This article presents a theoretical review of and methodological guidelines for the study of two key notions in second language acquisition research, complexity and difficulty. The term "complexity" has gained considerable currency over the past decades and has taken on a wide range of meanings. We argue for a more restricted…

This opinion paper focuses on foregrounding the issue of the hidden curriculum in L2 writing and how addressing its negative sides can greatly move forward our understanding of students' writing learning experiences and further promote more effective and equal writing teaching. Specifically, this paper argues that the negative sides of the hidden…

Digital games have become an important educational tool for learning and teaching. The development of such games has advanced from 2D, desktop-based technologies to 3D, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR)-based technologies. Yet digital game-based language learning (DGBLL) with AR/VR has only recently started to be investigated, owing to…

The paper discusses the interpretation of adversative clauses introduced by "pero" and concessive clauses introduced by "aunque" in Spanish. Specifically, the discussion centers around structures that exhibit the forms: (i) "A, pero B," (ii) "A, aunque B-INDICATIVE," and (iii) "A, aunque…

This paper examines English's linguistic imperialism and the resulting widespread use of the language among speakers of various linguistic backgrounds. It challenges the mistaken belief that native speakers (NS) are inherently better at speaking English simply due to their birthplace. Despite the growing number of non-native speakers (NNSs),…

Translanguaging has recently gained much currency in second language (L2) education. While the conceptualization of this theory stems from the goal of enhancing L2 education for learners, one challenge scholars have underlined is the need for more responsive, practical classroom activities consistent with translanguaging principles and stance.…

In this article, I explore growing scholarship in various sub-fields of Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) that explore the use of English in an increasingly globalized and multilingual world. With different, yet overlapping, conceptual frameworks to guide research, scholarship in various fields provide a growing evidence…

This paper explores graphic novels that address issues of diversity and migration and enhance multiliteracies learning in the German classroom. By adopting a multiliteracies approach, the paper proposes a transformative learning approach that explores these issues within graphic novels. Examples of learning activities from an intermediate course…

Significant advancements in voice chatbots have spurred interest into their role in second language learning (Conium, 2008), particularly their ability to assist in the development of learners' conversation skills in a target language. Many efforts have been made to explore AI's potential to act as conversation partners for language learners. Of…

As artificial intelligence (AI), and especially generative AI, are increasingly impacting daily life, it is becoming essential for learners to acquire AI literacy -- the capability to interact with AI at the interface of technology and the target language. Without AI literacy, they may struggle to navigate AI-driven systems and access benefits of…

In this brief forum article, I draw from the disciplinary orientation of linguistic anthropology to discuss how a collection of linguistic and semiotic resources gets "enregistered" as the "language" for specific communicative activities. Enregisterment is an ongoing social and ideological process whereby a semiotic corpus gets…

In response to calls for an assessment tool that provides a separate performance dimension from the linguistic quality-oriented measures of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) and guided by systemic functional linguistic (SFL) theories, this study introduces a set of fine-grained objective measures of communication/content/function…

Developing writing skills in a foreign language is a highly value-laden practice that is susceptible to the influence of the dominant ideological narratives of a given context. This influence is typically echoed in policies and practices informing the role, scope, and place of writing in curriculum and pedagogy. Using autoethnographic reflections,…

Due to modernisation and Englishisation in Bahrain, noticeably different types of bilingual and bicultural experiences exist, especially among the youth. Recently, the rise of Chinese education policies in the region raises the question of how it might alter the local linguistic market and the forms of capital within it. Applying a…

With a forward-looking and problem-solving mindset, this article aims to combine theoretical knowledge and empirical evidence from different schools of thought in the field of second language (L2) learning and teaching--namely, instructed second language acquisition, generative linguistics, and an ecological perspective that includes multiple…