The ratio of women to men is 4 to 1 in beginning university Spanish courses, and this gap widens the higher the level of instruction (Chavez 2001). Prior experiments on reading in Spanish show that the interaction of readers' gender and passage content plays a significant role with learners at the intermediate levels, but not at advanced levels of…

This study intended to investigate the effect of spaced and massed distribution instruction on vocabulary learning. To fulfil this objective, 68 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners (14-16 years) participated in 16 sessions. The participants were randomly divided in to two experimental groups; spaced distribution group (n = 34) and massed…

The aim of this paper is to propose how to incorporate English as a main language into the Andorran educational system starting in primary school, using a combination of Content and Language Integrated Learning and traditional language classes, in order to address the increasing need for Andorran students to be proficient in English as a result of…

EFL teachers working in Saudi Arabian universities are often from different social, cultural and academic backgrounds. The factors that affect their self-efficacy can vary from one teacher to another because of their different social and cultural associations. This research is carried out in the light of the existing literature to determine some…

This study examined the contribution of the constructs of orthographic processing (orthographic choice and orthographic choice in context), syntactic processing (grammaticality and sentence integrity), and verbal working memory (two reading span indicators) to written Chinese composition (narration, explanation, and argumentation) in 129…

This classroom-based study investigates whether students who receive explicit instruction make more gains over time and more improvement to produce academic formulas in controlled (c-test) and uncontrolled (essay) situations, respectively, than those who do not receive such intervention. Whereas both groups improved over time, the treatment group…

The present study was designed to investigate the emerging reflective practices of four pre-service English teachers during their practicum experience. The teachers were selected on the basis of convenience. Qualitative paradigm was adopted in the study. Observations, video recordings, and audio recordings were used as data collection tools. Each…

In 2004, the Chinese Ministry of Education issued the "College English Curriculum Requirements" in an effort to revitalise English language teaching in China. This official document underpins "College English", a compulsory course for non-English majors in the first 2 years of university study. In a break with the past, the…

As an attempt to shed more light on the effectiveness of strategy instruction in second language (L2) learning, the present study was set to investigate the contribution of listening strategy instruction to improve listening comprehension of English as foreign language (EFL) learners in Iranian context. In so doing, a number of 52 English…

John Read is about to retire as Professor in Applied Language Studies at the University of Auckland. He previously taught applied linguistics, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Victoria University of Wellington, the SEAMEO Regional Language Centre, the University of Texas El Paso,…

The theoretical emphasis within the L2 Motivational Self System has typically been on the two future self-guides representing possible (ideal and ought-to) selves, leaving the third main dimension of the construct, the L2 Learning Experience, somewhat undertheorized. Yet, this third component is not secondary in importance, as evidenced by…

Numerous studies have examined sojourners' L2 motivation during their stay abroad. Much remains unknown about the impact of study abroad (SA) experiences on their L2 motivation after they return to the home environment. This study tracked the English learning motivation of three Chinese university students from immediately after their…

Many early efforts at teaching preaching online incurred disastrous losses in quality. Revamped versions now claim to meet, and in some areas even exceed, classroom learning effectiveness, with potentially significant gains for students from non-dominant cultures. Students preach in local ethnic and denominational contexts, so a wider range of…

This case study explored college students' use of interactive virtual reality tools (Google Cardboard and Expeditions) for learning Chinese as a foreign language. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to probe into students' perceived benefits and challenges of using VR tools for Chinese language and culture learning. Twelve students were…

In many contexts around the world, English has become a major means of daily communication and a language for research and technology. Reading in English plays a key role in students' academic learning in many higher education contexts where English is the principal medium of instruction. This study measured reading strategies use as well as…