This quasi-experimental study examined the potential benefits of zero-error dictation, a teaching technique based on dialogue-driven dictation, and the extent to which target linguistic features and proficiency levels mediated its effects on second language (L2) learners' accurate use of French grammatical morphology. Seventy-nine learners of L2…

Applied linguists have been exploring approaches to second language acquisition and competence that move beyond a prioritization of cognition and grammar that was derived from the foundational structuralist legacy in linguistics. Recently, for example, they have collaborated in putting together an integrated alternative model (Douglas Fir Group,…

The present study investigates whether the emotional content of words has the same effect in the different languages of bilinguals by testing the effects of word concreteness, the type of task used, and language status. Highly proficient bilinguals of Catalan and Spanish who learned Catalan and Spanish in early childhood in a bilingual immersion…

Investigating the L2 temporality, most previous studies within the Aspect Hypothesis framework focused on the basic meanings or prototypical uses of past morphology. The present study, however, including other less prototypical uses of past morphology, addresses 2 questions: (i) how the uses of simple past and past progressive morphology change as…

Academic English is an essential literacy skill area for success in post-secondary education and in many work environments. Despite its importance, academic English is understudied with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Nascent research in this area suggests that academic English, alongside American Sign Language (ASL) fluency, may play an…

The great value of applying digital games in language learning has been highlighted. However, there has been a lack of attention paid to the effects of prior knowledge in a contextual game-based language learning environment. To this end, this study developed an MMORPG-based educational game to facilitate English learning, aiming at investigating…

Despite the proliferation of publications on teaching English as an international language (EIL) or a Lingua Franca (ELF), the diffusion of these concepts into the world of English Language Teaching has been slow and incomplete. There is some wariness among educators about the teaching of ELF and EIL, with no consensus regarding appropriate…

In this report I share the results of a document-based, comparative case study aimed at increasing our understanding about the potential utility of state kindergarten entry assessments (KEAs) to provide evidence of English learner (EL) kindergartners' knowledge and skills and, in turn, inform kindergarten teachers' instruction. Using a sample of 9…

In this study, we assessed the invariance in the factor structure underlying English-language proficiency for two groups of adolescent learners in Japan: students in middle school (ages 13-15 years) and students in high school (ages 16-18 years). Language proficiency was measured using the "TOEFL Junior"® Comprehensive test, an…

This project examined both quantitative and qualitative data about how American domestic undergraduates perceived Chinese international students' (CISs) reticence and face concerns. A quasi-experimental design about American students' ratings of a fictional CIS described in scenarios demonstrated that the reticent CIS was rated as more typical,…

As an internal expansion of the Language Proficiency Flagship Initiative at Michigan State University, 172 students of German took ACTFL proficiency tests in three modalities (speaking, listening, and reading) over the course of three years. The test scores and background survey data were analyzed to determine proficiency levels of students at the…

Regarding the English language skills, speaking seems to be the most crucial skill in terms of communication or interaction in daily lives (Ur, 1996). This present study aimed to investigate factors enhancing English speaking ability, also the most influential factor affecting speaking ability. The participants were 5 high school students who had…

The matter of learner's attitude is acknowledged as one of the most important factors that impact on learning language. Hence, this study aimed to determine the attitude of students toward speaking in English as it employed descriptive-correlational method to describe their profile and their attitude. It also ascertained the relationship between…

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of input flooding and input elaboration on the learning of non-congruent collocations by Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. The participants of the study included 60 EFL learners at the intermediate level of language proficiency who were divided into two equal groups.…

High stake tests are known to drive curricula and affect teachers and learners in numerous ways; what has come to be known as test washback. Thus far, almost all washback studies have focused on national or international language proficiency tests. There are little, if any, researches addressing the washback of high stake tests of English…