For many children in Flanders, Belgium, the language of instruction is not their first language. Allowing children to use their heritage languages in the classroom has been argued to have functional and socioemotional benefits. In two exploratory studies, we introduced a multilingual task in four classrooms across three linguistically and socially…

The historical reversal over the course of several centuries in the West is striking: while language has become much "more" central to public life and "more" politically contentious, religion has become "less" central to public life and "less" politically contentious, notwithstanding the resurgence of public…

Debates about the future of UK language learning in the context of Brexit intensified as soon as the referendum outcome was announced. This politicization of language learning, evidenced recently also in the United States and France, falls upon an already difficult context of the United Kingdom in a 'language learning crisis,' and an increasing…

Target varieties for language learning are contentious in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics. Debates centre on the nature and utility of alternative norms. Approximation to 'native speaker' practices is the hallmark of language education. Thus, policy and pedagogy frequently orient toward achieving native-like production. While many…

French second language education, including the option of one-way French immersion, is mandated for majority-language Anglophone children in New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province. Language ideological debates in the province surrounding official English--French bilingualism led us to investigate adolescent majority-language…

In 2006, Graddol predicted that numbers of "English as a foreign language" learners would begin to decline through the second decade of this century, as global English achieves basic skill status for children entering education in more societies across the world. As he further noted, having skills in additional languages may thus offer a…

This article explores adolescent students' attitudes toward learning English and other European languages studied at secondary school. The study is based on 2255 qualitative responses to a survey conducted in Bulgaria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. The data reveal that, although differences between countries shape the experience of foreign…

The present research examines the role of music and dance in motivating Gaelic language learning on Cape Breton Island (Canada). The Gaelic language, once thriving in this context, has declined in use but flourishes in both music and dance. This article presents the results of in-depth interviews (60-90 minutes) with 10 accomplished adult…

The study focuses on the role of different theories when considered together in a foreign language other than English (LOTE) context. Specifically, the study examines (a) to what extent influential second language (L2) motivational theories, when integrated, explain motivation to learn LOTEs, and (b) how the powerful status of English in Japan…

The majority of recent research on language learning motivation has reportedly focused on English as a target language, typically in relatively homogeneous, secondary and postsecondary "foreign language" settings. How applicable, then, are the theories and findings undergirding that research to our understanding of the contemporary…

Discussions of multilingualism in education, as exemplified by the articles in this issue, can be critically reevaluated using perspectives available from poststructuralism. These perspectives focus on the potential ambiguity of language and language practices. This, in turn, encourages us to question simple notions of the relationship of learners…

Describes a survey designed to gather information that would: (1) present a summative view of secondary school administrators' perceptions of foreign language programs, (2) provide a picture of the status of the language department within the total school environment, and (3) suggest specific actions to improve foreign language programs and their…

Two articles respond to Salien's editorial "Quebec French: Attitudes and Pedagogical Perspectives." The first deals with linguistic variation, particularly as it exists in Quebec French, and aims at familiarizing French students in the United States with variation in the language. The second describes circumstances that have led to…

Article investigates Frenchpersons' tolerance for grammatical errors typical of Americans learning French and attempts to establish priorities for correcting errors in classroom. Study looks at degree to which errors interfered with comprehensibility, irritation caused by errors, whether errors were more tolerated in speaking or writing, and rank…

Considers the evolving pedagogical dilemma surrounding the teaching of "New French" and discusses the various options foreign-language teachers will eventually have to choose among when teaching French. (CB)