The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of Spanish foreign language graduate teaching assistants in online language instruction through the lens of two theoretical models and their intersections, Teacher Efficacy and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The final purposive sample included two Spanish…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in ELA/literacy call for increased rigor, close reading of complex texts, evidence-based argumentation in academic English, and collaborative conversations. For English language learners (ELLs), achieving the standards requires that they double their efforts to simultaneously learn both academic English and…

Language instructors play a decisive role in adult language learners' learning and retention of vocabulary through planning, selection, and teaching of vocabulary and strategies. However, some professional language schools lack extensive teacher-training programs that prepare instructors with the skills required to select and teach vocabulary,…

Scottish Gaelic, among the nearly 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, is endangered. In the 1980s the Gaelic Medium Education (GME) movement emerged with an emphasis on teaching students all subjects via this ancient tongue with the hope of revitalizing the language. Concomitantly, many linguists have called for problematizing traditional…

The purpose of this multicase study was to investigate second language teachers' practices in teaching academic writing to English as a second language (ESL) students at the higher education level. This study sought to gain a deeper understanding of how ESL teachers are currently teaching academic writing to ESL students and the particular methods…

Theorists agree that adequate knowledge does not guarantee better decisions or performances in the future (Gu, 2007; Dana & Yendol-Hpppery, 2008). Instead, they suggest that in order to comprehend teachers' decision and practices, researchers need to learn about both teachers' belief and knowledge. Meanwhile, in-service teachers were…

This study examined how ESOL teachers working with grades K-6 th provide ESOL services in the general education classroom. ESOL teachers were asked to describe and define their roles and provide examples of different language development activities. In addition, the perceptions and overall experiences of the ESOL teachers were analyzed. A basic…

In light of the paradigm shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered instruction occurring globally, the need for committed teachers is critical. Due to the influx of foreign nationals securing positions in the U.S. educational system, the teacher workforce has become more diverse. This diversity manifests a broad range of beliefs and values…

Internet technology has made possible for students to be able to have access to continuous learning. Currently, online education has gained credibility and academic leaders' belief about its value has increased in the US (2014 Survey of Online Learning). Studies are no longer solely focused on comparing face-to-face to online learning, but on…

Despite the documented affordances of technology to enhance language teaching and learning, technology use does not seem to be normalized just yet. This dissertation investigates the factors that impact university-level language teachers' technology use and integration. Adopting the ecological perspective as a guiding framework, this study…

Although contemporary second language learning scholars assert that teacher management of learner contributions in classroom interaction is key to promoting learning opportunities, research has yet to make explicit teachers' real-time management practices. Studies on classroom interaction have illuminated how learner contributions are elicited via…

Immigration into the U.S. will continue to increase in the coming years, thereby increasing the postsecondary enrollment of ESL students. Yet there is still a limited amount of research designed to evaluate which ESL placement programs are most effective. This study was designed to determine if the use of correct testing instruments would ensure…

The nature of teaching expertise for form-focused instruction (FFI) in secondary schools has received little research attention. FFI research that has been carried out so far has devoted time in exploring the classification of one form of FFI, or the effectiveness of one form of FFI over another. Given that exploring teaching expertise for FFI in…

Technology-enhanced multimedia instruction in grades 6 through 12 foreign language classrooms was the focus of this study. The study's findings fill a gap in the literature through the report of how technology-enhanced multimedia instruction was successfully implemented in foreign language classrooms. Convergent parallel mixed methods study…

The purpose of this study is to examine how a school-based leadership team identifies and alters school conditions to foster the development of TLCs. Many educators, school leaders, and politicians have embraced teacher learning communities (TLCs) as a vehicle for school reform. Despite the considerable documentation of the capability for TLCs to…