Like many other areas of human knowledge, the field of language learning has undergone changes as a consequence of the application of digital technologies. Extensive exposure and anytime and anywhere access availability to data in a second or foreign language (L2) bring almost unlimited learning opportunities for digital age students, which…

The field of Heritage Language has experienced a great deal of advancement in the past few decades. Much research effort has been dedicated to analyzing and understanding different aspects of heritage language speakers, but less work has been done in the topic of pedagogical approaches. The few recent studies on pedagogical approaches have focused…

For this dissertation, I had the opportunity to investigate a well-established university-based intensive English program in the northeastern United States as it transitioned from an integrated-skills to a paired-skills approach. My goal as a researcher was to investigate in what ways "listening," the second language (L2) skill…

Dual language programs are a form of bilingual education in which emergent bilingual students receive instruction for content and literacy in two languages (Thomas & Collier, 2019). Dual language programs are developed from policies founded on ideologies that are based on instruction for monolingual students, therefore favoring predominantly…

This qualitative case study examines learners' experiences in the development of written complexities during Discussion Board (DB) assignments in an Advanced university level Chinese class. Discussion Board was chosen as the avenue for written complexity development because it provides learners a supplementary space with additional time and…

This ethnographic case study aims to examine second language socialization (SLS) in a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) called "Stronghold Kingdoms" (SK). To explore the affordances of this community for SLS, the social dynamics in a faction community during 4 life-time periods, namely, war, post-war peace and life in exile, end…

The purpose of this study is to provide a theoretical explanation for the effectiveness of Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) in increasing second-language (L2) students' grammatical accuracy. WCF is examined via Skill Acquisition Theory (SAT) in order to account for uneven patterns of its effectiveness. As the study demonstrates, WCF is effective…

Language attitudes, a multifaceted construct, can be broadly defined as evaluative views of a language and other relevant entities, including its speakers and associated cultures. Language attitudes are influential in second language (L2) acquisition as they relate to language learning motivation and achievement, perseverance in language study,…

Training programs that combine learning English with career and vocational skills are highly desired to prepare many displaced workers that are English speakers of other languages (ESOL). Globalization has caused jobs to be exported and brought to this country, people with needed skills that do not have full command of the English language. The…

The blended learning model, which combines the traditional face-to-face learning method with an online application such as a learning management system (LMS), became popular and more practical for both teachers and learners in foreign and second language education because of its effective methodology for course delivery and socialization…

Students who are classified as ESOL at the secondary level may face various factors that prevent participation in class thus inhibiting second language acquisition. The purpose of the study was to determine if asynchronous discussions (ASD) affected the second language acquisition of secondary ESOL students. The researcher examined the effects of…

The present study explores nine L2 mature writers' transition between different academic environments, and seeks to create more meaningful grounds for teaching academic ESL writing in the U.S. and college writing in Taiwan. The approach of this study is influenced by Hirvela and Belcher's (2001) reading of terms they define as…

Using technology to develop a collaborative-reflective teaching practice in a world language education methods course block for teaching certification creates unique opportunities for world language education undergraduates to learn to develop synthecultural competence for education. Such a program allows undergraduates to expand their capacity to…

This qualitative, longitudinal study examines the perspectives on professional development of a group of exemplary, new secondary teachers of English Language Arts and Spanish (n = 4). This study explores the teachers' development through the lens of the "embodied understanding of practice" (EUP), a novel theoretical framework of…

As India aspires to become the information and communication technology (ICT) leader in the world, the education of its children is a primary concern. While India's policymakers expect ICT to usher in promising education changes, there is a limited understanding of how computers are used and negotiated in India's schools. This dissertation is an…