We present work in progress on a multimodal dialog system for English language assessment using a modular cloud-based architecture adhering to open industry standards. Among the modules being developed for the system, multiple modules heavily exploit machine learning techniques, including speech recognition, spoken language proficiency rating,…

Whereas the Interagency Language Roundtable Language Skill Level Descriptions broke new ground for assessing proficiency in foreign languages, the need for user-oriented (rather than assessment-oriented) proficiency scales has led, especially in Europe, to the creation of scales consisting of positively formulated "can-do" statements,…

This study profiled Intermediate-level learners in terms of their linguistic characteristics and performance on different proficiency tasks. A stratified random sample of 300 Korean learners of English with holistic ratings of Intermediate Low (IL), Intermediate Mid (IM), and Intermediate High (IH) on Oral Proficiency Interviews-computerized…

By 2060, the United States population will be nearly 30% Hispanic, making Hispanism vital to students' engagement with the full breadth of their own societal fabric (Colby and Ortman 2015: 9). To replace current "reductionist" valuations of foreign language (FL) study as the depositor of career-enhancing skills, we argue for a four-year…

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) has synthesized key data on English learners (ELs) into two-page PDF sheets, by topic, with graphics, plus key contacts. The topics for this report on profiles of English Learners (ELs) include: (1) Percentage of total school population, grades Pre-K through 12, represented by ELs, by state,…

Background: Student achievement in science in the U.S. is quite low, particularly among English Language learners (ELLs). One way to support ELLs' learning is through the provision of high quality out-of-school time (OST) programs. These programs not only enhance students' understanding of content and skills but also expose them to more English.…

This study employed the Test of English Proficiency for Teachers-Process Skills Test (TEPT-PST) results of Grades 7-10 Science and Math public high school teachers in the Philippines. Qualitative and quantitative designs were applied, along with secondary data, to analyze the subtests in the teacher assessment consisting of Structure, Written…

The number of multicultural families has been increasing in Korea recently, and it is reported that students from multicultural family experience multiple struggles in English learning. With an awareness of mothers' role in child's education, this study aims to investigate multicultural family mothers' perception of English education and the…

Scaffolding, an instructional strategy for providing support until learners can perform a task on their own, holds a potential to improve assessments for test takers who need support to demonstrate their abilities, such as English learners (ELs). In this study, we evaluated the benefits of including scaffolded tasks in standardized speaking…

Using the notion of "structure of feeling" by Raymond Williams, this article seeks to illuminate an ideological understanding of Korean English teachers' anxiety and deep sense of insecurity in English language teaching (ELT). Through a discussion of how their anxiety is grounded deeply within unequal social relations and how they…

The present investigation was an attempt to study the effect of using compensation and determination strategies on Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners' vocabulary development. The question which the present study was trying to answer was: Do compensation and determination strategies have any statistically significant effects on Iranian upper-…

Foreign language (FL) writing has undergone a number of key evolutions over the past 50 years. But despite attempts toward a reframing of FL learners as emergent bilinguals, bilingual languaging strategies such as translanguaging are still rarely seen in most FL education contexts, and bilingual composition strategies are yet to become integrated…

The number of Asian immigrants in the United States has increased remarkably over the past decades and now accounts for nearly 30% of all immigrants in the country. However, the umbrella term "Asians" includes a wide range of variety. Acknowledging diversity among Asians, this study explores advantages of Asian bilingualism in the…

This study investigated the influence of L1 allophonic rule, L1 segment articulation, and gender in Korean learners' production of English /s/ in two different contexts (i.e., before a high front vowel vs. elsewhere) and at three different proficiency levels in English (i.e., low vs. intermediate vs. high). The influence of the Korean allophonic…

This study took place in a 300-level Filipino class at Hawai'i's state university. Originally, the researchers intended to study how English-Filipino translanguaging, the use of linguistic features of different languages to achieve meaning-making, (1) supports development of academic writing skills in Filipino for heritage learners who have…