In researching the potential of cognitive diagnostic assessment, researchers concur that the quality of diagnostic inferences is subject to the extent to which the construct representations based on cognitive skills are theoretically compelling, empirically sound, and relevant to test use. In this paper, I argue that the construction of a Q matrix…

This paper reports on the preliminary stages of a project designed to investigate communication problems in General Aviation and assess the utility of language technologies as a means of mitigation. The study presented in this paper is the first of a three-part study, in which we aim to investigate the extent to which the English language…

The current study examines second language (L2) learners' self-assessment of text changes that they made on their written drafts in self-revisions and peer revisions, focusing on linguistic features of their repairs as well as the validity of self-assessment. In the study, the term "self-revision" refers to writers' revisions of their own written…

This section presents brief synopses of empirical research and theoretical discussions in peer reviewed journals. The aim is to disseminate findings and perspectives in fields related to TESOL and to provide access to the diverse conversations among scholars in the field.

TESOL declares that it is a global organization. TESOL's expansionist ambitions dovetail with U.S. corporate and government global aims. This trend leads the author to conclude that even if U.S. TESOL were to more actively embrace the other languages of its emerging bilinguals, the languages of a more multilingual TESOL would still be…

This article reports on a study of the pedagogies of two content-trained teachers and two language-trained teachers in their content-based second language (L2) classrooms at the middle-school level in two Chinese contexts: Hong Kong and Xi'an. The study aims to identify pedagogies that support content and language learning, referred to here as…

A large body of research supports the efficacy of learning strategies employed in the acquisition of second language vocabulary. However, research also indicates that many such strategies are underused or misused by learners and, further, that any effort to integrate learner training in the use of such strategies into classroom instruction faces a…

In his examination of successful innovation and change in education in many settings, Fullan (2001) identifies the three broad options for effecting change that public authorities have at their disposal. They can seek to bring about change through imposing accountability (system-wide or targeted), or through providing incentives (either…

This position paper observes the impact of "Proposition 227", California's "English for the Children" initiative, on the professional development of teachers of English Learners. It draws on information I obtained while working as an evaluator of the California Teacher Institutes (CTIs), a network of institutes aimed to enhance…

This paper, based on the findings of a qualitative study, discusses the influence of Ghana's recently introduced English-only language-in-education policy on pupils' classroom communicative practices and learning generally. It highlights how the use of English--an unfamiliar language--creates anxiety among students and stalls effective classroom…

This qualitative study investigates attitudes toward heritage language (HL) maintenance among Chinese immigrant parents and their second-generation children. Specific attention is given to exploring (1) what attitudes are held by the Chinese parents and children toward Chinese language maintenance in the USA, (2) what efforts are engaged in by the…

Linguistic accuracy plays an important role in the quality of written texts, yet the explicit teaching of linguistic form--particularly grammar--for the purpose of improving learners' writing has generated an ongoing debate. Furthermore, students' voices about their learning are often ignored because they are perceived as not knowing what they…

Adolescent English-language learners (ELLs) encounter increasingly difficult academic language as they progress through school. This article describes the design of an after-school intervention, Language Workshop, created to help middle school ELLs build their knowledge of academic vocabulary words. Evidence-based principles of vocabulary…

The psychometric integrity of the "Foreign Language Attitudes and Perceptions Survey" for college students was investigated. Two hundred and seventy-eight college students were administered a modified version of the survey (FLAPS-C). Internal consistency reliabilities, as determined by Cronbach's alpha, were 0.74, attitudes; 0.80,…

This paper describes a content-based English for academic purposes (EAP) course, "Language and Public Life", and its major assignment, a research essay that critiques media coverage of a current event or social issue. The pedagogical context in which this assignment is realised underpins the forms of critical inquiry expected. The selection of…