Task modality (oral vs. writing) has been found to affect the production, nature and resolution of the language-related episodes (LREs) produced by adult learners in collaborative interaction, a finding also attested in very recent and still limited research with young learners, a population that deserves greater attention in the literature.…

This dissertation examines heritage language learners of Spanish enrolled in university Spanish courses, focusing on their strategic use of suprasegmental speech features in two speaking tasks. The research investigates attitudes' influence on heritage language learners' speech production in different task types. Participants engaged in two…

Many second language (L2) learners participate in study abroad (SA) experiences believing their choice will be synonymous with increased interaction in the L2, from which enhanced linguistic gains will ensue. Nonetheless, one open question is whether SA participants actually engage in sustained L2 interaction while they are abroad. This paper…

The introduction of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory (SCT) into the second language (L2) domain provides a potential site to explore the mechanisms underlying L2 learners' cognitive modification and the transformation of social understanding into the personal one. This study provided a picture of L2 personalization in two groups of advanced and…

Task-based language teaching research has investigated the impact of planning on task performance, but little has been reported on the processes that take place while planning is undertaken. This study builds on previous planning research by providing a detailed analysis of four Japanese university learners' collaborative pre-task planning (two…

Many learners of English as a foreign language often feel that learning spoken English is frustrating and quite difficult, especially when they have to talk to English-speaking foreigners. In general, because they are unfamiliar with the spoken mode of English and are worried about making grammatical errors, they often feel very scared to speak…

The present study draws on Flow Theory to examine the relationship between task repetition and the quality of learners' subjective experience during task execution. Flow is defined as a positive experiential state characterized by intense focus and involvement in meaningful and challenging, but doable tasks, which has been associated with enhanced…

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the effects of the mobile-assisted task-based language teaching (M-TBLT) approach on EFL learners' oral production. It evaluates three key second language acquisition measures: complexity (syntactic and lexical), accuracy (error-free clauses and correct verb forms), and fluency (unpruned and pruned speech rates).…

The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of task-based instruction using online language games in a flipped learning environment (TGF) in developing the English oral communication ability of Thai secondary students and examine the students' opinions of the task-based instruction using online language games in a flipped learning…

Studies that have measured pragmatic fluency in the form of planning time and speech rate, as indicators of processing ability, have confirmed that learners' processing ability and pragmatic knowledge are independent from each other. The present study is a longitudinal, developmental investigation which investigates whether the study abroad stay…

In this study, I examined how 34 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) used their linguistic resources (English and Spanish) and language modes (oral and written language) to demonstrate their knowledge of proportional reasoning in a dual language mathematics assessment task. The assessment allows students to see the item in both…

Needs analysis is regarded as an essential step for developing a curriculum for English for specific purpose courses. Assessing learners' present and real-life language needs can contribute to learners' active participation in learning processes. This study aimed to assess English geared law learners' needs and to analyze the pedagogical tasks in…

Little is known about the effects of different instructional approaches on learner affect in oral interaction in the foreign language classroom. In a randomized experiment with Dutch pre-vocational learners (N = 147), we evaluated the effects of 3 newly developed instructional programs for English as a foreign language (EFL). These programs…

This research paper explores the processes and outcomes of a peer review system which was introduced to 74 first-year students on a BA Education programme in 2016-17. In this one-year action research study, students completed a series of tasks linked to both their academic work and professional teaching placements. The scaffolded nature of these…

This 13-week study investigated changes in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' motivational states due to face-to-face inter-cultural and intra-cultural contact treatments in a Japanese EFL classroom. Drawing on the L2 motivational Self System and International Posture, this quasi-experimental study took the form of a between-groups…