ABSTRACT Classroom physical environment has been widely researched over the past few decades. In this respect, more recent attention has focused on the provision of structural and symbolic features; however, no study has been conducted to compare the structural and symbolic features of classroom physical environment in English as a foreign language (EFL) elementary learners’ classrooms. To this end, 100 EFL elementary learners were recruited to participate in this study. They were assigned to two kinds of classrooms: Classroom A included both structural and symbolic features, but Classroom B only included structural features. The structural features were subsumed into lighting, acoustics, seating, and thermal comfort. The symbolic features were ornamental materials (e.g., posters, colorful balloons, and ropes of English numbers and letters) and two types of classroom layout (i.e., U-shaped and orderly row). The participants were required to complete a 22-item questionnaire with answers that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The results indicated that both sorts of features seemed to be highly important for elementary learners; however, according to the learners’ views, the symbolic features were considered to be of higher importance. The findings also revealed that lack of symbolic features significantly affected learners’ opinions about structural features.

中文翻译：

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英语作为外语基本学习者对课堂物理环境的看法，从结构特征到符号特征

摘要在过去的几十年中，对教室的物理环境进行了广泛的研究。在这方面，最近的注意力集中在结构和象征特征的提供上。但是，尚未进行任何研究来比较英语作为外语（EFL）基础学习者课堂的教室物理环境的结构和符号特征。为此，招募了100名EFL基本学习者参加了这项研究。他们被分配到两种教室：教室A既包含结构特征又包含符号特征，而教室B仅包含结构特征。结构特征包括照明，声学，座椅和热舒适性。象征性特征是装饰材料（例如海报，彩色气球，以及英文数字和字母的绳索）和两种教室布局（即U形和有序的行）。要求参与者填写22项问卷，答案范围从1（强烈不同意）到5（强烈同意）。结果表明，这两种功能对于初学者来说都非常重要。然而，根据学习者的观点，象征性特征被认为具有更高的重要性。研究结果还表明，缺乏象征性特征严重影响了学习者对结构性特征的看法。结果表明，这两种功能对于初学者来说都非常重要。然而，根据学习者的观点，象征性特征被认为具有更高的重要性。研究结果还表明，缺乏象征性特征严重影响了学习者对结构性特征的看法。结果表明，这两种功能对于初学者来说都非常重要。然而，根据学习者的观点，象征性特征被认为具有更高的重要性。研究结果还表明，缺乏象征性特征严重影响了学习者对结构性特征的看法。