In this chapter, I explore how the study of grammatical gender has been a prime example of the impact that boundary crossing can have on the understanding of a phenomenon by creating nuance through the incorporation and juxtaposition of multiple perspectives. In the first section, I start with a description of grammatical gender and its different…

In an increasingly interconnected world that relies on social awareness and tolerance, developing students' cultural competence is now more vital than ever. Despite its importance, language educators may find the teaching of culture particularly challenging as it may seem to lack curricular structure and be difficult to evaluate. For these…

Research on language teacher identity has grown exponentially over the last two decades. By researching language teacher identity, we develop a better understanding of how sociological issues generally impact teachers' lives. For non-native language teachers, in particular, challenges tend to originate from language ideologies around…

This language classroom article demonstrates how L2 (second language) feature films, through the incorporation of tasks that facilitate comprehension, interpretation, and cultural comparison, can be used at a range of levels to teach students about immigration and other global challenges. While the scaffolding strategies described in the article…

Despite undeniable advances in research on language learning strategies in the last several decades, empirical investigations of actions and thoughts that learners engage in to better understand and use grammar structures in different contexts, or grammar learning strategies (GLS), remain scarce. Moreover, there is a paucity of studies examining…

This book traces and summarizes the author's theoretical insights and empirical findings in the field of foreign language education. The volume explores themes such as individual differences in L1 ability and their connection to L2 aptitude and L2 achievement, L2 anxiety as an affective or cognitive variable, and the relationship between L1 and L2…

I have been invited, in this discussion piece, to offer my view on the opportunities and challenges that arise, for L2 education, from empirical studies on L2 acquisition. In this chapter, I therefore lay out what I see as central conditions for L2 education to move toward a more systematic concern with L2 learners' abilities to participate in…

This article revisits the role of cognitive individual differences in creating synergies between second language (L2) writing and second language acquisition research that were proposed by Kormos (2012). It takes stock of the advances in research findings, in the past decade, on the role of working memory and language learning aptitude in L2…

This article provides practical strategies for language educators to utilize picturebooks in nurturing learners' critical perspectives. It emphasizes the importance of encouraging students to challenge their established viewpoints within the framework of critical multicultural education. By adopting a critical lens when engaging with picturebooks,…

The author, an adult education specialist, English language learner (ELL) and GED® test instructor, and an ELL herself, shares the perspective of being an immigrant student. The article follows an insider's view of immigrants negotiating knowledge of a new culture with instructors as leaders and gatekeepers to assimilation. From job…

German is a pluricentric language with many standard and nonstandard varieties. Students of German are usually unaware of its rich regional variation, and studies attribute this to limited resources and instructional time (van Kerckvoorde, 2012). The "DACH" model of teaching German, which includes linguistic and cultural elements from…

Private educational activities designed to enhance student outcomes outside the formal schooling system are increasingly referred to as shadow education. In Japan, shadow education traditionally consists of for-profit cram schools or "juku." "Juku" take many forms in Japan, yet their primary function is to offer students extra…

A number of variables have an influence on language learners' success in the learning of a foreign/second language. Some variables, such as motivation, language anxiety or willingness to communicate (WTC), have been researched extensively in the field of second language acquisition, while others, such as boredom, still remain among "the most…

This book examines the unique characteristics of teaching foreign languages to senior learners. It discusses the potential age-related barriers and learning difficulties which may be encountered in senior foreign language education as well as solutions to overcome these challenges. The author describes the processes of human aging from different…

This coda article offers unified theoretical accounts of the major findings of the empirical studies in this special issue of "Optimizing Second Language Practice in the Classroom: Perspectives from Cognitive Psychology." We present a theoretical framework from cognitive psychology (desirable difficulty framework) and link it to the…