Applied linguistics is the study of language-based problems in the world, or as Brumfit (1997) puts it, “the theoretical and empirical investigation of real-world problems in which language is a…
Editor’s note: Since February 2020, we have been running a series devoted to language aspects of the COVID-19 crisis here on Language on the Move. In this new post, two teacher…
Editor’s note: The language challenges of the COVID-19 crisis have held much of our attention this year. Here on Language on the Move, we have been running a series devoted…
Carla Chamberlin, Ingrid Piller, and Mak Khan in conversation TESOL and social justice One of the thrusts of my research has been a critical examination of the social consequences of…
For one of my postgraduate courses in Applied Linguistics, I was asked to write an assignment about my language learning history. Recalling all the phases I went through to learn…
Advertisement for Wall Street English Institute “Do you speak English?” is a frequently asked question, which Saudi people must be prepared to answer with a confident “Yes!” when applying for…
Native and non-native teachers at Lord Harris' School, Royapett, Madras, 1865 (Source: British Library) For some time now, a debate has been raging in TESOL about the relative merits of…
Cover of 2008 movie "Mad about English" (Source: Zhang, Jie. Language policy and planning for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. ) We are repeatedly told that people around the world are…
ESL teachers play an important role in home language maintenance (Image Credit: Macquarie University) Learning the host country’s language is important for migrants but we should not forget that maintaining…
"How bad is your cultural cringe?" (Source: Jenna Guillaume, BuzzFeed) Keith: I’m still really shit at pronouncing Lisa’s surname. With the umlaut o. Hanna: What is Lisa’s surname? (laughter) Keith:…
2012 workshop on 'Linguistic Diversity and Social Inclusion in Australia' at Macquarie University How does language intersect with social inclusion in contemporary Australia? Do social inclusion policies address linguistic diversity?…
Chinese university students in a debate, 2011 (Photo by Nikki Feng) Public speaking can constitute an excellent language learning tool, as I discovered through participating in public speaking activities in…
Business card promoting private English tuition In Iran, as in many other countries around the globe, the craze for learning English has been on the rise. This tendency is attributed…
Native and non-native English teachers in Taiwan (Source: williamschool.com.tw) The Applied Linguistics seminars at Macquarie University are back. The next one will be held on Tuesday, August 13: Native and…
Who profits from an early start in English language learning? 不要讓你的孩子輸在起跑點上 (Don’t let your children lose out at the starting point.) is one of the most popular slogans whenever English…
In English language teaching ads English seems always fun, easy and accessible to everyone Taiwanese people’s motivation for learning English is a desire to communicate and a major obstacle to…