Sociolinguistic variation (SLV) entails that language is affected by social context (i.e. register, pragmatics). Interest in the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation in a second language (L2-SLV), as a key component of communicative competence, has grown exponentially over the past thirty years (Geeslin & Long, 2014). Researchers have…

The appropriate amount of first language (L1) and second language (L2) to use in L2 learning has been constantly debated (e.g., Cummins, 2007; Hall & Cook, 2012). This study situates the debate of L1 and L2 use in the context of vocabulary learning from reading. By examining the potential moderating factors on the comparison of L1 and L2…

The tantalizing prospects of learning benefits from multimodal conditions on second language (L2) learning in general, and L2 vocabulary development in particular, have important implications. Indeed, opening a language learning app on any device provides the immediate experience of simultaneous input modalities, and a wide range of input types.…

Mandarin lexical tone learning has repeatedly been identified as a difficult linguistic feature for non-native speakers of tonal languages like English, even for native English learners of Mandarin at high proficiencies (e.g., Pelzl et al., 2019b). Sound perception training has been shown to help native English speakers perceive lexical tone…

Advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) over the past decade have largely been driven by the scale of data and computation used to train large neural network-based models. However, these techniques are inapplicable to the vast majority of the world's languages, which lack the vast digitized text datasets available for English and a few other…

This study looks at the use of the multimedia learning platform, Quizlet, to help newcomer ESOL students learn English vocabulary. The use of Quizlet to learn vocabulary is supported by Mayer's Cognitive Load Theory. With an influx of ESOL students, and a lack of teacher training, Quizlet may help to create a more equitable solution for newcomer…

Since Swain's (1985) Output Hypothesis, producing output in second language (L2) has been assumed to be a crucial cognitive process that promotes L2 acquisition, by actively facilitating various cognitive processes (e.g., noticing, hypothesis testing, conscious reflections of own language use, and automatization of the linguistic knowledge) (de…

Arabic orthography is mainly presented either in shallow orthography (with all diacritics) for novice students or in deep orthography (without diacritics) for superior readers. However, the shallow orthography is heavily loaded with diacritics which may burden the reading process, whereas deep orthography can cause ambiguity (heterophonic…

An issue in education today is the lack of effective teaching methods for immigrant and emergent bilingual students. Mathematics teachers of students that speak English as a second language face particular challenges because of the complexities of math vocabulary words, which may bring more confusion. My study examines methods one secondary…

This dissertation studied the effects of Teacher Directed Games (TDGs) on student vocabulary development and student engagement in a second language. Achieving automaticity with vocabulary is crucial to mastering a second language. A sample of 40 first grade students in a Jewish Day School participated in the study. Students learned their…

Relatively little research has considered how tasks are performed and experienced by students in different types of classrooms. Research shows that innovative classroom designs can lead to higher levels of cognitive engagement, connections between form and meaning, and more diverse forms of input (Schmidt, 1990; Svalberg, 2012) and are…

Embodied models of language comprehension assume that words become associated with sensorimotor experiences during word learning. Novel word learning paradigms may provide insight into embodied effects, but studies in this domain have yet to account for how concepts and information known in first language (L1) might influence the sensorimotor…

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…

Previous studies in second language teaching have called attention to the importance and benefits of including reading, especially graded readers (i.e., books adapted to the proficiency level of the students), in the L2 curriculum (Martinez, 2017; Rodrigo, 2018). On one hand, previous scholars have found the following benefits from graded readers:…

This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore how English as a Second Language (ESL) and Language Arts teachers describe how they use morphology structure instructional strategies to support ESL students' vocabulary development in the United States. This research study's theoretical foundation focused on the seven-step process pre-teaching…