The study explores the unaddressed washback on the English-speaking test of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE-English Language Paper 4). The HKDSE is a university entrance exam in Hong Kong which includes a group discussion speaking test known as English Language Paper 4. To identify ongoing washback effects,…

Teachers' professional identity is multifaceted and fluctuating, and while it is formally developed during initial teacher preparation, it is influenced by experiences before and beyond teaching programmes. The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which a module on language curriculum development may influence the professional…

This article reports on an intervention related to L2 learner well-being based on Oxford's (2016) EMPATHICS theoretical framework. The intervention was conducted at a women's university in Tokyo in three of the researcher's own first-year, compulsory, four-skills English-language classes. Forty-six learners agreed to take part in the study. To…

This study investigated phase transitions in EFL students' speech fluency development using a complex dynamic systems perspective. Two students with different proficiency levels were selected from an intact speaking class. These students learned and practiced specific strategies to improve their speech fluency. Phase transitions were analyzed…

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities among students, and teachers are often the very first to notice dyslexic students. It is therefore imperative that teachers be well-prepared to intervene appropriately and effectively once they encounter dyslexic students. The current study investigates teachers' knowledge about the disorder…

The field of linguistic landscape has rarely engaged with the growing number of metrolingual practices brought about by online digital spaces. This paper examines the online linguistic landscape of social media platforms, which presents a spatial repertoire of innovative semiotic affordances. Adopting an online ethnographic approach consisting of…

Drawing upon Darvin and Norton's framework of investment, this article explores the multiple factors underlying parents' commitment to bilingual education. I use open-ended responses on a survey to report on the motivations and experiences of parents who have enrolled their child in a French-English dual language immersion program. Findings…

In addressing vocabulary explanations in language classroom settings, a growing number of studies have examined the different ways teachers respond to the vocabulary explanation requests made by students in second language (L2) classrooms. Relatively lacking is an investigation into the nature of vocabulary explanation requests made by students in…

Translanguaging has gained prominence as a pedagogical orientation that promises to promote the rights of minoritized migrant students by valuing pre-existing multilingualisms and identities. However, the effects of classroom translanguaging on teacher and student outlooks and relations of inequality are far from universal. In this paper we…

Professionalism in English phrases is an indispensable tool for the enhancement of fluency and accuracy in communication. However, English second language learners face redundancy challenges apropos an effective use of phrases. The research investigated strategic intervention for selected deviant English phrases at the University of Venda. A…

This study engaged a group of Taiwanese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) adolescent learners as multimodal composers who used PPT slides to retell important elements of Roald Dahl's classic novel, Matilda (1988). A total of 158 slides were made by 9 groups of students, and a detailed analysis of the slides revealed that text was often…

This study investigated the relationship between need for closure and need for cognition and foreign language anxiety and enjoyment. The participants of the study were 232 EFL learners at a university in Iran. Self-report questionnaires on need for closure, need for cognition, foreign language classroom anxiety and foreign language enjoyment were…

This study was part of a larger longitudinal study in which we focused on measuring reading acquisition and observing the impact of SES, curriculum and gender on reading subtest scores. In Part 1 of our study (in review), we reported on findings for students in Grade 1. For Part 2 of our study, we report on our findings for students in Grades 3…

Though a number of studies addressed the current needs in EFL teachers' training, a main research gap yet to be addressed is investigating the efficacy of the professional development of in-service teachers using an instructional model and its actual impact on students. Through using three instruments -designed by the author- that included: (a…

The study explored the impact of multimedia-enhanced STEAM activities on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' development of oracy skills and willingness to communicate (WTC) in an online course. The sample included 42 EFL learners who were randomly split into two groups with 21 students in each. Before the study, both groups' listening…