This study examines the cognitive processes underlying the comprehension of L2 idiomatic expressions by using two different visual instructional techniques -- pictorial representation of literal meanings versus pictorial representation of figurative meanings of each idiomatic expression -- considering two settings (EFL vs. ESL), two different…

This study explored the role of early oral language in reading development among adult heritage language (HL) learners to provide insights into the possible developmental pattern of HL reading development. One hundred and ninety-five English-speaking Chinese HL (CHL) students participated in this study. They completed a language background survey…

Facing the demands of the pandemic and distance learning, English learners require educational technologies that are accessible, engaging, and effective. Meeting these demands requires educational technology developers to consider learners' sociocultural contexts. Learning theories can be applied to meet individuals' needs to optimize chances for…

The present study sought to investigate the effect of podcasting on the listening comprehension skill of Iranian TEFL students at the Islamic Azad University of Shiraz. It also aimed to examine students' motivation towards the use of podcasts as a learning tool. To this end, two groups, an experimental and a control group (n = 30 in each group)…

This research aimed to develop the World Englishes instructional model to enhance students' listening comprehension of varieties of English. The student's needs analysis was conducted in the first step of the study to gather data concerning the needs, problems, and opinions on teaching and learning English listening. Thirty students participated…

Idioms abound in both spoken and written English, yet they present a particularly thorny problem in foreign language learning. One of the reasons for this difficulty is second language learners' ignorance of the holistic nature of English idioms. Based on computerized reading tasks, the present study probes the effects of using electronic glosses…

The past decade has witnessed a plethora of research to study the relationship between reading strategies and reading comprehension, but few studies have examined the brain functionality; more specifically the relationship between hemispheric dominance and reading strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether there would be any…

The study reported on here was designed to investigate the challenges faced by teachers when teaching reading in Grade 4 English First Additional Language (EFAL) in East London, South Africa. This research study was framed by the socio-constructivist theory of reading. A case study design that corresponds with the constructivist paradigm was used…

This investigation focused on the speaking-skills component of the syllabi of Technical English I and II (Regulation 2013) at Anna University in Chennai, India. It was meant to formulate strategies for effective schemes to develop the English-speaking skills of engineering students in the colleges affiliated to the University. The major research…

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of providing instructions in L2 listening activities on the participants' performance in the classroom as well as the participants' views regarding the use of L1. The study included 48 students from the preparatory classes in the School of Foreign Languages, at a state university in Turkey.…

EFL students at the College of Languages and Translation take 4 reading courses in the first four semesters of the translation program. The textbooks used are Interactions 1 & 2 and Mosaic 1 & 2. The present study examines the amount of reading texts, reading exercises, and reading subskills covered by instructors in the Reading I, II,…

This paper discusses the integration and effectiveness of blended learning for the development and assessment of listening skills in a second language. The development of oral abilities (listening and speaking) is one of the most challenging and neglected aspects of second language learning (Vandergrift & Goh 2012, Graham & Santos 2015).…

Cognitive Diagnostic Models are a class of multidimensional categorical latent trait models which provide diagnostic information by reporting examinees' mastery profiles on a set of predefined skills. CDMs provide fine grained information concerning examinees' strengths and weaknesses in the subskills and subprocesses which constitute a larger…

This quasi-experimental study aims to find out the effectiveness of using Kagan structures on students' perception. Two grade six English language classes (experimental/control) with a total of fifty students (n=50) were included. Both sections were exposed to the same teaching techniques covering the same reading comprehension material. Pre-test…

The main purpose of this quantitative-qualitative content analysis study was to compare IELTS and TOEFL listening and reading tests based on the representation of the learning objectives of Revised Bloom's taxonomy. To this end, 12 Academic IELTS listening and reading tests and 12 TOEFL iBT listening and reading tests were analyzed qualitatively…