The current study explores the impact of varying multiple-choice question preview and presentation formats in a test of second language listening proficiency targeting different levels of text comprehension. In a between-participant design, participants completed a 30-item test of listening comprehension featuring implicit and explicit information…

Neural machine translators (NMTs), such as "Google Translate," may assist second language (L2) readers with general comprehension. However, previous empirical studies show mixed results regarding their effectiveness. In this study, 145 Korean English learners from a girls' high school were asked to solve three types of reading…

The study's purpose was to explore if there was a statistically significant difference in reading comprehension of non-Limited English Proficient students when reading eBooks compared to printed books. Second, it explored if there was a statistically significant difference in Limited English Proficient students. Third, it explored if there was a…

Background: Second language (L2) reading is a complex process in which two languages constantly interact. L1 reading and L2 proficiency are two well-acknowledged factors contributing to L2 reading comprehension. Other factors, such as strategy use and anxiety, might also predict L2 reading comprehension, but their roles have not been examined in…

Since its official introduction in 2014, an increasing number of Flemish secondary schools provide a CLIL program next to their regular monolingual Dutch programs. This longitudinal study investigates the effect of teaching one or several content subjects in French on secondary school pupils' L2 French listening comprehension (n = 545) and…

Proficiency with sentence-level features of language is essential for reading comprehension of academic texts, especially for early adolescents who face increasingly complex, discipline-specific texts as they enter upper elementary and middle school. However, little research has been done to explore instruction in sentence-level features. This…

This study investigated the effects of working memory capacity (WMC), first language (L1) syllogistic inferencing ability, and second-language (L2) linguistic knowledge on L2 listening comprehension for passages of different lengths. Participants were 193 Korean ninth-grade learners of English. A path analysis was used to examine multivariate…

Purpose: The current study applies an innovative approach to the assessment of second language listening comprehension skills. This is an important focus in need of innovation because scores generated through language assessment tasks should reflect variation in the target skill and the literature broadly suggests that conventional methods of…

Throughout Europe, there is a growing trend for students to start learning foreign languages at elementary school. Although policymakers expect early-start programs to boost second language skills, empirical findings are mixed; recent studies have raised many questions. In this large-scale study, we aimed to close some of these gaps. We examined…

This publication combines the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)'s practice guides, practice resources and explainer on delivering reading interventions in a secondary school multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), with details of the methodology used to create these resources. AERO has developed a suite of guidance in partnership…

This study explored the strategy use of 12 high-school learners of English within a vocabulary teaching intervention which exposed three groups of learners to one of three types of oral vocabulary explanations: L2 explanations; codeswitched explanations (CS); and contrastive focus-on-form explanations (CFoF) giving cross-linguistic information.…

Adopting a cognitive perspective, this study examined roles of working memory capacity (WMC), first language (L1) syllogistic inferencing, and second language (L2) linguistic knowledge on literal and inferential understanding of L2 reading comprehension in adolescent L2 learners. Participants were 193 Korean ninth-grade learners of English. The…

Although most children learn to communicate in their first language (L1), there is normal and expected variation in their rate of acquisition across all components of the language system. Until recently, most second language acquisition and second language (L2) researchers have assumed that individual differences (IDs) in L1 acquisition are small…

Developing language skills is a must for being proficient in any language for successful communication which is one of the most sought-after soft skills in the world today. Given the poor English proficiency of Bangladeshi students, this study investigated the status of listening skills, one of the vital primary language skills, in classroom…

The use of integrated tasks to test English-speaking skills raises questions about the impact of comprehension on test score outcomes, and the impact of stimulus materials on test-taker strategic behaviours. This study analysed speaking performances and verbal report data to examine the strategies used by test takers at different levels of…