Vocationally oriented language learning (VOLL) is often seen as a part of English for Specific Purposes/Language for Specific Purposes (ESP/LSP), which it is not in every case. The diverging characteristics and lines of development that these two branches of ELT have undergone are outlined and contrasted. Then, a discussion of the added value of a…

This paper proposes a framework for goal-driven pair drills. What distinguishes these drills from ordinary controlled drills lies in the motivating characteristics such as clear goals, outcomes, and communicativeness. With these features present, goal-driven pair drills encourage learners to process multiple layers of language skill aspects. A…

This study briefly reviews Chomsky's and Hymes' ideas on competence and links them to Dubin's notions of autonomous and ideological communicative competence. Based on interviews with high school EFL teachers, the study hypothesizes that some of these teachers have an indistinct view about communicative competence that moves between autonomous and…

This article provides an overview of the work carried out over the period of one year with a group of 10th grade students in a Portuguese high school. It argues that by using portfolios in EFL classrooms, the teacher cannot only diagnose the learners' skills and competences, but also become aware of their preferences, styles, dispositions, and…