Conventional wisdom in education has suggested that students who are classified as learning disabled (LD) will exhibit inordinate difficulties learning a foreign language (FL). Even when not explicitly stated, the notion that those classified as LD have a disability for FL learning is implied. However, while beliefs about this purported disability…

The present study examined the effects of part and whole learning on the acquisition of second language (L2, English) vocabulary. In whole learning, the materials to be learned are repeated in one large block, whereas, in part learning, the materials are divided into smaller blocks and repeated. Experiment 1 compared the effects of the following…

It is a long established notion that learning a language means becoming skilled in the four major skills--Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Without being expert in the aforementioned skills, language learning is quite impossible. But there are other two skills like "Thinking" and "Understanding" which appear to be…

Vocabulary test development often appears to be based on the design principles of previous tests, without questioning or empirically examining the assumptions underlying those principles. Given the current proliferation of vocabulary tests, it seems timely for the field of vocabulary testing to problematize some of those traditionalised…

Graded readers can be an optimal resource to help language students improve and personalize their learning experience. An extensive reading library with graded readers and well-defined levels of reading difficulty increases language students' chances of having a successful reading experience and become independent readers. However, when it comes…

The research methodology known as Q Methodology is relatively unknown in the Malaysian sphere. Nonetheless, if you are uncovering 'points of view' held around a topic, Q Methodology is one of the methods to consider. There are seven (7) steps in Q Methodology implementation which combine both qualitative and quantitative methods. The aim of this…

This study aims to examine whether the development of media literacy could effectively promote learners' second language (L2) oral communicative competence. Although media literacy has been revealed to have several positive effects for language learning, research regarding its use for effective L2 oral communicative competence has been lacking…

Many Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) innovations mainly apply to the Most Commonly Taught Languages (MCTLs), especially English. Recent manifestations of CALL for MCTLs such as corpora, Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are found less frequently in the world of Less Commonly Taught…

This case study reports on a doctoral research project conducted in a school using ethnography as the research method. The study aimed to identify the reason why students from some cultures appeared to take longer to acquire English for academic study than students from other cultures. As the culture of the students seemed to be the most relevant…

Purpose: This paper aims to identify challenges in a first attempt at teaching the Youth Lens in a secondary English classroom in South Korea. Design/methodology/approach: This paper includes the author's observations of a senior English class in an international school in South Korea. Findings: The author advocates that intersections of time,…

Purpose: An impoverished production of routinized expressions, namely, formulaic language, has been reported for monolingual speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD). Little is known regarding how formulaic expressions might be manifested in individuals with neurological damage who speak more than one language. This study investigated the processing…

This study reviews the current body of research into reasons for Japanese university students' reluctance toward spoken class participation in English, along with a critical review of general teaching suggestions for encouraging participation. It then identifies the limitations of teaching strategies that may not take into account certain reasons…

Swami Vivekananda was an influential Indian saint, poet, philosopher and political revolutionary. His work can be seen as a conduit for South African Hindus who are part of the Indian diaspora, allowing them to connect with their historical, cultural and spiritual roots in the religious and conceptual world of India. The first step to decolonising…

Online language learning had already been an increasingly popular and useful method of language acquisition prior to spike in demand for alternative learning methods brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a tool that allows learning to continue without undue risk of exposure to the virus, it has increasingly become a new normal for students…

A number of studies have been conducted regarding self-efficacy in the field of foreign language learning. Yet, with the popularity of mobile learning, research on the relationship between mobile learning and self-efficacy in this field is still limited. To bridge the gap, the study aims to investigate the effects of mobile learning on students'…