This study explores how English education developed in North Korea by analyzing the characteristics of secondary English textbooks published in the pre- and post-Kim Jong Un eras. We performed comparative analyses of textbooks for six secondary schools--three each for the junior middle and senior middle schools--published before and after Kim Jong…

This paper examined two poems: 'Winter' by Anne Hunter and 'Against Winter' by Charles Simic from a stylistic perspective. It conducted a stylistic analysis to elucidate how the poets' intended meanings are constructed in an effective manner through the principles of 'foregrounding': linguistic deviation, linguistic parallelism, and informality,…

This best-evidence synthesis appraises the design and outcome characteristics of vocabulary intervention studies conducted with preschool through 6th grade emergent bilingual (EB) children and spotlights rigorously designed studies for which effects could be better attributed to instructional features. Twenty-nine selected studies were analysed…

Learning to read marks an important milestone in children. Extensive research with monolingual and bilingual children has demonstrated that language comprehension (LC) forms fundamental building blocks for reading comprehension (RC). However, mixed findings are reported among studies that compare readings skills in children with and without…

In EFL countries where English is rarely practiced outside the classroom, textbooks have become the major input source for learners. Particularly in Vietnam, multiple textbook series are available simultaneously for the same grade. Thus, it is important to examine if their vocabulary is appropriate and of similar difficulty. This study aims to…

Studies on automatic scoring systems in writing assessments have also evaluated the relationship between human and machine scores for the reliability of automated essay scoring systems. This study investigated the magnitudes of indices for inter-rater agreement and discrepancy, especially regarding human and machine scoring, in writing assessment.…

Glossing is a widely used and examined vocabulary learning tool, and one of the major branches of glossing research has compared the relative effects of first language (L1) and second language (L2) glosses on reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. However, the findings in this literature have not been consistent, calling for a…

The current mixed-methods study aimed at incorporating a virtual reality (VR) tool (i.e. Google Expeditions) into the writing process of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, examining its impact on their writing motivation and performance. To that end, 42 EFL learners were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups,…

The use of accommodations is often recommended to remove barriers to academic testing among English Learners (ELs). However, it is unclear whether accommodations are particularly effective at improving ELs' test scores. A growing foundation of empirical work has explored this topic. We conducted a meta-analysis that examined several possible…

Comparing language tests and test preparation materials holds important implications for the latter's validity and reliability. However, not enough studies compare such materials across a wide range of indices. Therefore, this study investigated the text complexity of IELTS academic reading tests (IRT) and IELTS reading practice tests (IRPrT).…

The current study considers the notion that English textbooks produced for different markets are likely to manifest different pedagogical emphases. The study begins the research context by contemplating possible similarities and differences between English textbooks produced in two neighbouring markets, Hong Kong (HK) and the People's Republic of…

Automated writing evaluation (AWE) has been frequently used to provide feedback on student writing. Many empirical studies have examined the effectiveness of AWE on writing quality, but the results were inconclusive. Thus, the magnitude of AWE's overall effect and factors influencing its effectiveness across studies remained unclear. This study…

Cohesion plays an important role in science texts as their comprehension depends much on structural and textual signalling, which demonstrates the organisation of the text, the logical links of ideas, and the intended purpose of the writer. Particularly, research has shown that English learners (ELs) rely more on cohesive markers than their…

This meta-analysis synthesized research on math performance outcomes for English learners (EL) as a function of language-focused (math vocabulary) interventions. We included group and single-subject design studies with children from kindergarten to 8th grade (3,766 students for group, 30 for single-subject). Group studies yielded a mean Hedges' g…

The quality of language produced is greatly influenced by the quality of language input. Reading is a major source of language and knowledge input. In Pakistan, two types of books written in the English language are available for the reader. The first type includes the books written and published in Pakistan and the second type is of the books…