Volume 15, Issue 1

This paper presents the findings of a survey on research activities and research cultures across the CercleS network. The survey was conducted under the auspices of the CercleS Focus Group on Leadership and Management and aimed to explore the scope of research in Language Centres; the links between institutional factors such as staff contracts and research; the areas of research undertaken and possible priorities; barriers preventing research; and attitudes to research. The survey was distributed online and contained closed and open questions, allowing for a combination of quantitative and qualitative data analyses. The total results of the 99 out of 401 member institutions were compared with the responses from the five most represented national associations to identify any notable differences in the results between different national associations. The full data revealed a wide range of institutional situations but showed fairly similar results among the five most represented national associations. 72 % of respondents indicated that they engage in some form of research activity. However, 27 % of respondents stated that they do not engage in research, yet a majority of those still promote or offer research-oriented activities. Most responses confirmed the valuable contribution research makes to the professionalisation of learning, teaching, and staff development and therefore Language Centres’ quality development. This is more effective when individual research activities are aligned with the remit of the Language Centre. Furthermore, a research-supportive culture can and does exist in a good number of cases, despite challenging institutional factors.

Linguistic diversity is growing in Higher Education, driven by factors like internationalization and digitalization. This trend necessitates a reevaluation of language practices within academic communities. Language Centres play a crucial role in modelling effective practices and reshaping these practices to address the multilingual needs of university staff and students. This study explores how university Language Centre staff in Finland describe language practices within their work communities and examines the motives behind them. A Language Centre is an institution within a university focused on teaching and supporting language learning. Survey data from 95 staff members across all Finnish universities was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings indicate positive correlations between the clarity of language practices, visibility of multilingualism, freedom of language choices, and staff satisfaction. However, challenges remain in maintaining clarity of such practices and satisfaction of the staff. The qualitative analysis identified six key motives for language choice: time-benefit ratio, national languages, communication certainty and emotions, accessibility and inclusion, lingua franca, and multilingualism. A constellation model is introduced to highlight the situational and dynamic interplay of these factors shaped by the surrounding space and the conception of language ownership. This study acknowledges the situational nature of community dynamics and stresses the importance of discussion to promote mutual understanding. Language issues extend beyond individual preferences to the community’s overall capacity for language awareness. The results of this research encourage Language Centre professionals to not only facilitate discussions on language practices as experts within their universities but also to actively reflect on these issues within their own communities.

This article analyses a specific strategy designed to include generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in students’ written assignments. While we recognise that GenAI tools represent a challenge for teachers in terms of their classroom use and the development of digital literacy among students, we believe that banning them is not a viable option. In our view, students need to develop a sustainable, critical approach to these tools, informed by the need to be transparent. With this in mind, we have thus developed, tested and evaluated a protocol for language learners in two Swiss universities. In our experiment, students were allowed to use any online tools available for their written assignments, but they were required to clearly highlight in their texts any output derived from text generators (ChatGPT), machine translation tools (DeepL), online corpora and online dictionaries in their texts. They also had to report on their writing process in an additional, meta-analytical paragraph. After submitting their assignments, students were asked to answer a questionnaire investigating their use of, and attitude to, GenAI tools as well as their transparency in completing the task. The data gathered allowed us to gauge students’ trustworthiness as to their self-reported tool use and to determine whether our protocol could help teachers preserve the take-home written assignment in the GenAI era. Finally, the analysis yielded interesting insights into students’ use of GenAI in L2 writing and highlighted different ways in which teachers can foster more transparency. This innovative action-research study brings much-needed data and offers practical guidance to language teachers interested in GenAI.

This study employs Douglas Biber’s Multi-Dimensional analysis (1988) in order to estimate the degree of similarity and difference between expert and novice academic writing in different disciplines. The Multi-Dimensional analysis was applied to two kinds of corpora: an approximately 700,000-word corpus of L2 students’ writing and a 3,700,000-word corpus of professional writing in six sciences (business studies, computer science, economics, history, law, and political science). It was found that there are significant differences in the realisation of Biber’s dimensions between the disciplines under consideration, as well as between the learners’ and experts’ texts. The results show that the novice writing is less narrative, more explicit, more opinionated and less abstract compared to the texts written by professionals.

This case study examined Czech electrical engineering and informatics students’ English academic writing, addressing challenges in producing understandable and coherent texts for international audiences. Using a mixed-methods approach, which included textual analysis of essays, student writing profiles, and pre/post-course questionnaires, we analysed students’ self-efficacy expressed in writing confidence, comfort, and competence. A language awareness intervention, focusing on comparative English-Czech writing conventions and domain-specific text analysis in a collaborative learning environment, aimed to enhance the students’ self-efficacy. Findings demonstrated an increase in students’ self-reported confidence and comfort. While grammatical accuracy is often present, structural and content-level challenges persist and are identified by the students. The intervention demonstrates the value of focused engagement with language use in a collaborative learning environment, informing pedagogical practices to improve academic writing instruction for STEM students and foster their professional development.

Since 2018, a language-learning scheme has been specifically designed for first-year students at the University of Lorraine. Its intended objective is to make them aware of the many possibilities, strategies and methodologies to learn languages, other than simply attending classes. Developing learner autonomy and inciting the students to use all the affordances offered to them at our university (e.g.: self-access centres, digital platform) is indeed one of the main aims encouraged by the language centre. In order to study the outcomes and efficiency of such a scheme, we sought to examine the representations (or beliefs as defined by Bidari 2021). These students had regarding language learning when they enter university, and compare them with those after completing the scheme. To reach this objective, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after the course. The paper first describes the language scheme, which involves a combination of class sessions and self-directed activities, and focuses on the questionnaire to explain its theoretical rationale. The next step of the article is dedicated to the analysis of the obtained data. The results show that, although some of the students already had a ‘positive’ representation of the way they could learn a language, the scheme helped those, whose belief was different, to modify it. Their answers also seem to show some engagement in autonomisation activities. The results are discussed in terms of their pedagogical implications for Language Centres in Higher Education.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies have received significant attention among researchers and become the topic of many empirical studies, since they are believed to significantly influence achievement levels in acquiring a foreign language. The current research investigated the SRL strategies most commonly employed by Vietnamese English as a foreign language (EFL) students, as well as any potential correlation between these strategies and language proficiency levels. The study randomly selected 140 undergraduate students. The participants had different levels of English proficiency and learning backgrounds. They completed an SRL questionnaire consisting of 50 items, which is comprised of two parts. Quantitative methods were used to collect data, and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were employed to determine the correlation between learners’ SRL and language proficiency. Results indicated that the participants often employed a range of self-regulation strategies for language learning. The three strategies that were most frequently used were elaboration, help-seeking, and time and study environment management, while critical thinking and effort regulation were the least common. Furthermore, a notable positive relation was observed between students’ SRL strategies and language proficiency. It was clear that language proficiency and elaboration correlated most significantly, while the lowest correlation was found between language proficiency and effort regulation. Therefore, key adjustments should be made to curricula by educators and institutions to strengthen students’ SRL skills. Educators should also receive specialized training in incorporating SRL strategies into language instruction to support learners’ SRL skills development.

In recent years, Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have witnessed a substantial surge in global user adoption. Apart from their primary intended functionalities, these platforms have been increasingly utilized for language learning purposes. However, the extent to which they cater to the needs of language learners remains a longstanding question. The present study primarily aimed to investigate how EFL undergraduate and postgraduate learners ( N  = 84) perceived the use of Facebook and Instagram, employing the components of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2). Secondly, it sought to explore the potential ways in which these SNSs can contribute to language learning, utilizing semi-structured interviews. By triangulating the findings from the UTAUT2 questionnaire and interviews, the majority of the participants expressed a preference for Instagram, considering it more effortless, enjoyable, and supportive among EFL learners. However, concerning their suitability for language teaching, the study revealed mixed results for both SNSs. The study concludes by presenting and discussing suggestions on how to effectively utilize the affordances of these platforms for second language teaching.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (Council of Europe 2001). Offers a comprehensive framework for learning, teaching, and assessment, promoting transparency and coherence in language education. Central to the CEFR is its action-oriented approach, which views language as situated social action and positions learners as social agents engaged in real-life tasks to construct meaning and achieve tangible goals. However, the CEFR’s innovative vision has often been overshadowed by its predominant use as a standardization or benchmarking tool, with less emphasis on improving curriculum planning and classroom practices. This research project seeks to address these limitations by proposing a Scenario-Based Learning framework that implements the principles of the action-oriented approach in a university-level Arabic Intermediate 1 class aimed at minor-route and elective students. Drawing on theoretical and pedagogical advancements reflected in the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe 2020), the SBL framework aims to enhance learners’ agency and promote holistic competence development.

Research on Portuguese language exams in the language assessment field remains scarce. To bridge this gap, this study examined washback from the large-scale, high-stakes Portuguese proficiency tests created by the Center of Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language ( Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira, or CAPLE as abbreviated). Using Green’s (2007). Theoretical model of washback and an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, questionnaires were first administered to Chinese students of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PFL) who had taken the CAPLE exams ( N  = 102) and Chinese, Portuguese, and Brazilian PFL teachers in China ( N  = 28) for quantitative data, followed by semi-structured interviews with five participants-three students and two teachers- to obtain results in a qualitative way. Questions about their perceptions and preparational practices of the exams demonstrate that although the CAPLE exams are considered important and high-stakes, PFL students and teachers in China do not consider them a high-pressure burden. Moreover, while the test preparation efforts may indicate some restrictions on the scope of PFL teaching and learning in China, a large proportion of teachers do not change their teaching approach due to the exams but focus on their students’ long-term language development. In general, the washback effect of the CAPLE exams in the Chinese context demonstrates a beneficial trend.

German university degrees, at least in some countries, offer students only German literature courses in addition to language courses. Linguistics is often not a core component of German degree programmes. As a result, students who are not familiar with basic linguistic terminology do not kow how languanges work, including their mother tongue, or do not reflect on the differences and similarities between their L1 and L2. This can make learning German more challenging, especially in a university setting where language instruction is often quite explicit. This paper examines students’ perceptions of linguistic instruction and its impact on their language skills, German proficiency, and linguistic reflection. In order to assess these aspects, three groups of students, who attended linguistic modules with different content, completed a feedback questionnaire after their respective courses. The results indicate that most students, regardless of course content differences, viewed metalinguistic instruction positively, finding it beneficial for enhancing their language skills, learning German more effectively, and encouraging language reflection.

This study examines the current landscape of language policy in higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Georgia, focusing on teaching, research, and administration. A purposive selection of strategic documents from seventeen public and private universities forms the basis of analysis using Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). The research identifies prevalent language policy themes across these documents and supplements the findings with statistical data on educational activities. Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was employed to analyze language policy within HEIs’ strategic documents systematically. This qualitative method facilitated the identification and categorization of recurring themes related to teaching, research, and administrative practices. The analysis reveals a fragmented approach to language policy across Georgian HEIs, with significant emphasis on English as a medium of instruction and internationalization efforts in teaching and research. The study underscores the need for comprehensive language policy frameworks that integrate local linguistic contexts, support bilingual education, and enhance the international visibility of Georgian Higher Education. This research contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding of language policy in Higher Education contexts, offering insights applicable not only to Georgia but also to other non-English speaking countries grappling with similar challenges of linguistic diversity and internationalization.

The report presents the results of an experimentation of an intercomprehension (IC) workshop, delivered in blended mode for Italian and Brazilian PhD students, and activated at the Language Center of the University of Ferrara during the academic year 2021–22. The general objective was for participants to learn a methodology that enables understanding of scientific specialized texts in their original language and encourages plurilingual academic interaction in technical-scientific contexts where English is widely used. Since the creation of a collaborative class and the development of socio-affective strategies were particularly important in this context, the two aspects that were primarily observed were the interaction dynamics aimed at text comprehension and the degree of peer collaboration. Data were obtained from direct observation, which included: 1. the degree of interaction among peers with the same L1, 2. the degree of interaction among peers with different L1, 3. the degree of interaction related to different text types. The analysis shows a higher number of interactions among peers with different L1 and a high degree of interaction in the transposition of the specialized texts, whose content familiarity facilitated learners’ comprehension. These results support the adoption of an IC approach in plurilingual academic contexts.

Collaboration is essential for all English for Specific Purposes practitioners, whether they are a part of a Faculty or a Language Centre. Conducting needs analyses to determine students’ specific English requirements necessitates interaction with subject specialists within their institution. The present report presents an innovative pedagogical approach to teaching academic presentation skills, where the ESP teachers collaborate not only with subject specialists but also with members of the science communication department and audiovisual services. It’s Not Rocket Science ® is a popular science competition designed for first-year students to develop their presentation skills, as they are expected to deliver scientific presentations by the end of their bachelor’s degree. In this context, students are tasked with creating a short video explaining a concept in their field of study to senior secondary school students. The objective of the project is to ease the transition from general English to academic English, while also easing the transition from secondary to higher education.

This study outlines how handwritten reflection cards lead to the retention of the Japanese kana alphabets. Handwriting is said to help improve retention of the Japanese alphabets. Currently, in-person classes provide most of the materials and assignments via the university’s Learning Management System (LMS), and students have the choice to complete assignments digitally or handwritten. In the fall term of 2023, a group of beginner-level international students of a 30-period course produced assignments digitally. Handwriting was limited to in-class activities, and students lacked practice and fluency in both reading and writing skills. From the latter half of the course, 5-min reflection cards about each class were implemented. Students were allowed to write in English, Japanese (Japanese script or romaji), or a mixture of both. The author provided feedback, encouragement and suggestions regarding the content and the chosen script. This study indicates that students moved from relying on English to using a mixture of English and kana alphabets with gradually more Japanese than English. The analysis focuses on the switch from English to the target language alphabets, in-sentence switching styles and the relation to test scores. The gathered evidence suggests that regular real-life target language output can promote kana retention and fluency.

In recent years, “Decolonising the Curriculum (DtC)” has been widely discussed and advocated in the European educational landscape as part of inclusive education. However, few examples of its practice in Japanese language teaching have been reported. While discussions of DtC in Japan often focus on the context of Japan’s former colonies, this context does not apply to Japanese language education in Europe, where Japanese is positioned as a minority language, thus a target for inclusion. Considering these complex contexts, we conducted a survey of Japanese teachers to understand the position and goal of DtC for Japanese language education in Europe. This report primarily investigates how Japanese language teachers in Europe perceive and implement the concept of decolonisation in their teaching. The project highlighted the complexity of DtC within Japanese language education in the UK and Europe, where both the perspectives of the coloniser and the colonised are present. Our findings revealed a range of practices for reviewing power dynamics in the classroom to make education more inclusive, whether respondents intended DtC or not; there were different ways of understanding DtC. We hope that this initiative will provide an opportunity for further discussion of DtC in the teaching of languages other than English.