Given waning second language (L2) enrollments in K-16 contexts, L2 programs must strive to understand their learners, as changes in their sociocultural environment can impact students' attitudes and, subsequently, their desire and ability to learn an L2. Thus, the authors conducted a two-wave analysis of 68 first-year L2 students' attitudes,…

This article investigates the rules of schooling which might be new to recently immigrated adolescents with few prior experiences of school-based learning. The purpose was to study how the 'external grammar' (Gee 2005)--i.e. the thoughts, beliefs, values, actions and social interactions--associated with a classroom was negotiated in a language…

With the growing popularity of early foreign language learning (EFLL) programmes in elementary schools, the transition to secondary school constitutes a crucial bridge. Ensuring a smooth transition that builds on students' L2 language proficiency and gradually shifts pedagogical approaches is key for long-term success. The present study examines…

This dissertation explores Spanish copular verbs, "ser" and "estar" (both 'to be' in English), in pre-adjectival contexts within two Spanish varieties: first-language (L1) Chilean speakers from Santiago (N = 29) and second-language (L2) English-speaking learners studying in Chile (N = 31). Bridging sociolinguistics and second…

It is widely believed that the teacher is one of the most important factors influencing a student's success at school. In many countries, teachers' salaries and promotion prospects are determined by their students' performance. Value-added models (VAMs) are increasingly used to measure teacher effectiveness to reward or penalize teachers. The aim…

This paper presents and discusses the results of a study which investigated the needs, attitudes and beliefs of foreign language teachers of refugees in Greece and other countries of Europe. The research which was conducted in two phases, with the one being the pilot phase, involved approximately 120 teachers who commented on the difficulties that…

Purpose: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted face to face instruction, most of the educational institutions have been obliged to continue their education through distance education without examining the conditions necessary for effective online learning. The researcher who offered more than 100 class hours of English instruction…

The current study examined the occurrence and benefits of linguistic alignment in two modalities, face-to-face (FTF) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC), focusing on stranded prepositions in relative clauses. It further examined how learner characteristics (i.e., working memory, language proficiency, previous knowledge of the…

This mixed-method study aims to investigate learners' perceptions of transactional distance and the association of those perceptions with learner outcomes in an online English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Transactional distance theory formed the theoretical basis of the study. The quantitative data were collected from the learners enrolled…

This paper reports on a case study of seven undergraduate students' classroom participation in an English-medium university in an EFL context, with a focus on their perceptions about the factors affecting their involvement in interactional opportunities in a specific speaking course. Results suggest that student participation in a foreign language…

This dissertation investigates the longitudinal development of Chinese language proficiency among students in a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Flagship Program at an American public university from 2014 to 2024. Using Bayesian multilevel regression models, this study assesses the trajectories of listening, speaking, and reading proficiency…

Research has largely been silent on English Learner (EL) persistence and completion in U.S. community colleges, yet studies conducted across higher education report that only one in eight ELs completes a bachelor's degree (Kanno & Cromley, 2013). Many interventions have been proposed to improve college student persistence and completion. This…

This paper discusses the methodological and logistical complexities that underpin multi-method, multi-sited, multi-phased research with vulnerable communities. The project on which we draw was a 3-year Australian government-funded, longitudinal and cross-sectional exploration of students from refugee backgrounds (SfRBs) as they moved into, through…

The educational opportunities, experiences, and outcomes of immigrant students are shaped in critical ways by the districts and schools they attend. Using the framework of immigrant contexts of reception to guide our analysis, and drawing on administrative data from two states, we examine contexts of reception for newcomers as a whole and for…

The educational opportunities, experiences, and outcomes of immigrant students are shaped in critical ways by the districts and schools they attend. Using a context of reception framework, we draw on administrative data from two states to examine several features of contexts of reception for newcomers as a whole and for newcomer subgroups.…