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Multilingual identity construction is a diachronic, non-linear and constantly evolving process which is influenced by a complex range of contextual and temporal factors. Yet the temporal dimension seldom receives explicit empirical attention and remains under-theorised. Meanwhile, the dynamics of multilingual identity development are rarely explored at the cohort (i.e., whole-class) level. Underpinned by complex dynamic systems theory, this study tracks the evolution of multilingual identity positions in a class of Japanese-learning public high school students in China using longitudinal Q methodology. Three rounds of Q sorting and Q-based interviews were administered over the course of one academic year. The findings testified the enrichment and concretisation of students’ multilingual identity with the accumulation of their Japanese learning experience. A range of sociocultural factors with changing saliencies impacted the students’ identity development, giving rise to group-level patterns of convergences and divergences at different timepoints. We argue that the temporal axis should be explicitly conceptualised in multilingual identity research. A temporal model of multilingual identity development is proposed to better contextualise and construe the continuity and shifts of multilingual identity at both individual and group levels.

Almost one in five students in UK schools are recorded as speaking English as an additional language (EAL), a label which encompasses a hugely diverse group of students in terms of their first language(s), educational background, socio-economic status and attainment profiles. A growing body of evidence suggests that attainment gaps between EAL students and their English-as-first-language peers decrease substantially as they progress through their schooling. In spite of this, in some areas EAL students remain relatively less likely to continue with their studies beyond the age of 16. There is therefore a pressing need to further explore the factors which influence choices made by this particular group when considering progression to higher education. To this end, an exploratory, qualitative study was conducted in three secondary level institutions in a large city in the North of England, each with a high proportion of EAL students. Group interviews were conducted with a total of 52 staff and EAL students. This paper presents key findings which relate to sources of information and support for EAL students and identifies particular barriers to higher education for students, institutions and parents. We conclude with several practical recommendations for widening participation.

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Additional file 2: Table S1. Target sequences of LNA microRNA primer sets utilised for microRNA Q-PCR.

PURPOSE: Unfortunately, several barriers impede successful management of cancer pain including those relating to the assessment and measurement of pain. There is currently no consensus as to what constitutes good pain control or what healthcare professionals are aiming to achieve in the management of pain for patients with advanced cancer. This study aimed to explore healthcare professionals' views and experiences to elicit what they are aiming to achieve in managing pain for patients with advanced cancer.METHODS: Healthcare professionals involved in the management of cancer pain were sampled purposively and interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique until saturation of data. Data were analysed using the constant comparison approach.RESULTS: Sixteen interviews took place and four main themes emerged: aims of pain management, assessing response to pain management, managing expectations, and building relationships. Healthcare professionals found assessing patients' pain challenging and reported that patients had difficulty using numerical rating scales. Healthcare professionals used different terms when talking about managing pain, such as 'pain control' but found it difficult to define these terms. Maintaining patients' function and managing their expectations were described as important. However, it was not always clear whether the patient goals mentioned were voiced explicitly by the patient or assumed by the healthcare professional.CONCLUSION: Healthcare professionals described what they deemed important in the management of pain. The goals they mentioned almost exclusively related to function as opposed to pain scores, but patients' goals and expectations were often not elicited specifically.

The inextricable and interdependent link between language and identity has long been acknowledged (e.g. Joseph 2004; Norton, 2000). Language is, after all, the means through which we identify ourselves and are, in turn, identified by others. Yet, we live in an increasingly multilingual world where many individuals have multiple languages in their repertoire. It is important to note that we use the term ‘multilingual’ here in its broadest sense, to include learners who have knowledge of more than one language, regardless of their level of proficiency in their languages or how they were acquired; we include not only spoken languages, but also non-verbal forms of communication such as sign languages. Our position is that each language that is part of an individual’s repertoire may influence the nature of their identity negotiation in important ways. However, this raises significant questions about the relationship between multilingualism and identity and, in particular, the influence that this may have on language learning in a range of different contexts. For example: How do we conceptualise and research multilingual identity? How does multilingual identity intersect with other key constructs from the field of language learning, such as language beliefs and motivation, language emotions and intercultural understanding? What are its intersections with psychological constructs such as memory, and how are our memories and multilingual identities shaped by our social and cultural experiences? How can a better understanding of multilingual identity extend our existing knowledge of language learning and enhance language pedagogy? These are just some of the questions at the heart of this special issue.

In language learner identity research, there is an underrepresentation of LOTE-as-L3 learners in instructed foreign language learning contexts. This study addresses this gap by exploring the multilingual identity profiles of Chinese high school LOTE-as-L3 learners in two school contexts and seeks to understand how the schools may influence students’ multilingual identity development. Q sorting activities were administered with 35 international school and 22 public school students who were in their first year of Japanese study using newly developed Q instruments. Five archetypical identity positions emerged and one student from each group was interviewed on their Q sort decisions. We argue that the school environment plays an important role in students’ multilingual identity negotiation. The schools’ ethos, curriculum arrangements and pedagogical goals for language learning, along with the schools’ social dynamics emerged as salient factors that concomitantly shape learners’ experience, evaluations and emotions as multilingual learners and users.

Writing is a skill which is actively taught in both first (L1) and foreign language (FL) classrooms, yet surprisingly few cross-curricular links are made. This paper, aimed at both practitioners and researchers, presents a framework for designing and implementing a strategy-based, cross-curricular approach to writing pedagogy in schools. It firstly considers the factors which should be taken into account when designing such an intervention in both L1 and FL classrooms. It then outlines the key steps in the implementation of such a programme of strategy-based instruction. To exemplify this, the paper reports on data throughout from an empirical study involving a classroom intervention of explicit strategy-based instruction which was delivered firstly in the German FL classroom, and later also in the English classroom of a Year 9 (age 13-14) class in a secondary school in England. The aim was to help students to develop their writing strategies and to encourage transfer between languages. Findings suggest that while a programme of strategy-based instruction can improve strategy use and attainment in writing within a particular language context, effects are most powerful when there is collaboration between L1 and FL teachers. Evidence therefore calls for a multilingual approach to writing pedagogy., I am grateful to the ESRC for providing funding for the PhD study from which this paper is drawn.

In an increasingly multilingual world, empirical knowledge about the reciprocal influence between the mother tongue (L1) and a learner’s acquisition of foreign languages (FL) is crucial yet remains surprisingly scarce. This paper examines how an explicit focus on metacognitive strategy use within a FL (German) classroom impacts students’ development of writing strategies in the FL, and whether any such effects transfer to another FL (French) and/or to the L1 (English). Based on a quasi-experimental design, the study involved a two-phase intervention of strategy-based instruction primarily in the FL classroom and later also in the English classroom in a secondary school in England. Data were collected using writing strategy task sheets. Key findings indicate high levels of cross-linguistic transfer, both from one FL context to another and from FL – L1, evidenced especially by an improvement in the quality of students’ planning and a reduction in the number of errors. Findings support the development of a multilingual, strategy-based pedagogy for writing where L1 and FL teachers collaborate to encourage and facilitate connection-making across language contexts.

The development of critical thinking skills forms an important part of many higher education courses and has become increasingly visible in syllabi and assessment criteria. Yet, in spite of this, students often struggle to understand what it is and to demonstrate it in their work. This paper aims to explore how students understand the term critical thinking and to identify some of the key factors which influence this. An in-depth case study was conducted with four first year undergraduate students in the Education faculty of a university in England. Data were collected through thematic interviews and stimulated recall interviews. Key findings highlight that students believe strongly in the importance of developing critical thinking skills, yet while they can speak relatively easily about more abstract definitions of the term, they often find it difficult to do and to identify in their own work. Findings suggest that their conceptualisations are influenced by their prior educational experiences and vary according to discipline. Implications for pedagogy include the need for explicit guidance on critical thinking, the provision of substantial opportunities for practice and the need to engage in dialogue across disciplines to highlight opportunities for promoting connection-making and transfer between different contexts.