Less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) have traditionally lagged behind in terms of the availability of learning/teaching materials and of appropriate pedagogical models. For many languages, online tools, courses, and digital archives have been developed in recent years that offer opportunities for both formal instruction and self-study. Now the…

Statistical significance and averages are two pieces of statistical information that are often presented as evidence in support of researchers' conclusions and teaching recommendations. In this article, I consider interpretation of this information as research evidence for ELT. In simple terms that will be accessible even to readers without any…

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…

The English language is the most widely-spoken language in the world. This fact deserves serious consideration for educators at all levels of the education system, but more so for those who are tasked with the teaching of English to learners whose Mother Tongue is not English. Globalisation, the internationalisation of education and migratory…

This book introduces the main concepts of pragmatics as they relate to the young English language learner classroom and research with young second language learners (YLLs). It considers the speech acts which are particularly relevant to YLLs and presents research findings on learners' development of speech act perception and production. It…

An increasing body of research has explored patterns of interaction and peer support among young learners. Although some studies suggest that young learners can engage in collaboration when interacting on tasks, other studies indicate the opposite. Moreover, despite the claims that peer collaboration is conducive to learning, studies have not paid…

If oral communication in a second language (L2) is considered a skill to be prioritized, it is also particularly anxiety-provoking for L2 learners. This is why their willingness to communicate, predicted in particular by the emotions experienced, has been the focus of recent studies to examine its evolution and factors likely to interact with it.…

This paper advances an approach to culture and language instruction through the theoretical construct of the 3Ps (Products, Practices, Perspectives), combined with an inquiry-based approach utilizing the theory on stages of second language acquisition. Culture elements, when embodied in a properly developed and organized curriculum can be…

The "ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners" are designed to describe language performance that is the result of explicit instruction in an instructional setting. A companion to the "ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines," a document that describes broad, general language proficiency regardless of when, where or how…

This article describes a simple method to teach pitch, a feature common to both word stress and intonation. The technique can be used by native and nonnative English-speaking teachers and is applicable to students of different levels and language backgrounds. Pronounced as /m/, "mmm" is a sound that should be easy for speakers of any…

The paper aims to explore how teachers learn by incorporating pupils' experiences into the curriculum in the context of applying Dogme ELT (also known as the "Teaching Unplugged" movement) in English classes and how a state of un/certainty comes about. Existing research into the movement provides quantitative and qualitative findings and…

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…

Translanguaging, defined as "the deployment of a speaker's full linguistic repertoire without regard for watchful adherence to the socially and politically defined boundaries of named (and usually national and state) languages" (Otheguy et al., 2015, p. 281), has great potential to play a key role in English as a Second Language (ESL)…

This article aims to suggest a model of critical literacy in English as a Foreign Language (hereafter EFL) contexts. The paper will introduce previous critical literacy models in first or second language teaching and learning and those in EFL contexts. Then, several empirical studies based on the models are introduced suggesting important issues…

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…