In 2016, a number of language applications released chatbots to complement their programmes. Used primarily in informal learning settings, chatbots enable language learners to engage in conversational speaking practice, which can be perceived as less threatening than face-to-face interactions with native speakers. This study takes a closer look at…

This paper investigates the phonology of L2 speech and its impact on intelligibility in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) contexts. Many studies have considered speaker-related characteristics, such as speech styles and pronunciation features, that influence the intelligibility of L2 speech for both nonnative speakers (NNS) and native speakers…

This study examined a combined reading curriculum (CRC) containing all the essential reading components of phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The CRC combines a word study curriculum with a specifically designed supplemental reading curriculum to create a developmental, systematic, and comprehensive…

Prosody signals important aspects of meaning, and hence, is crucial for language comprehension and learning, yet remains under-investigated in second-language (L2) processing. The present electrophysiology study investigates the use of prosody to cue information structure, in particular, the use of contrastive pitch accent (L+H*) to define the set…

This qualitative study explores Turkish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perspectives regarding current English Language Teaching (ELT) policies, ELT curriculum, assessment practices, and teacher motivation in the Turkish EFL setting. The study's participants in this study were three native Turkish EFL teachers, teaching at…

Little is known about recruiters' attitudes to hiring 'native' and 'non-native speakers', or the factors which might influence their potential preference for the former group. Of the four studies conducted thus far, three were carried out in the US or the UK, and are over a decade old (Clark & Paran, 2007; Mahboob et al., 2004; Moussu, 2006).…

The present study sought to investigate how non-native English-speaking teachers in Iran recognize the legitimacy of different emerging varieties of English and how they perceive native speaker language norms and the linguistic diversity of present-day English use. Participants included 210 teachers of English from the Persian-speaking context,…

This article examines indigenous language acquisition (ILA) with regard to the indigenous Yaeyaman language spoken in the Ryukyus in Japan. The focus is on teachers and new speakers in an endangered language community. The following two questions are examined: (1) What kinds of problems do teachers and learners encounter in language revitalisation…

Classroom interaction has been the subject of investigation in a number of different settings but it remains an under-researched area in the Thai context and to date, in Thailand, there has been little published data that has adopted "Conversation Analysis" (CA) as an analytical tool to develop an in-depth understanding of classroom…

Native-English-speaking teachers (NESTs) have long been in demand for perceived benefits of the skills they bring to the classroom. However, the notion that native speakers provide the best models of the target language and thus make the best teachers of the language has been criticised in the literature. This article reports on the disconnection…

Recruiting native English-speaking teachers to teach the target language is becoming a prevailing practice in many countries. Concerns arise in the field of ESL teaching due to this sharp increase in the number of inexperienced NEST teaching. While there is an influx of qualified Non-native English-speaking teachers (NNEST) globally, it is still…

Bilingual education today pervades the microcosm of primary school settings across Europe, and has deserved the attention of policy makers and researchers. This paper aims at reporting on the perceptions of Spanish in-service primary teachers on four key areas of bilingual programs, namely, training priorities, teaching resources, school…

Self-efficacy and positive attitude are among factors contributing to success in language learning, yet encouraging these important traits among language learners in the classroom is often difficult. This study aims to investigate the extent to which a collaborative authentic task helped promote communicative self-efficacy and a positive attitude…

This report examines the Spanish language proficiency of fifth-grade students enrolled in the two-way Dual Language (DL) Program. Both native and non-native English speakers' Spanish language proficiency was assessed with the STAMP 4Se assessment in Spring 2020. Students were assessed on four domains of Spanish language proficiency (reading,…

This qualitative study explores Turkish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perspectives regarding current English Language Teaching (ELT) policies, ELT curriculum, assessment practices, and teacher motivation in the Turkish EFL setting. The study's participants in this study were three native Turkish EFL teachers, teaching at…