In this article, we examine the language policy that underlies the training of Norwegian teachers in Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools. Based on a critically oriented document analysis of current policy documents, we consider (1) the language competence required to work as a Norwegian teacher, and (2) what can be inferred from the…

This paper examines the effectiveness of vocabulary activation strategies in enhancing the speaking proficiency of English as Second Language (ESL) learners in rural areas. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by ESL learners in these regions, the study investigates how targeted vocabulary knowledge strategies can improve oral communication. A…

Purpose: This study presents a comprehensive exploration of lexical and grammatical development in Palestinian Arabic (PA). The study aims to test the validity of the Palestinian Arabic Communicative Development Inventory (PA-CDI) as well as generate growth curves for lexical and morphosyntactic development, examine the order of emergence of both…

Background/purpose: The integrated skills approach has enhanced students' English proficiency and classroom engagement, yet challenges persist in its effective implementation. This study examines the impact of a pedagogical framework, based on six fundamental teaching stages, on students' English proficiency in General English classrooms and…

The transition from kindergarten to the first grade of elementary school is a crucial developmental period that can significantly influence pupils' academic trajectories. This study aimed to examine whether adaptation to the school environment moderates the relationship between skill-specific performance and academic achievement in two core…

Kindergarten transition programs support successful school transitions for families and may reduce disparities in academic readiness upon school entry. Yet, access and participation in high-quality summer transition programs are lower among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study examined the impact of a summer kindergarten transition…

Computer-supported collaborative argumentation (CSCA) is an effective pedagogy to help deepen the learners' understanding of content knowledge and develop their 21st-century competencies such as communication and collaboration skills, as well as creative and inventive thinking. In this study, the Spiral Model of Collaborative Knowledge Improvement…

This study examines the influence of language environment on language and reading skills and the cross-linguistic contributions to reading outcomes in 132 Spanish-English bilingual children ages 7-12 (52% female; 98% Hispanic). We present three major findings: children's language knowledge is separable into general (e.g., phonological awareness)…

The current study examined early grammatical marking in a relatively understudied language, Mandarin, by using the Mandarin version of MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Two waves of data collection included 338 monolingual children (17-36 months; 143 female) at Time 1 and 308 children (32-55 months; 139 female) at Time 2 and…

The emergence of newer educational technologies provides opportunities for computer-assisted language learning practitioners and software developers to capitalize on the affordances for the second language (L2) learning purposes. This article explored and brought together the reported affordances and challenges of virtual reality to teach the L2…

It has been suggested that children's drawings are associated with their representation ability. However, there is little research on the cognitive basis of drawing in young children. In this study, we investigated the relationship between drawing, language ability, and the presence of imaginary companions (ICs) in children aged between three and…

This paper investigates the extent to which proficiency in English and French as a form of human capital individually determine earnings in Rwanda's labour market and whether it still pays to be bilingual. Using data from the nationally representative Labour Force Survey conducted in 2018, our findings show that after controlling for other human…

Purpose: Previous research has indicated the beneficial effects of musical training on speech perception in children. However, little has been known about whether musical training exerts transfer effects on fine-grained perception of linguistic pitch and time information. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different musical training…

This longitudinal study investigated the development of oral narrative skills in monolingual Swedish-speaking children (N = 17). The MAIN Cat/Dog stories were administered at four timepoints between age 4 and 9. Different narrative aspects were found to develop differently. In story comprehension, the children performed high already at T1 (4;4)…

Smartphone use is ubiquitous in the lives of parents, and an emerging area of research is investigating how parental smartphone use during parent-child interactions affects children's language outcomes. Findings point toward negative outcomes in language development, but it is less clear what processes affect language outcomes. Gaze following,…