This paper describes a mixed methods study of Japanese first-year tertiary learners' attitudes to English language learning models. It outlines the results from a survey comprised of a verbal guise test (measuring respondents' attitudes to both linguistic and personality features) and vocabulary elicitation, which was administered to 87…

Language mindsets influence learners' behavior, motivation, and strategic approaches to studying a language. These mindsets impact how learners perceive control and value in achievement activities, which, in turn, affect their achievement emotions and ultimately their learning strategies and academic performance. This study investigates the…

This study aimed to identify associations and predictors of willingness to communicate (WTC) of adult foreign language (FL) learners and whether they are contingent upon the FL being learned. To this end, our research investigated learner variables associated with WTC in adult FL learners of English and of French in an under-researched field of…

This study used the concept of desire in language learning to explore the first-year English journeys of undergraduates at an English-medium instruction (EMI) university in Hong Kong. Desire in language learning is an underexplored area in EMI research but a relevant concept for gaining a multilayered picture of the incentives and pressures of…

In this brief forum article, I draw from the disciplinary orientation of linguistic anthropology to discuss how a collection of linguistic and semiotic resources gets "enregistered" as the "language" for specific communicative activities. Enregisterment is an ongoing social and ideological process whereby a semiotic corpus gets…

The article presents a pedagogical experience with a course of undergraduate students from various programs. The main objectives were to improve their oral skills in English, increase their self-confidence, reduce language-specific anxiety, and provide individual prospective feedback. An action research design was employed, adhering to the…

This study aimed to (a) explore the perceived levels of English language self-efficacy, enjoyment, and anxiety among EFL learners and (b) test a hypothesized model investigating their interrelations and potential predictive effects on English Language Achievement (ELA). Using a quantitative, non-experimental correlational design, data were…

The increasing trend of early English education has promoted the rapid growth of English private tutoring (EPT) for children, which garners attention in research as a global educational phenomenon. In China, EPT for children experienced a fervent expansion under neoliberalism. However, a recent policy (Double-Reduction Policy) has banned EPT for…

Writing is an important skill, often neglected at the beginning of formal L2 learning due to the perception that it might be difficult or interfere with acquiring L1 literacy skills. However, there are benefits to teaching writing early on, such as raising awareness of the English spelling system, which is particularly important given its…

Motivation and anxiety are two crucial factors influencing learning outcomes, yet limited empirical research on expectancy-value theory can be found within previous literature about Chinese undergraduate students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). Moreover, few studies have examined the interaction between motivation and skill-specific…

Identities are fluid, dynamic, and contextual; and identity (co)construction is a deeply contextualized process, especially when seen through postmodern and poststructural lenses. Adopting a qualitative-researcher-as-bricoleuse stance, the author presents an overarching autoethnographic narrative where she specifically analyzes three critical,…

To date there have been a lot of currently emerging studies focusing on English speaking anxiety experienced by Indonesian university students. Nevertheless, particularly the studies have not investigated university students in Lampung region as the new context. This study aims to describe the level, attitude and perception, and the causes of…

This research project is set in a Pakistani undergraduate translation studies class. Pakistan is an ex-British colony where English is taught in a linguistic neo-imperial context. Teachers often endeavor to lessen the palpable struggle of students by introducing activities that put less emphasis on grammatical correctness and more on fostering…

This study investigates Chinese parental beliefs about and engagement with their children's Chinese and English language learning in Yinchuan, China, utilizing the theory of planned behaviour as an analytical framework and a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data from 879 parents reveals a strong preference for Chinese language education based…

Second language (L2) learners hold different learning beliefs that influence their interpretation of classroom experiences and their L2 learning process. Developing a thorough understanding of such beliefs is therefore imperative. This article reports the representations of Iranian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners' beliefs about L2…