In contemporary educational contexts, technology, globalization, and mobility have brought about a blurring of the boundary between language learning and activation in and beyond the classroom. (We prefer the term "activation" to "use" as it has a more dynamic connotation.) This contrasts with the pre-globalized, pre-Internet…

A discussion of the role of second language proficiency assessment in the evaluation of language programs argues that for four reasons, the use of proficiency is inappropriate as a central element in evaluation. The reasons are: (1) the construct of proficiency has not been operationalized in a way that enables it to be used usefully; (2)…

This paper proposes that despite the anticipated benefits of classroom research for improved instruction, there are identifiable factors that can interfere with its effectiveness. Examples are drawn from three research projects, undertaken in English-as-a-Second-Language instructional settings. First, the steps in the classroom research process…