This study examines the effect of incorporating a variety of international English accents into a simulated TOEFL listening comprehension test in growing recognition of internationalization of language teaching and learning in the field of TESOL. Although some high-stakes English proficiency exams have begun incorporating speech samples produced…

The current study examined lexical aspects of second language (L2) speech attainment in the foreign language (FL) classroom setting (i.e., several hours of target language input per week). A total of 72 second-year university students with 7 years of FL study and no experience abroad participated in the study. Their spontaneous speech was analyzed…

The present article aims to focus on the perception and expression of emotions by Polish immigrants to England and Ireland. The informants of the study were 72 Polish-English bilinguals living in England and Ireland from 1 to 324 months. Data analysis discussed emotional expression in the L2 as well as perception of such emotional statement as I…

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Kolb's learning styles and learning slang among Iranian EFL students with a gender-based focus. To this end, 63 EFL students of Tehran University were selected as the participants of the study out of 70 through the proficiency test by simple random sampling. The participants were both…

This paper examines how fleeting experiences exert a disproportionately powerful effect on the language learning motivation and behavior of university students. A thematic analysis of interview data is used to show how "significant incidents" have two principal consequences. The first, "anagnorisis," is an immediate, revelatory…

This study examines the acquisition process of speech rhythm in Dutch learners of Spanish (DLS) and Spanish learners of Dutch (SLD) at different proficiency levels to determine whether learning direction affects the success of rhythm acquisition in a foreign language (L2). Analyses of lengthening effects showed that the two learner groups followed…

This study adds to the literature on computer-mediated communication (CMC) by examining the impact of online voice recording (VR) activities and peer-to-peer videoconferencing (VC) conversations on the development of beginning Spanish learners' speaking performance. Specifically, this paper explores (1) whether VR and VC activities promote oral…

It's arguable that more involvement of government with centralized policies causes less efficiency on education progresses. The article reviewed documents dedicated to or related to College English (CE), which have been released by Ministry of Education of People's Republic of China (MOE) and other institutions/organizations after 1949. Exploring…

The assessment of argumentative writing generally includes analyses of the specific linguistic and rhetorical features contained in the individual essays produced by students. However, researchers have recently proposed that an individual's ability to flexibly adapt the linguistic properties of their writing may more accurately capture their…

Purpose: Although it is assumed that school district governance by districts leaders can impact schools' capacity to improvement and educational quality, there is little systematic evidence to support this claim. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how governance goals and interventions affect school districts' social capital.…

Modern foreign languages (MFL) are now established on the timetable of English primary schools. This study accesses the views of the pupils on the experience of learning this relatively new subject and of making the transition to secondary school languages classes. By means of semi-structured interviews with the same sample of 18 pupils in Year 6…

Studies in second language acquisition (SLA) increasingly rely on measures of linguistic complexity to assess second language (L2) proficiency and development. While an important number of studies have risen to the call of studying a broader range of complexity related constructs (Bulté and Housen, 2012; Norris and Ortega, 2009), few have examined…

This article presents a review of 20 tests designed for assessing the academic English listening skill of second or foreign language learners. The available test information has been systematically condensed in purpose, listening construct, task characteristics, and validity evidence. It was found that most of the tests were developed for…

This contribution presents the preliminary findings from the TEPS study ("Teaching English in Primary Schools"). The study is situated in Germany where primary foreign language (FL) education has been compulsory since 2004, with pupils beginning FL education -- mostly English as a FL (EFL) -- in either year 1 or 3. Generally, this…

Although English language learners (ELLs) have an increasing presence in postsecondary education, their unique needs are often unmet by institutions of higher education, partly resulting from their diversity--they vary in their educational backgrounds, English proficiency levels, career goals, and reasons for learning English. Many ELLs spend…