Routledge Enhancing Beginner-Level Foreign Language Education for Adult Learners: Language Instruction, Intercultural Competence, Technology, and Assessment (Routledge Research in Language Education)

This book is an authoritative text that explores best classroom practices for engaging adult learners in beginner-level foreign language courses. Built around a diverse range of international research studies and conceptual articles, the book covers four key issues in teaching language to novice students: development of linguistic skills, communicative and intercultural competence, evaluation and assessment, and the use of technology. Each chapter includes teaching insights that are supported by critical research and can be practically applied across languages to enhance instructional strategies and curriculum designs. The text also aims to build intercultural competence, harness technology, and design assessment to stimulate effective learning in formal instructional settings, including colleges, universities, and specialist language schools. With its broad coverage of language pedagogy at the novice level, this book is a must read for graduate students, scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of language education, second language acquisition, language teaching and learning, and applied linguistics. Review "This book delivers exciting research focused exclusively on the vital first year of language study. Its four thematic sections – Approaches, Intercultural Competence, Technology, and Assessment and Evaluation – will be immensely useful to all language instructors, regardless of language taught." - Jason Merrill, Professor of Russian, Michigan State University; Director of the Middlebury College, Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian, USA "This book presents critical research findings and practical recommendations focused on language instruction at the elementary level in colleges and universities. I recommend this well-organized volume to all those working to encourage these language learners in their efforts to become effective communicators in today’s globalized world." - Marilyn S. Severson, Professor Emerita, Seattle Pacific University, USA "With a thoughtful collection of empirical studies on a range of critical issues in the field of foreign language education, this volume fills in the gap of research devoted to novice level adult language learners in college and university programs. I highly recommend this reference book for professionals looking for research ideas and pedagogical recommendations in program design and curriculum innovation." - Yilin Sun, Professor, Seattle Colleges-South Seattle College; President of TESOL International Association (2014-2015), USA About the Author Ekaterina Nemtchinova is Professor of Linguistics at Seattle Pacific University, USA, where she was named "Professor of the Year" in 2018. Her research interests include teacher education and technology in language teaching. She has previously authored a number of articles and textbooks in these areas.