JLLT Volume 17 (2026) Issue 1

Foreword to the Issue

Articles

Are We There Yet? Factors Affecting Proficiency Development for Speaking and Writing in Intensive English Study

K. James Hartshorn, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Matthew Millar & Benjamin McMurry (Brigham Young University; Provo (UT) USA) 

Abstract

Though millions of students study in intensive language programmes, expected gains and the effects of widely accessible factors such as linguistic distance, L2 proficiency, sex, age, and learning contexts remains unclear. Using the ACTFL proficiency scale, this study analysed the speaking and writing development of 2,325 Novice Mid to Advanced Mid English language learners (CEFR pre-A1 to C1) over a 15-week semester in an intensive English programme. Foreign Service Institute language categories and the Automated Similarity Judgment Program were used to determine linguistic distance. The results show that on average, students progressed approximately one third of a sublevel for speaking and writing and that only lower-proficiency learners (Novice Mid to Intermediate Low) advanced a full proficiency sublevel. Though linguistic distance and age had a slight impact on language development, initial proficiency exerted a substantially stronger effect, with large gains for lower-proficiency learners compared to higher-proficiency students, who slowed or regressed in their measured proficiency. Implications for interpreting and addressing advanced learner needs are discussed. 

Re-examining the Role of Global Textbooks in Higher Education: A Case Study from Vietnam

Phung Doan (Lac Hong University, Vietnam)

James Underwood (University of Cambridge, UK) & 

Anh Thao Ngo (East Asia University of Technology, Vietnam)

Abstract

This article is based on a study that investigated the pedagogical impact of global English textbooks on teaching and learning processes in higher education, with a specific focus on Vietnamese universities. Through a mixed-methods case study design, the research explored how international textbooks are used by lecturers and perceived by students, examining their role in shaping classroom practices and learning outcomes. Findings from interviews with lecturers of English and survey data from students indicate that while textbooks provide structured content, pedagogical support, and assessment alignment, their effectiveness is moderated by factors such as cultural relevance, student proficiency, and teacher adaptability. The study highlights the need for critical engagement with textbook materials.  This study also found that the lecturers involved demonstrated consistently high levels of creativity and autonomy when working with global English textbooks. These insights are valuable for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers navigating textbook-driven instruction in diverse higher education contexts. Although focused on a single case, research in Vietnam has significance due to its position as one of the world’s fastest-developing economies. It may also have potential relevance for our understanding of textbook use globally, within other rapidly developing countries, in which the learning of English is a focus of recent government policy. 

Exploring Interlanguage Pragmatics: An Analysis of Italian Pragmatic Markers in Learner Corpora

Katerina Florou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) & 

Dimitris Bilianos (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)

Abstract (English)

This study compares the frequency and function of Italian pragmatic markers (quindi, allora, dunque) within the UniC learner corpus (Greek learners, B2-C1) and the native Coris Corpus. Employing a form-to-function methodology, the research identifies significant discrepancies: learners primarily utilize quindi semantically, underuse allora as a discourse-sustaining marker, and rarely employ dunque. Statistical analyses suggest these patterns stem from L1 influence and limited exposure to authentic discourse. By demonstrating how instructional focus shapes interlanguage pragmatics, this research advocates for pedagogical shifts toward authentic usage patterns to enhance learners’ discourse competence and facilitate more natural interaction in Italian. 

Abstract (Italiano)

Il presente studio confronta la frequenza e la funzione dei segnali pragmatici italiani (quindi, allora, dunque) all'interno del corpus di apprendenti UniC (studenti greci, livello B2-C1) e del corpus di parlanti nativi Coris. Utilizzando una metodologia form-to-function, la ricerca identifica discrepanze significative: gli apprendenti utilizzano quindi principalmente con funzione semantica, sottoutilizzano allora come segnale di mantenimento del discorso e impiegano raramente dunque. Le analisi statistiche suggeriscono che tali tendenze derivino dall'influenza della L1 e dalla limitata esposizione al discorso autentico. Dimostrando come l'approccio didattico modelli la pragmatica dell'interlingua, questa ricerca sostiene la necessità di un orientamento pedagogico verso modelli d'uso autentici per rafforzare la competenza discorsiva e favorire un'interazione più naturale in italiano. 

Learning Possibilities in Spanish as a Foreign Language – The Value of Peer Interaction Tasks

Fredrika Nyström (Uppsala University, Sweden)

Abstract (English)

The study explores peer interaction tasks in Spanish as a second foreign language in Swedish lower secondary school. Drawing on Sociocultural Theory (SCT), the research examines how language functions as a tool for collaboration and language learning in interactions among teenagers in the foreign language classroom. The data consist of audio and video recordings of peer interaction tasks carried out without teacher involvement, and the recordings were transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis and tools from the field of Conversation Analysis (CA). The findings reveal two main categories in the interaction, namely language functions that continuously complete the task and language functions that support solving the task. Moreover, two subcategories were identified within the functions that support solving the task: clarifying procedural problems and solving language-related problems. The study shows that the choice of either the target language, Spanish, or the majority language, Swedish, is functional when solving the tasks. These results underscore the value of peer interaction in the classroom and demonstrate that language is not only the aim for learning but also functions as a medium for learning. The study contributes to the body of research on language alternation and collaborative learning in second- and foreign-language educational settings.

Resumen (Español)

El estudio explora las tareas de interacción entre pares en español como segunda lengua extranjera en la escuela secundaria inferior sueca. Basándose en la Teoría Sociocultural (TSC), la investigación examina cómo el lenguaje funciona como una herramienta para la colaboración y el aprendizaje de idiomas en las interacciones entre adolescentes en el aula de lengua extranjera. Los datos consisten en grabaciones de audio y video de tareas de interacción entre pares realizadas sin la participación del profesor, y las grabaciones fueron transcritas y analizadas mediante análisis temático y herramientas del campo del Análisis de la Conversación (AC). Los hallazgos revelan dos categorías principales en la interacción: funciones lingüísticas que completan la tarea de forma continua y funciones lingüísticas que apoyan la resolución de la tarea. Además, se identificaron dos subcategorías dentro de las funciones que apoyan la resolución de la tarea: aclarar problemas de procedimiento y resolver problemas relacionados con el lenguaje. El estudio muestra que la elección tanto de la lengua meta, el español, como de la lengua mayoritaria, el sueco, es funcional al resolver las tareas. Estos resultados subrayan el valor de la interacción entre pares en el aula y demuestran que el lenguaje no es solo el objetivo del aprendizaje, sino que también funciona como un medio para el aprendizaje. El estudio contribuye al conjunto de investigaciones sobre la alternancia de idiomas y el aprendizaje colaborativo en entornos educativos de segunda lengua y lengua extranjera.

Más allá del juego: relevancia de las metáforas en la biografía de un tenista

Sara Quintero Ramírez (Universidad de Guadalajara, México)

Resumen (Español)

En este estudio, nuestro objetivo es identificar, clasificar y caracterizar las diferentes metáforas utilizadas por el periodista Alejandro Ciriza Istúriz en una sección de su obra biográfica titulada ¡Vamos, Rafa! El fenómeno Nadal: No dar nada por perdido para ganarlo todo. El propósito de este estudio consiste en examinar las metáforas de un fragmento de una obra biográfica deportiva con el fin de determinar su función discursiva y su relevancia en el género textual en cuestión. Para ello, el estudio se fundamenta en los enfoques teóricos de Lakoff & Johnson (1995), Kövecses (2015), Hall (2022) y Herráez Pindado (2004). 

Abstract (English)

The aim of this study is to identify, classify and characterise the metaphors used by journalist Alejandro Ciriza Istúriz in his book entitled Vamos, Rafa! El fenómeno Nadal: No dar nada por perdido para ganar todo. The purpose of this study is to examine the metaphorical figures in a fragment of a sports biographical book to determine their discursive function and their relevance in this textual genre. For this purpose, the study is grounded in the theoretical approaches of Lakoff & Johnson (1995), Kövecses (2015), Hall (2022), and Herráez Pindado (2004).