The Bottleneck Hypothesis (Slabakova, 2008, 2013) proposes that acquiring properties of the functional morphology is the most challenging part of learning a second language. In the experiment presented here, the predictions of this hypothesis are tested in the second language (L2) English of Norwegian native speakers. Two constructions are…

The current study aims to examine the effects of implicit learning on Japanese EFL junior college students' writing. The concept of written corrective feedback (WCF) has continued to receive much attention in second language acquisition research. Although most researchers have been supportive of explicit WCF for the development of accuracy, others…

Although bilingual individuals know 2 languages, research suggests that the languages are not separate in the mind. This is especially evident when a bilingual individual switches languages midsentence, indicating that mental representations are, to some degree, overlapping or integrated across the 2 languages. In 2 eye-tracking experiments, we…

This survey study provides a holistic picture of English teachers' qualification and the status quo of English instruction in secondary school classrooms in four lowest-achieving rural districts in Beijing, China. It covers a wide variety of aspects related to language instruction, including teachers' professional background and credentials,…

Although English is the de facto language of communication across nations in today's world, a limited number of foreign language learners are able to communicate well in English and perceive themselves as competent speakers. Investigating traits of proficient speakers of English and understanding the reasons behind their speaking skills can guide…

We focus here on the obstacles students face when learning to read in their second language, specifically in contexts where the second language is taught as a school subject or used as a medium of instruction (immersion). Qualitative studies in these areas have highlighted strategy deployment and approaches to constructing meaning as key variables…

Significant variation exists in how native speakers respond to word association tasks and challenges the usage of nativelikeness as a benchmark to gauge second language (L2) performance. However, the influence of word class and trials of elicitation is not sufficiently addressed in previous work. With controlled stimuli from multiple word classes,…

Since the early 2000s, much emphasis has been placed on adopting the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method in the Korean K-12 context, however, such efforts have been largely unsuccessful. In order to shed light on some of the reasons for such failures, this study examined the impact of short-term professional development (PD) on primary…

This chapter presents how I integrated Virtual Exchange (VE) programmes delivered by Soliya in two courses at an international undergraduate liberal arts and sciences college. In both cases the VE programme was fully integrated in the courses as a graded element. The students of beginner Italian participated in the four-week long Connect Express.…

This book examines the role of interlocutors and their individual differences (IDs) in second language (L2) development from four theoretical lenses: the cognitive-interactionist approach, sociocultural theory, the variationist approach, and complex dynamic systems theory. A theoretical overview to each approach is written by a preeminent scholar…

Communicative multimedia is becoming a significant tool of improving metalinguistic knowledge (Lai, 2015, 2016). This research applied three basic examples of song, movie (Hung & Higginsb, 2015, 2016; King, 2002, 2010; Sanne, 1994, 2006; Tillmana, 1997, 2006) and game pedagogies (Tsai, 2017) for discussing cognitive consequences of Taiwanese…

To learn more about how nonprofits, educators, employers, and policymakers can work together to upskill the limited English proficient (LEP) workforce, Jobs for the Future (JFF) interviewed students and instructors who had participated in the pathbreaking and innovative bilingual training program known as Growing Opportunities in America for…

English learners' (ELs) day-to-day experiences in school change when reclassified as fully English proficient. Prior research, however, is mixed on how reclassification influences outcomes. Many studies also do not or cannot explore key long-term outcomes or identify impacts over time. In this study I leverage longitudinal student data in a…

This paper applies a critical lens to a Master's degree program in education in one University in Norway and its stated aim of promoting critical skills in students from the global south in particular. Two groups of students, one an international mix in Oslo, and the other, South Sudanese students studying in Hawassa, Ethiopia, were compared. The…

In today's interconnected world, many career fields--such as diplomacy, national security, and business--need individuals with knowledge about world languages and cultures. To address these areas of needed expertise--both at the federal level as well as in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors--the Higher Education Act of 1965, as…