This study explored Chinese heritage language learners' prior Mandarin experiences and their current Mandarin-learning experiences to reveal factors that influence their motivation and intention to continue or discontinue their Mandarin coursework. Using a Grounded Theory approach, we conducted demographic surveys and semi-structured interviews…

This study examines the effectiveness of problem-based learning with game theory versus thesis format in graduate project management degrees as the capstone course. The project management body of knowledge based on ISO was established as the rules of play with modifications to fit into the classroom context. We supplied a work breakdown structure…

The international symposium "Teaching Languages for Specific and Academic Purposes" aimed to bring together university instructors and researchers of LSP and LAP in order to share and explore approaches, methods, and practices which have emerged within diverse contexts. Topics include needs analyses, TBLT, curriculum development,…

In Higher Education, feedback is still largely implemented as an external teacher-centred practice, which has been found to be irrelevant in improving students' language learning. This paper advocates that internal, or self-generated feedback, has a potential role to play in learners' formative processes under the condition that it is implemented…

Projects related to the European Language Portfolio (ELP) carried out at the Language Centre of the University of Trieste are concerned to examine whether and to what extent "can do" descriptors can be extended to courses in Languages for Specific Purposes. The project reported in this article had two aims. The first was to explore what…

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…

Describes how the job characteristics model (J. R. Hackman), used by industrial-organizational psychologists to enhance the motivating potential of jobs in industry, can be applied to increase student motivation. The job characteristics model describes the relationship between the core characteristics of skill variety, task identity, task…