The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to describe how community college students in Northeastern states describe the motivation to enroll in a non-required foreign language course. Self-determination theory was the theoretical framework for this study. One overarching research question guided the study: How do community college…

In this "Distance Learning" Special Issue, Errol Craig Sull introduces the "Try This" series of articles to assist In The Classroom. Sull notes, where once the idea of offering ESL (English as a second language) assistance and courses was a minor afterthought in postsecondary education, it has become crucial, for it recognizes…

Using a positive psychological framework, Broaden-and-Build Theory, we investigated whether and how positive and negative emotions (affective factors) and cognitive flexibility are related to flourishing. Participants are 151 bilingual adults from diverse backgrounds enrolled in a local community college. Results showed that both positive and…

Current literature addressing the challenges English learners in community colleges face is limited. While research examining Black, Indigenous, and People of Color encompasses aspects of being an English learner, little research has focused on what makes this demographic unique, their language ability. The purpose of this study was to identify…

This inquiry examines anti-Asian racism in the wake of COVID-19 and focuses attention on the experiences of Asian immigrant students enrolled in programs for English Speakers of Other Languages at a two-year AANAPISI. We draw upon AsianCrit to explore the racialization of these newcomer immigrant students and examine experiences with direct and…

This paper investigates L2 motivation and demotivation of college English majors in a Korean junior college. The participants' L2 (de)motivation was explored by the ought-to L2 self, an element of the L2 motivational self system. Data were collected from two rounds of interviews with 59 and 31 students in all four years and analyzed qualitatively.…

Experiencing education as an English learner (EL) is challenging and can result in lower persistence and graduation rates for ELs in community colleges. The overall three-year graduation rate in the United States for two-year institutions is low, but graduation rates are even lower for EL learners. One way to support EL students is through an…

This study investigates the effectiveness of integrating smartphone technologies, including QR codes, audio textbook capabilities, and mobile apps, to enhance personalized learning and language acquisition skills among intermediate-level ESOL learners. The research involved ten participants from diverse linguistic backgrounds, employing…

The category of "English as a Second Language" or "ESL" student is no longer a label of someone in the process of learning English. Rather, linguistic categorization is a complex social processes of ascribed identity formation that positions students as deficits and others, circumscribing them out of belonging to both academic…

This study employed qualitative methods to explore how the "UVA in Valencia Summer Program 2019/2021" approached instructional practices (e.g., in-class and out-of-class immersive learning activities, homestays, pre-program services, including use of L2 and culture learning strategies) to identify those features of the program design…

In the spring of 2021, the Community College System in which the author works was in the middle of a planned three-year pilot of math and English self-placement ("Direct Enrollment") procedures. Concerns about the significant English language learner (ELL) population at one institution led to the development of a corequisite support…

This mixed-methods study investigated the effectiveness of multimedia instruction for phrasal-verb education with community-college English as a second-language learners (ESL) in Northern California. Previous researchers have found that ESL learners have difficulties and barriers in learning phrasal verbs, and other researchers have found that how…

This study explored the experiences of Latina immigrant parent students enrolled in a noncredit English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a California community college. It sought to uncover how these students navigate the processes and services of community colleges to support their academic success while also examining how they draw upon…

To address linguistic, social, and settlement needs among professional and highly educated newcomer language learners in Canada, a Service Learning program was established at an urban community college. It incorporated field-specific language instruction, cultural humility and intercultural communication training, and meaningful Service Learning…

Reading skills are critical for English as a Second Language (ESL) students in higher education to achieve academic success. However, effective ways to promote student success in ESL reading courses are under-researched. Identifying factors that may enhance the quality and outcomes of learning ESL reading is essential. One such factor identified…