Purpose: Higher education is undergoing a significant transformation, demanding a rethinking of instructional methods, the establishment of novel assessment frameworks and the incorporation of state-of-the-art technologies to advance the development of learning competencies. The use of simulations is an alternative that offers satisfactory results…

In this reflection article I examine language assessment literacy initiatives and their possible impact on teachers, and I discuss the connections that exist between language assessment literacy and teachers' professional development. I explain that training for language assessment literacy may primarily foster teachers' knowledge and skills and,…

This paper reports the results of three independent qualitative case studies that examined interactions with feedback as L2 listeners worked in self-regulated environments. Data on high-intermediate learners of English were collected from case studies conducted in Australia, Colombia and Chile. Results show that L2 listeners across case studies…

The incorporation of information and communications technology (ICT) in teaching and learning processes has created new challenges for administrative and academic processes in educational institutions. This paper proposes an E-Learning Tools Acceptance Model (eLTAM) with the purpose of examining the level of acceptance and critical factors of…

Can mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) foster self-directed learning outside the classroom? This article examines informal, out-of-class engagement with a MALL tool: Duolingo. After being invited to use Duolingo, 118 higher education language students agreed to have their activity in the application tracked. In addition to the data collected…

This article focuses on how the incorporation of autonomy into university students' learning process improves their English language performance. The participants of this study were 25 students of engineering programs in a public university. Data collection was done through observation, a survey, and a group interview. Two categories that emerged…

Speaking English with fluency is one of the most demanding challenges students and teachers face in many educational communities, and it has been claimed that fluency problems can derive from lack of practice during independent study. This research article reports on a mixed-methods study that analyzed the effects of using collaborative and…

This paper presents the results of an Action-Research cycle conducted at Universidad del Valle, which aimed at fostering learner autonomy in freshmen from a foreign languages program, within an English course. The study established the freshmen's entrance profile regarding learner autonomy, and implemented a course based on the development of…

Promoting learner autonomy is relevant in the field of applied linguistics due to the multiple benefits it brings to the process of learning a new language. However, despite the vast array of research on how to foster autonomy in the language classroom, it is difficult to find step-by-step processes to design syllabi and curricula focused on the…

This research seeks to gain deeper understanding of learner autonomy in English as a Foreign Language students from different cultures through the identification and analysis of similarities and differences between Chinese and Colombian students from two public universities: Tianjin Foreign Studies University in China and Universidad Surcolombiana…

Spanish-speaking students constantly complain about the difficulty they have comprehending spoken English. It seems teachers do not often provide them with strategies to alleviate that. This article reports on a pedagogical experience carried out at a Colombian university to help pre-service teachers at an intermediate level of English to improve…

This article presents the findings of an action research study on developing learner autonomy through project work in an English for Specific Purposes class. The study was conducted at a Colombian regional and public university with environmental engineering undergraduates. The instruments for data collection were field notes, semi-structured…

Web-based distance education is an innovative modality of instruction in Colombia. It is characterized by the separation of the teacher and learners, the use of technological tools and the students' autonomy development. This paper reports the findings of a case study that explores students' perceptions about an English reading comprehension…

With the new approach to guide the learning process of students with a model based on the development of competences, and in comparison with the traditional lecture-based learning, it is necessary to start working with the teaching modalities that help to achieve this objective. With that in mind, the aim of the study reported in this article was…