The current study was part of a large project focusing on bilingual development in the preschool classroom context. Its aim was to theorize free play as a social and language learning activity that provides opportunities for young learners to move towards second language production. The role of free play for language development in general, and…

This study explores typically developing bilingual children's performance in their English as a heritage language. The aim of this study is to advance our understanding of heritage language expectations and the role of chronological age and bilingual exposure. A broad range of receptive and expressive linguistic domains are investigated as a…

While recent literature has focused extensively on the widely embraced approach of explicit instruction, there is a considerable paucity of research concerning plausible practical frameworks that can demonstrate how such particular approach is implementable in EFL classes. To address the specific writing deficiencies of EFL students, the current…

Language-focused listening to young children's talk provides insight into their internal thinking mechanisms regarding language as they engage in language learning. The aim of this exploratory longitudinal study was to examine and analyze children's meta-linguistic talk and its main characteristics in a bilingual Arabic-Hebrew-speaking preschool.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of integrating blogging into the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum on students' performance in expressive writing. Previous studies have shown that integrating blogging into EFL learning raises students' motivation and develops their linguistic and social skills as a result of…

Few researchers would doubt that ultimate attainment in second language grammar is negatively correlated with age of acquisition, but considerable controversy remains about the nature of this relationship: the exact shape of the age-attainment function and its interpretation. This article presents two parallel studies with native speakers of…

As language teachers, we realize that some mistakes found in our students' output are more serious than others. What may be less obvious, though, is that our judgement of learner error can yield linguistic insights, and that sharpening our error-analysis skills might improve the quality of our error feedback. This article presents an error-gravity…

One teacher's experience using computers to teach English to seventh and ninth graders in Jerusalem are reported. Advantages of computer-assisted instruction are noted. (LB)

Prepared by a team of Haifa teacher trainers, this article analyzes 11 English textbooks, showing in tabular form the strengths and weaknesses of each. Criteria included presentation of language skills, vocabulary, grammar, communicative activities, and dictionary skills. (LB)

Notes that salient input facilitates explicit learning by assisting second language (L2) learners to attend to the new L2 forms as they formulate or restructure rules. This study tested the effect of such input on the acquisition of difficult grammatical structures in English by speakers of Hebrew. Concludes that explicit contrastive input…

This journal, published in Israel, contains articles of interest to teachers of English as a second language, particularly those in Hebrew-English situations. This issue contains the following articles: (1) "Thirty Years of Israel -- in the English Class," by A. Sotto and L. Marnin; (2) "English in Grade Four," by E. Gelber;…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…