In commercial materials for the teaching of second language (L2) pronunciation, common bottom-up approaches segment phonology into a series of discrete and decontextualized linguistic components with rules that students are encouraged to internalize. Such approaches seem out of step with recent second language acquisition (SLA) theory and research…

Sociocognitive (Atkinson, 2011) and complex dynamic systems approaches (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008) highlight the inextricable connectedness of social and cognitive phenomena in second language (L2) learning. Previous research found numerous ties between L2 learning and both learners' sociocultural background as well as their affective…

In an Eastern U.S. school district, little is understood about how elementary general education teachers apply instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom and which strategies they perceive support academic achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary general education…

Unwillingness to communicate (UWTC) was initially conceptualized as a trait-like predisposition in L1 studies, but later research shifted the focus to willingness to communicate (WTC). In second language acquisition, WTC was introduced as a situational construct where time is highlighted by the immediate context of decision to communicate.…

This paper reports a mixed methods study which aimed to improve Turkish pre-service English language teachers' competences and qualifications during their teaching practice experience (the practicum). The analysis of qualitative and quantitative data was framed by a sociocultural perspective focused around individual, cultural, and social factors…

This two and a half year study examines how non-native English-speaking Burmese refugee students from first to third grades made meaning of scientific informational texts. The study is framed by sociocultural theory and transactional theory. Primary data were drawn from 160 student retellings of scientific informational texts. Secondary data…

This article tells the story of a child immigrant's L2 acquisition process. The narrative demonstrates the effects of social and academic factors on motivation to acquire an L2 and the result of immigration at a young age on cultural identity formation. The article begins by discussing the need for research into sociocultural factors in the second…

One of the key premises of Response to Intervention (RTI) is that it seeks to move away from focusing on a within-child deficit to an asset-based approach that promotes improving the instructional context. Although RTI holds promise, there remain many challenges that are associated with the complex interaction between the pedagogical and…

This collection of essays examines the historical, social, cultural, and educational foundations of ESL/EFL/Bilingual Education. The four themes of this book are: (1) Historical, Legal and Political Foundations of Bilingual/ESL Education; (2) Linguistic and Sociocultural Issues in ESL/EFL Education; (3) Educational Reform and English Language…

From a sociocultural perspective the concept of self-regulation is associated to voluntary control over higher and culturally organized mental functions such as, for example, focusing attention, planning a course of action, solving a problem, or deliberately remembering something. Thus, the ability to self-regulate is highly related to school…

The author offers his observations on how the language learner achieves a full command of a second language in its sociocultural context. (PP)

Presents a list of 46 new socio-political terms in Spanish that are being used more frequently in literature today. Definitions of the terms are included as well as the sources where the terms were used. (NCR)

Stresses the idea that, to be understood, literature must be considered in its historical and social context, and outlines an interdisciplinary approach for teaching French literature. (CLK)

Two sociocultural value clusters that predict an English-as-a-Second-language and an English-as-a-Foreign-Language approach are juxtaposed, respectively, to English language acquisition management. The two approaches are described in educational terms and related to the changing functions of English in the world and to national language…