The concept of university language centres has changed in recent decades. Initially conceived as laboratories for practical and autonomous language-learning, they are now considered as places with more specific and complex functions in language teaching and learning. University language centres now constitute networks for exchanging knowledge and know-how in order to respond to ever-changing, multilingual and multicultural contexts. At the same time, the availability and acquisition of new technologies is contributing to the creation of new tools for the provision of appropriate services and training. This collection covers a wide range of topics related to the activities, experiences and applied research carried out in Italian university language centres. It provides further evidence of the important role university language centres play in promoting language expertise, developing tools and adopting digital resources, and providing support and training for language teaching. Technology, creativity, methodologies and plurilingualism are key topics in the book as they constitute the essential ingredients for effective and successful language teaching and learning. The volume’s thirty-three chapters provide multi-perspective approaches, showing how the real contexts of current language education need the integration of theoretical backgrounds with the best practices resulting from practical experience.

Widely spread all over Europe and the world, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is the subject of great, interest as the ultimate frontier of linguistic and pedagogical research. It impinges on the general cognitive processes involved in learning, on language acquisition and on the development of digital competencies. This volume attests to the spreading of the new “CLIL literacy” in the frame of pluriliteracies, and derives theoretical reflections from case studies and experiential reports, thus addressing both academic and school instructors. It combines research from international CLIL experts with the critical perspectives of academics not directly involved in its instruction.

This book explores the implications of technology-mediated project-based language learning for CALL teacher development, focusing on the role of video-based instruction in elucidating challenges and opportunities to promote learner creativity in the language classroom. The volume builds on existing literature on project-based language learning by extending the focus on the affordances of machinima, digital video created by teachers and learners to capture experience in 3D immersive games or virtual worlds. Drawing on data from a large-scale research project featuring case studies that examine different facets of CALL teacher education, the book calls attention to language learning and teaching strategies that encourage both learners and teachers to develop innovative approaches in the language classroom and how such approaches promote the integration of lifelong learning skills alongside traditional linguistic competencies. Offering a dynamic contribution to the growing literature on the interface of language learning and teaching and technology, this book will appeal to students and researchers in applied linguistics and language and education, as well as those interested in the latest developments in CALL.

This book brings together renowned scholars and new voices to challenge current practices in ELT materials design in order to work towards optimal learning conditions. It proposes ideas and principles to improve second language task design through novel resources such as drama, poetry, literature and online resources; and it maps out a number of unusual connections between theory and practice in the field of ELT materials development. The first section of the book discusses how innovative task-writing ideas can stretch materials beyond the current quality to make them more original and inspiring; the second part examines how different arts and technologies can drive innovation in coursebooks; the third section describes how teachers and learners can participate in materials writing and negotiate ways to personalize learning.

This volume offers a comprehensive, empirical and methodological view over new scenarios recently emerged in language teaching and learning, such as blended learning, e-learning, ubiquitous, social, autonomous or lifelong learning, and also over some new (ICT-based) approaches that can support them (CALL, MALL, CLIL, LMOOCs).

Current, comprehensive, and authoritative, this text gives language teachers and researchers, both a set of conceptual tools with which to think and talk about creativity in language teaching and a wealth of practical advice about principles and practices that can be applied to making their lessons more creative. Providing an overview of the nature of creativity and its role in second language education, it brings together twenty prominent language teachers and researchers with expertise in different aspects of creativity and teaching contexts to present a range of theories on both creative processes and how these processes lead to creative practices in language teaching. Unique in the field, the book takes a broader and more critical look at the notion of creativity in language learning, exploring its linguistic, cognitive, sociocultural and pedagogic dimensions. Structured in four sections— theoretical perspectives, creativity in the classroom, creativity in the curriculum, and creativity in teacher development—each chapter is supplemented by Questions for Discussion and Suggestions for Further Research. Its accessible style makes the book relevant as both a course text and a resource for practicing teachers.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of international pedagogical approaches, research, innovation experiences, and best practices in bilingual and second language education to enhance bilingual teacher education programs. The book clearly outlines the need for an interdisciplinary and interconnected approach to effecting successful bilingual teacher education programs. Featuring practical examples from a wide range of geographic contexts throughout, the volume comprises diverse pedagogical approaches to bilingual and second language teacher education, bilingual and plurilingual education, storytelling, digital storytelling and digital technology, and content and language integrated learning (CLIL), including methodological strategies in bilingual education as well as quality standards in CLIL syllabus design assessment. The book concludes by reflecting on the lessons learned from research, and identifies future directions for bilingual education programs and bilingual teacher education. The volume will be of interest to students and scholars in bilingual and second language education, bilingual teacher education, CLIL, as well as educators and stakeholders in bilingual, CLIL, and English teacher education degree programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic radically and rapidly, and perhaps forever, changed the K-20 educational landscape. In March 2020, K-12 schools and institutions of higher education were forced to pivot quickly to online and remote teaching. This new paradigm resulted in many teachers, regardless of content area, being unprepared. In the field of second language teaching and learning, world language and TESOL educators require the investigation of techniques used during the global pandemic to ensure continued success in online teaching practice. The Handbook of Research on Effective Online Language Teaching in a Disruptive Environment provides strong and cogent guidance in the use of pedagogically sound methods of online language instruction. This book builds an innovative knowledge base about teaching during disruptive times in the context of K-20 language learning that is supported with empirical evidence. Covering topics such as online work engagement, reflective practice, and flipped classroom methods, this handbook serves as a powerful resource for instructors of English language arts and TESOL, TESOL professionals, pre-service teachers, professors, administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, students, researchers, and academicians.

The Innovative Language Pedagogy Report presents new and emerging approaches to language teaching, learning, and assessment in school, further education, and higher education settings. Researchers and practitioners provide 22 research-informed, short articles on their chosen pedagogy, with examples and resources. The report is jargon-free, written in a readable format, and covers, among others, gamification, open badges, comparative judgement, translanguaging, translation, learning without a teacher, and dialogue facilitation. It also includes technologies such as chatbots, augmented reality, automatic speech recognition, digital corpora, and LMOOCs, as well as pedagogical innovations around virtual exchange, digital storytelling, technology-facilitated oral homework, and TeachMeets.

The present volume collects papers from InnoConf18, which took place at the University of Liverpool in June 2018. The theme of the conference was ‘New trends in language teaching and learning at university’. The contributions collected here aim to reflect on best practice in the sector while at the same time capturing state-of-the-art language teaching and learning methodologies. The short papers in this peer-reviewed selection display examples of active learning and student empowerment across all levels of learning and demonstrate the benefits of maximising engagement through a creative and inspiring learning environment. We believe this volume will be of use to language teachers and practitioners in higher education and beyond.