This dissertation is a quantitative analysis of language proficiencies through the lens of the dynamic model of multilingualism, using survival analysis to evaluate time until thresholds of foreign language proficiency are reached and nonparametric tests (Wilcoxon signed rank and Kruskal-Wallis) to compare proficiencies at distinct time intervals…

The United States government is perennially in need of employees with proficiency in critical foreign languages to communicate with foreign counterparts and maintain relationships worldwide. In order to fulfill this need, the government devotes significant resources training federal employees to advanced levels of language proficiency through…

The field of autonomous language learning in second language acquisition has experienced significant growth since its introduction by Holec in the 1980s. Several studies have explored how to promote learning autonomy in various spaces, including online learning environments. However, research related to autonomous language learning in online…

This dissertation investigates the longitudinal development of Chinese language proficiency among students in a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Flagship Program at an American public university from 2014 to 2024. Using Bayesian multilevel regression models, this study assesses the trajectories of listening, speaking, and reading proficiency…

To date, most classroom-based research into the learning of a third language (L3) in the US has examined patterns of acquisition among various groups of bilinguals. Situated mainly within the context of "Portuguese for Spanish Speakers" (PSS), studies typically group learners based on the sequence / age of onset of their main background…

Teachers encountered difficulties implementing 90% of Target Language (TL) use and tried various strategies to promote it. This qualitative case study investigated secondary foreign language teachers' perceptions and experiences of following the district's recommendation to use 90% and above of TL in their classrooms in a school district in the…

The purpose of this quantitative, meta-analysis was to discover what differences in effect size exist among strategies used in face-to-face settings and/or digital teaching and learning platforms to achieve communicative competence in foreign language learners. After strategies with the largest effect sizes were identified, results were…

In this dissertation, I will present social-cognitive frameworks that support the use of mental imagery for possible self enhancement; and articulate and evaluate a pedagogical intervention designed for the foreign language class. This intervention will allow students to explore and develop prominent and vivid mental representations (self-schemas)…

Foreign languages have been studied since the beginning of civilization; in the past few decades, there has been increased interest in understanding the role of motivation in learning a foreign language. Less than a quarter of studies on learning languages other than English (LOTE) have studied motivation. The purpose of this quantitative…

While language aptitude and motivation are considered to be important contributors to second language (L2) attainment, two major gaps in the past research have been (1) a lack of nonlinear models stemming from a naive and tacit assumption that learning outcomes are linearly related to their predictors, and (2) a lack of unified and integrative…

This study was focused on adult English language learners (ELLs) that described their experiences with language acquisition in an elementary, middle, or high school in the United States. The problem addressed in this qualitative descriptive study was that public schools were unable to handle the academic inadequacies of ELLs as well as the…

Professional training for language instructors needs to be more accessible and high-leverage in order to meet the growing demand for proficient users of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese languages. More specifically, teachers of these languages need exposure to effective teaching methods designed to meet the language-specific needs required to help…

Construction Grammar has been a prominent framework in linguistic research for nearly three decades, attracting scholars from various disciplines, including language acquisition, corpus linguistics, and psycholinguistics. While considerable progress has been made in understanding the first language (L1) construction learning of various languages,…

The English proficiency gap is one of the most significant problems for young students in South Korea as it widens inequality by limiting opportunities for their future. One unique learning center, located in the under resourced area in South Korea, has been available at cost-free to enhance language development. This qualitative case study aims…

This study examined the perceptions of 31 L2 German students regarding their learning trajectories in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Specifically, it explored their learning goals, self-rated proficiency, and definitions of accuracy. Combining qualitative and quantitative data analysis, the study found that students considered…