Having a nice accent, or being intelligible?

Having a nice accent, or being intelligible? As English is used globally, the particular varieties of English emerge in different parts of the world (Bamgose, 2001). Although American and British English are said to be the preferred standard varieties of English (Matsuda, 2002), a fact is that the international variety of English is actually non-existent (Kachru, 2012). Accommodating "the localized form of English" (Bolton, 2012, p.1) is thus vital. One major reason is because today, English is mostly learned (Kirkpatrick, 2003)...

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A short look at a study on Extensive Reading by A. Mikami

A review of a study on ER by A Mikami A Review Mikami, A. (2017), Students' Attitudes Toward Extensive Reading in the Japanese EFL Context. TESOL Journal, 8, 471-488. doi:10.1002/tesj.283 A great deal of research has proved the benefits of extensive reading (ER) in developing students’ L2 proficiency. The primacy of ER in helping students to develop their L2 proficiency has been reported widely. But its integration in the school curriculum has rarely been initiated due to several practical reasons. A study conducted...

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Learner autonomy and the use of technology

Learner autonomy and the use of technology  Learner autonomy has been widely discussed in the area of both second and language classroom (e.g., Thomson, 1998; Luke, 2006; Humphreys & Wyatt, 2013; Kormos & Csizer; 2013). Its positive advantages have been revealed by several recent studies. It is said that promoting learner autonomy could widen learners’ opportunities to learn beyond the classroom (Kormos & Csizer, 2013) and enhance their motivation (Dickinson, 1995). Defined as "the ability to charge of one’s own learning"...

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