In this "Distance Learning" Special Issue, Errol Craig Sull introduces the "Try This" series of articles to assist In The Classroom. Sull notes, where once the idea of offering ESL (English as a second language) assistance and courses was a minor afterthought in postsecondary education, it has become crucial, for it recognizes…

The present study uses data from 1147 university language students from lower-division and upper-division courses from eight different languages. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of course placement, first course enrollment, and personal/professional relationships had on university learners' intentions to minor or major…

Portuguese is the fifth most-spoken language in the world, with about 260 million speakers (and growing to an expected 400 million by 2050), the third most spoken in the West, the most widely spoken in the Southern Hemisphere, an official language in 9 countries and other regions. It is present in Europe, South America, Africa, and parts of Asia.…

Among the barriers facing refugee-background students (RBS) in accessing Higher Education (HE) in the UK is reaching the required academic English standard, and accessing courses to support them with this (Ashlee & Gladwell 2020: 13). In response to these barriers, the Universities of Leicester and Leeds (both in the UK) have developed the…

In this paper, we present and illustrate four principles used to develop discipline-specific academic language tutorials for students who enter university with low levels of academic language proficiency. The tutorials are part of a university-wide language support program following a post enrolment language assessment (PELA). The principles…

Both of the participants in this dialogue are professors of German, and both were involved in recent efforts to develop Global Studies programs at their institutions. While one teaches at a small, private, liberal arts college and the other at a large, urban, public research university, both participated in these projects with the pragmatic desire…

In light of China's 'Belt and Road' initiative, many mainland Chinese universities have been promoting non-English foreign language degree programs at the undergraduate level. This study examines the growth of these non-English foreign language programs by collecting and analysing a variety of data on curriculum design, teachers and learners…

Whereas major research universities may accommodate programs of study in Arabic, Chinese, or Persian, regional universities and liberal arts colleges have struggled to adapt to a wider and more complex array of world languages and literatures in the 21st century. Many have been forced to choose between radically restructuring or closing programs…

The development of business English (BE) program cannot separate from that of its closely-related discipline. However, little is known about business English disciplinary development from the angle of postgraduate education in China. Through questionnaires and interviews on 64 postgraduate students of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies…

This article considers the methods of teaching in the field of the language for general purposes and the language for special purposes. The purpose of the article is to give a comparative analysis of teaching general English and English for special purposes, to present arguments with respect to approaches designed to organize and ensure the high…

The underlying methodological approach of the CEFR is defined as being "action-oriented" and task-based (Council of Europe. 2001. "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment." Cambridge University Press: 9), although it explicitly leaves room for a variety of approaches, since the CEFR…

Nearly two decades have passed since Kaplan and Baldauf [1997. "Language planning from practice to theory." Clevedon: Multilingual Matters] drew attention to the dearth of language policy and planning (LPP) in higher education. Despite the continuing inflow of English as an additional language students into Anglophone universities, and a…

One of the key recommendations of the Worton Review of Modern Foreign Languages provision in higher education in England (2009) is more effective collaboration between language centres and language departments. This paper presents a fully integrated model of such collaboration and develops recommendations for language centres and language…

This report of one program and one person highlights several successful initiatives that resulted in the growth of the German Program at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. While the ideas reflect common best practices of many successful programs seeking to maintain their profile in today's educational environment, the energy, commitment and…

The papers in this special issue provide both a general overview and detailed discussion of specific examples of the languages across the curriculum (LAC) movement that is currently gaining momentum in colleges and universities in the United States. Papers include: (1) "International Students as Resource Specialists: Binghamton's Languages…