The present dissertation reports two experiments that examine implicit and explicit language learning methods and their impacts on early vocabulary, grammar, and phonological acquisition, in addition to working memory, proactive/reactive control, and fluid intelligence, as well as learner motivation. Experiment 1 investigated adult L2 acquisition…

This review paper explores the role of individual differences in second language vocabulary learning, focusing on three key factors: out-of-class exposure (e.g., viewing TV, playing video games and listening to songs), strategic vocabulary learning, and motivation. Individual differences significantly impact vocabulary learning, making it crucial…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has considerably advanced the methods for individualizing language learning opportunities, such as assessing learning progress and recommending effective individual instruction. In the present study, we conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize recent empirical findings pertaining to the utilization of AI-guided language…

Self-regulated learning has been frequently investigated and reported to be effective for second language education, so increasingly more researchers and educators have been interested in cultivating self-regulated second language learners. To assist researchers and educators, it appears beneficial to review previous studies concerning the…

This study employed a mixed-methods approach to examine how rater performance develops during a semester-long rater certification program for an English as a Second Language (ESL) writing placement test at a large US university. From 2016 to 2018, we tracked three groups of novice raters (n = 30) across four rounds in the certification program.…

Recent studies suggest that developing L2 receptive knowledge of single words is associated with increased receptive knowledge of collocations. However, no study to date has directly examined the interrelationship between productive word knowledge and productive collocation knowledge. To address this gap, the present study administered a…

Research on self-directed learning practices has ascertained various potential benefits of learner achievement. As mobile technology offers highly practical and portable usage for self-directed learning, studies on language learning practices through technology-based applications have become prevalent among adult learners. This study aimed to…

This article revisits the role of cognitive individual differences in creating synergies between second language (L2) writing and second language acquisition research that were proposed by Kormos (2012). It takes stock of the advances in research findings, in the past decade, on the role of working memory and language learning aptitude in L2…

This paper draws from a collaborative project in which we piloted a Critical Multilingual Language Awareness approach (CMLA) in a preparatory class for recently arrived secondary school students in Sweden. We adapted material on Language Awareness from "We Are Multilingual" (https://www.wamcam.org). This adapted approach followed the…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly become a pivotal force in education, offering personalized learning pathways and dynamic solutions to longstanding instructional challenges. In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, idiomatic competence remains a challenging aspect of language development, often eluding effective coverage through…

Although research interest in second language (L2) teachers has grown, novice L2 teachers remain understudied, especially writing teachers. Existing research on L2 writing teachers has largely centred on cognitive development, often overlooking crucial personal and socio-contextual aspects. Utilising a narrative case study approach, this study…

The field of second language acquisition (SLA) research had long been governed by a paradigm that prioritized cognition over emotion. Recently, increased attention has been drawn to the role of "perezhivanie" in language development as Vygotsky's sociocultural theory (SCT) brought together emotion and cognition, thereby offering an…

Learning English as a foreign language (EFL) beyond the classroom is challenging in non-native English-speaking developing countries with limited resources. However, learning English beyond the classroom occurs in an informal way to support language learning for many autonomous or independent adult learners. This paper explores the habit of…

Although the notion of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has been widely promoted in language classrooms, few empirical studies report how social media, such as Instagram, could be used as a virtual learning platform to engage students in learning how to communicate interculturally. Framed within the global Englishes (GE) concept as the…

Utilizing a structural equation modeling approach, this article aims to examine the dynamics between Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and Intercultural Competence (ICC). Altogether, 1490 Chinese college students from different types of universities in China answered the self-developed and validated IDLE-ICC questionnaire. The results…