Recent conceptualizations of language learning motivation have highlighted its dynamic and contextual nature. Yet the role of the L2 learning context in shaping motivation remains under-explored. This study adopts an agency perspective to examine emerging motivational orientations across diverse medium of instruction settings. The present study…

This article presents reflections from 12 experts on "language learners strategy" (LLS) research. They were asked to offer their reflections in one of their domains of expertise, linking research into LLS with successful language learning and use practices. In essence, they were called upon to provide a review of recent scholarship by…

This review involved 60 articles chosen from 336 empirical studies identified in five leading journals on the learning and teaching of Chinese as a second or foreign language in mainland China during the period 2014-2018. The selected studies document Chinese researchers' efforts to improve the teaching and learning of the Chinese language in…

The promotion of the English language continues to be instrumental in helping China to engage with the world, but it has caused identity anxiety and cultural uncertainty among language learners. In this paper, we analyze data from a favorite-character-presentation task and an oral survey conducted with 82 preschool children in Shanghai. We found…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced university-based language teachers to rely on technology for teaching. While the challenges of the rushed move to online teaching have been well documented, less is known about how teachers adapted to online teaching through professional development. This article focuses on the experiences of four English-language…

This study draws on the activity theory to explore how bilingual first-year secondary school students appropriate resources strategically in response to linguistic challenges in learning science through English in Hong Kong. The study explored 12 bilingual students' self-regulated strategy use by conducting in-depth interviews, stimulated recalls,…

Collaborative learning in online contexts is emotionally challenging for language learners. To achieve successful learning outcomes, language learners need to regulate their emotions and sustain positive emotions during the collaborative learning process. This study investigated language learners' emotion regulation and enjoyment, the most…

This article reviews studies on teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language (CSL/CFL) inside and outside Mainland China. In the review process, we analyzed a total of 1358 Chinese language articles and 175 English language articles from CNKI [Chinese characters omitted] and Web of Science, respectively, during the period from 2004 to 2016. By…

The rising popularity of the Chinese language as a subject for study has motivated research on international students' cultural adaptation and language learning during periods of study abroad in China. This inquiry examined the challenges that a group of New Zealand students encountered and the strategic responses they adopted in relation to…

In light of China's 'Belt and Road' initiative, many mainland Chinese universities have been promoting non-English foreign language degree programs at the undergraduate level. This study examines the growth of these non-English foreign language programs by collecting and analysing a variety of data on curriculum design, teachers and learners…

This article reports on a study that investigated how 665 Japanese language learners, who had started learning Japanese at different times in the last 3 decades, had been motivated to learn Japanese in China. Analysis of the survey data revealed that the participants displayed similar intercultural orientations when learning Japanese despite the…

Research on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programmes has yielded mixed results regarding their impact on students' language learning, drawing attention to the role of CLIL teachers. This study draws on teacher language awareness research to explore secondary subject content teachers' language-related pedagogical practices when…

In this review, we highlight 60 articles from 1,120 empirical studies in leading language learning and teaching journals published on the Chinese mainland during the years 2008-2011. In preparing the review, we have found Chinese researchers addressing a wide range of topics including language learners' cognitive processes, their language…

There has been a widespread belief that teachers in Asian contexts including Japan and China are well protected by a tradition that reveres teachers. However, in Chinese contexts, cultural traditions have been found to undermine the teaching profession, together with educational reforms and societal changes. This paper reports on an inquiry that…

Research engagement has been widely considered crucial in transforming teachers into "expert knowers about their students and classrooms" (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999, p. 16). This article reports on a mixed-method study of the research engagement of a group of primary school teachers in China's Guangdong province, focusing…