Concentrating on job satisfaction and five school context variables--teacher autonomy, collegial support, time pressure, student demotivation, and student discipline problems--this study explored the interplay of these variables with reflective teaching and their relative contributions to prediction of teacher reflection. Data were collected from…

This mixed-methods study investigated ESOL teachers' experiences in their role as advocate. Surveys were completed by 144 ESOL teachers located in the southeastern United States. Ten participants were selected from the pool of 144 to participate in semistructured interviews to explore their experiences in the advocate role. Results from this study…

Despite the robust literature about teaching intercultural competence, little has been written on exploring culture in community-based English as a second language (ESL) settings, such as classes for adults with immigrant and refugee backgrounds. Educational materials about culture designed for these contexts tend to be prescriptive and…

With increasingly mobile and global populations in universities worldwide, it is important that faculty and students share common expectations for student and instructor behaviors. This study focused on international student and faculty perceptions of student language performance and faculty instructional techniques in one U.S. university with…

Most research on the predictors of successful reading comprehension in a second language (L2) has been focused on cognitive factors. Very few studies exist on how motivational factors impact L2 reading comprehension. In this study, 179 Chinese college students read passages in English (their L2) and answered either literal, relatively superficial…

In this article the researchers explain a concept that they have termed "critical biliteracy instruction." Utilizing a sociocultural approach to literacy and language learning, they examine discourse theory and the four resources model (Freebody & Luke, 1990) to support the approaches they describe. Then they explore research-based…

This article examines the role of self-efficacy beliefs in learning English as a foreign language in an Indonesian primary school setting. Self-efficacy is a significant motivational factor affecting the cognitive and behavioral engagement of learners (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2003). The study adopted a mixed-methods research design that…

This article focuses on the issue of adaptability in the field of education, particularly English as a foreign language teaching, and explores the question of whether academic debate can foster adaptability among university first-year university students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. To answer that, the authors…

This article highlights the potential of teacher read-alouds of informational texts for building academic vocabulary. These represent the general, high-utility words with Greek and Latin roots and the discipline-specific words associated with increased academic rigor of curriculum in the upper elementary grades. The author provides the theoretical…

Given that English learners (ELs) comprise one of the fastest growing populations in PK-12 environments, long-term English learners (LTELs) form one subgroup that provokes particular concern. This article explores current understandings of the LTEL designation and discusses diagnostic processes and assessment tools for determining English language…

It has been widely acknowledged that learners of English as an additional or second language need to develop rich repertoires of digital literacies to be able to read, write, and communicate in digital spaces in English. However, finding appropriate approaches is challenging for many practitioners, and teaching digital literacies often focuses on…

Few studies have compared the nature of negotiation of meaning across face-to-face (FTF) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modes with mixed-proficiency dyads. Such comparisons can help identify important strengths and weaknesses of each mode. Therefore, this study explored whether FTF and SCMC modes differ in terms of…

This article investigates how adult English language learners from refugee backgrounds respond to teaching strategies that aim to facilitate the promotion of learner autonomy. Interest in learner autonomy has grown significantly in the area of second language (L2) teaching. The culturally appropriate model of autonomy has been widely advocated in…

In this article the author explores ways in which affinity spaces (Gee, 2004) can be adapted for English language instruction. Affinity spaces attract participants who enthusiastically share their passions, such as popular culture, video games, or literature. Researchers have found that affinity spaces contribute to improvements in reading…

High-stakes tasks may prevent language learners from performing successfully due to factors of "communicative stress" (Skehan, 1996, p. 52). Little research, however, has directly examined phonological patterns in learners' performances on low-stakes, medium-stakes, and high-stakes classroom tasks. The current study investigated the oral…