Just over ten years ago, Block (2007, p. 2) called the increasing attention that second language researchers-and social scientists at large-were giving to the construct of "identity" an "obsession." Since then, the identities of those who use, learn or study a language have been investigated in greater detail (e.g., Benson,…

Online language teaching and learning contexts yield both merits and drawbacks for professionals and learners. Within this scope, this study investigated the views of instructors on possible problems of online foreign language teaching with regard to language skills, language areas, and classroom management. A questionnaire consisting of 19 items…

Though the concept of identity has been examined in foreign and second language learning contexts where the target language was mostly English, there is scarcity of research on the examination of identity in glocal language learning contexts where local and global characteristics co-exist. Therefore, this longitudinal case study investigates the…

Second language acquisition for learners with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and other forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a vastly under-researched field, yet language facilitators have these students in their classrooms every day. Nevertheless, educators do not have the correct training and information to help learners achieve their language…

To motivate learners, teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) are encouraged to use gaming elements, which can stimulate students take a more active role in the learning process. There are many free and informal online applications now available to support this model, but not all EFL teachers, particularly female ones, are inclined to…

This book offers a comprehensive examination of the theory, research, and practice of the use of digital games in second and foreign language teaching and learning (L2TL). It explores how to harness the enthusiasm, engagement, and motivation that digital gaming can inspire by adopting a gameful L2TL approach that encompasses game-enhanced,…

As students are becoming avid online media consumers and creators, participatory culture has shifted the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to one of community involvement (Chan & Herrero, 2010, p. 10). Taking into consideration the challenges and opportunities derived from the integration in formal settings (secondary and…

There is no doubt that attention and (un)awareness in second/foreign language (L2 learning) are two constructs that have permeated, explicitly or implicitly, second language acquisition (SLA) studies since their inception. Indeed, we have witnessed several empirical studies attempting to probe more deeply into the roles of these two constructs in…

In the last three decades, the construct of learner autonomy has been a voguish word in the educational literature. It has been explored from a variety of perspectives and spheres, for it is a multifaceted notion that involves several parameters and tenets such as: taking control over learning, assuming responsibility, conducting independent…

Due to its influential nature on foreign language learning process, foreign language anxiety has been the focus of numerous studies in the literature of second language acquisition. In addition to its validation as a separate construct in late 80s, the last two decades have also witnessed the confirmation of skill-based anxieties as independent…

This article reviews studies on teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language (CSL/CFL) inside and outside Mainland China. In the review process, we analyzed a total of 1358 Chinese language articles and 175 English language articles from CNKI [Chinese characters omitted] and Web of Science, respectively, during the period from 2004 to 2016. By…

Perceptual grouping is fundamental to many auditory processes. The Iambic-Trochaic Law (ITL) is a default grouping strategy, where rhythmic alternations of duration are perceived iambically (weak-strong), while alternations of intensity are perceived trochaically (strong-weak). Some argue that the ITL is experience dependent. For instance, French…

A hallmark of grammatical knowledge is the ability to parse novel syntactic structures. Previous artificial language studies have examined learning hierarchical structures, but few have involved meaningful language and shown generalization to novel structures. This study addressed this issue using the semiartificial language paradigm. The…

In this chapter, we analyse the co-construction of meaning by university students in romance language (RL) chat rooms, in an online platform focused on multilingual language practice and learning. This communicative situation can best be described through the concept of 'intercomprehension', i.e. a multilingual and multisemiotic communicative…

This study examined the relationships between students' foreign language classroom anxiety and cognitive test anxiety and their College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) performance. A questionnaire was distributed to 921 Chinese university students to understand the nature and degree of the examined relationships. Follow-up interviews with 12 students…