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This book focuses on the interface of organizational development and language learning, using mixed methods of qualitative (reflective journals) and quantitative analysis (experimental design, pre- and post-testing exam scores and questionnaires). Employing organizational development interventions (ODIs) in the context of language learning enriches the diversity and expands the possibilities of higher education. The action research cycle employed in the three-semester ODI process offers readers a source of inspiration. As the book shows, the combination of ODI techniques with language learning strategies in a learning community can be both effective and efficient, holding great potential for further research.

The study of informal involvement with additional languages has recently emerged as a dynamic research field in SLA. With the rapid development and spread of internet-based technologies, contact with foreign languages outside the classroom has become commonplace. While this can take multiple forms, online contents are a major driving force because they present learners with unprecedented opportunities for exposure to and use of target languages regardless of their physical location. Research from diverse geographical, educational and socio-economic contexts bring a rich variety of perspectives to this book. It explores these phenomena via a range of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, focusing particularly on individual differences and language development. The volume proposes that teachers in formal learning settings should seek to support and facilitate the development of these identities and practices, and it indicates means they can adopt to best do so.

This volume explores'performative linguistic space', namely a space which ushers or hinders linguistic practices. Space is made productive as a result of individuals who bring linguistic politics from diverse spaces into new ones. By moving away from the notions of discrete units of language and linguistic communities associated with a specific space, this volume suggests a fluid productive aspect of space. It goes beyond the assumed space-linguistic community association through ethnographic accounts that mediate linguistic anthropology, cultural geography, sociolinguistics, and deaf studies.

This book presents a new extended framework for the study of early multicompetence. It proposes a concept of multilingual competences as a valuable educational target, and a view of the multilingual learner as a competent language user. The thematic focus is on multilingual skill development in primary schoolers in the trilingual province of South Tyrol, northern Italy. A wide range of topics pertaining to multicompetence building and the special affordances of multilingual pedagogy are explored. Key concepts like language proficiency, native-speakerism, or monolingual classroom bias are subjected to critical analysis.

Informed by theory, research, and classroom practice, the volume provides a systematic overview of critical L2 writing issues. Additionally, with the aim to support instruction across all levels of education for Chinese speakers, this book introduces pre-service and in-service teachers to new teaching ideas, techniques, and practice.

Autonomy in Language Education offers a holistic overview of and novel contribution to a complex and multifaceted, yet under-studied, field of inquiry that is transforming language pedagogy: It offers nineteen original chapters that critically analyze the impact of Henri Holec's seminal 1979 book Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning; unpack theoretical, empirical, conceptual, methodological, ethical, and political developments over the last forty years from many perspectives; explore practical implications for teaching, learning, and teacher education; and suggest future avenues and challenges for research and practice in this broad, diverse, essential field.

Multilingualism has become an increasingly common global phenomenon especially in the last two decades. Therefore, multilingual programmes have now been regarded as a cornerstone of education systems in many countries around the world. Learning multiple languages helps us plug into a globalised world and strengthen links with a multitude of speakers from a diversified reality we live in. Thanks to the researched cases described in the chapters, further developments aimed at fostering multilingual practices in the contemporary world will be enhanced. The chapters included in the present volume, provide an overview of current theory, research and practice in the field. They deal with such prominent research topics as multilingual education, language policies, language contact, identity of multilingual speakers, to name only a few. The selected chapters focus on the numerous and heterogeneous relations between languages. They also incorporate a series of contextualized studies with diverse research designs applied in different settings across the globe. This volume constitutes a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly material on multilingualism from twelve different countries. It is a thought-provoking collection that provides a series of rich insights into the way multilingualism is practised in international contexts. It is ideally designed for academics, upper-level students, educators, professionals and practitioners seeking linguistic and pedagogical guidance on multilingualism.

This book explores the ways in which handheld networked devices can be used to enhance and augment interpersonal communication. The author examines in depth how the addition of visual and multimodal input, access to online search engines and the inclusion of participants from distant geographical locations (either synchronously or asynchronously) affects our face to face interactions. Presenting research data from several years of autoethnographic observation, this balanced work reveals the consequences, both positive and negative, of technology-dependent forms of discourse. In doing so, this sociolinguistic perspective fills a gap in the current literature and indicates possible future directions for the study of augmented communication. It will appeal in particular to students and scholars of sociolinguistics, applied linguistics and digital humanities.

This book seeks to expand the research agendas on autonomy in language learning and teaching in diverse contexts, by examining the present landscape of established studies, identifying research gaps and providing practical future research directions. Based on empirical studies, it explores research agendas in five emerging domains: language learning and teaching in developing countries; social censure and teacher autonomy; learner autonomy and groups; learner autonomy and digital practice; and finally, learner autonomy and space. In doing so, it sheds new light on the impact of digital media, group dynamics and the application of ecological perspectives on learner autonomy. The contributors present a novel reconsideration of new learning affordances, and their discussion of spatial dimensions provides much needed expansion in the field. This book will have international appeal and provide an invaluable resource for students and scholars of second language learning and higher education, as well as teacher educators.Chapter 2 of this book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057%2F978-1-137-52998-5_2.pdf.

The Handbook of Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning presents a comprehensive exploration of the impact of technology on the field of second language learning. The rapidly evolving language-technology interface has propelled dramatic changes in, and increased opportunities for, second language teaching and learning. Its influence has been felt no less keenly in the approaches and methods of assessing learners'language and researching language teaching and learning. Contributions from a team of international scholars make up the Handbook consisting of four parts: language teaching and learning through technology; the technology-pedagogy interface; technology for L2 assessment; and research and development of technology for language learning. It considers how technology assists in all areas of language development, the emergence of pedagogy at the intersection of language and technology, technology in language assessment, and major research issues in research and development of technologies for language learning. It covers all aspects of language including grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, speaking, pragmatics, and intercultural learning, as well as new pedagogical and assessment approaches, and new ways of conceiving and conducting research and development. The Handbook of Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning demonstrates the extensive, multifaceted implications of technology for language teachers, learners, materials-developers, and researchers.

This edited volume addresses issues that promote the notion of Classroom-based Language Assessment (CBLA) for the academic community and beyond. The book explores recent thinking and research on CBLA within the fields of language testing, assessment and general education based on theoretical and research papers presented at the recent CBLA SIG – EALTA Symposia held in Cyprus and the pre-conference EALTA workshops in various countries around Europe. The volume contains 17 chapters which involve both high-stakes tests and classroom-based assessments conducted by academics, professionals and researchers in the field. It brings together high-quality submissions that cover a gap in a research area that has long been in need of theoretical and empirical attention. Overall, this edited collection, with its international scope, offers a ground-breaking resource, bringing together in balanced relationship the fields of education and second language testing and assessment.

This book examines this contested relationship between assessment and autonomy from a number of perspectives in a variety of Higher Education language-learning contexts in Europe and the Far East. The contributors to the book describe research into assessment both for and as autonomy, as well as approaches to the assessment of autonomy itself.

This book examines how autonomy in language learning is fostered and constrained in social settings through interaction with others and various contextual features. With theoretical grounding, the authors discuss the implications for practice in classrooms, distance education, self-access centres, as well as virtual and social learning spaces.

Using constructivist principles and autonomous learning techniques the ELP has pioneered innovative and cutting edge approaches to learning languages that can be applied to learning across the spectrum. Although articles on the success of the ELP project have appeared in some academic journals, Perspectives from the European Language Portfolio is the first book to report on and contextualise the project's innovative techniques for a wider educational research audience.During the last ten years the ELP has increasingly become a reference tool for language learning and teaching in primary, secondary and tertiary educational settings all around Europe. The editors of this volume believe that there is a need to reflect on the significant contribution that the ELP has delivered for language learning and teaching, and to critically evaluate its achievements. This volume offers a range of investigations from theoretical studies to practical cases around these issues, and includes: relevant contributions of the ELP to language pedagogy; assessing the impact of the ELP on pedagogical research and practice; exploring and defining pathways for future developments; Reflective learning. This book is intended for a readership of language teachers and researchers across Europe. It will be of particular relevance to those engaged in language learning and teaching within the Common European Framework of Reference, supporting independent learning and developing a language curriculum, whether in school, adult, further or higher education.

This comprehensive exploration of theoretical and practical aspects of out-of-class teaching and learning from a variety of perspectives and in various settings around the world includes a theoretical overview of the field, 11 data-based case studies and practical advice on materials development for independent learning.

Written in a clear, informal style for graduate students and practicing teachers embarking on their first qualitative research study in applied linguistics, leading authors introduce the principal research approaches and data creation methods to offer novice researchers an easy-to-follow and straightforward guide to qualitative inquiry.