The English reading ability of university students is crucial for their academic achievement, regardless of whether they are studying English or any other subject in English. Examining the affective factors that influence this ability is critical for understanding its development. Research has been conducted on the correlation between first…

Objective: Our objective was to examine the perceptions regarding the teaching and learning of English of students in 16 undergraduate programs at a state public university in Mexico. Method: In our qualitative case study, participating students responded to queries about their experiences learning English at the university, as well as their…

This study is a conceptual replication of Teimouri et al.'s (2022) investigation into the validity of the second language (L2) grit scale (the L2-Grit scale). There are several concerns about the generalizability of the findings of Teimouri et al. (2022), especially regarding the discriminant validity of the scale and the relation of L2 grit with…

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of data-driven learning (DDL) in L2 writing instruction. This paper examined whether and to what extent DDL activities could enhance the writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) of 30 Thai EFL learners. The presentation of DDL in this study was hands-on concordancing with the…

The fluency of second language (L2) speech can be influenced by L2 proficiency, but also by differences in the efficiency of cognitive operations and personal speaking styles. The nature of cognitive fluency is still, however, little understood. Therefore, we studied the cognitive fluency of Finnish advanced students of English (N = 64) to…

Despite extensive research on assessing collocational knowledge, valid measures of academic collocations remain elusive. With the present study, we employ an argument-based approach to validate two Academic Collocation Tests (ACTs) that assess the ability to recognize and produce academic collocations (i.e., two-word units such as "key…

This literature review explores the impact of music on tonal language learning, with a focus on Mandarin Chinese. Utilising searches across major databases such as ERIC (EBSCO), ProQuest Central, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from 2005 to 2024, we selected relevant peer-reviewed English-language articles examining music's role in aiding tone…

This mixed-methods explanatory sequential study aimed to identify the most commonly used World Language curriculum models in New Jersey high schools, assess the level of curriculum coherence in Spanish programs, and examine their impact on student learning. Surveys and interviews with high school Spanish teachers revealed that, while theoretical…

The introduction and a theoretical summary of language anxiety research (Chapter 1) are followed by four chapters: Chapter 2 presents a meta-analysis of the widely used "Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale"'s (Horwitz, et al., 1986) factorial structure; Chapter 3 reports on a validation study of the Hungarian version of MacIntyre…

We investigated whether learning and retaining vocabulary in a second language (L2) can be improved by leveraging a combination of memory enhancement techniques. Specifically, we tested whether combining retrieval practice, spacing, and related manipulations in a 'multidomain' pedagogical approach enhances vocabulary acquisition as compared to a…

A significant number of students experience anxiety when asked to speak in English. This unease, often rooted in factors such as shyness, lack of confidence, uncertainty, and a lack of motivation, can hinder their active participation during English oral exams. One of the most important goals that every English language teacher should strive to…

Reading and writing are enormously valuable, influencing every area of life beyond school. However, reading and writing difficulties are on the rise, especially among second-language students. The primary objective of this study is to design a classroom intervention that simultaneously promotes reading and writing and is easy to implement. In a…

Vocabulary is an important component that students must master in order to master other language skills, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Vocabulary learning can be effectively done through reading stories. A popular example is Alternative Universe (AU), a setting for a work of fan fiction found on Twitter or X. Utilizing a…

Although robots' social behaviors are known for their capacity to facilitate learner-robot interaction for language learning, their application and effect have not been adequately explored. This study reviewed 59 empirical articles to examine the contexts and application of various social behaviors of robots for language learning, and conducted a…

This study investigated the relationship between working memory (WM), semantic-encoding (SE) ability, and reading comprehension (RC) within the domain of second language acquisition (L2). 120 L1-Persian EFL learners were placed in three proficiency groups (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) based on their scores on the IELTS test. The…