The benefits of peer facilitation on the development of students' skills in various fields have been widely discussed. However, we know very little about how teachers could draw on peer facilitation to improve pedagogical designs. This study aimed to investigate the influence of peer facilitation carried out in a tertiary EFL (English as a Foreign…

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) has witnessed an explosion of interest from consumers and researchers. However, consumers often complain about the limited functionality of MALL applications, which typically do not allow for critical self-reflection or for users to consider different aspects of their learning such as the task itself, the…

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of language teaching being more and more communication oriented. The traditional classroom teaching is facing a big challenge and is gradually being replaced by learner-centered approaches putting learner as individual into the core of learning process. This means learner autonomy gets to be…

This article reports on a small-scale intervention study that examined the impact of a metacognitive approach to listening instruction, in the form of a metacognitive pedagogical cycle, on Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' listening proficiency and aspects of metacognitive knowledge over 10 weeks. During each week,…

This paper presents results of the first year of a four-year longitudinal study examining motivation for independent language learning among Japanese freshman learners of English at a university in Japan. The participants were enrolled in optional independent learning modules offered by the university's self-access centre. The aim of the modules…

Vocabulary is the gateway to knowledge that unlocks the doors of sublime ideas to the readers. The competency on the lexical items of language plays a significant role in learning a new concept. Any learner who has excellent command over the use of vocabulary excels in his/her study of different subjects. Vocabulary learning is one of the…

This study explores the influence of self-assessment of vocabulary competence on a group of students' oral fluency. Twenty-four young adult learners participated in a learning process that promoted their oral skills and vocabulary development. Self-assessment was mainly examined through the analysis of students' learning logs, field notes and…

Even though many post-secondary institutions offer a variety of Hispanic linguistics classes (Hualde 2006; Lipski 2006), research on the pedagogy of Hispanic linguistics is an underdeveloped or non-existent area of the discipline. Courses in Hispanic linguistics can present not only linguistic challenges for non-native speakers of Spanish, but…

This diary study focuses on the second language learning styles and strategies of the diarist/researcher in a naturalistic setting, utilizing categories from Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning and the Style Analysis Survey. Analysis of diary entries indicates that the learners' learning style remained relatively constant…

This study deals with the use of learning diaries in the intermediate course for Finnish language and culture. The article describes how the use of a diary helped both learners and teachers to increase their awareness of various issues affecting the learning of Finnish as a foreign language; e.g., learning experiences and the use of learning…

Presents useful tips for improving classroom learning. These include inviting native- and nonnative-English-speaking students to engage in world building while improving their language and cultural knowledge; highly motivated conversational activities; students' revision of their oral presentations; having students record classroom activities; and…

Provides a rationale to support an experiential and process-oriented approach to the development of discussion skills in a second language. Although English is used for exemplification, the approach could be used to develop discussion skills in any second language. (13 references) (Author/CK)

Focuses on student involvement in determining course structure through journal writing. Successful student writers become highly skilled at directing the course of their own learning. The data in the journals inform teachers about what is occurring in learners' heads. Reflective journal writers are adopting a professional approach to their…

This article describes how Japanese college freshman English language learners are assigned to watch two English language films per month and keep journals in the form of a simple film review. The response to the extensive outside listening has been very favorable; the instructor found that even students who usually have trouble doing their…

The discussion of reflective techniques for second language teaching is intended for teacher trainees and in-service teachers and focuses on practical applications of the reflective method. Each chapter presents an important dimension of teaching and poses questions for classroom observation, investigation, and critical reflection. The suggested…