Academic literacy development is shaped by multiple individual and contextual factors that mutually interact with one another. Previous studies have identified some of the factors, but few explored their complex and dynamic interactions in students' writing practices. The study adopts a case study method to examine EFL learners' academic literacy…

Novice English teachers' (NETs) status is particularized as a distinctive phase in which they often cope with various problems while learning to teach effectively. NETs' professional development (PD) demands much attention, yet there is a paucity of research documenting their PD in the ordinary course of their professional lives. This case study…

Second Language Pragmatics (L2 pragmatics) research focused on the study abroad (SA) context points out the benefits of this context for second language (L2) pragmatic development while also illustrating the non-linearity of this development, as it is shaped by different contextual factors and individual differences. Nevertheless, this research…

Language learning strategy (LLS) has been long considered as one of the most important variables impacting language performance. Learning context, as a major effect on LLS choices, has not been paid much attention compared to other individual variables in LLS research. For the purpose of highlighting contextual influence in LLS research, the…

Willingness to communicate (WTC) is the construct of a language learner's readiness to communicate with a specific person using the target language at a particular time (MacIntyre et al, 1998). This study aimed to investigate Chinese English learners' WTC in an international school in Thailand. The study used semi-structured interviews to identify…

For novice and expert English language teaching professionals alike, it is important to understand the dynamic complexity of the context in which we work to intentionally and strategically forge a relevant and personally meaningful, continuing professional development path. English language teaching has long outgrown a…

This exploratory study examines the role of foreign and second language contexts in the acquisition of conventional expressions. A group of 21 ESL learners was compared to 25 EFL learners randomly selected from a larger pool. Both groups completed an aural multiple-choice discourse completion task (MC-DCT), which was developed from a previously…

This study looks into the effect of L2 learning context and different types of L2 exposure on changes in the use of communication strategies (CS). Previous findings on the possible effects of study abroad (SA) experiences on the development of CS do not allow for a clear conclusion on the issue. The present study specifically compares the effects…

Despite contrary research findings, many laypeople still claim that starting second language (L2) instruction early yields linguistic advantages. This assertion is again undermined by a 5-year longitudinal study conducted in Switzerland testing the English language skills of 636 secondary-school students who had all learned Standard German and…

Giving effective feedback to students has been identified as a key strategy in learning and teaching, but we know little about how effective feedback is comprehended by teachers. Using a range of data sources, this qualitative interpretive study examined how 10 teachers of English as a foreign language from seven lower secondary schools, teaching…

The paper looked at contextual factors that influenced the self-efficacy in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) of a group of university teachers in Vietnam. Very little empirical research on teachers' self-efficacy in EFL contexts has been done and self-efficacy quantitative studies heavily outnumber qualitative studies. The present…

This exploratory study investigates the incorporation of dialectal variants in second language (L2) pronunciation and how the learning context intersects with this acquisition. Specifically, this research examines to what extent L2 learners of Spanish acquire the regional phoneme /[theta]/ from north-central Spain in both study abroad (SA) and…

Several researchers (East, 2007, 2008; Villers, Tolosa & East, 2010) have identified a shortage of language teachers in New Zealand as a main limitation in the enactment of a learning area devoted to the learning of additional languages in the New Zealand curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). Thus it is important to consider the range of…

This study examines the beliefs of Chinese junior high school English teachers about foreign language teaching and influencing contextual factors in a time when curriculum innovation is confronting deep-rooted cultural traditions and complex teaching realities. Drawing upon data collected by means of questionnaires and interviews, this study…

This paper reports on a study that investigates the impact of learning context on the L2 acquisition of English by German-speaking pupils. Learning context is operationalized in terms of the relative "prominence" of the L1 and the L2 within the learning context, which in turn reflects the "functional roles" and "domains of use" allocated to the L2…