The present study investigated the speaking module of TOEFL iBT with an emphasis on the dichotomy of independent and integrated tasks. The potential differences between the two speaking conditions were intended to be explored based on the oral performance elicited from a group of Iranian test takers. To collect the required data, a simulated…

Studies that have measured pragmatic fluency in the form of planning time and speech rate, as indicators of processing ability, have confirmed that learners' processing ability and pragmatic knowledge are independent from each other. The present study is a longitudinal, developmental investigation which investigates whether the study abroad stay…

Previous research has provided ample evidence for the processing advantage of formulaic sequences, leading researchers and teachers to argue for its facilitation of speech fluency. However, few studies have examined how the processing of formulaic sequences interacts with speaker proficiency and task difficulty; even fewer studies have…

This document presents the opening chapter of Quality Counts 2020, Education Week's annual, comparative examination of the nation's public education system based on a wealth of academic, financial, and socioeconomic factors analyzed by the EdWeek Research Center. This January installment--Chance for Success--is the first of three Quality Counts…

This research explores the role of concept mapping and speech repetition in developing EFL learners' oral fluency. Eighty language learners, after passing an in-house placement test, were randomly assigned into two equal experimental groups. The data analyses demonstrated that both groups' oral fluency significantly improved when they were trained…

Research examining test taker fluency in simulated and face-to-face oral proficiency interview performances has primarily focused on quantitative spoken utterance fluency data alone, with further qualitative investigation of test taker processing fluency's effect being neglected. This study compared four test takers' spoken utterance and…

One way to investigate learner writing is by analyzing the most frequently recurring sequences of words, that is, lexical bundles. This paper presents results for lexical bundles analyses of a Malaysian corpus (MCSAW) against its reference language variety, LOCNESS (Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays). Key 4-word lexical bundles are firstly…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the comparative effect of dynamic and negotiated assessment on EFL learners' writing complexity and fluency. To this end, 72 female intermediate EFL participants, selected from a larger group of 103 learners based on their performances on a piloted PET, in Tak language institute in Dezfoul, Iran…

Widely implemented in Europe over the last three decades, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has been researched in some European contexts more extensively than in others, with the Norwegian context being among the least represented. This paper attempts to contribute to filling in the gap by examining the impact of a short-term CLIL…

Multimodal approaches to second-language learning can boost language proficiency (Ajayi, 2009) by providing foreign-language learners with greater exposure to the target language's culture, enabling multiple-literacy competencies in the target language, and appealing to students' learning preferences. This article aims to present a…

This article presents the experiences of Latina immigrant women who have raised or are raising children in the United States. As part of a minoritized group, Latina immigrant women have personal lived experiences that inform and affect the ways they interact with the world on a daily basis and that have shaped their personal and cultural…

This study uses a complexity-accuracy-lexis-fluency (CALF) framework to explore performance on 2 speaking tasks: a narrative picture-based task and an interactive decision-making task. A preliminary aim is to compare performance on the 2 tasks, using a wide range of CALF measures to explore where scores are similar and where they are different.…

This study analyzed and observed the oral discourse of Local Community College students. A descriptive analysis was conducted to find out the communicative competence level among the one hundred fifty randomly chosen respondents. A triangulation method was initiated to ensure the legitimacy of the gathered data. "Focus Group Discussion,"…

Purpose: This study presents the emergence of my dynamic bilingualism-induced critical bilingual identity by drawing upon Garcia and Wei's translanguaging perspectives. Design/Methodology/Approach: I adopted an autoethnographic approach focusing on teacher development through research and practice, supported by research on fostering dynamic…

This research aims to examine Spanish-speaking students' attainment to improve our knowledge about students at the end of secondary school in England. The sample consisted of students who completed the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in inner London Local Authority. The findings of the analysis of GCSE results by language spoken…