The Processability Theory suggests that teachability and learn ability of a language is constrained by what learners are ready to acquire. This means that what is presented to the learners should be in line with their level and readiness. Textbooks are one of the fundamental resources of language learning and teaching, and in this sense, analyzing…

The role of students' first language(s) in foreign language classrooms has been hotly debated in the last decades. Although this line of research has advanced our understanding of language choice in the L2 classroom, it has mostly dealt with adolescent and adult learners. From a contextual perspective, then, more micro-analytic research that…

This study investigated a new conversation-based assessment for English language learners. In this assessment, students converse with animated agents in natural language conversations to assess various aspects of English language learning. In a between subjects design, 31 students (N = 31) were asked questions by either the newly created system or…

The present paper derives from a PhD study investigating the nexus between Grade 4 textbook vocabulary demands and Grade 3 isiXhosa-speaking learners' knowledge of that vocabulary to enable them to read to learn in Grade 4. The paper challenges the efficacy of the four current definitions of "word" for generating high frequency words…

Examines differences among three levels of third grade second-language (L2) readers on four oral variables: grammatical complexity; well-formedness; informativeness; and comprehension. Kruskal-Wallis tests indicate significant differences on all variables between low and high readers. Differences between intermediate and high groups were…

A study investigated the factorial distinctiveness of two receptive language skills, listening and reading, and the equivalence of factor structure across two groups. Subjects were 156 students, Korean-Americans and non-Korean-Americans, in grades two through four in a two-way bilingual education program. Students were tested in listening and…

Formal definitions are one example of "decontextualized" language use, in which reliance on background knowledge shared with the interlocutor is minimized, and use of conversational devices is avoided. Definitions of English nouns by 137 second- to fifth-grade children, about half of whom were non-native English speakers, were analyzed…