Polymathy may be defined as the productive pursuit of multiple endeavors, simultaneously or serially, across a lifetime. As such, polymathic breadth of interest across knowledge domains characterizes Nobel laureates in the sciences, literature, economics, and peace, though interest patterns vary between groups. Economics laureates, like science…

The purpose of this study is to examine two L2 learning contexts (study abroad versus EFL intensive instruction at home) in terms of language development and learners' characteristics (including students' initial predisposition to learn English and their experience in the programme they enrolled in). Two groups of teenagers were considered: one…

This article critically explores the value of ethnography for enhancing context-sensitive approaches to the study of academic writing. Drawing on data from two longitudinal studies, student writing in the United Kingdom and professional academic writing in Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, and Portugal, the author illustrates the different contributions…