As one of the pioneering applications of machine learning for quantitative data analysis in applied linguistics, this study investigates the predictive power of linguistic features on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing quality. To overcome the limitations of traditional linear regression,  specifically multicollinearity and non-normal data distributions, we employed a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network to analyse 96 essays from Chinese secondary school students. The model evaluated the relative predictive importance of various lexical, syntactic, fluency, and accuracy features. Demonstrating exceptional fit, the neural network accounted for approximately 80% of the variance in overall writing scores with no evidence of overfitting. Sensitivity analyses revealed that lexical diversity was the most robust predictor of writing quality (100% normalised importance), followed by grammatical accuracy (60.4%). Conversely, syntactic complexity, text length, and lexical sophistication exhibited comparatively minimal influence. These findings underscore the critical role of vocabulary diversity in evaluating adolescent EFL writing, while successfully establishing neural networks as a powerful, innovative methodological tool for future applied linguistic research.

This article describes what could be in a course in training learners how to learn. It covers four strategies, repeated spaced retrieval, learning though use, deliberate learning, and mnemonic devices. Although the main focus is on language learning, the strategies can also be applied well beyond that, and examples are provided from learning vocabulary (learning items), learning economics (subject/content knowledge), and learning to drive a car (skill). The strategies are based on three principles of learning – focus of attention, quantity of attention and quality of attention. The article includes detailed instructions and tasks covering learning, application and analysis for running a workshop on learning how learn that can be used for a short intensive course or for including as a regular part of a teaching program. The tasks are ready to use with possible answers provided.

The present study investigates GenAI-mediated vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) among Chinese university English learners by integrating measurement validation and person-centered analysis. A sample of 593 Chinese EFL students completed a 24-item questionnaire assessing four strategy dimensions: AI-assisted lexical discovery, AI-supported lexical elaboration, AI-mediated metacognitive regulation, and AI-based lexical activation. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a correlated four-factor structure with strong reliability and acceptable convergent validity, although high inter-factor correlations suggested closely integrated constructs. Latent profile analysis identified three learner groups, including low-to-moderate, moderate-to-high, and high strategy users. Profile comparisons revealed that higher-use groups reported greater AI experience, higher self-rated proficiency, and stronger vocabulary-related performance. No significant differences were found for gender or year of study. The findings extend VLS research into AI-mediated contexts, highlighting the importance of strategic engagement and supporting a reconceptualization of vocabulary learning as a dynamic human–AI interactional process.

Pre-task planning is one of the widely used approaches to improve second language (L2) fluency in task-based language teaching (Ellis et al., 2020). However, the effect of the language used in pre-task planning on L2 speech fluency remains underexplored. The current study employed a between-participants design to compare the effects of planning languages at three levels: L1 planning, L2 planning, and no planning (a control group), across a narrative task on four measures of L2 speech fluency among 84 Chinese EFL learners. The study also investigated the moderating role of L2 proficiency. Results revealed that L1 planning significantly improved speech rate and marginally reduced between-clause pauses, while L2 planning showed weaker, marginally significant effects. Neither language of planning condition significantly affected within-clause pausing or repair fluency. In addition, within-group correlation analyses revealed that higher L2 proficiency in the L1 planning group was strongly correlated with all fluency measures. Pedagogical implications are discussed in terms of how to optimize L2 speech fluency in different planning languages across different L2 proficiency levels.

This study employs Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to examine how two Chinese university teachers learn as they use the Understanding Contemporary China textbook series for the first time. Findings reveal that teacher learning is driven by a dynamic hierarchy of four levels of contradictions: From teachers’ initial doubts about the textbook’s purpose, to tensions concerning specialized knowledge, student participation, and institutional rules, and further extends to tensions with the established teaching routine and overall curriculum design. To resolve these contradictions, teachers drew on mediational means that progressed from external resources (training sessions, expert consultation, official materials) to internalized professional judgment, reflecting a shift from other-regulation to self-regulation. Crucially, the two teachers faced similar contradictions; however, their differing curriculum traditions, rooted in divergent pedagogical norms between interpretation and translation courses, led them to perceive and resolve tensions differently. This resulted in distinct learning processes and practical outcomes. These findings contribute to understanding how contradictions in ideologically oriented reforms can trigger transformative teacher learning and emphasize the role of curriculum tradition as a mediating factor in shaping professional development under reform.

In an investigation of students and teachers of various languages, Ruesch and colleagues (2012) discovered that the two groups held different perceptions regarding the effectiveness of motivational strategies (MSs). However, consid- ering learning environment significantly influences MSs (Dörnyei, 2001), situ- ating students and teachers in a more specific environment is recommended when comparing their perceptions. This study examines the perceptions of students and teachers sharing the same learning environment to identify any differences in perceptions regarding the effectiveness of MSs. The participants included 316 students of English at a Japanese technical college and six non- native English teachers. Statistical analyses on questionnaire data collected showed that both groups perceived the overall effectiveness of motivational strategy (MS) similarly, which is inconsistent with Ruesch and colleagues (2012). One possible interpretation for this discrepancy is that the current study was situated in a single second language (L2) learning environment—specifically English—whereas Ruesch and colleagues (2012) conducted their study in multiple L2 learning environments. Therefore, the teachers in this study had a better and more accurate understanding of how to motivate students. Addition- ally, no significant differences were found in students' perceptions of MSs across groups with different L2 proficiency and motivational intensity.

This paper examines how informal digital language learning unfolds through gameplay and related transmedia practices. While informal language learning frequently extends across diverse platforms, the mechanisms through which game design, symbolic interpretation, and learner agency intersect are not fully understood. Drawing on ecological, spatial, and game design perspectives, this study develops an integrated framework for analysing cross-platform informal language learning. In a qualitative case study of a Thai international student studying English in Australia, data were collected over eight weeks through gameplay recordings, reflective journals, and semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis revealed that narrative design supported symbolic competence, with vocabulary learning intertwined with affective immersion in story worlds. Multiplayer interaction fostered pragmatic awareness as the learner acquired idiomatic and abbreviated forms while strategically managing their use across contexts. Cross-platform inquiry enabled recursive meaning-making through wikis, dictionaries, and online discussions, while social media remixing facilitated multimodal recontextualisation and identity work. The findings demonstrate how symbolic interpretation, pragmatic selectivity, recursive inquiry, and multimodal authorship interlock within digitally mediated affinity spaces. This study offers conceptual understanding and pedagogical implications for informal digital language learning.

Social justice and gender equality have long been promoted in schools and educa- tion sectors in Hong Kong. However, it remains unclear whether these efforts have led to meaningful changes in children's literature popular among Hong Kong readers. In particular, the extent to which recent children's books have moved away from male-dominated narratives and improved female representation warrants further examination. To increase gender awareness in young readers, parents, teachers, and librarians in the local community and beyond, this paper examines the gender representation in seven Grade 3 English e-chapbooks catego- rized under Reading Recovery (RR) level 22 (for readers aged eight to nine) in Highlights Library, one of the leading digital reading platforms in the world. In terms of the male-to-female ratio in the book titles, book cover illustrations, and central characters of eBooks at RR level 22, the study shows that female charac- ters outnumber male characters in most e-chapbooks catalogued in the digital library. Female characters are no longer underrepresented. In terms of gender discourses, Fairclough's critical discourse analysis (CDA) is used to observe the gender power relations in the narratives of the seven Grade 3 e-chapbooks. All seven e-chapbooks at RR level 22 exhibit different levels of influence from feminism

Second language (L2) testing research over the last two decades has witnessed a noticeable shift from measuring multiple validities to presenting evidence to the argument-based validation framework, but seldom did they examine the argu- ment-based validity of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Exami- nation (HKDSE) English Language speaking test (hereafter referred to as HKDSE speaking test), which is taken in the form of group interaction that considers not only the validation components based on Levelt's (1989) speaking model but also international competence. The current study aims to validate the HKDSE speaking test by presenting evidence to back the warrants drawn in the domain description, explanation, and utilization inferences within the argument- based framework. The study adopted the qualitative approach by analyzing different sources of artifacts, including the constructs, task test samples, marking criteria, and authentic group discussion samples, as well as transcripts of the interview with four prospective task-takers. Results indicate that despite high consistency between most constructs, marking criteria, and theoretical expecta- tions, the non-specifications of the interaction context, participants' roles, and task purposes in the majority of the test prompts make it hard to fully justify both the target domain and explanation inferences. The interviewees' disregard of the representativeness of the test scores in manifesting the language use in real-life contexts has also undermined its validity in terms of utilization inference.