This study examined perceptions of students of the benefits of consciousness-raising tasks (CRT) and communicative tasks (CT) when compared with actual learning outcomes in a Saudi secondary school context. Qualitative data were collected from 60 Saudi speaking learners of English, at various proficiency levels, who had engaged in a sequence of…

The aim of this ethnographic study was to trace the English language development of a young boy from Syria (Nate, pseudonym) who relocated to the U.S. at the age of six without any prior exposure to formal schooling. Data were collected over a two-and-a-half-year period and included fieldnotes after weekly tutoring visits and writing samples. Nate…

An assumption underlying speaking tests is that scores reflect the ability to produce online, non-rehearsed speech. Speech produced in testing situations may, however, be less spontaneous if extensive test preparation takes place, resulting in memorized or rehearsed responses. If raters detect these patterns, they may conceptualize speech as…

In response to educational issues at levels from national, institutional, to pedagogical concerns, this study aims to examine the influence and the effectiveness of the review strategies on the writing performance of first-year Thai undergraduates as well as how the perceived strategies are in the students' views. In the mixed-method study, the…

Educational institutions with world language requirements face increasing student demand to offer Spanish Language for Specific Purposes (SPSP) courses at lower proficiency levels to fulfill language requirements. Language for specific purposes courses are designed to fulfill the communicative needs of students within a specific professional…

In response to the recent sharp increase of L2 students in Reykjavik schools, allocation criteria for special L2 services were adopted that were based on length of residence and on whether children's home language was tonal or not tonal. This study set out to evaluate the appropriateness of these criteria, and to replicate previous findings of a…

The Seal of Biliteracy is an official state award that recognizes high school seniors who graduate with demonstrated proficiency in English and one or more other world languages. The policies and practices that support the Seal of Biliteracy promote twenty-first century skills and intercultural communication competencies that are critical in…

This study examined the effects of a script-based communicative intervention (SBCI) on psychological and cultural adaptation in students studying abroad in second language (German and Spanish) contexts. Regardless of language proficiency, students with exposure to the SBCI, relative to those without the intervention, exhibited higher well-being…

This study examined the impact of linguistic and cultural enhancements to evidence-based mathematics instruction within a multitiered support system for English learners. The study employed a single subject changing criterion design for four fourth-grade students who were English learners with or at risk of a learning disability diagnosis in…

The present study examined the interaction effects between teachers' choice of language in lexical explanation and second language (L2) learners' proficiency level on the learning of phrasal verbs and listening comprehension in a meaning-focused listening activity. Undergraduate L2 learners with two different levels of proficiency (intermediate…

Given current trends in international education, many institutions of higher education in the United States and elsewhere seek to prepare students for life and careers in a globalized world. For many institutions, this means internationalizing curriculum and campus, increasing educational exchange opportunities (for both domestic and international…

This article reports on an investigation into the bilingual development of literacy skills in Portuguese heritage language speakers in Switzerland in which we sought to put Cummins' linguistic interdependence hypothesis to the test. Three predictions were derived from this hypothesis: (1) Literacy skill levels in one of the bilinguals' languages…

In this study we used grounded theory framework to explore how preparation for studying abroad affects the academic success of East Asian undergraduate students in U.S. universities. Based on interviews with 12 participants from China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, we found that knowledge of English language and American culture, which is…

More than ever, faculty need to ensure that undergraduate curricula not only provide students with tools to gain linguistic proficiency but also teach them to analyze both written and visual information to attain historical literacy. Developing both intercultural proficiency and insights into various historical memorialization processes ensures…

This chapter describes the process of developing an English for tourism studies course at a trilingual university across five academic years. The process involved four phases. During the 2011-2012 academic year, I gained a grounded understanding of the needs of the learners from the standpoint of a "reflective practitioner" (see Farrell,…