The purpose of this study is to determine if heritage speakers can effectively instruct pronunciation to their non-native speaker peers to support faculty. The researcher of this study assessed non-native speaker participants' pronunciation of Spanish using pronunciation instruction and instructor background as variables (N=111: 91 underwent…

This chapter examines the lexical availability of students of Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) and observes how their semantic networks change as their proficiency in Spanish increases. The analysis focuses on 150 students with different levels of proficiency and the two centres of interest: "acciones y actividades habituales"…

Extensive research has shown that children's early words are learned through sensorimotor experience. Thus, early-acquired words tend to have more concrete meanings. Abstract word meanings tend to be learned later but less is known about their acquisition. We collected meaning-specific concreteness ratings and examined their relationship with…

Sonority and its language-universal sonority-sequencing principle (SSP) define an important dimension of phonological grammar which aids in the segmentation of words into syllables (Clements in Pap Lab Phonol 1:283-333, 1990). Studies have yielded contradictory findings on sonority and SSP phonotactics in lexical perception of speech by children…

Critical incidents, which may appear insignificant at first, could pave the way for effective learning in English language learning environments. This study aimed to explore the effects of sharing critical incidents on learning experiences and self-efficacy beliefs of EFL learners attending the preparatory year program at the tertiary level. The…

E-portfolios have emerged as valuable tools in language education, allowing students to collect, reflect on, and showcase their learning experiences. While many studies focus on e-portfolios for individual learners, this article examines their implementation at the program level within an Arabic language curriculum. The program-wide e-portfolio…

This study explores the written corrective feedback provided by two university teachers in the academic texts written by their students. Specifically, it focuses on the relationship established between the linguistic and discursive errors identified by the teachers, the forms of feedback provided (direct, indirect, metalinguistic and…

This paper reports on language attitudes towards the national language (Putonghua), the regional dialect (Chongqing) and the key foreign language (English) of a group of senior high school students (N = 321) in Chongqing in mainland China. Unlike the numerous other studies of language attitudes in China this one is situated outside the more…

Cumulative tests have been shown to enhance second language (L2) vocabulary learning by incrementally incorporating both new and previously learned materials in daily or weekly quizzes. In this study, we investigated the role of three factors that could impact the effectiveness of cumulative testing: (a) study time and (b) spaced practice (review…

Although the construction of language teacher professional identity is situated in a social, political, and ideological context, scant attention has been paid to tensions emerging from the nexus between identity construction and these contextual variables. To address this gap, this study drew on English language teachers' collaborative reflection…

This study examines pre-service teachers' (PSTs') responses to using AI to review their writing. As part of a class activity, PSTs prompted an AI-chatbot for feedback and revisions on a short essay based on a provided assignment rubric. They then exchanged papers with a classmate and completed a peer review. Afterward, they reflected on the pros…

The significance of vocabulary in academic success is well-established, particularly for second language learners navigating English Medium Instruction or academic contexts. This paper examines the development and evaluation of major academic word lists designed to support second language learners. To contextualize the academic vocabulary, the…

In a Dialogue section of the "Journal of Sociolinguistics" (vol. 26, no. 1), author pairs introduce a number of themes and debates in sign language sociolinguistics, explore why these are debates; how the debates are situated within sociolinguistics as a whole; and how spoken language sociolinguistics does or does not have similar…

Classical quantifiers (like "all," "some," and "none") express relationships between two sets, allowing us to make generalizations (like "no elephants fly"). Devices like these appear to be universal in human languages. Is the ubiquity of quantification due to a universal property of the human mind or is it…

Despite the wide recognition of language teacher educators' contributions in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), research on language teacher educators has only picked up the pace in the last decade, shedding light on their cognition, practices, and identities in relation to various personal, interpersonal, and…