One of the most recent developments in the field of L2 motivation is the construct of Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs). This novel motivational conceptualisation is characterised by its energising capacity to promote and sustain action in a multitude of contexts whenever an individual is determined to attain a goal/vision he or she regards as…

Additional language learners are at risk of presenting lower language skills in the majority language compared to peers. These differences in language skills have been observed at an early stage of education and may impact academic achievement later on. A randomized trial with a switching replications design was performed in Swedish preschools to…

In the context of the UK language learning crisis, several studies have aimed to influence student attitude towards languages via school interventions, with mixed results. A six-session tacking diverse metalinguistic issues (e.g. cognitive benefits of language learning, world languages) was carried out in three secondary schools in England, using…

The present study sought to evaluate the pragmatic competence of heritage learners of Spanish in regard to compliment sequences and the impact that pragmatic lessons would have on these students. To this end, pre and post tests to assess pragmatic recognition in regard to Spanish compliments were designed by the researchers and completed by the…

This study aims to enhance second language (L2) learners' motivation and facilitate successful L2 learning by using motivational languaging, an intervention that encourages learners to reflect on, and externalize, their L2-speaking, competent future self-concepts by writing or speaking about them. Two types of effective languaging activities were…

Attitudes toward a learning task deals with one's reaction to anything associated with the immediate context in which the language learning takes place. As such, the construct of self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's capabilities to carry out, organize and perform a task successfully, have always been underscored in the academic setting.…

While interest in the learning of a language other than English (LOTE) has increased, research on how to foster learners' motivation towards learning a LOTE is still scarce. With a specific focus on learners' ideal LOTE and multilingual selves, this article reports on an intervention study which employed near peer role model (NPRM) to construct…

This longitudinal randomized trial study investigated the effects of phonological specificity training on second language (L2) vocabulary learning. Eighty-six Dutch secondary-school students participated in one of two experimental conditions or in an animacy judgment (active control) condition. Participants in the phonological specificity training…

Willingness to communicate (WTC) research has focused mostly on identifying factors that influence second language (L2) WTC in ESL contexts. This study differs by examining the effects of a 6-week treatment aimed at enhancing WTC in a group of 206 Yemeni rural high school EFL learners. Classes were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 102) or…

This quasi-experimental study examined the potential benefits of zero-error dictation, a teaching technique based on dialogue-driven dictation, and the extent to which target linguistic features and proficiency levels mediated its effects on second language (L2) learners' accurate use of French grammatical morphology. Seventy-nine learners of L2…

One shared goal of classroom instruction is to support students' reading competence as a key skill of school success and participation in daily life. Yet, teaching that addresses multilingual students' language-related resources to support reading is rare. In this study, we enriched reciprocal teaching with elements of linguistically responsive…

This article shares a participatory action research project about the use of technology, specifically online Indigenous language courses, to learn and teach Indigenous languages. The research collaborators are the NETOLNEW "one mind, one people" Partnership, 7000 Languages, and two Indigenous Partners who have created courses with 7000…

This study is an attempt to investigate the effect of metacognitive instruction through dialogic interaction in a joint activity on advanced Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' multimedia listening and their metacognitive awareness in listening comprehension. The data were collected through (N = 180) male and female Iranian…

Metacognitive learning strategies are higher--order executive skills that help learners become more independent, autonomous, and capable of planning, monitoring and evaluating learning process. This research was aimed at investigating EFL students' attitude towards the use of metacognitive strategies in writing. Data were generated through…

The purpose of this study employing a pre-test post-test control group research design is to investigate the impact of the intervention in brain-compatible learning principles on young adult learners' proficiency in English. The study was carried out with the participation of 53 university preparatory students aged 18-21. So as to elucidate the…