This study used achievement goal theory (AGT) in the Spanish second language (L2) classroom to determine what students' self-selected goals are and how those goals relate to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (National Standards Collaborative Board, 2015). AGT is built on the concept of goal orientation, which is the…

This study investigates heritage language (HL) and second language (L2) learners' attitudes and perceptions of their mixed HL-L2 interactions. As part of the activities of a 10-week course, eight Spanish HL learners and 10 L2 learners worked in mixed dyads to complete a series of collaborative writing tasks designed to leverage their complementary…

Many scholars have highlighted the great variability of second language acquisition outcomes and, thus, the inconsistencies and inconclusiveness in the study abroad literature. These have called for longitudinal, case-based research that focuses on the students' processes (rather than outcomes) and that showcases the heterogeneity of…

Research on nativelike variation in second language (L2) systems indicates that learners studying abroad may adapt to regional norms as they build sociolinguistic competence (e.g., Kanwit & Solon, 2013; Salgado-Robles, 2014). Spanish exhibits variation between the intensifiers "muy" [very] and "bien" [very] across numerous…

This study examines how language attitudes play a role in the adoption of dialectal variants in second language (L2) pronunciation in a study abroad context. Twenty-four North American university students participating in a 6-week program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were administered pre and posttest questionnaires and a posttest oral production…

Hundreds of millions of language learners around the globe study a second language with popular apps such as Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Busuu, and Babbel. This study examined the effectiveness of one app, Babbel, for developing both receptive linguistic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, as well as oral communicative ability in Spanish as a second…

This study examined the impact of teaching students to provide and incorporate peers' feedback on their partners' second language (L2) writing. Sixty-five participants enrolled in Spanish composition classes were assigned to one of three conditions: trained peer review (n = 21), untrained peer review (n =21), and a non-peer-review comparison group…

This study explored the experiences of eight Latina heritage speakers (HSs) who were enrolled in world language teacher preparation programs at two higher education institutions. Using data from interviews, classroom observations, and other documents, the qualitative multiple-case study investigated their educational experiences and the challenges…

The present study analyzes the effects of two variables on the proficiency development of 907 university students of Spanish and French: years of high school experience; and level of initial placement into university language study. A 3-year grant-funded project administered ACTFL proficiency tests in reading, listening, and speaking to students…

The present study examines the role that multimodality and translanguaging play in scaffolding oral interactions during language-related episodes (LREs) involving meaning negotiation. The oral tasks carried out using synchronous video-based computer-mediated communication were part of a tandem virtual exchange (Spain, Canada). The participants, 18…

This study investigated the dynamics between matched heritage language learner (HLL) dyads, second language learner (L2L) dyads, and mixed HLL-L2L dyads in the Spanish L2 classroom. Data come from 15-minute video recordings of 16 dyads, including four HLL-HLL, four L2L-L2L, and eight HLL-L2L dyads that were collected during collaborative writing…

Against the background of concerns for how paper-and-pencil testing fits into contemporary language teaching, this brief research report presents the findings of a first study on the difference in scores between in-class testing and online testing in a communicative and proficiency-oriented program. A total of 244 students of third-semester…

Previous research has shown that improving pronunciation in the foreign language classroom is challenging, and there is often little time left over in a dense curriculum for pronunciation practice. In describing a pronunciation profile for all phonemes in Spanish, this study suggests that the principal challenge for native speakers of English who…

National trends indicate that approximately half of world language instructor candidates in the United States struggle to meet the benchmark oral proficiency standard established by ACTFL (Kissau, 2014; Swender, 2003) and measured by the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Given the critical instructor shortage, more needs to be done to help…

Language textbooks present cultural content in a typically homogeneous fashion, thereby ignoring inherent diversity both within and between cultures and reinforcing monodimensional views. Consequently, instructors must find ways to facilitate students' critical engagement with and reflection on cultural representations in order to provide them…