This study examines the perspectives of Saudi heritage tour guides on their linguistic proficiency and their role in representing Saudi Islamic culture to international visitors. A questionnaire was used to explore how they perceive their responsibilities in conveying Saudi traditions, history, and Islamic values, as well as the effectiveness of…

The field of autonomous language learning in second language acquisition has experienced significant growth since its introduction by Holec in the 1980s. Several studies have explored how to promote learning autonomy in various spaces, including online learning environments. However, research related to autonomous language learning in online…

This is the first edited volume dedicated to both teachers and learners of second/foreign language (L2) pragmatics. It comprises a collection of studies that explore how teachers background and practices, and individual learners differences contribute to the teaching and learning of L2 pragmatics. Also included are chapters that present…

Graduates who typically have L1 English, have majored in one foreign language (FL, L2) or more at university and have gone on to occupy FL posts in the UK civil service have reported mismatches between their pre-employment L2 learning and the tasks they face in the workplace. Such reported divergences in UK civil service capability have not,…

Language teaching and learning have been significantly transformed by the advent of online technology. Learning and information-gathering have been dramatically boosted by technology. Owing to online learning, physical geography is no longer a major obstacle. However, there has not been much study to portray online technologies and online learning…

The paper considers project work as a form of individual student activity in the course of English for specific purposes (ESP). This type of work contributes to the acquisition of professional knowledge and the search for certain information for solving practical problems and, thus, activates cognitive activity. The implementation of the project…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners face tremendous challenges in supporting learners' development in English as an additional language (EAL). The lack of a formal ECD curriculum in South Africa exacerbates this challenge for African learners from historically disadvantaged backgrounds as there is a lack of guidance on how…

The article aims at evaluating the effectiveness of the Speaking Club in learning English for professional purposes at medical universities. The Speaking Club is presented as an integral part of the foreign language studies that, being a student-driven activity, promotes motivation as well as develops interaction and communication skills of its…

The first module of the online Master of Arts (MA) in Translation at the Open University, Introduction to Translation Theory and Practice, includes a language development strand which encourages students to diagnose their own language development needs and introduces them to tools, resources, strategies, and learning communities that will enable…

Language tandem exchanges offer students valuable opportunities for autonomous learning and authentic intercultural communication encounters. This paper will discuss the key principles of tandem language exchange, and in particular online ones, and then present the EU-funded European University Tandem (EUniTa) project which was developed by…

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District dual language teachers' feedback that was collected individually or during focus groups in the fall and winter of 2016-2017. Teachers gave their opinions about program components and suggestions for how to improve the program.

This small-scale study reported American students' perception of the effect of their internship conducted in a study abroad program on their development of Chinese language proficiency, intercultural competence, and professional knowledge. The results indicate that a self-evaluated successful internship allows interns with intermediate-level…

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) helps to ensure that ELs attain English proficiency and achieve academic success. OELA accomplishes these goals by administering discretionary grant programs to prepare professionals for teaching and disseminating information about educational research, practices, and…

While higher education internationalization efforts have traditionally been associated with the expansion of study abroad experiences, the recruitment of international students and scholars, as well as the growth of area studies and language programs, the past decade has seen an increase in a variety of multi-disciplinary approaches to…

"Un Buen Comienzo" [A Good Start] was a professional development program implemented with prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers in Chilean public schools serving low-income families. In a randomized trial, the program showed moderate to large impacts on classroom quality but no impacts on targeted child outcomes. To unpack these…