Rebecca Oxford

• University of Alabama at Birmingham

This article systematically reviews the quantity and quality of Rebecca L. Oxford's publications over five decades of research and publication in language education and related fields. The first section portrays Oxford's contributions in four thematic areas: language learning strategies, language teaching, psychology, and peace. For each theme, man...

This article focuses on bilingualism in light of positive psychology, which involves well-being and deals with human difficulties from the vantage point of strength rather than weakness. Based on in-depth narratives of six bilingual individuals, a number of interrelated themes arose: bilingual identity, emotions, peak experiences, motivation, hope,...

This paper explores two general perspectives on autonomous learners: psychological and sociocultural. These perspectives introduce a range of theoretically grounded facets of autonomous learners, facets such as the self-regulated learner, the emotionally intelligent learner, the self-determined learner, the mediated learner, the socioculturally str...

Emotion is crucial to living and learning. The powerful intertwining of emotion and cognition ignites learning within a complex dynamic system, which, as several sections of this paper show, also includes societal and cultural influences. As ?the primary human motive? (MacIntyre, 2002a, p. 61), emotion operates as an amplifier, which provides energ...

This article examines many instances of figurative language – metaphors and similes – employed by six international experts to describe language learning strategies and their involvement with such strategies over many years. The first stage of analysis showed that the experts' metaphors and similes were associated with (a) construction, (b) visual...

This article diverges from the usual concept of academic research by offering several contrasting sections: a very personal story about how the author (and his young daughter) approached learning English, a research section on motivation, a practical section on how to incorporate Hip Hop into language learning, and some final personal comments. The...

Using a personal diary, the first author, an advanced learner of English as a second language (ESL) who desires to improve her academic language competence, focuses on her own evolving learning styles and learning strategies for ESL listening and speaking while living in the US. The author examines dual contexts: the internal context of attitudes,...

This article provides an introduction to the state of the art of language learning strategies in the twenty-first century – a panoramic view of the international landscape of strategies. In the landscape are eight key areas of controversy and discussion: strategy definitions, strategies and proficiency, theoretical underpinnings, categorization, co...

The authors, all experts on learning strategies, come from or have worked in a range of locations in East Asia: Japan, Korea, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of China (Taiwan). By means of personal narratives, they examine the cultural, personal, and logistical issues involved in learning foreign languages in the East Asian context...

This article analyzes six short narratives written by language learning strategy experts from Germany, South Africa, Canada, and the United States. The six essays, included in full here, form a prism, through which a ray of light is refracted into seven diverse colors, i.e., specific themes arising from the analysis. These themes range from the str...

This article presents two foreign or second language (L2) learner histories representing the extreme ends of the spectrum of learner well-being. One story reflects the very positive learning experiences of a highly strategic learner, while the other story focuses on a less strategic learner's negative, long-lasting responses to a single traumatic e...

Using the principles of positive psychology and the tools of narrative research, this article focuses on the psychology of five language learners who crossed cultural and linguistic borders. All five were university students learning Chinese in Mexico, and two of them also studied Chinese in China. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze a...

Over the past thirty years, the field of language learning strategies has generated a massive amount of interest and research in applied linguistics. Teaching and Researching Language Learning Strategies redraws the landscape of language learning strategies at just the right time. In this book Rebecca Oxford charts the field systematically and cohe...

The primary purpose of the paper is to review two major analytic procedures for estimating the number of children with limited English proficiency: discriminant analysis and probabilistic procedures. Each procedure is briefly described, and its strengths and weaknesses are discussed. As an alternative to these procedures, an expanded version of the...

This article provides projections of non-English language background (NELB) and limited English proficient (LEP) persons in the United States until the year 2000, using 1976 as a base year.1 Breakdowns are presented by language, age, and state and combinations of these categories. The NELB population is projected to increase from 28 million persons...

The arrival of the Digital Age has been a 'white water change' (Oxford 2008c, 191), a metaphor describing the rapid, complex and allencompassing nature of this technological wave. The Digital Age has changed the characteristics of language learners themselves. With the pervasive influence of digital technology, most learners in economically develop...

Research shows that unless university-based teacher educators effectively integrate technology into teacher education courses, students (pre-service and in-service teachers) are unlikely to use technology effectively in their own teaching. This creates negative repercussions in teacher education and in the schools. However, many teacher educators d...

ABSTRACT  As teachers, we all want to help learners discover how to learn languages more effectively and more easily. One way of doing this is strategy training, which has recently caught the imagination of researchers and teachers in many parts of the globe. The article's four purposes are: a) to summarize existing research on use of learning stra...

ABSTRACT  The Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR), through funding from the U.S. Department of Education, sought to address the issue of the status of foreign language instruction by conducting a national survey of elementary and secondary schools. This article presents the results of questionnaires completed by principals and foreig...

The principles of the communicative approach to language learning and teaching foster the use of appropriate, positive learning strategies. Communicative principles and learning strategies, in combination, have powerful implications for the language classroom.

ABSTRACT This article describes a study of 107 high school students who were learning Japanese through the medium of satellite television. The investigation focused on factors that influence student achievement in Japanese in the satellite setting. Results showed motivation was the best predictor of Japanese language achievement, but the use of lan...

Learning strategies in second language acquisition. J.Michael O'Malley and AnnaUhl Chamot. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Pp. xi + 260 $34.50 cloth, $12.95 paper - Volume 14 Issue 2 - Rebecca L. Oxford

IntroductionThis chapter compares and critiques selected theories of conditions for second language (L2) learning. These theories are important because they greatly influence L2 teaching, design of curricula and materials, and learning, either for good or ill. Specific chapter goals are to: (1) explain and critically analyze chosen theories, includ...

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

A crisis is an unstable, unpredictable, difficult, and sometimes dangerous situation. A significant L2 learning crisis can occur over a major cultural and linguistic identity shift, especially if the person has moved to a new country. In such circumstances, many L2 learners, no matter how articulate they may be in their native language, often feel...

The purpose of this article is to present an overview of second language (L2) task- based language teaching and learning. Prabhu (1987) deserves credit for originating the task-based teaching and learning, based on the concept that effective learning occurs when students are fully engaged in a language task, rather than just learning about language...

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

This special issue addresses the subject of individual differences in language learning, a topic whose complexity has meant little conclusive knowledge and thus need for continuing investigation. This paper offers a brief but broad overview of the field of individual differences in language learning, especially as they are reflected in learning sty...

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

In its 20 chapters, this edited book opens new paths for theory and research in the area of foreign and second language (L2) motivation. It will be particularly useful to researchers, graduate students, and others who want to see an array of approaches to the topic. Both qualitative and quantitative investigations are included along with a number o...

This study compared classification theories of language learning strategies. Results from confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the data measured by the ESL/EFL version of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning and collected from 517 college EFL learners indicated that of the strategy theories examined, Oxford's 6–factor strategy taxonomy is...

This digest focuses on teaching integrated skills in the English-as-a-Second/Foreign-Language classroom (ESL/EFL). Segregated-skill instruction is examined and two types of integrated-skills instruction are highlighted: content-based instruction and task-based instruction. The advantages of integrated-skill instruction are discussed, and five steps...

In “Language Learning Styles and Strategies,” the author synthesizes research from various parts of the world on two key variables affecting language learning: styles, i.e., the general approaches to learning a language; and strategies, the specific behaviors or thoughts learners use to enhance their language learning. These factors influence the s...

The Learning Style Survey is designed to assess your general approach to learning. It does not predict your behavior in every instance, but it is a clear indication of your overall style preferences. For each item, circle the response that represents your approach. Complete all items. There are eleven major activities representing twelve different...

This paper discusses a biofunctional theory of multisource internal self-regulation that focuses on the dynamic self-regulatory role of biofunctional subsystems of the nervous system. Dynamic self-regulation is nonexecutive, unintentional, and effort-free in nature. As such, it is viewed as the primary source of internal self-regulation in natural...

This paper presents a new perspective on mentoring foreign language teachers. It suggests that mentoring is an essential part of a program manager's responsibilities, but that it is important to individualize the process of mentoring if it is to be as effective as it can be. First, a definition of mentoring and issues surrounding it are discussed....

Many individuals persevere through their school and university years with undiagnosed, language-related learning disabilities. This article describes a future teacher who is partially bilingual. Her problems with auditory memory and auditory processing speed were severe, and as a result her performance in reading and writing suffered. Because of he...

This article explores the uses of metaphor to express various perspectives about the concept of “teacher”. The metaphors came from student-written and teacher-composed narratives, interviews, articles and texts by education theorists and methodologists. A variety of metaphors emerged to describe teachers, especially language teachers, such as Teach...

This article describes the changing roles of teachers in the 5-week summer intensive program known as the English Village Course, implemented at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. This program was effective in enhancing participants' communicative competence. This improvement required specific alterations in instructional roles...

This study reveals distinct differences between perceived proficiency and actual proficiency of foreign language teaching candidates. It indicates that during the foreign language teaching methodology course, candidates developed greater realism about their own abilities and about the need for further language development. The investigation shows h...

This article describes important distinctions among three strands of communication in the foreign or second language (L2) classroom: cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and interaction. These three strands have different connotations, which, when understood, can help us better comprehend language learning and teaching. Cooperative learnin...

Examined the strategies used by native-English-speaking foreign language (FL) learners to read Spanish and English texts in order to investigate differences in FL reading strategies between males and females. Results indicate that students processed the Spanish and English passages using local and global strategies, respectively, and that males and...

The introduction raises basic issues about the many contradictory shapes of constructivism and the possible existence of a central substance or philosophical core that can be called constructivism. The ontological and epistemological dimensions of constructivism that help mold the different shapes are highlighted in the introduction. Next comes an...

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was used to identify simililarities and significant differences in the learning style preferences of secondary students from two cultures. A second purpose of the study was to identify gender differences in learning style within and across these two cultures. A total of 103 African Americans from a high school...

This chapter offers a view of the cognitive and affective aspects of language learning through students' introspective narratives about their learning histories. These narratives reflect “situated cognition”, in which learners are embedded in their own learning communities, which can be either nurturing or destructive. Some primary themes in the st...

Exploring a sample of adult language learners, this article shows the relationships between language learning strategies on the one hand and factors such as proficiency, teacher perceptions, gender, aptitude, learning style, personality type, ego boundaries, motivation, and anxiety on the other. This is an almost “optimal” group of language learner...

This study builds on previous research using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). Most previous SILL research has made comparisons across the entire survey or in terms of strategy categories and has stressed proficiency level at the expense of other variables. The present largescale (N = 374) study of language learning strategy use...

This article examines the relationships of a variety of individual difference variables to end‐of‐training proficiency ratings in speaking and reading for a large sample of adults in intensive training in a wide range of languages at the U.S. Department of State. Variables included tested cognitive aptitude, learning strategies, learning styles, pe...

With factor analysis contributions by Neil Anderson, Ohio University, USA; Deena Boraie, American University in Cairo, Egypt; John Green, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and Salem State College, USA; Gene Halleck, Oklahoma State University, USA; Omneya Kassabgy, Career Development Center, Cairo, Egypt; Victoria Talbott, Skagit Valley Junior C...

The state of the art in teaching pronunciation is the topic of this article. Section 2 discusses types of competencies second language learners must gain to communicate with intelligible pronunciation. These include stress (loudness, pitch, and vowel length), rhythm, linking and assimilation, and sounds (vowels, consonants, and consonant clusters)....

This article discusses the integration of language skills in an international perspective. It starts with definitions of key terms, moves to an explanation of students' academic and social language needs, presents results of a new survey on integrated skills, and finally describes five different types of instructional designs (special-purpose, them...

This article describes research on second language vocabulary instruction, with a focus on what motivates students, what they need, why knowing a word is a complex act, and which factors influence vocabulary acquisition (such as maturational constraints, frequency, attention, previous language background, and order of acquisition). In addition, the...

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

Content-based ESL aims to develop communicative competence in the target language along with content knowledge in a specific subject area, such as mathe-matics. Many forms of CB-ESL are discussed here. English for specific purposes (including but not limited to English for academic purposes) is a very well known type. Other versions-some popular an...

This article presents data from a survey of students' reactions to two different Spanish textbooks. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of these survey data raise important issues about foreign language instructional material and highlight the importance of considering learner variables in the textbook selection process. It offers explanations of...

Listening is a fundamental language skill, but it is often ignored by foreign and second language teachers. This article explains the complexity and importance of the listening skill, summarizes research on L2 listening, and provides a research-based consumer's guide to selecting and using L2 listening activities.

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

A group of 107 students participated in a major study exploring the factors that influence language achievement when instruction is delivered by satellite television. Factors included the students' motivation, learning styles, learning strategy use, gender, previous language learning experience, and course level. Motivation was by far the most sign...

This article reviews previous research and reports on a study relating to six factors relevant to achievement in learning a new language: motivation, language learning styles, language learning strategies, gender, course level, and previous experience in learning a foreign language. Although motivation, learning styles, gender, and learning strateg...

A discussion of gender differences in human development and language use is followed by reports of research on styles and strategies in learning a second or foreign language. Instructional implications for second-language classrooms are highlighted. (Contains 100 references.) (Author/LB)

This article focuses on language learning styles, the overall patterns that give direction to language learning behaviour. The context is the multicultural ESL/EFL classroom at the tertiary level. The authors present key definitions, assumptions, and research concerning ESL/EFL learning styles as related to culture. They provide six new case-study...

Teachers of second or foreign languages, to be most effective, must understand who their students really are. This means teachers must comprehend differences among their students in many individual characteristics, such as age, sex, motivation, anxiety, self-esteem, tolerance of ambiguity, risk-taking, cooperation, competition, and language learnin...

Second language (L2) learning strategies are specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques that students employ—often consciously—to improve their own progress in internalizing, storing, retrieving, and using the L2 (Oxford 1990b, after Rigney 1978). Strategies are the tools for active, self-directed involvement that is necessary for developing...

To provide the most effective instruction possible, teachers of a second language (L2) should learn to identify and comprehend significant individual differences in their students. Many excellent teachers have learned to do some of this intuitively, but explicit understanding of individual-difference dimensions can enhance the work of all teachers....

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

This article notes seven key problems in language learning strategy concepts and classification systems as they relate to empirical research in the area of second- and foreign language development and suggests ways to resolve these problems and thereby increase unity, coherence, and meaningfulness of language learning strategy research. (99 referen...