This article offers a critical review of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology English Proficiency Test (MSRT), a high-stakes exam required for postgraduate graduation, scholarships, and certain employment positions in Iran. Despite its widespread use, the design and implementation of the MSRT raise concerns about its validity and…

Although language skills have gained unparalleled momentum in language education, there is a paucity of research on one of the most significant subskills: vocabulary. Due to the underestimation of an efficient method to learn foreign language vocabularies, scant research attention has been dedicated to exploring the best vocabulary learning…

This paper explores the number marking challenges faced by L2 learners of English whose L1 is one of the classifier languages Mandarin Chinese (henceforth Chinese) or Bahasa Indonesia (henceforth Indonesian). It examines whether these groups differ in their marking of English number, and how the speaker's level of proficiency, as well as…

Although the terms 'heritage speakers' and 'heritage languages' are relatively new, the phenomena themselves date back to the beginning of migration. In many situations heritage languages do not survive these changes, but in others they are maintained successfully. This research explores the individual factors that promote the maintenance of…

This study examined the impact of extensive reading (ER) on Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) among advanced-level Chinese EFL learners, the interplay between reading enjoyment and material difficulty, and the challenges and strategies related to online ER. The following research questions are addressed: (a) what are the effects of a semester-long…

Augmented reality (AR) technology has risen as a promising instrument for enriching educational encounters across diverse learning environments. In the realm of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, AR applications have shown potential in improving vocabulary learning and retention among students. This research investigates the effect…

Proficiency in the English language has become a key determinant of success for many individuals worldwide. This trend is particularly pronounced in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China, where English education is emphasized from an early age, establishing it as the primary foreign language and a mandatory component of school curricula.…

Mainland Chinese students (MCSs) represent the largest non-local student group in Hong Kong and their adaptation experiences require more research attention than exists. This study investigates MCSs' psychological adaptation to Hong Kong with a language and social psychological approach by invoking Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and…

Extended reading (ER) "is a teacher-directed variation of extensive reading," where students independently read authentic text outside class which is at or slightly above their proficiency levels outside class with weekly assessments. This form of reading can improve reading proficiency for less motivated students who may find it…

We present the 2-year experimental mixed-methods findings of a two-generation English as a second language (ESL) program. This program combines a high-dosage, child-oriented curriculum for parents with Head Start for children in addition to family-based supportive services. At baseline and after 2 years, 189 Latinx and Zomi immigrant parents…

In the past two decades, syntactic complexity measures (e.g. the length or number of words per clause/t-unit/sentences and number of clauses per t-unit/sentence, and types of clauses used) have been widely used to determine and benchmark language proficiency development in speaking and writing. (Norris and Ortega 2009; Lu 2011). However, the…

English proficiency cannot be seen as a prerequisite to meaningful participation in classrooms. Instead, language must be viewed as something that is developed in the process of learning when students are supported and have access to the richest curriculum.

Role models can exert considerable influence in shaping individuals' values, attitudes, and beliefs. A large body of work in the social sciences has investigated the influence of celebrity role models, and in the context of education, several disciplines have a rich research history in this area (e.g. medical education). However, in the context of…

This study examines the second language (L2) development of variable /s/-weakening in the spontaneous speech of L2 learners of Spanish who studied abroad in either Dominican Republic, where /s/-weakening is widespread, or central Spain, where /s/-weakening is much less common. Learners' realizations of /s/ were coded impressionistically and…

The current situation on the global education market bears the need for new approaches to learning Russian as a foreign language. The innovation concerns both professors and students' activity. The success in comprehension of scientific language is largely dependent on students' motivation to study the vocation-related language. The article covers…