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The present study examined the effectiveness of mechanical and meaningful production of output on the learning of English relative clauses by Iranian EFL learners. The study involved two groups of learners (N = 36) who completed a pre-test, three activities and a post-test over an 8-week period. The collaborative dialogue of the participants was tape-recorded and transcribed. The results of the tests...
The present study investigated the impact of critical discourse analysis (CDA) on TEFL students’ critical thinking (CT) ability in Reading Journalistic Texts classes. In so doing, the study utilized an experimental design with 24 participants in the control group and 29 participants in the experimental group. The results of a pretest indicated that the participants of the two groups were homogenous...
Bernhardt (2005) proposed a compensatory model of second language reading. This model predicted that 50% of second language (L2) reading scores are attributed to second language knowledge and first-language (L1) reading ability. In this model, these two factors compensate for deficiencies in each other. Although this model explains a significant portion of L2 reading, much remains unknown. In particular,...
Needs analysis plays an important role in curriculum design. In particular, needs analysis largely determines the goal and content of the course being designed. When selecting among the many tools available to analyze needs the course designer must consider practicality as well as validity and reliability. In this paper, I report on the novel use of narrative frames as a needs analysis tool in the...
There is a large body of research indicating that L2 learners often have trouble with the word form. Learners often transfer their L1 processing routines over to the L2 in their attempt to process the L2 forms, whether those routines are appropriate to the L2 form system or not. This study explores the problems of learning L2 vocabulary word form by focusing on Arabic-speaking ESL learners. These...
The paper reports on a longitudinal multiple-case study that probed into four advanced university-level Chinese EFL learners’ situated vocabulary learning experiences and explored the role of L2 motivation in their productive vocabulary development. In the study, Lexical Frequency Profile analysis and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants during the ten-month inquiry. The...
This study investigates the effects of instruction (input plus focused metapragmatic noticing) on the oral production of conventional expressions, particularly those conventional expressions which perform specific pragmatic functions in English. Using a pre-test–instruction–post-test design we tested 36 university-level students in six intact intensive English classes in order to determine whether...
Punctuation is a surprisingly underexplored area of second language writing and learning. The small body of published literature about punctuation tends to look at ways in which punctuation can be taught. Little is known, except anecdotally, about how English as a second language (ESL) students actually feel about using English punctuation, despite the fact that they must use it frequently if they...
In an investigation with advanced language learners, Brantmeier [Brantmeier, C., 2006. Advanced L2 learners and reading placement: self-assessment, computer based testing, and subsequent performance. System 34 (1), 15–35.] reports that self-assessment (SA) of second language (L2) reading ability, when measured with self-rated scales, is not an accurate predictor of subsequent reading performance as...
In these days of ubiquitous tweeting, language teachers must consider whether microblogging is an activity that will bring benefits to the learning experience. Recent research (Junco et al., 2010; Messner, 2009, among others) indicates that Twitter is becoming increasingly popular in classrooms, but few studies (see for example, Borau et al., 2009; Junco et al., 2010) have empirically examined the...
This paper discusses the use of multidimensional analysis (MA) of learner language to promote the awareness of linguistic concepts such as register and variation. Our research explores the introduction of learner register awareness by using MA of learner language in the field of university Foreign Language Teaching (FLT). In this context, a group of learners (N = 47) completed an awareness-raising...
The investigation of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has produced significant results in the last few years especially in regard to the description and use of this variety of English in various domains. Somewhat less is known about how far the learners and users of English as a foreign language are aware of the changing role of English, how they relate to the new phenomenon of ELF, and in what ways...
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