Mastery of language can be a struggle for some children. Amongst those that succeed in achieving this feat there is variability in proficiency. Cognitive scientists remain intrigued by this variation. A now substantial body of research suggests that language acquisition is underpinned by a child's capacity for statistical learning (SL). Moreover, a growing body of research has demonstrated that...

Communication strategies (CSs) are systematic attempts by language learners to encode or decode meaning in a target language in situations where the appropriate target language rules have not been formed. Based on this view, communication strategies can be seen as compensatory means for making up for linguistic deficiencies of second or foreign language learners. Within the conceptual framework...

This article contributes to the field of reading assessment in English as a second language (L2). Few reading studies have been carried out at the upper secondary school level, and the present study provides insight into upper secondary school students’ L2 reading proficiency. It examines whether such proficiency can be explained by reading proficiency in Norwegian as their first language (L1)....

The study examined language learning anxiety factors, hindering EFL learners’ process of learning, particularly in speaking settings and recommended useful approaches to cope with it. Using the quantitative approach as well as a qualitative semi-structured interview and focus-group discussion method, this study tried to examine the factors behind language anxiety among Iranian language learners...

Previous studies have shown that some English vowel contrasts remain difficult for English learners to perceive. This study investigated three potential factors affecting vowel perception: cross-language vowel systems, spectral distance, and language proficiency, for the discrimination and identification of English /ɪ/-/ε/, /ε/-/æ/, /ʊ/-/ʌ/, and /ʌ/-/ɒ/ contrasts in four groups of listeners: L1...

PURPOSE To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire of bilingual language status with predictable relationships between self-reported and behavioral measures. METHOD In Study 1, the internal validity of the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) was established on the basis of self-reported data from 52 multilingual adult participants. In Study 2, criterion-based validit...

Having acquired some degree of oral proficiency but low (or non-existent) literacy, the learning of Chinese heritage learners’ (CHLs) learning needs are different from those of Chinese foreign language learners (CFLs), who have learned Chinese only in the classroom setting. Although researchers have advocated for a separate curriculum for CHLs, creating a heritage track may not be an option for...

The present study examined the factor structure of the University of Tehran English Proficiency Test (UTEPT) that aims to examine test takers’ knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was used to analyse the responses of participants (N= 850) to a 2010 version of the test.  A higher-order model was postulated to test if the unde...

Considering that the pronunciation of second language speech is usually influenced by the mother tongue, we previously proposed using a reduced phoneme set for second language when the mother tongue of speakers is known. However, the proficiency of second language speakers varies widely, as does the influence of mother tongue on their pronunciation. Consequently, the optimal phoneme set is depe...

The effect of relative language proficiency on the spatial distribution and magnitude of BOLD signal change was evaluated by studying two groups of right-handed English-Mandarin bilingual participants with contrasting language proficiencies as they made semantic judgments with words and characters. Greater language proficiency corresponded to shorter response times and greater accuracy in the s...