While extensive quantitative research has shed light on the cognitive mechanisms of dyslexia, few mixed-methods studies have been conducted to examine the perceptions of and attitudes towards learning in children with dyslexia, especially in Hong Kong, a bilingual context. In addition, the validity of the metaphor elicitation technique, which was…

Symbolic competence is integral to intercultural teaching and learning, but limited research and teaching guidance exist in foreign language classrooms. This paper explores the use of critical incidents in developing the symbolic competence of advanced-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at a Chinese university. Mixed methods…

Using cognitive dissonance theory, this collective case study examines professional identity tensions in three international preservice teachers from a graduate TESOL program in South Korea (Korea hereafter). Reflective journals, interview transcripts, admission essays as well as participant-produced drawings were analyzed. Additionally,…

The effects of positive emotions on learners' achievement and well-being highlight the need to delve into foreign language enjoyment (FLE) in different contexts and from different perspectives. This study uses Q methodology to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' subjective perspectives regarding FLE during a period of online…

Research on language learners' attention suggests that manipulating attention is beneficial in the language learning process as it facilitates the "noticing" of specific linguistic aspects. The current study investigated the effects of directing learners' attention to segments and prosody in English phonetic training. Korean learners of…

Since its inception in the 1960s, the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has enjoyed a period of almost continual expansion and growth and now represents a multi-million dollar industry worldwide. This book provides readers with a critical and comprehensive overview of EAP's birth, its historical development and its ongoing trajectory,…

Readers should construct a coherent discourse during reading comprehension. The ability to build coherence has been examined using coherence and cohesion judgment tasks. Although eye-tracking studies have been conducted on building coherence or processing cohesion among native language users, few such studies have been conducted with second…

The field of computer-assisted language learning has recently brought about a notable change in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing. Starting from October 2022, students across different academic fields have increasingly depended on ChatGPT-4 as a helpful resource for addressing particular challenges in EFL writing. This study aimed to…

The present study investigates the application of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) as an innovative approach in second language teaching (SLT) to explore its impact on the professional identity of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, the research involved 148 Iranian EFL teachers…

This paper contributes to our conceptualization of linguistic identities in English as a lingua franca (ELF) communication by analyzing a group of multilingual international students' narrativized accounts of their ELF communication experiences in an international university in Hong Kong. The findings of the study indicate that despite their…

Relatively few studies in the field of second language acquisition have undertaken to investigate the interrelationships of constellations of individual difference variables. This is certainly true of how complexes of ID factors impact motivation to learn an additional language. In order to address this gap, the paper reports a study that examined…

Technology-mediated communication has become ubiquitous and digital multimodal learning has been increasingly integrated into second language education. Drawing on the concepts of transmediation and interpretant in social semiotic theories, this study explores the potential of digital storytelling (DST) in promoting EFL learners' willingness to…

Bilingualism has become the norm--not the exception--in today's globalized world. The development of bilingual proficiency in English and other languages is increasing worldwide. Saudi Arabia is one of many countries within the expanding circle of nations in which English (although with no official status) enjoys a special position as the sole…

The past few decades have seen a boom in English-medium instruction (EMI) in Chinese universities. Despite growing research interest in EMI policy and practices in China, little is known about how students' motivation to study in the EMI programs is influenced by EMI policy and its implementation at the meso and micro levels. This study addresses…

This study examines whether technology-based performance tasks can mediate communicating in English and enhance language learner engagement. This study investigated how low-proficiency Japanese English-language learners could change their attitude toward communicating in their target language by completing a performance task that involved making…