In this paper, the role and nature of language and language development will be discussed. Research and theory in second language acquisition has demonstrated that (i) language is an abstract, implicit and complex system. Input (ii) plays a key role in language development; despite the fact that some knowledge of language is innate (iii). Overall,…

This paper discusses the stage of second language acquisition known as attrition and what learners and teachers can do to prevent attrition and promote retention. Attrition is the stage at which a learner's attained proficiency declines due to a reduction of contact with the second language, whether from lack of contact with other speakers of the…

Infants attune to their native language during the first two years of life, as attested by decreases in the processing of nonnative phonological sounds and reductions in the range of possible sounds accepted as labels for native words. The present study shows that French-learning infants aged 1;8 can learn new words in an unfamiliar language,…

This contribution reports on the developing and piloting of a computer-based version of the test of English as a foreign language produced by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), where it is currently used for the admission of international students and the subsequent evaluation of their language progress. Among other benefits,…

Purpose: This study explored the language-learning environments of typically developing dual language learners (DLLs) who learned Cantonese (first language [L1]) at home and English (second language [L2]) in preschool settings through direct and indirect measures. Method: Nine typically developing Cantonese-English DLLs participated in this study.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of class size on the learning and teaching of English in an intensive pre-university program. Four 'larger' and four 'smaller' sized classes were created, and each class was populated with a mix of students in terms of achievement and motivation. Tutors were assigned to both large and small…

This article draws on interview data to report how students of Mandarin in UK universities were exposed to and responded to 'Chinese culture' during their studies. The experiences that the students shared and the ways they responded demonstrated their understanding of cultural complexity, incorporating a fluid and dynamic view of culture as…

English as a second language or ESL instruction is said to be for students who have moved to the United States (or Canada) from another country and temporarily need assistance in learning the English language. However, statistically, a vast majority of ESL students in the United States were born in the US and are US citizens. When students are…

To date, the vast majority of research in second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition has looked at reading, but relatively few studies have explored the potential for vocabulary acquisition through listening. As for participants involved, studies concerning first language (L1) acquisition have mainly focused on pre- and emergent-reading children,…

Initial instruction emphasizing large grain units (i.e., words) showed distinct advantages over small grain instruction for English-speaking adults learning to read an artificial orthography (Brennan and Booth in Read Writ 28(7):917-938, 2015. 10.1007/s11145-015-9555-2). The current study extends this research by training 34 English-speaking…

A recent issue of "The Educational Forum" contained eight articles theming the preparation of teachers for linguistically-diverse classrooms. This article extends that discussion, and in it this scholar introduces practicalities for mathematics teachers in linguistically-diverse classrooms, and provides suggestions for teacher educators…

This paper seeks to explore the challenges faced by excellent teachers in preparing for authentic assessment in their English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. This qualitative case study involving six excellent teachers was based on purposive sampling. Data sources in this study used classroom observation and a series of semi-structured…

Although a variety of learning benefits of peer assessment have been documented, many concerns remain regarding its reliability and validity, especially for peers at early learning stages and for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in general. Such concerns may prevent adoption of peer assessment for instruction. To help localize the…

Despite voluminous studies into teachers' cognition and the role of teachers' beliefs in their practices, not many studies have addressed the impact of teachers' epistemological beliefs (EB, beliefs about the source of knowledge) on their teaching styles. In this study, a mixed design research method was adopted to show English language teachers'…

While Canada's multiculturalism and bilingual education represent an opportunity for educational sectors to foster students' intercultural citizenship, in New Brunswick -- Canada's only officially bilingual province -- provincial language ideological debates (LIDs) may create structures impeding Anglophone French immersion (FI) students'…