{"title":"The impact of multimodal composing on CSL learners’ writing performance: Considering language, structure, and content dimensions","authors":"Yufang Pan, Li Lei","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352262","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the increasing prevalence of multimodal approaches and multimodal composing (MC) in Chinese as a second language (CSL) instruction, whether MC can positively impact the writing performance of CSL learners remains to be further explored. This study focuses on advanced-level CSL learners and investigates the impact of MC on their writing performance through a quasi-experimental study involving three writing tasks. Learners’ attitudes and evaluations towards MC are examined via a reflection survey and a semi-structured interview, and their writing performance is evaluated using three criteria, namely language, structure, and content. The results indicated that the experimental group engaged in MC demonstrated greater syntactic complexity, structure, and content compared to the control group. However, while the experimental group showed a decline in accuracy and increased lexical diversity, there was no significant difference compared to the control group. Overall, the experimental group expressed a positive attitude towards MC, which enhanced their motivation. This study offers new perspectives and methodologies for investigating MC performance. The findings provide valuable insights for both research and practice in integrating MC into CSL writing instruction.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the role of individual psychological and work-related contextual factors in language teachers’ well-being","authors":"Julia Goetze","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352273","url":null,"abstract":"This survey study explored the role of three psychological individual factors (trait emotional intelligence, emotion regulation style, and emotion regulation difficulty), one work-related individual factor (teaching experience), and one work-related contextual factor (class size) in different facets of language teachers’ well-being. To capture well-being, a sample of 254 language teachers completed the Workplace PERMA Profiler and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Before data were analyzed via regression analysis, the psychometric properties of both well-being instruments were evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis. Results showed that the instruments measured theoretically related albeit distinct constructs and that the originally theorized factor structures of the adopted well-being models could not be replicated with language teacher data. Following model adjustments, the regression analysis indicated the significant predictive power of emotion regulation capacities (i.e., habitual cognitive emotion regulation style, perceived difficulty in emotion regulation) and class size on different facets of well-being. Results contribute to the conceptual clarification of language teacher well-being, which can inform effective social-emotional professional development opportunities for language teachers at all career stages and yield institutional policy implications. Practical implications and avenues for future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring material-mediated EFL classroom interactions: An ecological perspective","authors":"Dongying Li","doi":"10.1177/13621688251351768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251351768","url":null,"abstract":"While the importance of materials in second language (L2) learning and instruction has been widely acknowledged, research on how materials mediate classroom interactions are still relatively scarce. This, however, is crucial considering the complex interplay among teacher, students and materials in classroom interactions. The study investigates this issue from an ecological perspective, regarding students’ learning through material use as holistic, dynamic, and emergent. Multiple data were collected combining classroom discourse analysis with students’ reflection and interview data. Findings revealed that: (1) different materials catalyse different patterns of classroom interactions as well as teacher and students’ talk; and that (2) while students tended to be more expressive in texts that are personally relevant, texts with literary language use and space for multiple interpretations entail complex meaning-making and lexical choice. Findings of the study suggest that adjusting features of materials can catalyse diverse opportunities for learning and interaction depending on students’ L2 proficiency and prior knowledge, thus rendering relationships between material use and students’ learning actionable.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A third-wave positive psychology approach to language teachers’ self-efficacy, self-concept, and motivation","authors":"Elnaz Oladrostam, Teymour Rahmati, Musa Nushi","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352270","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352270","url":null,"abstract":"Recent reviews of the application of positive psychology (PP) in language education have identified a theoretical debate, the efficacy of PP interventions, and the nexus between culture and PP interventions as the three main underexplored issues. Furthermore, the need for PP to broaden its scope to include language teachers has been highlighted in the relevant body of literature. In response to these lacunae, the current explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the interplay of self-efficacy, self-concept, and motivation among 286 Iranian language teachers, who were recruited through proportionate stratified random sampling, to test the validity of the E4MC (empathy, emotions, emotional intelligence, engagement [E4], motivation [M], and character strengths [C]) model of PP. Subsequently, a qualitative phase was designed in which 15 participants were purposively selected to attend an intervention course whereby they practiced 10 PP activities. Adopting a third-wave PP approach, the activities were divided into individualistic versus collectivistic cultural categories, reflecting the divergent perceptions of positivity inherent in these cultural paradigms. Structural regression modeling results yielded a high goodness-of-fit index, indicating that the hypothetical model which delineated the relationships among self-efficacy, self-concept, and motivation was valid. Notably, significant correlations were observed between motivation and self-efficacy, as well as between motivation and self-concept. Furthermore, thematic analysis of the teachers’ reflective journals underscored the efficacy of PP interventions. Data from focus group interviews and teachers’ evaluations of the interventions indicated a preference for collectivistic activities within the Iranian cultural context. Participants expressed a greater affinity for collectivistic interventions such as time capsules, relative to individualistic tasks like writing gratitude journals. The findings imply that PP interventions designed to enhance positive language teacher development should align with the cultural realities of the context of practice to foster genuine positivity rather than imposed positivity.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144901565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"EFL instructors’ critical thinking: Cognition, practices, and dispositions","authors":"Wondifraw Mihret Dessie, Zelalem Berhanu Guadu","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352267","url":null,"abstract":"Contemporary language education aims to promote 21st-century core thinking-related competencies. Achieving this goal requires empowered teachers with strong beliefs and practices that support effective language instruction. In this context, English-as-a-foreign-language instructors’ understanding of creative and critical thinking plays a crucial role in integrating critical thinking standards into English language teaching, thereby fostering multiple competencies. This study examines English-as-a-foreign-language instructors’ critical thinking cognition, practices, and dispositions, along with their interdependence. Employing a concurrent mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative analysis with in-depth exploration. Ninety-two instructors were selected using systematic random sampling from three Ethiopian universities and participated by responding to structured and open-ended questionnaires. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, <jats:italic>t</jats:italic> -tests, and multiple linear regression techniques, whereas qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings indicate that although instructors demonstrate awareness and familiarity with critical thinking, many struggle to conceptualize it fully. Most instructors often focus on lower-order critical thinking standards and engage students in less cognitively demanding activities. This tendency is frequently attributed to challenges within the educational environment, diverse student backgrounds, and limitations in instructors’ own preparedness. To address these issues, it is recommended to implement awareness-raising initiatives, provide professional development training, and facilitate discussions aimed at enhancing instructors’ understanding and application of critical thinking.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"97 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Coteaching in K-12 second/foreign language classrooms: A systematic review from 1998 to 2024","authors":"Yuji Du, Zhen Li","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352277","url":null,"abstract":"Coteaching is widely adopted in K-12 second/foreign language education, yet its models are not fully understood. This systematic review examines 35 empirical studies from 1998 to 2024, exploring the effects, challenges, and potential of this pedagogical approach. Results indicate that K-12 classrooms mainly employed the <jats:italic>two-teacher-one-language</jats:italic> and the <jats:italic>one-teacher-one-language</jats:italic> approach, with the most commonly used models being the <jats:italic>one-teach-one-assist</jats:italic> and the <jats:italic>team-teaching</jats:italic> model. Regarding its influences, coteaching helped develop students’ target language competence and multilingual repertoire, and it fostered cultural exposure and cross-cultural interactions. Coteaching also supported teachers in coconstructing knowledge and provided shared space for reflection. However, challenges such as language and cultural barriers, insufficient training or support, and interpersonal incompatibility between coteachers may hinder its sustainable implementation. The review identifies three key aspects for reconsideration for the future of coteaching in second/foreign language education: <jats:italic>adaptivity</jats:italic> versus <jats:italic>creativity, culture as challenges</jats:italic> versus <jats:italic>culture as potential</jats:italic> , and <jats:italic>complementarity</jats:italic> versus <jats:italic>integration</jats:italic> . We suggest that practitioners and researchers work together to creatively and effectively implement coteaching models, improve the integration of coteachers’ roles, and explore cotaught classrooms as translanguaging, transcultural, and trans-semiotizing spaces.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Roqayeh Enferad, Seyed Mohammad Reza Amirian, Mostafa Azari Noughabi, Peter MacIntyre, Tobias Ringeisen
{"title":"A holistic perspective on the contribution of foreign language peace of mind, enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom to EFL learners’ willingness to communicate: The mediating role of engagement","authors":"Roqayeh Enferad, Seyed Mohammad Reza Amirian, Mostafa Azari Noughabi, Peter MacIntyre, Tobias Ringeisen","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352279","url":null,"abstract":"Learners’ foreign language engagement (FLEng) plays a crucial role in language acquisition, yet its mediating influence between learner emotions and willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language (L2) remains underexplored. This study investigates how emotional contexts—including positive emotions such as foreign language peace of mind (FLPoM) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE), as well as negative emotions such as foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and foreign language boredom (FLB)—affect English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ L2 WTC. Utilizing the 3D pyramid model of L2 WTC, we analyzed data from 301 participants who completed six questionnaires. The findings revealed that FLPoM, FLE, FLCA, and FLB did not directly influence L2 WTC. However, learners’ FLEng was found to fully mediate the relationships between both positive and negative emotions and L2 WTC. These results underscore the vital importance of fostering learners’ FLEng in language education, suggesting that enhancing emotional experiences can significantly impact learners’ willingness to communicate in a foreign language.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"731 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144787712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the language-teacher knowledge base: Exploring core pedagogical content competencies in Korean public secondary-school language teachers","authors":"George EK Whitehead, Phil Hiver","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352281","url":null,"abstract":"In 2020, Donald Freeman revisited his influential 1998 work on the knowledge base of language teachers. He argued for a necessary reexamination of language teachers in today’s context. This reevaluation, according to him, is crucial to create new interpretations of the knowledge base that accurately reflect the changes driven by the field and work over the years. Attending to this call, this study explores the core pedagogical content competencies that Korean in-service secondary-school English teachers require in their job using a complex dynamic systems lens. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 15 in-service English language teachers and 15 language-teacher educators. The findings indicate that in-service teachers require a complex and dynamic ensemble of core pedagogical knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform well in their public-school classroom. The findings of this study build upon previous conceptualizations of the language-teacher knowledge base and contribute to a more nuanced and situated understanding of the pedagogical content competencies that in-service teachers require in their professional role.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144796707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Language learning aptitude as a predictor of late-life L2 learning at beginner level","authors":"Karen Roehr-Brackin, Renato Pavlekovic","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352260","url":null,"abstract":"Recent work in the field of second language (L2) learning and teaching has aimed for improved representativeness by including older adult participants. Findings to date suggest not only that it is perfectly possible to learn a new L2 late in life, but also that, compared with younger samples, third-age learners’ success may be less dependent on the nature of the instructional approach they are exposed to. Whereas the predictive power of language learning aptitude in young adults’ instructed L2 learning has been amply demonstrated, we know very little about language aptitude as a predictor of late-life learners’ L2 achievement. The present study addressed these issues by comparing the effectiveness of an explicit and an incidental instructional condition at the earliest stage of L2 learning. Volunteers ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 80) aged 60–83 completed the LLAMA aptitude battery and a serial reaction time task and participated in a suite of online language lessons targeting adjective-noun gender agreement in beginner-level Croatian. Our results show that the LLAMA tests significantly predicted L2 attainment. Aptitude components played a greater role in the incidental than in the explicit condition, indicating that the latter was cognitively less demanding. Nevertheless, participants were equally successful in the two conditions. The incidental group responded faster to posttest items throughout, and participants performed better on written than auditory items regardless of instructional condition. Taken together, these findings suggest that input modality may be more relevant for older adults than instructional approach. Participants’ occupational status (working vs. retired) and self-concepts, including their confidence in themselves and their knowledge, emerged as important factors, highlighting the link between (meta)cognitive and socioaffective variables in late-life learners.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144778301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of L2 motivation on use behavior of translation technologies among English-related majors: Mediating effects of performance expectancy and L2 grit","authors":"Junfeng Zhao, Xiang Li, Hong Liao","doi":"10.1177/13621688251352261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352261","url":null,"abstract":"The rise of translation technologies has transformed language learning, offering English-related majors valuable tools for overcoming linguistic barriers and enhancing translation performance. However, the interplay of key factors influencing the actual use of these technologies among this demographic remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationships between second language (L2) motivation, performance expectancy, and L2 grit in shaping the use behavior of translation technologies, focusing on their direct and mediating effects. Using data from 554 juniors and seniors from six universities, the study reveals that L2 motivation significantly predicts performance expectancy, L2 grit, and use behavior. Performance expectancy directly influenced L2 grit, both of which subsequently affected the use behavior. They also mediate the relationship between L2 motivation and use behavior, with significant sequential mediation involving both factors. The results highlight the importance of motivational and cognitive factors in optimizing translation technology use, offering valuable insights for educators and technology developers aiming to support English-related majors in multilingual and globalized contexts.","PeriodicalId":47852,"journal":{"name":"Language Teaching Research","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144766169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}