Using context to derive a word's meaning is typically conceptualized as part of the reading comprehension process. However, context sensitivity develops early--before children start to learn to read. This study took a developmental perspective, attempting to capture children's context sensitivity through spoken discourse and assess its value in…

The present study examined factors affecting shyness in EFL classrooms. To this end, a sample of 124 students majoring in TEFL at Universidad Nacional de Educación in Ecuador was selected to respond to a standardized Shyness Scale (SS) and a Shyness Factors Questionnaire (SFQ). Employing a descriptive research design, the researcher used…

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons for low retention rates among students in the Chinese classes in upper secondary education in the Czech Republic. The principal research question was whether Chinese characters were the main reason why many students decided to stop attending their Chinese classes. Semi-structured interviews with…

Whilst the existing literature on multilingual learning in curriculum has properly addressed a variety of instructional factors, few studies have been dedicated to investigating the influence of institutionalisation as a contextual, power-laden factor on multilingual curriculum which in turn influences multilingual learning. To fill this gap, this…

For some time, arguments have been made that for the increased successful use of corpus linguistics (CL), in the form of Data-Driven Learning (DDL; Johns, 1991) in the second language classroom, teacher education programs must play a central role by providing the necessary instruction and triggers. Three means of integrating corpora into teacher…

This study aimed at investigating the impact of story-based extracurricular tasks on enhancing the speaking skills of EFL learners. The parameters of grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluency were examined. A pre-test/post-test one shot case study design was adopted. A sample of 20 students, enrolled in the common first year program at Jouf…

This article examines caregivers' everyday language choices and interactions with children in an urban Zapotec community in Mexico, where Diidxazá is being displaced by Spanish in everyday use. It argues that caregivers' language choices and interactions get entangled in complex ways with the socio-cultural organization of everyday life and with…

This book contributes to emerging research on third language acquisition (TLA) and pinpoints the main factors characterising TLA as a different process and area of study from second language acquisition. Moving beyond the dichotomous conception of monolingualism and bilingualism, it proposes a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to studying…

This study explored the effect of speaking task on midclause pausing characteristics in the L1 and L2 speech of the same speakers to gain further insights into the potential relationship between pause location and stages of speech production. Participants included English L1 learners of L2 French (n = 29) or Spanish (n = 27) from the publicly…

The aim of this research is to interpret and discuss the findings of qualitative research that has put forward the teachers' opinions, code switching and using L1 (First language) through a systematic research method in education called "meta-synthesis." As a result of this meta-synthesis research (N = 18), the teachers stated that they…

Grounded in the activity theory, we adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of automated written corrective feedback (AWCF) on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' academic writing skills (i.e. task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexicon, and grammatical range and accuracy). To this end, two…

A perfect writing skill has been deemed instrumental to achieving competence in EFL, yet it is considered one of the most impressive learning domains. This study investigates the impact of human-AI collaborative feedback on the writing proficiency of EFL students. It examines key teaching domains, including the teaching environment, teacher…

Given the novelty of human--machine communication (HMC) in task-based language learning (TBLL), we conducted a multimethodological pilot study to explore the use of Alexa in out-of-class task-based learning to mediate texts in English as a foreign language. Fourteen Polish intermediate learners participated in the quasi-experiment and programme…

This study aimed to improve teacher education by integrating project-based learning (PBL) into English language instruction. A motivational-cognitive-reflective model was developed and implemented using a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, and observations involving preservice English teachers and faculty. The…

In Computer-assisted language learning (CALL), the relationship between learner background and classroom-based digital language learning has been widely studied; however, little attention has been directed to informal digital learning of English (IDLE), a crucial subdomain of inquiry of CALL. Building on our prior IDLE study, this explanatory…