This research explores into the issues faced by heritage language speakers and learners, a topic gaining increasing relevance as millions of individuals reside outside their country or region of birth for various reasons. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the experiences and proficiency of the heritage language among ethnic…

The research reported in this article explored the implementation of Trilingual Education Policy in Kazakhstan. The authors explain the challenges stakeholders came across while taking on the reforms in the language-in-education policy. In this context, the scholars describe four main challenges, such as the simultaneous implementation of several…

This paper reports on an investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) in the Iranian Undergraduate University Entrance Special English Exam (IUUESEE) across four native language groups including the Azeri, the Persian, the Kurdish, and the Luri test takers via Rasch analysis. A total sample of 14,172 participants was selected for the…

In this study, the relationship between the family language practice and the level of linguistic (in)security of adolescent Gagauz speakers is examined in the context of an endangered language. To this end, a language-use questionnaire and linguistic insecurity scale were administered to 674 participants. The questionnaire included questions…

This paper aims to investigate early career researchers' (ECR) needs and barriers in conducting research at Kazakhstani regional universities employing a mixed methods research design with the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. We surveyed one hundred and twenty university academic staff undertaking the first stages of their…

This article documents the reflections of six African second-year master's students on their international educational experiences in Kazakhstan with a special focus on their challenges, strategic learning efforts and identity development. It is guided by Norton's conceptualisation of investment in identity, language learning, and social change.…

The development of trilingual education in Kazakhstan is an issue of national importance. The present study was conducted in two of Kazakhstan's universities to investigate the motivational conditions facilitating the learning of English as a third language. The participants were 218 students studying at the M. Auezov South Kazakhstan University,…

This paper explores eight Kazakhstani postgraduate students' reflections of their international educational experiences in the UK after their immediate re-entry into Kazakhstan. Special focus was on their language identity development after their one-year stay in the UK. It was informed by Benson et al.'s ([2013]. "Second Language Identity in…

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of interactive learning module technology (ILMT) in teaching Kazakh as a second language in secondary schools in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This research was carried out at Russian-medium secondary schools during the academic year 2021-2022. There were two groups in the sample: the experimental…

This commentary discusses Westergaard's (2021) keynote article, which presents a comprehensive model of first language (L1), second language (L2), and third language (L3) acquisition. The commentary presents evidence from a previous study of L3 learners that provides support for Westergaard's property-by-property transfer proposal. The commentary…

The present study sought to uncover the effect of previously acquired languages, Azeri and Persian, on the acquisition of English adjective properties of bilingual learners. It further investigated the role of L3 general proficiency and its interaction with the effect of previously acquired languages on the development of English adjective…

This article is the first large-scale study to document the speaking proficiency outcomes of intensive programs in less commonly taught languages in US higher education. Speaking proficiency was measured by pre- and postprogram ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (N = 484) in 14 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Indonesian,…

Assessing language skills in an integrative form has drawn the attention of assessment experts in recent years. While some research data exists on integrative listening/reading-to-write assessment, there is comparatively little research literature on listening-to-speak integrated assessment. Also, little attention has been devoted to the role of…

This article examines different aspects of the oralman students' socio-linguistic adaptation. Scientific research has identified various obstacles oralmen face when studying at Universities in Kazakhstan, especially in the context of the English language studying process. The data used in this paper explores certain peculiarities of oralman…

This paper aims to demonstrate the implications of health mobility on language practices in the medical tourism industry in India and on the ways, language workers become entrepreneurs. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork that traces the trajectories of three former students of Russian, we highlight their future aspirations as language learners…