Over the last two decades, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has become ubiquitous in ELT. In this article, I consider how differences in the way in which the framework is being interpreted by different powerful actors, including governments and for-profit organizations, affect its usability for ELT practitioners, a…

Pronunciation is a common topic of interest in ELT but teachers may be unsure of what features of pronunciation to prioritise, especially in multilingual classes. While research calls for explicit pronunciation instruction that focuses on improving intelligibility and comprehensibility, implementation is still a challenge. This article presents…

This article presents a new theoretical model of literary competences for use in the language classroom. The work has been both triggered by an unintended consequence of the introduction of the original CEFR in 2001, namely the marginalization of literature teaching, and inspired by the inclusion of literature in the 2018 Companion. It proposes…

This article presents the themes that emerge from this Special Issue on language teacher associations (LTAs). I discuss various conceptualizations of LTAs, as well as the different theoretical frameworks which the contributors to the Special Issue use in their analyses. I then focus on some of the ways in which LTAs achieve their mission of…

There is growing interest in using digital multimodal composing (DMC) as an integral part of ELT pedagogy. While the use of DMC for multiliteracies development is well documented, the important question of how DMC can facilitate English learning is underexplored, particularly in EFL contexts. Drawing on findings from a DMC programme in China, this…

There is little disagreement that multi-word expressions should feature in L2 pedagogy. Rather less agreement seems to exist, however, regarding which items should be included, and why. Two important properties of multi-word expressions--frequency and semantic opacity--are discussed, and a model that translates those concepts into a visual…

This article provides some context for the unquestionable influence of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) on language learning, teaching, and assessment ten years after its publication. If a survey about the most relevant and controversial document in the field in the twenty-first…

This article aims to present examples of trainer talk that scaffold trainee teachers' understanding of teaching in a post-observation feedback session. Previous research into scaffolding in a teacher training context describes scaffolding at a technique or strategy level, without describing how, in linguistic terms, the trainer can support and…

In line with a communicative curriculum for English, it is claimed that communicative competence involves knowledge about when and how to display affectivity in talk-in-interaction. Typically, interjections have been described as a lexical means for expressions of emotion. A survey of textbooks canonical of EFL at German elementary and secondary…

The Newcomer Booklet has become a popular classroom activity among ESL teachers at many different levels and with many types of learners. In this article, we explore why this is the case and why this type of project works so well for a particular population of English language learners, those with limited or interrupted formal schooling. We…

We conducted an action research study with a group of EFL teachers in our local area in order to establish the grounds for the use of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and the Common European Framework of Reference in local state schools. This paper reports on the way we conducted this study and the cycles we went through, specifically…

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) is a document launched by the Council of Europe in 2001 which consists of three sections: the Passport, the Language Biography, and the Dossier. It has two complementary functions: a pedagogic function (helping students to reflect on their learning and objectives) and a reporting function (providing a record…

This paper reports on establishing and running a Self-Access Centre (SAC) in a secondary school in Hong Kong. The impetus for establishing the SAC came from new government curriculum guidelines with a focus on promoting greater autonomy for school students in their English language education. The approach taken in establishing the SAC was to…

Looks at the controversial position of grammar in writing methodology and attempts to lay out a number of guidelines for the inclusion of grammar in composition classes specifically intended for English-as-a-Foreign-Language, rather than English-as-a-Second-Language contexts. (Author/VWL)

Presents a needs analysis framework that was developed out of experience with a professional development project in the Philippines. Offers a principled approach to identifying areas for action within a project, many of which have been traditionally overlooked. (Author/VWL)