Early research on the Aspect Hypothesis yielded a rigid developmental sequence for the acquisition of grammatical aspect, in which developing L2 learners applied morphemes to mark aspect in accordance with the inherent lexical aspect of verbal prototypes. While studies from a variety of L2 backgrounds have amassed evidence for this hypothesis,…

The present study intended to investigate whether test takers' breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge can contribute to their efficient use of lexical bonds while restoring damaged texts in reduced redundancy tests. Moreover, the moderating role of general language proficiency was investigated in this interaction. In so doing, Vocabulary Levels…

This study investigated the durational features of English word-initial /s/+stop clusters produced by bilingual Mandarin (L1)-English (L2) children and monolingual English children and adults. The participants included two groups of five- to six-year-old bilingual children: low proficiency in the L2 (Bi-low) and high proficiency in the L2…

Pronunciation is an important yet often neglected subfield in Second Language Acquisition, both in pedagogy and research. One significant, under-researched area is the role peer assessment/review can play in shaping English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students' pronunciation proficiency. Whereas there have been many studies demonstrating the…

With multiple options to choose from, there is always a chance of lucky guessing by examinees on multiple-choice (MC) items, thereby potentially introducing bias in item difficulty estimates. Correct responses by random guessing thus pose threats to the validity of claims made from test performance on an MC test. Under the Rasch framework, the…

This study aimed at bringing together the notions of language play and focus on form (FonF) through a cross-sectional investigation of playful language-related episodes (PLREs). PLREs, as a remarkably under-explored aspect of second language (L2) learners' focus on form, peer interaction and language play, were analyzed in an Iranian EFL context…

Through literature study of researches on critical thinking, this paper gives an analysis of the present situation and existing problems of critical thinking cultivation in Chinese college English classes, probes into the rationale for critical thinking cultivation and discusses how to cultivate students' critical thinking in Chinese college…

Purpose: This study examines English performance on a set of 11 grammatical forms in Spanish-English bilingual, school-age children in order to understand how item difficulty of grammatical constructions helps correctly classify language impairment (LI) from expected variability in second language acquisition when taking into account linguistic…

Background: Validity is a notable concept in language testing which has concerned many researchers and scholars in the field of language testing due to its importance in decision making process. Tests' results always introduce consequences to test takers' lives which emphasizes the need to ensure their validity. Detecting and delineating the…

This research concerns the application of multidimensional item response theory (e.g., Reckase, 2009) to link not-quite-vertical scales across age/grade levels. The approach allows scores to be related across levels without requiring the assumption of a vertical scale. The multidimensional framework is applied to an English language proficiency…

Learning style is one of the main factors that determines how students learn English and has a significant influence on students' learning strategy selection, which further affects their learning outcomes (Ehrman and Oxford in Mod Lang J 74(3):311-327, 1990; Oxford in Language learning styles and strategies: an overview, 2003.…

The study addresses teachers and instructional leaders of English Language Learners (ELLs), one of the fastest growing student populations in the United States. English Language Learners comprise a diverse group of students including native-born Americans who happen to speak a language other than English as their primary language. One of the most…

This study explores the pedagogical use of "Astronautes Français Langue Seconde (Astronautes FLS)", a cooperative digital game, in second/foreign language (L2) French teaching. It has two goals: (1) to introduce "Astronautes FLS" and its conceptualization, and (2) to report the results of a feasibility study in which we…

We present a tool for the creation and curation of C-tests. C-tests are an established tool in language proficiency testing and language learning. They require examinees to complete a text in which the second half of every second word is replaced by a gap. We support teachers and test designers in creating such tests through a web-based system…

M-DCPS had 23,764 graduates in the 2017-2018 academic year. Most students, 91%, achieved a standard diploma (24 credits). Some students choose an alternative curriculum where 443 (2%) achieved an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma and 400 (2%) achieved an International Baccalaureate (IB). An additional 461 (2%) students…