st century of learning: Why matters? Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 4(2), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.37134/ajatel.vol11.2.1.2021

Zhang, X., & Umeanowai, K. O. (2025). Exploring the transformative influence of artificial intelligence in EFL context: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 3183–3198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12937-z