Globally, K-12 schools are embracing practices of social and emotional learning (SEL) to address students' interactional and emotional needs and to create a safe and nurturing environment for their learning. As a curricular program and approach to pedagogy, SEL instruction socializes learners into specific social and cultural ways of naming,…

Foreign language was recently added to Japan's national primary school curriculum. Phoneme-Grapheme Recognition (PGR) skills are a critical step in both L1 and L2 development. Due to its simplistic approach and the lack of new investment in teacher training, research regarding the impact on PGR skills are important. This study tested the relative…

This study examines the understanding of a linguistically responsive teaching framework (LRT) among pre-service teachers (PSTs). This study employed a mixed-method approach. The quantitative data did not demonstrate statistically significant differences between bi-/multilingual and monolingual PSTs in their responses to the LRT framework. However,…

The complexities of Internet sources have caused more challenges to school students, leading them in many cases to copy-paste ideas into their written assignments. Facing these challenges requires adopting and implementing evidence-based practices. This article builds on a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study which investigated the effect of…

A genre-based approach to second language (L2) writing instruction has received traction due to its impact on helping L2 students improve their writing skills. This approach to teaching writing is particularly useful for young English language learners (ELLs), as it simultaneously focuses on their English language and writing skills development.…

Foundational literacy is a key lever for achieving higher levels of learning and societal wellbeing. However, with an enrolment of over 250 million children in schools, India is currently challenged by learning deprivation. Growing uptake of English-medium education along with less-than-optimal English literacy instruction practices present an…

This study aims to obtain a better understanding of how the teacher can support the acquisition of transversal competencies, such as collaboration, creativity and reflection when children aged between 11 and 12 take part in an activity designed to promote autonomous or self-regulatory learning. There is a need to equip the teachers to enable them…

Literary texts offer a rich environment for language learning that teachers can exploit to develop not only students' linguistic (pragmatic, discursive) and cultural skills, but also communication and creative skills. In our study, we have used literature with different writing activities that involved the use of students' imagination and…

In this article, the author describes how to use "story retelling wheels" as scaffolding devices to support young learners as they develop the important skill of being able to retell stories that they have heard and comprehended. This tool can be adapted to meet young learners at different English language and literacy levels. It…

Educational systems worldwide underscore the importance of developing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) to prepare students for the new challenges of the XXI century. Some pressing issues faced by educators include the ambiguity of the construct; the implementation of HOTS in classroom practices; and the implications for teaching students from…

Literacy in a first language or in additional languages involves a set of complex cognitive, social, and linguistic skills that develop over time. However, pedagogical materials for low-proficiency English as an additional language (EAL) learners tend to target low-level literacy skills only, such as responding to fact-based questions. Materials…

Since young learners have different characteristics than adults, EFL teachers for young learners should treat them differently and possess sufficient metacognitive to promote critical thinking skills. This paper aims to portray teacher's metacognitive knowledge in EFL young learners' classroom particularly in promoting their critical thinking…

This study investigated the effects of complex problem-solving activities involving children's literature on students' critical thinking dispositions and English production. Thirty-one sixth-grade students were given lessons over a seven-week period. Various types of data were analyzed qualitatively, and the results of a critical thinking…

Development of child language is tremendously complex, remarkable and wondrous. In a second language acquisition context, a child can acquire his second language in either acquiring both languages at the same time or learning the second language after mastering the first one. This present research is concerned to describe the syntactical…

The aim of this action research is to examine the effects of creative drama activities used in a 7th grade English course to improve speaking skills. Accordingly, the study sought to answer the following research question: How can the students' speaking skills be improved? The idea that creative drama activities could improve speaking skills, and…