Background: Mindsets are based on two basic assumptions: some people think that their intellectual abilities can be developed through hard work and instruction (i.e., a growth mindset), whereas others believe that nothing can change their level of intellectual ability (i.e., a fixed mindset). The association between mindsets and academic…

This study explored young Chinese learners' beliefs about English as an international language through project-based language learning in a Chinese rural school. Three English teachers and 102 Grade 6 Chinese EFL learners participated in two separate phases. Phase 1 explored how teachers implemented the project-based language learning via…

Recent scholarship has highlighted the importance of increasing the intellectual viability of lower-level foreign language (FL) study while facilitating connections between academic practice, learners' lives, and global communities. This article reports on a content-based role-immersion simulation (RIS) designed to incite a critical orientation…

Difficulty in expressing oneself using the International language is a continuing issue in classroom situations. The descriptive research design using correlational method was employed in this study. Point-biserial correlation was used to determine the degree of relationship between sex and nature of parents' occupation and psychological and…

Educators worldwide have been attracted by lesson study for its teaching and learning enhancement potential. However, some believe it takes for granted language, out of which all teaching and subject matter are made. Employing a functional linguistics lens in an analysis of two second language science lesson studies, called "learning"…

Student apprehension about discussing intellectually "risky" ideas in the foreign language literature class can be addressed through construction of a classroom environment in which students gain confidence. The governing principle is the sequencing of risk. Students perceive risks to be in: (1) making a linguistic error; (2) making an error of…

This address examines the personal experiences and attitudes of a language teacher during the 1960's, exploring the then commonly held notions of "creativity" with a view toward stimulating professional reappraisal of the term and its pedagogical implications. The author suggests that the notion of the teacher "guiding creativity" must yield to a…

A study of listening comprehension skills in foreign language classes compared the level of retention achieved by students trained to listen and perform versus students trained to listen and observe. Physical movement during training was not shown to be a critical factor in achievement. However, the experiment revealed a significant difference in…

International educators in general, and study abroad advisors in particular, have recognized for many years that United States college students returning from studying abroad show positive changes. According to their impressionistic perceptions, international educators often identify improvements in terms of concern about international affairs,…

Michigan State University (MSU) is strongly committed to the idea that study abroad is deeply beneficial and important for undergraduate students. However there is a relative scarcity of systematically gathered qualitative and quantitative information that assesses the impact of study abroad. In the summer of 2000, MSU implemented a broad plan to…