This study aimed at investigating English grammar knowledge of a group of Thai university students. The three main research questions revolved around their knowledge of English grammar, the kinds of difficulties they had encountered in using the grammar as well as their perceptions of the roles of grammar in using English. The participants were…

Students from the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Program targeted in the present study are expected to achieve a C1 level of English proficiency according to the Common European Framework (CEF). However, only a five per cent of the students has evidenced this level on the institutional English exam (Ileusco Test, henceforth IT) for the past…

Unlike linguistic fossilization, pragmatic fossilization has received scant attention in fossilization research. To bridge this gap, the present study adopted a typical-error method of fossilization research to identify the most frequent errors in pragmatic routines committed by Persian-speaking learners of L2 English and explore the sources of…

Districts nationwide are challenged with how best to address the needs of an increasing number of non-English or limited-English speaking students. These young people are similarly challenged as they face new environs, unfamiliar cultural settings, and significant communication issues. Findings have indicated that an arts-rich education can assist…

The development of distance learning courses for less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) often meets with instructional challenges, especially for Asian LCTLs with their distinct non-Roman characters and structures. This study documents the implementation of a fully online, elementary Japanese course at Stony Brook University. The curriculum was…

This article reports on a study that examined the personal employment paths of six international academics at a British university. To complement previous accounts of difficult migration, it focuses on the successful experiences of such academics, in particular how proficiency in English facilitated their move into employment in higher education…

Self-efficacy is an essential part of motivation that leads to the engagement in individual learning process. This study focuses on exploring the levels and sources of self-efficacy of foreign language learners who are in different learning stages. 518 students, as a sample of this study, were asked to fill in the questionnaire before it was…

This paper reports an investigation into whether a test of productive vocabulary size using a category generation task can be useful and effective. A category generation task is a simple task where learners are asked to name as many as words as they can from a prescribed category such as "animals" or "body" parts. The virtue of…

Background: The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) developed by Council of Europe has been gaining popularity since its publication in 2001, and reshaping the practice in language teaching, learning and assessment not only across the European continent but also in many other places such as Japan (CEFR-J project). Some pioneering work…

Context is vitally important in conceptualizing the construct and specifying the content of language learning, teaching, and assessment. In a rapidly changing globalized world, it is difficult but very important to identify and capture the unique features of local contexts. In this article, the experience of China will be used to discuss the…

The goal of this Research Brief is to identify schools in which English Language Learners (ELLs) exhibit high growth in English language acquisition. In 2015-2016, a new English Language Proficiency test, known as Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-toState for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs) was used for the…

This Information Capsule summarizes the research on Structured English Immersion (SEI) programs. Most school districts use either the SEI or Bilingual Education (BE) model to instruct elementary level English Language Learners (ELLs). In SEI programs, ELLs receive all or most of their instruction in English. BE programs provide instruction in two…

This report compared the academic achievement of prekindergarten students who were enrolled in Houston Independent School District (HISD) early childhood centers (ECC) during the 2015-2016 school year to their peers who attended school-based programs. Academic achievement was measured on the HISD CIRCLE English and Spanish language, literacy, and…

This evaluation compared mean scores and proficiency levels on the 2016--2017 CIRCLE English and Spanish language, literacy, and mathematics assessments between students enrolled in Early Childhood Centers (EECs) with their School-based Program (SBP) peers. The evaluation helped to determine whether there were observable differences in academic…

This report documents how native English speaking students enrolled in the two-way dual language program at Austin Independent School District (AISD) performed on STAMP 4Se, a Spanish-language proficiency test during the 2016-2017 school year.