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This longitudinal mixed-methods case study aimed to explain why a seemingly ordinary U.S.-affiliated hyper-connected French language learner (Nancy) achieved extraordinary outcomes after 15 weeks in Paris, compared to fifteen Generation Z peers also enrolled in the program. Framed by Complex Dynamic Systems Theory and social pedagogies, the study adopted a retrodictive approach to "explain after by before" and retrace Nancy's complex, non-linear trajectories of success. Adapting to new realities of students going abroad with their smartphones in hand, multiple measures of success (linguistic, intercultural, social, psychological, emotional) were triangulated with reports on smartphone usage, rich interviews, and background data to provide dense time-series and narrative illustrations of changes. Findings revealed the importance of the activation of Nancy's agency to take advantage of the affordances of her study abroad environment through the butterfly effect arising from her initial conditions, judicious smartphone usage, and quality of L1 and L2 interactions.

This qualitative case study documented the unfolding of the COVID-19 crisis that impacted a study-abroad program in Paris between December 2019 and May 2020, culminating in the urgent evacuation of U.S.-affiliated students from France. Framed by Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, chaos theory, and research on study abroad and crisis management, rich data from extensive interviews conducted with nine undergraduate students in the program and the four educational staff members responsible for them were triangulated with external correspondence (e.g., official university emails), local media sources, and governmental documents (e.g., White House statements). This merging allowed reconstructing the context necessary to capture the singular voices of these stakeholders, as they experienced threat, uncertainty, and urgency, filtered by the use of a foreign language and varying intercultural skills during the different phases of the crisis. Recommendations for the management of crises abroad and the future of study abroad are discussed.

This longitudinal study explores how the language proficiency of eight (N = 8) US-affiliated university students developed relative to their smartphone usage during study abroad (SA) in Paris. Phone usage was tracked daily with Space, proficiency weekly using NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do statements, and language use monthly via a Language Engagement Questionnaire. Adopting a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) framework and following a microgenetic approach to case studies, the trajectories of each participant's phone consumption and Can-Do statements were established, allowing to visualize floors, ceilings, and probes in proficiency development. Spearman's correlations served to determine whether and how phone usage related to fluctuations in proficiency, and Kendall's tau-b its link with language used. Findings revealed that these relationships varied widely across participants, types of phone usage, and phone applications, with students displaying positive, mixed, or negative relationships, thus suggesting that there is no one-size-fits-all model to proficiency/smartphone management, but idiosyncratic complex cases.

Leading institutional pedagogies and practices tend to approach increasing international student populations from a deficit-based model, which focuses on the adaptation, acculturation, and assimilation of international students to the dominant host culture. We believe a better approach to improve international and domestic students' interaction is to move to models of mutual engagement. In this article, as practitioners, we explore four common grounds that seem to be producing positive engagements: common experience, cultural celebrations, faith, and common challenges, in which students are encouraged to meaningfully engage with each other as equals in a spirit of mutuality. The resulting discussion explores how each contributes to a culture of collaboration within institutional departments while improving and enriching the interactions between all students.

Playtimes in English primary schools are a perennial and mainly enjoyable event. They are, however, largely overlooked in educational reform and have experienced 'benign neglect'. The paper presents the findings from a research project which investigated the playtimes of primary school children. Questionnaire data gathered by pre-service teachers focused on children's views of playtimes, including the role of adults, and the children's use of playground space. Whilst generally positive about their playtimes, a minority of pupils find playtimes challenging. Pupils recognise the complexity and challenge of the social expectations of playtimes. This paper proposes that perhaps the time is right now to focus anew on playtimes to consider whether change should take place, why and how this change might be effected.

This article presents a process-oriented mixed-method study, focusing on the emergence of second language (L2) critical thinking (CT) skills in the collaborative discourse produced by a focal group of five college-level students of French working in a virtual language learning environment (the VLLE Cinet Second Life). Levels of CT ability were elicited through episodes of L2 negotiation and co-construction of meaning. The study also examines the perception by students of the impact of the VLLE on the emergence of their L2 CT skills. Motivated by the need advocated in recent CALL research for a shift in paradigm and in method to alleviate the limitations inherent to quantitative studies, the study was situated at the juncture of sociocultural theory and ecological perspective, and this article focuses on the theoretical rationale behind the selection of a mixed-method methodology.

This paper considers how pre-service primary teachers in England (trainees) are supported to work with children with special educational needs (SEN) using a personalized learning task. The focus, in particular, considers how speech, language and communication skills are foregrounded in the reports describing children with moderate learning difficulties including difficulties with literacy. The context recognizes the importance of pupils' spoken and receptive language development and the prevalence of children categorized as having speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and the educational, social and emotional impact of this disability. However analysis of sixty five reports identified only four children with SLCN. In contrast eighteen 5-7 year old children were identified who were struggling with literacy. Analysis was conducted on this sub-set due to the close links between reading development and spoken language skills. The analysis explored the question "what do trainees' descriptions of literacy reveal about their understanding of speech, language and communication?" Results revealed that speech, language and communication skills were referred to only briefly and with some limitations in understanding. Further analysis explored the task design and considered to what extent it supports trainees in referring to knowledge about speech, language and communication in practice. The article concludes that the personalized learning task could be adapted to ensure greater development of knowledge of speech, language and communication and the role of teacher talk. It considers the challenges posed for mentoring where the prevailing social semiotics of the classroom emphasizes performativity (Ball, 2003) over a more holistic view of children.

Many language practitioners feel ill equipped to address learners' pronunciation or have difficulties doing so because of limited class time, opportunities for individualized feedback, and approaches to evaluating intelligibility. However, it is crucial that students become understandable to native speakers who are unaccustomed to dealing with second language learners. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) offers one potentially practical way to answer these needs. Contributing to research on mobile-assisted learning, this study investigated how two groups of college-level second language French learners developed greater awareness of their own intelligibility using ASR in Gmail. Using an ecological approach (van Lier, 2004) and an experiential learning model (Kolb, 1984), while following up on Liakin, Cardoso, and Liakina (2017), as well as McCrocklin (2016), this study found that ASR could credibly simulate understanding by a native speaker, allowing learners to close the intelligibility gap and develop a sense of what successful interpersonal communication entails. Pedagogical implications are offered.

The purpose of this brief commentary is to determine which language skill Polish higher school learners think ought to be practiced most frequently during EFL classes. Twenty-seven male and female undergraduate students who study at AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland were surveyed, and the authors found that most learners (70%) want to practice speaking in person in English classes. The theoretical framework for this article is provided by the general idea of the school as an organization and social institution.(Contains 3 notes.)

Very little information exists regarding the mental health needs of student artists. This study compared psychological symptoms and diagnoses of college students in 3 conservatories (n = 607) with those of college students in traditional colleges and universities (n = 87,105). The study found no difference in psychological symptoms except for increased stress among art students. The study also found that art students in these conservatories were more likely to make use of counseling services than students at traditional schools.

The recommendations from the Bercow Review of services for children with speech, language and communication needs (DCSF, 2008a) have significant implications for the training of pre-service teachers who will be expected to be more able to meet the needs of such children. This article explores the potential within the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status, the key framework for the development of pre-service teachers in England, to support the implementation of the Bercow Report. The discussion focuses on three recommendations: that language is central, a human right; the need for early identification and intervention; and the development of a continuum of services around the family. The article reflects on a successful and an unsuccessful implementation of policy within pre-service teacher training to better illustrate the issues entailed in realizing Bercow Review recommendations within pre-service teacher education.

The debate about the need for change in America's K-12 education system has been raging for decades. Teachers, parents, administrators and government leaders alike have been grappling with how to transform a system that has been failing too many students for too long, according to a recent Center for Education Policy study. Until recently, the higher education system, on the other hand, has been largely left out of this public conversation. Yet, there has been a significant evolution taking place in higher education institutions across the country. This transformation has been led by smaller, lesser-known and often private universities, for-profits and community colleges. These schools have been exploring new models of providing higher education that extend far beyond the traditional college courses that have been the mainstay of the postsecondary educational experience for centuries. They have been embracing technology as a means of offering highly interactive, quality education over the Internet. It is only recently that the more elite, well-known schools have started experimenting with these more innovative education models. Their entry into the online learning space brings needed attention, brand and recognition to what is happening in today's higher education arena. But they are barely scratching the surface of the real power and promise of today's online learning models. The educators' challenge today is to not only prepare students for today's business realities, but also for tomorrow's possibilities. It is their obligation to respond to these changes by exploring innovative models of teaching and learning, and to continue working together to better meet students' needs.