German language classrooms lack authentic materials, especially at the intermediate and beginner levels. Authentic materials are generally substituted for mock materials in the target language, which creates an unrealistic and inauthentic second language (L2) environment. Additionally, authentic materials are oftentimes reserved for advanced L2…

This mixed-methods explanatory sequential study aimed to identify the most commonly used World Language curriculum models in New Jersey high schools, assess the level of curriculum coherence in Spanish programs, and examine their impact on student learning. Surveys and interviews with high school Spanish teachers revealed that, while theoretical…

The present project is a research-based and practice-tested online synchronous curriculum for English language learners with the Russian language mother tongue. The curriculum's theoretical component is grounded in Vygotsky's, Leont'ev', and Engestrom's "Cultural Historical Activity Theory" as well as in scholarly papers on the influence…

This phenomenological study explored elementary educators' identified needs for effective professional development, focused on the instruction and assessment of English Learners (EL) in schools with low EL incidence. Addressing teacher preparation through effective professional development was guided by Bruner's (1960) constructivist theory and…

The recent world pandemic has highlighted the need for effective procedures to teach language in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) environments. Fully online and asynchronous classrooms are especially challenged when addressing learning to speak a foreign language toward greater communicative competence. Current CALL research is…

Without intercultural communication skills, an unbalanced power-dynamic will continue to affect the success of individuals, organizations, and societies in the global market. The COVID-19 crisis has revealed an urgent demand for virtual learning opportunities for working professionals. This instrumental qualitative case study documented the…

This mixed methods study draws upon theoretical perspectives from usage-based linguistics (UBL) and variationist sociolinguistics to explore four learners' use of second language (L2) Spanish present tense indicative verbal inflectional morphology (i.e., simple present conjugations). The study compares the frequency and distribution of students'…

As the online education market continues to expand globally, teaching and advertising have converged in digital spaces in unprecedented ways. Driven by the attention economy, independent online educators must compete to cultivate a consumer base. To attract followers, they must engage not only in online teaching activities but also in…

COVID-19 pandemic has profound global impact not only as a health crisis, but also as a time period that gave birth to radical social changes. Following the suggested measure of social distancing, responses of US educational system--shifting the mode of instruction to online only--present the significance of technology towards the contemporary…

This qualitative design based research study examined the Connected Learning theoretical framework coupled with academic language scaffolds for Long Term English Learners (LTELs) in a secondary public school setting. The participants of this study were students that have been in the United States for more than six years and have yet to be…

The Problem: In the field of English as a Second or Foreign language, Borg (2003) observed that studies of teacher cognition can be divided into two broad curricular areas of grammar and literacy. Notably, however, there is limited research on the cognitions of foreign language teachers of English within the intercultural dimension of language…

The field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) has observed how interest-driven extramural English (EE), an outside-of-classroom engagement with English (Sundqvist, 2009), can facilitate language development. Research supports the potential EE has when brought into formal English language teaching (ELT) settings; However,…

World language (WL) teachers are often at the forefront of using cutting edge technology for language teaching and learning purposes. However, as technology is ever changing, WL educators often lack adequate professional development (PD) opportunities to ensure effective technology integration while maintaining their technological, pedagogical,…

Although studies in higher education have paid attention to the complexities of learning disciplinary language and discourse, little attention has been given to learning professional discourse in a second language (L2). Recent studies on language socialization have addressed this gap by focusing on L2 students' emerging communicative competence in…

Multilingual instruction takes many shapes and forms depending on the affordances and limitations of the context in which it is implemented. Because multilingual instruction is often context-specific, it has to be designed in collaboration with local stakeholders and developed through multiple implementations in the context. While the field of…