Given the increasing emphasis of communicative competence in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts and the lack of validation research on speaking assessments for adolescent EFL learners, in the current study we examined the validity of the TOEFL Junior® speaking test, a relatively new speaking assessment developed by Educational Testing…

This cross-sectional study compares the written language of Thai EFL students in their first two years of university study. First- and second-year students (N = 170) wrote opinion paragraphs by hand in response to six prompts. Using automated textual analysis tools, clausal (subordination), phrasal (coordinated phrases and complex nominals), and…

While foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been explored by researchers, little is known about such anxiety in the context of graduate education beyond courses or programs specifically for language acquisition. The current study addressed this gap by exploring FLA experienced by Chinese graduate students for whom English is a second language. The…

The study investigates learners' awareness of their linguistic landscape (LL) and perspectives on the use of LL as part of classroom teaching and learning. It also examines the course instructor's pedagogical perspective on the use of LL. The study aims to explore the potential benefits of utilizing bilingual public signage representing…

The Bottleneck Hypothesis argues that properties of inflectional morphology explain why second-language learners may face persistent difficulties in articulating meaning in target-language forms. In particular, the acquisition task proves even harder when first and second languages differ in the way they organize the mapping of functional features…

This article problematizes the practice of relying on participant self-identification in research on religious, secular, and spiritual identity (RSSI) within the field of higher education, with particular attention to the implications related to participants who chose non-religious labels. While this practice is commonplace in the field, it is…

Despite the rapid increase in international students in the education sector, this area remains an under-researched. In Australia, many schools welcome international learners, but are also aware that the support they can offer cannot fully address the student's needs. Drawing on surveys (n = 51) and focus group interviews (n = 16), this case study…

This case study explored how the translanguaging stance of two instructors from different disciplines was reflected in their course design, instructional decision-making, and interactions with students at a large Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the state of Texas in the United States. The results of the study revealed that the instructors…

Effective school leaders focus on identifying the changes needed to improve student learning. However, school improvement is often reduced to a checklist of compliance activities, and, consequently, achievement gaps continue to stay the status quo, or even widen. This paper reports on a qualitative case study analyzing how professional learning…

This paper reports the uses and practices of literacy in English of primary schoolchildren in Malaysia. Data was gathered from two children, their parents and the English subject teacher. The results reveal four major findings. First, the results reveal that the students' experience with out-of-school literacies in English were largely afforded by…

Student mental health is a growing concern for universities; increasing numbers of students are experiencing wellbeing issues, and distance learners are particularly at risk. Evidence indicates that triggers for mental health difficulties can reside within higher education environments, systems and study practices, implying that a proactive,…

Concerned for student safety and intrigued by how research could impact institutional policy and practice, this paper describes findings from an action research project to raise questions and awareness about sexual harassment on an international branch campus in China. Due to the multicultural environment of the campus, it was felt that culturally…

This multiple case study focused on the implementation of a computer-aided design (CAD) simulation to help students engage in engineering design to learn science concepts. Our findings describe three case studies that adopted the same learning design and adapted it to three different populations, settings, and classroom contexts: at the…

The purposes of this paper are: to assess how comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is implemented in schools in the World Health Organisation's European Region; and to investigate the evidence supporting its effectiveness. Data were collected in 2016-2017, using a validated questionnaire sent to representatives of governmental and…

This article features a creative fabrication project assigned to participants in a short-term education abroad program at a Midwestern state university in the US. The Get-in-Touch assignment merged intercultural research and studio work to enrich and transform participants' travel experience in China. Several aesthetic stances (mimetic,…