Children begin school having already acquired a wide range of skills related to oral language, phonological awareness, print conventions, and letter knowledge. These emergent skills are closely associated with children’s home literacy-related experiences and are strong precursors of L1 reading development. This experimental research examined whether this participation in literacy events can support second language acquisition to prepare young learners of English for L2 literacy and reading development. It involved two groups of nine seven-year-old learners each: a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group was exposed to carefully selected English print storybooks, chosen for their potential to foster literacy skills, in a home-like environment without formal L2 instruction. The study’s methodology compared the development of emergent skills and L2 reading ability across both groups. Despite varied reading outcomes, all participants in the experimental group developed significant emergent subskills, foundational to reading and beneficial for L2 development and cognitive growth. These results underline the importance of integrating rich English print materials into early L2 learning environments, offering practical insights for educators to enhance young learners’ literacy and reading skills.
Motivation has been extensively researched in second/foreign language (L2) learning, yet its impact on pragmatics acquisition remains underexplored. This nine-week mixed-methods study aimed to address this gap by examining how motivation to learn L2 pragmatic features fluctuates over time whilst identifying factors that may influence these changes. Thirty-seven Czech secondary school learners of English participated, completing a trait motivation questionnaire before and after instruction. Additional data were collected through follow-up interviews and motometers during lessons on suggestion-making. The findings confirmed the dynamics and multidimensionality of motivation, shaped by individual factors, classroom activities, teaching methods, and the relevance of pragmatic content. Motivation varied significantly within and between lessons, driven by both internal and external stimuli. As learners developed a deeper understanding of pragmatics, their motivation increased, enhancing their ability to use English appropriately. The study concludes with recommendations for L2 teaching practices and future research on motivation in pragmatics learning.
The swift transition to online learning platforms has sparked debates on the comparative efficacy of virtual environments in contrast to traditional face-to-face classroom settings, particularly in areas where in-person education has been the customary practice. This study examines the influence of these two modes of learning on the reading comprehension of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at Northern Border University in Saudi Arabia. The research comprised a group of 35 female undergraduate English majors, aged 18–24, who successfully finished the “Reading Course 2,” either using an online platform or in a conventional classroom environment. The research utilized a post-test for reading comprehension and conducted in-depth interviews to evaluate student perspectives. The findings revealed that there were no notable disparities in academic performance between the two groups. Nevertheless, the majority of students expressed a strong preference for in-person instruction, emphasizing the importance of direct teacher involvement and active participation with their peers. They stated that these factors significantly improved their learning experience and motivation. The findings suggest that although online learning can achieve similar academic achievements as traditional approaches, enhancing virtual engagement and interpersonal relationships is essential for attaining greater student happiness and emulating the comprehensive advantages of in-person education.
Successful discourse comprehension involves accurate interpretation of anaphoric expressions such as pronouns (e.g., he, him) and reflexives (e.g., himself, herself), which is thought to be structurally constrained under the Binding theory. Previous research has shown that L2 learners whose L1 anaphors are resolved under structural constraints different from those of the L2 encounter greater difficulty interpreting L2 anaphoric expressions. This study explores Vietnamese EFL learners’ knowledge of the Binding Principles (Chomsky, 1981) and their applications in anaphora resolution. Forty-five intermediate and advanced Vietnamese EFL learners completed a forced-choice anaphora test consisting of 24 items. Results reveal that the advanced learners are more accurate in selecting suitable antecedents for both pronouns and reflexives. However, the intermediate learners face challenges, particularly in interpreting pronouns, performing significantly worse than the advanced learners. The findings prompt discussions regarding the implications of the Binding Principles and the potential influence of pragmatic knowledge, suggesting the need for further investigations incorporating pragmatic aspects.
This review presents findings from reading intervention studies of L2 students, with a particular focus on: students learning a second language other than English, students learning English who have first languages other than Spanish, and intervention studies which address the issue of transfer of gains made in one language to outcomes in another. Twenty-two studies conducted between 2008 and 2023 with learners of school age were identified using the PICOS and PRISMA Flow Diagram procedures. A clear implication from this review is that intervention studies concerning learning to read in a second language remain a relatively under-researched area which is dominated by studies on learning to read in English. The studies identified in this review suggest that, regardless of the learners’ L1, additional small-group or in-class programs targeting phonological awareness, letter-sound correspondence, and word decoding can produce accelerated and sustained gains in L2 reading, in comparison to “treatment as usual.” Relatively little evidence is available about interventions for older students learning to read in different first languages or about interventions to improve comprehension. Mixed evidence was found concerning the transfer of training effects from one language to another, with typically higher effects for phonological awareness, and letter-sound knowledge compared to comprehension. The finding that reading skills, especially phonological awareness, and letter-sound knowledge, can transfer from one language to another has important implications for policy and practice. We discuss the challenges of attempting to synthesize studies in this area and identify practical implications.
