Language learners around the world are increasingly using applications (apps) to learn second/foreign languages (L2). However, research on the effectiveness of these apps for developing general language proficiency, particularly compared to classroom-based instruction, is still limited. This study examined the L2-English proficiency and lexical…

This study examines the evolution of blended learning (BL) research in higher education, focusing on its impact on English language proficiency (ELP) and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. Using 200 Scopus-indexed articles published from 2020 to 2025, we applied Publish or Perish and VOSviewer for bibliometric analysis. Results show a…

The teaching of the grammar of a second/foreign language has always been an issue that different teaching methods have considered. Studies in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) have shown that mere exposure to meaningful second language input is not enough for learners to reach proficiency in the target language. At beginner…

In this mixed-methods study, we investigated the relationship between instructional approach, students' self-efficacy beliefs, and students' English language proficiency, as well as the perceptions of the instructor and students regarding problem-based learning (PBL) in a College English course in China. Using path analysis, we assessed the…

This study explored the impact of a personalized learning plan (PLP) within a language massive open online course (LMOOC) on the oral presentation skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in Thailand. It also investigated students' attitudes to the LMOOC. The research was conducted with a sample of 178 university students enrolled in…

Referential expressions (REs) have been investigated in L2 English but to date there is no single study that systematically and simultaneously analyzes the development and acquisition of the multiple factors that constrain the choice of REs in natural discourse production. We investigate L1 Spanish-L2 English learners across three proficiency…

Many second language (L2) learners utilize writing resources (e.g., linguistic tools that help check their language, search engines, and websites) when writing in their L2. Nevertheless, these tools and resources are prohibited in most writing assessments based on the assumption that using them provides an inaccurate or unfair measure of…

A translingual approach to writing as a new paradigm has been proposed to challenge English monolingualism, question traditional ideas on language difference, advocate for writer agency in shaping their own language, and legitimize additional languages/varieties as resources rather than deficits in the target language teaching, learning, and…

This study addresses the problem of WCFLI language teachers' needs in helping adult foreign-language learners to attain higher proficiency levels through differentiated instruction. The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs analysis regarding differentiated instruction in the areas of WCFLI teachers' knowledge and skill, motivation, and…

This study examined how L2 listeners' proficiency levels interacted with the two major process-based listening instruction methods of (1) strategy training and (2) interactive training (which involved training in strategies and bottom-up skills), to influence the listeners' development. In a mixed-methods design, the quantitative component of the…

Evidence suggests that short-term study abroad experiences can help advance various dimensions of second language (L2) learners' linguistic competence. However, the extent to which gains following a brief sojourn are durable and maintained after immersion remains an open question. The present study examined both the immediate and sustained…

Whereas a growing amount of attention has been directed to the role of perceptual-cognitive aptitude in successful second language (L2) lexicogrammar learning, scholars have begun to investigate the same topic in the context of L2 pronunciation learning. To date, there is ongoing discussion on the mechanism underlying L2 speech learning in…

Higher education students in English medium instruction in non English-dominant countries use L2 to share ideas and demonstrate learning thorough the medium of English and are often required to enhance their ability to communicate in this language while studying. However, the conditions provided for these students in university courses may or may…

German plural formation appears unsystematic and largely arbitrary to many second language (L2) learners. While some approaches have attempted to identify patterns and rules to help L2 learners (e.g., Anton et al., 2017; Di Donato & Clyde, 2020; Kraiss, 2014), one central observation from linguistic analysis has been absent from pedagogical…

This study was aimed to check the effectiveness of links between individual and group autonomy of information technology (IT) students who studied ESP at university with the use of differentiated tasks. The mixed type of research was used. The study was held in 2020-2021 academic year and involved 40 IT students of the Physics and Technology…