This research sets out to unveil the potential enrichment of initial narrative writing processes in a group of EFL 5th graders through the implementation of picture books as useful tools which can be used to shape the natural ability of telling an event or a sequence of events systematically of EFL students at this level. In this qualitative…

This study aimed at comparing two types of IELTS writing task 1 namely, bar charts and tables of Iranian test takers in terms of four IELTS writing assessment criteria including task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammar range and accuracy. The study also sought to identify test takers' strengths and weaknesses in the…

As the foundation of English, the vocabulary difficulty should be removed first with effective instructions to develop learners' English ability in order to meet the request of Thailand's national curriculum. In addition, because English is used as a medium of intercultural communication and one component of language learning, diverse cultural…

The purpose of this report is to propose a theory of action for the development of an alternate English language proficiency assessment (AELPA) system to support the integrated instruction and assessment for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities (ELSCDs). This theory of action examines the purposes of an ELP assessment system…

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effects of task-based language teaching (TBLT) with a tour guide simulation as a focused activity on young Thai learners' English speaking skills and their attitudes towards the instruction. Methodology: Based on a three-phase framework (i.e., pre-task, during-task, and post-task), TBLT was implemented with…

The purpose of this study is threefold: firstly, to explore the relationship between EFL learners' cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, and language learning achievement, secondly, to find out the relationship between EFL learners' language learning styles and strategies and their L2 achievement, and thirdly, to uncover the relationship…

This paper reports how robot-assisted language learning (RALL) impacts Japanese adults' English speaking skills. With existing research on RALL focusing on children, there is little evidence indicating RALL's effects on adults. We developed a RALL system comprising a robot, a tablet, and designed learning materials for speaking practice. To…

As academic language skills develop, young learners are able to rise to the challenge of increasingly complex communication in increasingly formal settings (Snow, 2014; Uccelli et al., 2015). Studies suggest that CLIL contexts may favour the development of academic language skills (Dalton-Puffer, 2007; Nikula, 2007; Marsh, 2008; Pasqual Peña,…

The last two decades have witnessed a large number of studies on the flipped classroom. Learning attitudes, interest and intrinsic motivation in mobile device-aided flipped English class (MFC) has, however, seldom been studied in comparison with the traditional video-aided flipped English class (VFC). Randomly selecting 375 participants and using…

We explored the vocabulary and metaphor comprehension of learners of English as an additional language (EAL) in the first two years of UK primary school. EAL vocabulary knowledge is believed to be a crucial predictor of (reading) comprehension and educational attainment (Murphy, 2018). The vocabulary of five- to seven-year-old children with EAL…

This longitudinal randomized trial study investigated the effects of phonological specificity training on second language (L2) vocabulary learning. Eighty-six Dutch secondary-school students participated in one of two experimental conditions or in an animacy judgment (active control) condition. Participants in the phonological specificity training…

This study investigated the relative effectiveness of two instructional interventions (implicit and explicit feedback) as a function of implicit sequence-learning ability. Second language (L2) attainment was measured by means of a self-paced reading task, which shows online sensitivity to language errors. Implicit sequence-learning ability was…

The development of academic English proficiency and the time it takes to reclassify to fluent English proficient status are key issues in English learner (EL) policy. This article develops a shared random effects model (SREM) to estimate English proficiency development and time to reclassification simultaneously, treating student-specific random…

Heritage language families inhabit multiple languages, literacies and cultures. Enabling children to participate in heritage language and culture has beneficial effects in terms of identity, and cognitive development. Games-based technologies are opening up avenues for playful engagement with heritage language and literacy, but little is known…

This study examined the impact of providing access to word pronunciation on the assessment of L2 Chinese learners' vocabulary knowledge. Chinese heritage learners (HLs) and foreign language learners (FLs) studying in American universities undertook a computer-based test in which they had first to select a picture that represented the meaning of a…