Second language (L2) motivation has long been regarded as one of the requisites for and predictors of success in L2 learning. The scholarship on L2 motivation has grown steadily over the past 60 years, yielding several theories through a range of methods. Building upon this tradition, this paper proposes a methodological contribution to the…

Despite the position of the United States as a top destination for international student mobility and the advancement of research on study abroad decisions, little is known about how American college students choose a destination country for study abroad. Expanding the understanding of students' choice of a study abroad destination can contribute…

This case study builds on Bourdieu's theory of practice to explore the ways in which two rural lower-class EFL learners--Andy and Xu--developed contrasting digital literacy trajectories in non-instructional and naturalistic settings. This study also seeks to examine how different online literacy trajectories impact rural lower-class students'…

The requirement for Chinese students to adopt an English name for the English language classroom remains a relic of a previous era, which is not only accepted but also desirable by some. This study reports on 357 Chinese English language students' relationship with their English names in terms of the concepts of identity, agency and investment,…

Based on data from a qualitative case study of two Chinese university EFL learners from rural backgrounds, Andy and Jimmy, this study traces their progress from being struggling English language learners to confident speakers of English. Drawing on Darvin and Norton's (2015) model of investment that recognizes the intersection of identity,…

Learning English as a foreign language (EFL) beyond the classroom is challenging in non-native English-speaking developing countries with limited resources. However, learning English beyond the classroom occurs in an informal way to support language learning for many autonomous or independent adult learners. This paper explores the habit of…

Schools, globally, have experienced an influx of culturally and linguistically diverse students, due to voluntary migration and forced displacement. To respond to the needs of these students, particularly those from refugee backgrounds, schools must understand how these students navigate their pathways to membership and belonging within their new…

Language learners have multiple and changing identities associated with unequal power relations; their direct identity and language learning involves imagination-created identities in communities not immediately accessible or tangible. Imagined identities drive learners' investment in meaningful learning practices. This quantitative study…

In the '2 + 2' articulation program, Chinese students encounter many challenges in academic study and sociocultural life. There is debate regarding their intercultural transition experiences -- whether they undergo acculturation, adhering to the home/original culture or adapting to the host/new culture, or remain in between the home/original and…

This article discusses family language policy and the tensions between mothers' and children's language beliefs in two Vietnamese immigrant families in Melbourne. These tensions have frequently been discussed from the parental perspective, but it is less common to include the children's voice. We draw on a larger in-depth qualitative study of…

This review, commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), explored the extent to which investment in ESOL provision is meeting need in the region and how learner outcomes can be improved and accelerated. The research found that: (1) Demand for ESOL provision is outstripping supply, and demand is increasing each year; (2) Refugees,…

The current study aims to provide an understanding of how the relationships between standard and non-standard varieties of the Turkish language are perceived by young people of Turkish Cypriot descent within the context of Turkish complementary schools in London. These schools are set up by diasporic communities to fight/reverse language shift and…

The instrumental motivations of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been examined in detail, but there is a lack of studies exploring how they compare to those of learners of other languages (LOTEs). To address this gap, this study draws on a questionnaire (N = 312) and on semi-structured interviews (n = 20) and focuses on…

In response to the global expansion in English-medium instruction (EMI) within business education, this study investigates its impact on self-efficacy among Vietnamese business students over 2 years. Drawing on Bourdieu's capital theory, data from 105 students were analyzed to explore the influence of socio-demographic factors. Surprisingly, EMI…

Employing neoliberal governmentality as a conceptual frame, this paper presents evidence from the mushrooming English language academies from Pakistan to demonstrate that how neoliberal rationality as a normative order of reason governs the minds of learners and teachers without governing. Drawing on the analysis of an open-ended interview…