The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using hard and soft scaffolding on Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension ability in two different experimental conditions, i.e. symmetrical and asymmetrical. One hundred and twenty Iranian intermediate EFL learners were recruited from a population of 400 based on their performance on…

This paper uses conversation analysis (CA) to trace changes in one learner's repair practices during a repetitive storytelling activity in an intermediate-level ESL classroom. An analysis of the learner's phonological and grammatical repairs is guided by two questions: How are the repair sequences organized, and what changes occur in the sequences…

This study explored the effects of increasing the number of elements and the degree of reasoning on second language (L2) writing and also examined the relationship between writing motivational beliefs and anxiety and L2 writing in simple versus complex tasks. Sixty upper-intermediate L2 learners were invited to write simple and complex…

This paper helps to address the need for improvement related to the teaching of pragmatic abilities in the ELT classroom. Some of the issues surrounding direct pragmatic instruction are discussed with regard to teachers' and learners' roles and expectations. The paper is part of an ongoing research project that practically applies key components…

This study reports the findings of the research conducted on the effects of Interest-Based Language Teaching (IBLT) on Persian students' interest in L2 learning, and their achievement in reading comprehension. With the aim of improving L2 learning in the university level, the study investigated whether selecting instructional materials based on…

This article uses a logistic probability distribution approach to examine the effect of lecture attendance, aptitude test results, individual heterogeneity and pedagogic intervention on student performance for first-year microeconomics and second-year macroeconomics modules at a leading South African university. The research was motivated by the…

This study investigated whether second language (L2) learners can develop predictive processing of determiners after a brief exposure to a novel language, and whether this depends on learners' awareness for the target structure and their cognitive aptitudes. One hundred L2 learners received auditory exposure to a miniature language based on Fijian…

Recent studies of second language (L2) construction learning using artificial linguistic systems have begun to closely examine the role of individual differences, including personality. In such studies, adult participants learn form-meaning mappings after exposure, with scores on generalization tests as a standard criterion for learning. This…

Faith-based adult English as a second language (ESL) programs provide beneficial services to the underserved adult English language learner (ELL) population in the United States (Chao & Mantero, 2014). However, these programs face a critical training dilemma, often lacking qualified volunteer instructors and the time or resources to train…

Dynamic assessment has been recognized as a nonbiased approach to evaluating language learning potential among children who do not have equal access to the target language. However, it remains to be determined whether the graduated prompting approach of dynamic assessment is feasible in foreign language (FL) learning contexts as FL learners may…

Reading is an indispensable tool in the academic world. Most, if not all, activities in varied collegiate courses entail the act of reading. There are many contributing factors that affect one's ability to read and comprehend text materials effectively. Two of the many factors are the reader's vocabulary size and their reading motivation. This…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how new educators respond to pedagogical tasks that require them to use and reflect upon their Teacher Language Awareness (TLA). TLA is defined as a teacher's ability to use, analyze, and teach language--an increasingly important part of teachers' knowledge base given high numbers of English…

This paper suggests six areas of vocabulary research which the author believes would be fruitful for future research. They include (1) developing a practical model of vocabulary acquisition, (2) understanding how vocabulary knowledge develops from receptive to productive mastery, (3) getting lexical teaching/learning principles into vocabulary and…

The number of individuals undertaking IELTS has continued to grow in recent years, standing at approximately 3 million candidates per year in 2016. As a result, this high-stakes, high-pressure test has become firmly entrenched as a global gatekeeping institution, regulating the international flows of people for migration and academic study. This…

The myriad of possibilities brought about by the advent of Web 2.0 in terms of communication and interaction have revolutionised educational practices over the past few years. One of the most promising educational approaches resulting from this revolution is online intercultural exchange or telecollaboration, which has been reported to contribute…