Studies have shown that informing language learners about the literal underpinning of idioms can help them to remember these expressions. It has also been suggested that prompting learners to guess the meaning of lexical items may be beneficial because it can pique their curiosity and promote cognitive engagement. In the case of idioms, the…

We evaluate the impact of gestures during the teaching of vocabulary in a foreign language (FL). Spanish speakers learned words in a FL in four gesture conditions according to the relationship between the meaning of the words and the gestures (congruent gestures, incongruent gestures, gestures without meaning, and no gestures). The participants…

Positive psychology (PP) is currently employing its modern research toolkit to examine how individual differences of hedonic (i.e. pursuing pleasure, fun, and painlessness) versus eudaimonic (i.e. pursuing meaning, self-worth, and growth) well-being motives play out against emotional and learning challenges or outcomes in life. Similarly oriented,…

There has been an ongoing debate on the effectiveness of spaced and massed distribution instruction in second/foreign language learning. A number of studies in the literature have investigated the impacts of spacing effect on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' vocabulary acquisition. This study aims to expand the body of existing…

The relationship between academic stress and compulsive smartphone use among college students has been extensively studied, yet empirical findings remain inconsistent and inconclusive. Moreover, potential moderating factors affecting this relationship have received limited scholarly attention. This study addresses these research gaps by examining…

Sleep right after studying new material is more conducive to memory than a period of wakefulness. Another way to counteract forgetting is to practice retrieval: taking a test strengthens memory more effectively than restudying the material. The current work aims at investigating the interaction between sleep and testing by asking if testing adds…

Working memory plays an important role in learning since it serves as the buffer between past sensations and future behavior, making it essential to understand not only how we encode and recall sensory information in memory but also how we plan for its upcoming use. This study examined the effect of working memory training on vocabulary recall and…

There are grounds for believing that prompting language learners to infer the meaning of new lexical items is beneficial because inferring the meaning of lexical items and verifying one's inferences invites more cognitive investment than simply being presented with the meanings. However, concerns have been raised over the risk that wrong…

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…

This study expands arguments calling for a more rigorous approach to high-frequency vocabulary list-based learning in EFL learning environments. Test and flashcard item designs were validated through quantitative (midterm and final test) and qualitative (survey) results to explore the impact of digital flashcards designed to build recall-level…

Purpose -- Writing is a difficult skill to master and improve, especially for students who learn English as a second language. Thus, this study explores the impact of employing graphic organizers on the writing performance of Form Four students and their knowledge retention. These students were 16year-olds at the time of study. Furthermore, the…

English is now widely considered the most powerful and influential language in the world. Saudi Arabia believes that its transition from oil to a knowledge-based economy is dependent on its citizenry learning English as a foreign language (EFL). To play their role, Saudi women need access to EFL, access that is affected by their agency and…

The study explored the correlation between teaching lexical bundles and improving writing skills in English composition courses. The study addressed two research questions. First, to what extent can the explicit teaching of lexical bundles facilitate greater comprehension and retention of the elements of the bundles? Second, the study investigated…

Based on the related literature, both self-evaluation (SE) and reflective thinking (RT) play an important role in English language learning among EFL learners. Therefore, in this study, the effects of SE and RT on growth mindfulness, resilience, and academic well-being of Saudi Arabian EFL students were compared. Ninety-six intermediate EFL…

This study intended to explore the relations between 259 Turkish EFL students' L2 grit (i.e. the persistence of effort and consistency of interest) and boredom coping strategies (i.e. cognitive approach, behavioural approach, cognitive avoidance, and behavioural avoidance) as well as the moderating role of their emotion regulation strategies,…