This dissertation investigates the interplay between the implicit knowledge that learners have of a nonnative language and their processing of that language, examining two types of relative clauses (RCs) in English: gapped RCs (e.g., "the man that they hired") and resumptive RCs (e.g., *"the man that they hired him").…

Within English supplementary tutoring centers in China, the professional development teachers are afforded is limited due to time constraints and the qualifications of teacher trainers within those centers. To facilitate a novel means of engaging teachers in their professional development related to guided reading, an innovation configurations map…

People have many reasons to want to learn a foreign language: some want to enjoy foreign media in its original form, some need it for business or travel, personal enrichment, and so on. Roughly 1/6 of Earth's population's learn languages with logographic writing systems (LWS) such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean as their native tongues. These…

World language (WL) teachers are often at the forefront of using cutting edge technology for language teaching and learning purposes. However, as technology is ever changing, WL educators often lack adequate professional development (PD) opportunities to ensure effective technology integration while maintaining their technological, pedagogical,…

There are major global changes and transformations that have affected the structure and operation of all the social-economic activities of the industrialized economies, the educational industry included (Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Steinmueller, 2002; Shane, 2004a). Because of these changes, the nature of most universities worldwide has rapidly…

Enrollment into Arabic as a second language (ASL) in Dubai has increased steadily due to the high influx of expatriates' populations. Although Arabic is the primary language in Dubai, the government has mandated that Arabic be taught in all private schools for non-native Arabic speakers from grades one to nine. This was at the time when the…

Adult learners often have difficulty reaching high proficiency levels in a foreign language, and curriculum experts are on a constant quest for innovative practices in foreign language learning. The problem addressed by this study was that even with the implementation of different pedagogical approaches, including immersion and technology…

This dissertation examines how English language learners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) realize learner autonomy, especially in the context of the learner's meaning development via purposeful vocabulary acquisition. This project is a qualitative case study that engages both teachers and English learners as subjects over a prolonged period of…

This study explores the perceived effectiveness of an Inner Circle created ELT professional development program implemented in China. The study begins with a review of historical literature of ELT in China (highlighting changes and challenges in educational reforms), moves into a discussion of the program and curriculum, and ends with a merged…

Mobile devices have become a significant part of students' lives. The average number of hours that college students reported using their smartphones each day was nine hours--more than half of their daily waking hours (Roberts, Yaya, & Manolis, 2014). Although software developers and teachers have started to develop and incorporate various…

A growing number of studies have reported the potential use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and other types of technology for ESL and EFL students. So far, most studies on CALL have focused on CALL-classroom comparisons (Chenoweth & Murday, 2003; Chenoweth, Ushida, & Murday, 2007; Fitze, 2006; Neri, Mich, Gerosa, &…

In recent years, L2 researchers from the sociocultural and cognitive linguistic perspectives have emphasized the importance of properly organized explicit and in-depth grammar instruction for second or foreign language learning. Such instruction is believed to lead learners to systematic understanding of the target features faster and more…

In the highest of need for a transformative new pedagogy with adolescent English Language Learners, I designed and conducted this qualitative case study to answer the questions on the in-depth meaning of innovative teaching practices in new times. Grounded in the sociocultural perspectives, and in accordance with the qualitative case study…

The dissertation investigates the effect of a concept-based approach to teaching the Chinese temporal system to English-speaking university learners at the elementary level. The pedagogical framework, Systematic-Theoretical Instruction (STI), adopted in this study was proposed by Piotr Gal'perin and originated from Vygotsky's…

Learning English as a foreign language (EFL), a highly valued skill in the Chilean marketplace, is an arduous and complex personal endeavor requiring high student motivation. Reflecting this challenge is the heightened anxiety among EFL students, whose work has been associated with historically meager results. Blended learning, the fusion of…