This article outlines a faculty-led, interdisciplinary study abroad program to Dakar, Senegal, in 2014 and 2016 sponsored by South Dakota State University (SDSU) and hosted by the West African Research Center (WARC). This article highlights in particular the contributions of Geography, Global Studies, and Francophone Studies to program design and…

For second language (L2) learners of Chinese who are native speakers of alphabetic languages, it is common that even after years of learning, reading discourse-length authentic Chinese texts (e.g., newspaper articles and novels) is still an intimidating, laborious, and frustrating task. Two factors, among others, contribute to this problem. One is…

Higher education Spanish programs in the United States are diverse and complex, especially when it comes to student linguistic background. However, most studies on language proficiency were designed for traditional learners (L2s). In this study, we examine oral proficiency development of 125 Spanish majors in light of four linguistic profiles:…

This article explores how world language communities of practice advance internationalization at home on a university campus through qualitative case study research. These communities exemplify a multidimensional approach to global engagement, blending global perspectives with the local campus through non-formal and cross-cultural language…

The burgeoning interest in integrating technology into language education has necessitated language teachers to enhance their competencies and literacies. Consequently, a pressing need arises for a framework tailored to meet teachers' evolving requirements. To address this imperative, I conducted two studies within two distinct teaching contexts.…

Given that meaningful interaction is, in many respects, the backbone of L2 acquisition, language programs have often promoted language exchanges, which connect L2 learners outside the classroom. The present paper discusses two such programs, the "Sprachmentoren" Program (SMP) and "Tandemprojekt" (TP), which were introduced to…

In view of the traditional teaching mode, this study focuses on the application of big data in personalized English teaching in colleges and universities. It aims at improving the teaching effect by using big data. By combining personalized teaching and big data theory, this paper analyzes the current situation of college English teaching,…

This article details the challenges and best practices of evaluating second language learners for placement into postsecondary Spanish language courses. The literature on testing for placement purposes in second language acquisition and language testing provides a great deal of insight, but language programs must make many decisions as well that…

The study explores the attitudes of undergraduate Flagship students in the United States towards Arabic-accented speech in English. It examines the Familiarity Principle among these students and analyzes their attitudes based on socio-intellectual status, aesthetic quality, and dynamism of Arabic-accented speech. The study also discusses the…

This research presents a novel reading fluency (rf) measurement formula that accounts for both reading rate and comprehension. Possible formulas were investigated with 68 participants in a strategic reading course in an IEP at a small Pacific Island university. The selected formula's scores demonstrated concurrent validity through strong…

This article describes the extra support required for outgoing students on their Year Abroad (YA) journey. It highlights the increasing need for and relevance of peer mentoring of YA students in preparing them to deal with different structures and organisations where external support might be insufficient or even non-existent. It also outlines…

This comparative case study analysis investigated the effect of a flipped classroom model on college students' foreign language learning, under the Constructivist theoretical framework and Bloom's taxonomy. Flipped classroom model, also called flipped learning, emerged a decade ago in the education system as an innovative instruction method for it…

The purpose of this study is to find out the views of a group of instructors and the administrators of the School of Foreign Languages (SFLs) on the Pearson Assured (PA) accreditation process in terms of the quality management of their institutions. To achieve this purpose, we employed document review and semi-structured interviews. To analyze the…

Second-language (L2) learner motivation has been a thriving subfield within L2 acquisition research for decades, particularly since the development of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), a multi-faceted motivational theory. This survey-based study examines (1) whether L2MSS facets differ between students intending to continue (or discontinue)…

Over the last several years, faculty have engaged students and community members in a series of collaborative projects with the goal of addressing complex issues such as identity, language, and belonging. I posit that the work we have been doing constitutes a broader innovative humanities project centered on cultural studies. To demonstrate as…