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This paper employs a mixed-methods design to investigate the supportive roles of the translanguaging practice, specifically the use of students' First Language (L1), and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses within the context of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in a Transnational Education (TNE) program in China. It involved collecting questionnaire responses from 268 undergraduate Chemical Engineering students and conducting 17 follow-up semi-structured interviews. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed students' academic language-related challenges and ESP course performance were two statistically significant predictors of their EMI academic success; academic linguistic challenges and students' L1 use attitudes emerged as significant indicators of their EMI learning self-efficacy. Qualitative data analysis further uncovered students' positive beliefs regarding the bridging effects of L1 use on facilitating their EMI learning and the foundational role of ESP courses in linguistic preparation. These empirical findings lead to significant pedagogical implications, aiming to scaffold effective EMI learning in the investigated context.

Due to the dearth of research on translanguaging in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) collaborative writing, this paper examined the presence of translanguaging in 10 Saudi EFL dyads’ languaging dialogue in video-mediated peer editing in Google Docs and its effect on their production of language-related episodes (LREs). Four hundred seventy-six LREs were identified and categorized into (1) English-only LREs, (2) Arabic-only LREs, and (3) translanguaging LREs (English-Arabic LREs and Arabic-English LREs). The results revealed that translanguaging occurred in 212 LREs (44.5%) while the remaining LREs were produced through English-only (n = 100; 21%) and Arabic-only (n = 164; 34.5%). Moreover, whereas more elaborate LREs were produced through translanguaging (n=151; 31.7%, M=6.29, SD=5.32), more partial LREs (n=68; 4.3%, M=5.66, SD= 5.49) and limited LREs (n=58; 12.2%, M = 4.83, SD=4.06) were produced entirely in Arabic. The dyads produced more lexical (n=108; 22.7%, M=2.54, SD=2.14) and grammatical LREs (n=60; 12.6%, M=4.50, SD=3.63) through translanguaging whereas more mechanical LREs were produced in Arabic (n = 56; 11.8%, M = 4.66, SD = 4.24). Finally, the languaging outcome varied as the dyads successfully resolved more LREs (n=191; 40%, M=8.04, SD=5.09) through translanguaging. The study offers useful implications for creating opportunities for translingual interactions in video-mediated peer editing.

This study explored the impact of adaptive learning (AL) and digital literacy (DL) instruction on L2 learners' writing skills and motivation. The study explored the potential of DL instruction within AL contexts to enhance L2 writing and motivation. A total of 93 students at an intermediate level of proficiency were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (AL-enhanced or EG1, and AL-enhanced supported by DL instruction or EG2) and a control group (a technology-enhanced non-AL group). The study used writing tasks, self-determination theory (SDT) questionnaire, DL questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews as instruments for data collection. Findings indicated that AL significantly influences participants' writing outcomes and SDT compared to the control group. Furthermore, the use of DL instruction within AL environments enhances DL skills, writing outcomes, and self-determination motivation. Qualitative results also suggest a positive effect of AL and DL instruction on students' writing skills and SDT. Finally, findings indicate that integration of AL and DL instruction could enhance students' engagement, autonomy, and motivation, thereby positively impacting their overall learning experience. Findings highlight the significance of integrating AL and DL instruction to enhance students' writing, SDT, and overall learning experience, thereby preparing them for the digital age.

As part of the multilingual turn in applied linguistics, practices in teacher education for L2 pragmatics should be reconsidered to highlight the interconnection between identity and pragmatics and explore ways to support learners' and teachers' multilingualism through pragmatics instruction. This paper aims to provide an overview of second language (L2) pragmatics research informed by a multilingual or translingual framework and to illustrate how teacher education can integrate its basic tenets into teachers’ professional development so that multicompetence can become a prominent goal in the teaching and assessment of pragmatic competence rather than monolingual native-speakerism.

Although language teachers are often multilingual themselves, they may not readily see the potential of their own hybrid identities under the influence of a dominant monolingual ideology and thus may not spontaneously foster learners' multicompetence. Through an example of collaborative interactions in a teacher development course centered on pragmatics instruction, this paper will explore how teachers can jointly mediate their metapragmatic awareness while engaging in translingual pedagogy and strategically leverage their own translingual identity as pedagogy in teaching pragmatics. The paper will conclude by identifying three approaches to translingual pedagogy in pragmatics-focused instruction that acknowledges learners' and teachers’ multilingual repertoire and legitimatizes their voices, languages, and knowledge construction. (200 words).

This research is situated in the context of English Medium Instruction (EMI) teaching in higher education. The importance of lecturers' skilled implementation of engagement strategies to enhance students' learning is acknowledged. However, literature identifies a need for theoretically informed professional development (PD) programs to improve EMI lecturers' pedagogical engagement. In light of the identified concerns and issues, an intervention, drawing on a pedagogical engagement framework informed by positive psychology, was implemented and reported in this paper. The intention of the study was to contribute to the development of Chinese EMI lecturers' engagement portfolios. A group of twenty-five EMI lecturers in a South China university participated in the study. Through analysing their pre- and post-intervention teaching data and a focus group discussion, it was found that the quality of their cognitive engagement, and the quality of their emotional and behavioral engagement episodes in practice were noticeably improved. It can be concluded that an intensive intervention through a theoretically informed engagement framework contributes to EMI lecturers' pedagogical commitment to students' cognitive learning, and psychological investment in learners’ well-being. However, cultural and institutional factors somewhat constrained the participants from fully embracing the workshops, impacting their perception and post-intervention practice.

This study reported the design and implementation of a 16-week graduate seminar on second language (L2) pragmatics offered for 14 graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who were teaching various target languages as teachers of record at a US public university. Grounded in the explicit awareness-raising approach, the seminar was designed to increase the GTAs' pragmatic knowledge, promote their cross-cultural pragmatic awareness, and facilitate their teaching and researching of pragmatics. Specifically, the training comprised four modules: key concepts in pragmatics, cross-cultural pragmatics, L2 pragmatics, and instructional pragmatics. With the recent advances in technology, the guidelines and practices for effectively designing web-based pragmatic materials were also incorporated. One of the GTAs, who was a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese and taught the language in the program, was observed as a focal participant to track the development of her pragmatic knowledge and application. Overall, the participants' positive evaluation ratings and comments on the seminar, as well as the focal Chinese GTA's demonstrated knowledge and application in pragmatics over time, suggest that the pragmatics-focused training is beneficial to cultivate the GTAs' professional knowledge and qualities in delivering pragmatics instruction.

This paper presents the first empirical attempt to understand language learner well-being in the context of heritage language (HL) learning. Adopting a positive psychology perspective, the research investigates the well-being experiences of Chinese heritage language (CHL) children to explore what flourishing means in HL learning. Data were collected from multimodal focus groups with 40 young CHL learners in the UK, involving a well-being exercise, a drawing activity, and semi-structured discussions. Following an appreciative inquiry approach, the findings indicate that HL learners' well-being revolves around “feeling good,” “doing well,” and “being connected,” including six essential components: positive emotions, affirmative self, perceived competence, active engagement, supportive relations, and diasporic connections. By centring young learners’ perspectives, we propose a multidimensional framework representing different aspects of their flourishing in the journey of HL development, which informs further theorisation of HL learner well-being as multifaceted, interconnected, and contextual. By shifting the emphasis from linguistic achievement to a more holistic approach that prioritises the socio-emotional wellness of HL learners, we also seek to instigate a “positive” turn in HL education which provides an intellectual basis for the design, implementation, and evaluation of future HL interventions with significant policy implications.

This paper examined the effects of scaffolding strategies instruction on EFL students' writing achievement, and its consistency in writing sub-skills. The study followed a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design, and data were collected from 48 students in each comparison and experimental group. Results from paired-samples t-test confirmed a significant writing achievement score difference between the pretest and posttest for the experimental group (p = .001), but an insignificant difference for the comparison group (p = .426). Independent-sample t-test of post-test yielded a significant difference between the two groups favoring the experimental class (p = .001). The findings verified scaffolding teaching's feasibility for improving students' writing. Results from MANOVA proved writing sub-skills content, vocabulary, grammar, mechanics and organization jointly account for significant variance between comparison and experimental groups writing. Separate results of the variables revealed composing relevant content as the stronger predictor (F (1, 94) = 35.08, p = .001), but no mechanics' use disparity between the two groups, F (1, 94) = .42, p = .520. The findings verified the scaffolding strategies' substantial role in enhancing learners' overall writing achievement and all writing sub-skills except for mechanics. Results from the questionnaire showed participants' positive perceptions about scaffolding strategies instruction. Based on the findings, we recommend scaffolding strategies teaching for EFL students' writing improvements.