The concept of learner engagement, widely researched in educational psychology, has recently gained attention of language acquisition researchers (cf. Mercer, S. and Z. Dörnyei. 2020. "Engaging Students in Contemporary Classrooms." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Mercer, S. 2019. Language learner engagement: setting the scene. In…

The Internet provides a powerful digital learning environment for language acquisition and noticing. Thus implementation of challenging tasks to be solved by exploring the Web may sound appealing. The primary idea of the WebQuest project emphasizes data collection. The idea of the TalenQuest, however, goes beyond this traditional concept so as to…

The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies at the University of Nottingham hosted the fifth annual conference in the "Innovative Language Teaching at University" series. Under the heading "Enhancing participation and collaboration" the conference, organised by Cecilia Goria, Oranna Speicher and Sascha Stollhans, took…

This study examined the second language (L2) development of adult learners of Spanish at three levels of proficiency during and after a semester of instruction. A fundamental goal was to identify cognitive and psychosocial individual differences (IDs) that can explain between-learner variation over time in order to expand our understanding of the…

By reviewing the recent studies on motivation in language learning, this paper attempts to recognize what has been done in the area of research on foreign and second language (L2) learning motivation in the late 1980s and 1990s and to discuss some problems and issues found in those studies in relation to the construct "motivation" in language…

The role of such affective variables as integrative motivation in successful adult second language learning is explored. It is argued that the myth of the melting pot is based on commitment to integration, and that integrative motivation is thus viewed as desirable in minority group members. Studies of affective variables in second language…

This study investigated the relationship between student motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic, and learning strategies for English as a foreign language (EFL) students. Subjects were 46 Taiwanese undergraduate and graduate students of advanced EFL at a public university in the United States who were administered motivation and learning…

To determine relative levels of motivation in learning English as a Second Language, 40 freshman and sophomores at 2 national universities in mainland China and Japan responded to a 40-point attitudinal questionnaire and 6-point followup motivational intensity scale. Data on student language proficiency were also gathered. While a solid majority…

Nine papers presented at an Irish Association for Applied Linguistics (IRAAL) seminar on research in progress in applied linguistics in Ireland are included in this volume. Papers and authors are as follows: "Nuclear Prominence in Hiberno English: A Preliminary Investigation" (Rosemary O'Halpin); "The Translatability of Nil…

Papers on foreign language education include: "Beliefs About Language Learning: A Study of Korean University Students Learning English" (Susan N. Truitt), which looked at the influence of cultural background and experience on language learning attitudes; "Motivation as a Two-Sided Coin: Motivational Differences Between College-Level…

A study investigated influences on attrition in Japanese second language instruction in one U.S. university. Subjects were students enrolled in the fall semester of beginning (n=134 students) and intermediate (n=79) levels of Japanese courses. In the fifth week of classes, students were administered a series of questionnaires to gather data on…

Essays on computer-assisted language learning (CALL) include: "Computer-Enhanced Language Learning Environments" (Joy Egbert, Chin-chi Chao, Elizabeth Hanson-Smith); "Theory and Research Interaction via Computers" (Joy Kreeft Peyton); "Classroom Practice: Creating Interactive CALL Activities" (Joy Egbert); "CALL…