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The 10th volume in the TIRF-Routledge series, this book features research on the teaching and learning of English in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees and internationally known scholars, the volume addresses contemporary challenges and considerations to teaching English in the MENA context. With empirical research covering a wide range of under-studied contexts, this book provides important insights and future directions to improve research and instruction. Offering up-to-date research at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, this volume is an essential resource for language education programs and pre-service teachers.
This book has been co-edited by TIRF Trustees Dr. Kathi Bailey and Dr. David Nunan. It is featured in the “Global Research on English Language Teaching and Learning.”
If you are interested in ordering the book, please click here to visit Routledge’s website.
This FreeBook features chapters on teaching English to young multilingual learners from the “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” series, co-published by TIRF and Routledge. There are five chapters included in this publication from four different volumes in the Series. To download the FreeBook, click here.
About the Series
The “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” series, co-published by The International Research Foundation for English Language Education and Routledge, showcases research by scholars from around the world, whose research has been funded by grants from TIRF, awarded through a carefully vetted international competition. Since 2002, TIRF, an independent foundation started by the TESOL International Association (TESOL) in 1998, has commissioned and/or funded research on a range of topics associated with the teaching and learning of English worldwide. This series offers a collection of previously unpublished empirical studies conducted by grant recipients throughout the world, as well as chapters from invited scholars. Volumes in the series report on issues of current concern to the applied linguistics community and the language teaching profession, and present a wide variety of research topics investigated through a range of research procedures.
Most chapters appearing in volumes in this series cover issues that motivated the research, the context of the research, research question(s) addressed, data collection and data analysis procedures, findings and discussion, and implications for policy, practice, and future research. This chapter structure helps to achieve consistency and coherence across the volumes, while at the same time allowing individual authors to report on the unique contents of their own studies. The authors and editors forego any honoraria so that all the royalties from the sales of this series can be used to support TIRF’s programs.
Re-skilling Language Learners for a Mobile World
For the main paper, click here.
Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Professor of Learning Technology and Communication, The Open University
Executive Summary: Ubiquitous access to mobile phones and other portable devices means that language learning increasingly straddles classroom-based learning and learning outside the classroom, in virtual spaces and out in the world. We know from studies of emergent learner-led practices that foreign language study can be enriched through easy access to resources selected to suit individual interests or needs. Yet learners’ choices seem largely determined by what they happen to come across, rather than knowledge about which language skills are best improved through mobile learning. Existing mobile applications often fail to exploit connections between life and learning. This paper suggests which language skills can be enhanced through mobile learning and how learner-technology interaction supports that development, particularly opportunities for learners to extend or practice their communication with others. The paper also suggests that new skills may be required in relation to the next generation of wearable devices and increasingly instrumented, technology-rich surroundings where use of mobile technology integrates with other tools, resources, and social networks that continue to challenge traditional knowledge and skills.
Discussion of this paper provided by: Richard Boyum, University Partnership and Grants Evaluation Coordinator for Afghanistan and Pakistan, US State Department, USA
Read the discussion by clicking here.
Discussion of this paper provided by: Sky Lantz-Wagner, ESL Instructor, University of Dayton, USA
Read the discussion by clicking here.
Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.
The sixth volume in the “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” was released in February 2019. Global Perspectives on Language Assessment: Research, Theory, and Practice is co-produced with Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
This new book offers up-to-date research on the rapidly changing field of language assessment. The volume features original research with chapters reporting on a variety of international education settings from a range of diverse perspectives. Covering a broad range of key topics—including scoring processes, test development, and student and teacher perspectives—contributors offer a comprehensive overview of the landscape of language assessment and discuss the consequences and impact for learners, teachers, learning programs, and society. Focusing on the assessment of language proficiency, this volume provides an original compendium of cutting-edge research that will benefit TESOL and TEFL students, language assessment scholars, and language teachers
This volume is co-edited by TIRF Trustees Dr. Spiros Papageorgiou and Dr. Kathi Bailey. Click here to learn more information about this book, including how to order.
TIRF’s 2017 commissioned study is titled, Online Language Teacher Education: Participants’ Experiences and Perspectives. This paper is a follow-up study to TIRF’s 2013 study, A Case for Online English Language Teacher Education (see below for further information).
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the co-authors of this study, Dr. Denise Murray (Professor Emerita at Maquarie University, Sydney, Australia & at San José State University, San José, California, USA) and Dr. MaryAnn Christison (Professor, Department of Linguistics and the Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah). This research investigates the experiences and perceptions of students and instructors in OLTE courses and programs.
- Click here to download the paper.
- To download the Executive Summary, click here.
In March 2015, we published our second full-length book in cooperation with Routledge/Taylor & Francis. This book is the second in the series entitled, “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English.”
The volume is co-edited by MaryAnn Christison (TIRF Trustee & Chair of TIRF’s Research Advisory Comittee), Donna Christian (TIRF Trustee & Treasurer-Secretary), Patricia Duff (Former TIRF Trustee), and Nina Spada (TIRF Grantee). This grammar-focused publication is dedicated to Dr. Betty Azar for her support during TIRF’s early years, as she was a major supporter of our grant programs. The volume features a collection of work that resulted from TIRF grants, which were awarded to individuals whose research focused on grammar in language education.
For more information about the book, including how to order, please click here. Please note that all royalties earned from the sale of the book will be donated to TIRF to help fund our programs.
Some Emerging Principles for Mobile-assisted Language Learning
For the main paper, click here.
Glenn Stockwell, Professor, Waseda University
Philip Hubbard, Senior Lecturer and Director of English for Foreign Students, Stanford University Language Center
Executive Summary: The steadily increasing access to sophisticated but affordable portable technologies over the past several years has brought with it a body of research into using these technologies for learning in both formal and informal contexts. It is not surprising, then, that language teachers have also adopted mobile technologies into their individual teaching and learning contexts. This paper first examines recent studies from the mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) literature, exploring the issues that emerge from this body of research through a framework distinguishing physical, pedagogical, and psycho-social dimensions. Recognizing not only the contributions but also the limitations of existing MALL literature, it then identifies a number of findings from the closely allied fields of mobile learning (ML) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) that can inform both research and practice in MALL. Drawing from all three sources (MALL, ML, and CALL), the paper proposes ten general principles to guide teachers, learners, administrators, employers, and other stakeholders in the challenge of effectively integrating mobile devices and tasks into language learning environments. The paper concludes with a case study showing how each of the principles described have been applied in an actual mobile language learning context.
Discussion of this paper provided by: Tarana Patel, Founder & Educator, learnEd, India
Read the discussion by clicking here.
Discussion of this paper provided by: Simone Smala, Professor, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Read the discussion by clicking here.
Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.
As part of TIRF’s mission to sponsor and disseminate cutting edge research into language education, we have commissioned a set of papers on different aspects of handheld language learning, to be published in the first instance as free downloads on our website. Each of these papers aims to summarize the state of our knowledge concerning the use and effects of handheld devices on the outcomes of English language learning.
More information on our mobile-assisted assisted language learning commissioned papers can be found by clicking here.
TIRF Insights: Social and Emotional Learning is available in four languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, and Spanish.
This paper, authored by Katherine (Kath) Stannett, investigates social and emotional learning (SEL) against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent disrupted education and learning loss.
Recent research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to disrupted education, learning loss, and the wide-scale use of hybrid and online teaching and learning. The pandemic has also revealed and underscored a need to address not only stude
nts’ academic skills but also their social and emotional skills.
This paper is made available to the public for free. Use these links to access the publication:
TIRF is pleased to have worked with author Kath Stannett, an England-based teacher trainer and materials writer, and in collaboration with Laureate International Universities and National Geographic Learning, to produce this first paper in the “TIRF Insights” series. This series was formerly known as “TIRF Language Education in Review.”
Via “TIRF Insights,” the Foundation profiles recent research in the field of English Language Teaching in a practical and accessible format. Our publication is written for parents, teachers, school leaders, and all student advocates who want to review recent educational trends in a nonacademic way.
Click here to download the English version of TIRF Insights: Social Emotional Learning.
(Download this publication here: https://www.tirfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/LEiR_CEFR.pdf)
A recent search for the term “CEFR” (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) on Google Scholar gave the following results: approximately 28,000 hits with no time frame; 12,700 hits since 2015; approximately 3,900 hits in 2018; and approximately 700 hits in the first three months of 2019. In other words, there is an abundance of work on the CEFR – an embarrassment of riches perhaps, that makes it very difficult for any single publication to summarize all the research that has been done, and that is being done, on the CEFR.
Examples of CEFR research published in 2019 include the paper by Afir, Hamid, and Renshaw on the use of the CEFR in Malaysia. In that paper, the authors start by stating that the CEFR “has emerged as a global policy in language education which has been ‘borrowed’ by nations across the world” (p. 1). That notion of ‘borrowing’ refers to the fact that the CEFR was originally designed by Europeans for Europeans, but now appears to have taken on a life of its own, being referred to in teaching, learning, and testing contexts far away from Europe, not only geographically far-removed in space and time, but also far-removed in terms of histories, languages, and cultures.
In a paper published in 2018, also on the implementation of the CEFR in Malaysia, Azia, Rashid, and Zainudin concluded that “the implementation of CEFR in Malaysia still needs to be improved. All the stakeholders need to be properly synchronised, aware of their responsibility and updated with the latest information” (2018, p. 415, emphasis added). Those two papers (and others) on the CEFR in Malaysia highlight one of the challenges of employing the Framework, i.e., the context – geographical, linguistic, cultural, educational, etc. Another challenge relates to being “updated with the latest information” on the CEFR, as so much CEFR-related research is being done, and so many papers on the Framework are being published.
Other papers reiterate this recurring theme of contextual challenges. For example, working with Spanish learners of English in Spain, Díez-Bedmar (2018) found that “despite the current importance of the CEFR in the learning, teaching, and assessment of languages, limitations arise in the use of the CEFR descriptors, which are also present in the European Language Portfolio (ELP)” (p. 199, emphasis added).
Another context for CEFR research has been Canada. For example, Arnott, Brogden, Faez, Péguret, Piccardo, et al. (2017) proposed a research agenda for the CEFR in Canada. In their paper, the authors conclude with a series of questions, including the following:
- “What policies currently exist or might need to be created in order to support CEFR use within and across the provinces at all three levels of education for a variety of languages?
- What professional development opportunities are currently being offered, and what further types of scaffolding are needed to support language teachers?
- How is the CEFR currently being used, and how might it be used to greater advantage in order to enhance language learning?
- How do students experience CEFR-informed instruction, and what types of impact does it have?” (Arnott, Brogden, Faez, Péguret, Piccardo et al., 2017, p. 47)
On the basis of the third question above – “How is the CEFR currently being used, and how might it be used to greater advantage in order to enhance language learning?” – TIRF commissioned Professor Enrica Piccardo, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education at OISE (University of Toronto), to author the second paper in TIRF’s LEiR series.
TIRF remains grateful for partnering with Laureate Languages to commission The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in Language Education: Past, Present, and Future, and thanks Prof. Piccardo’s diligence in authoring the paper. Please click here to access the paper.
– Andy Curtis, Chair of TIRF’s Publications Committee
New Ways to Support EMI Teachers, Students, and Schools
English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is the use of the English language to teach academic subjects in settings where English is not the most common language of education. Over the past two decades, the number of schools with EMI curricula has expanded dramatically because English is now essential for success in a variety of arenas, including politics, economics, technology, science, medicine, and media.
Context: EMI is experiencing growth in public sectors globally and is no longer limited to students at elite private academies and universities. However, research shows that issues persist in effectively implementing EMI in schools across all levels due to the complex nature of studying academic curriculum in a second or third language.
What the Research Says: A growing number of EMI programs encourage teachers to take advantage of students’ first language (L1) to deliver new skills and content in English. In this way, two languages are used to process content and support students in becoming fully bilingual and academically successful.
Why it Matters: English is already the leading language of technology and medicine and is the business lingua franca. Young people are required to obtain a level of English proficiency not needed for previous generations. EMI can be foundational in the development of English language skills across the many disciplines required in modern education. Students with greater English proficiency have more university choices and greater career flexibility.
What’s Next: Globalization and EMI are interlinked: International students continue to look for programs providing EMI while English-medium institutions seek these students as a source of income and prestige. EMI will also continue to expand in primary and secondary sectors, in both private and public contexts. Research shows that students who begin an EMI program early in their education are often more successful throughout their learning in English-medium schools.
Read the Report: In this recent report from TIRF and National Geographic Learning, author Tracey Gibbins sets the backdrop of EMI in today’s educational arena and shares where this approach to language education is heading. This paper is available in multiple languages. Use the following links to download the version of the paper you wish to read:
About the “TIRF Insights” Series: The “TIRF Insights” series profiles recent research in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in a practical and accessible format. Our publication is written for parents, teachers, school leaders, and all student advocates who want to review recent educational trends in a nonacademic way.
Click here to download the English version of TIRF Insights: English-Medium Instruction.
Calls to Action: Here is a set of discussion questions that will help you and your team take next steps toward adopting, implementing, and/or furthering EMI at your institution:
- What are some of the challenges learners face in EMI classrooms? Is there a discrepancy in English language proficiency levels among students in classrooms in our community? Are the materials used with our students suitable for all levels of English proficiency?
- Which cultural backgrounds are reflected in our school or community’s student body? How does this cultural mix play a role in our school or community’s EMI approach? How do we currently include and support all students? What more can we do?
- How can educators support one another during EMI adoption? Which teachers feel challenged, and by which issues? How can administrators support these differing needs?
- We know there is often a performance gap in EMI classes between students with lower levels of English proficiency and those with greater proficiency. How can educators support both types of students to decrease the gap and provide appropriate academic instruction?
- Are there additional equity and inclusion issues present in the classroom? How can these be identified and addressed?
The twelfth volume in the “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” was released in May 2026. Research on Language Learning and Teaching in Digital Spaces is co-produced with Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
As digital tools continue to reshape educational practice around the world, this volume brings together research from internationally recognized TESOL scholars, including several TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant (DDG) recipients. The chapters examine how learners and educators engage with digital spaces such as online learning platforms, social media, virtual reality, messaging applications, gaming environments, and AI-supported learning tools. Together, they highlight how these technologies can foster collaboration, digital literacy, learner engagement, and meaningful language development across a variety of educational settings.
Like the previous volumes in the TIRF-Routledge series, this book reflects TIRF’s commitment to connecting research, policy, and practice in English language education. By showcasing rigorous, internationally relevant scholarship, the series provides educators, researchers, graduate students, and policymakers with timely insights into the issues shaping the future of the profession.
This volume is co-edited by TIRF Trustee Dr. Polina Vinogradova (Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer and TESOL Program Director, American University) and Dr. Heather A. Linville (Professor and Chair of Educational Studies at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse). Click here to learn more information about this book, including how to order.
Empowering Learners & Educators: English for Career Readiness
In today’s rapidly evolving job market, English proficiency has become a crucial asset for career success. Whether in business, technology, healthcare, or academia, professionals around the world rely on English to collaborate, innovate, and communicate effectively.
Context: The demand for English in the workplace extends beyond technical knowledge. Research shows that employers highly value soft skills—such as communication, problem-solving, and adaptability—alongside language proficiency. Equipping learners with both linguistic and interpersonal skills is essential for their long-term career development.
Dive in (one-minute read)
What the Research Says: English is the world’s predominant lingua franca, with millions of professionals using it daily to engage in global business and academic discourse. However, success in the workplace requires more than fluency; it calls for intercultural competence, critical thinking, and the ability to collaborate across diverse teams.
Why it Matters: As industries evolve, so do employer expectations. Professionals need to navigate complex, multicultural work environments where effective communication is key. Integrating soft skills into English language education prepares learners to meet these challenges and thrive in their careers.
What’s Next: Governments, businesses, and educators increasingly recognize the importance of embedding career readiness into English language instruction. Schools and training programs are adapting curricula to develop not only language proficiency but also the soft skills essential for professional success.
Read the Report: In this latest TIRF Insights paper from TIRF and National Geographic Learning, author Chia Suan Chong explores the intersection of English proficiency and career readiness. She highlights how educators can integrate soft skills into language learning to better prepare students for the workforce. Complete the form at the link below to download the paper.
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Calls to Action: Use these discussion questions to explore how career readiness can be integrated into English language education:
- How does English proficiency impact career opportunities in different industries?
- What soft skills are most valuable for professionals in global workplaces? How can these be cultivated in English language learning?
- How can educators design lessons that blend language development with real-world communication and problem-solving skills?
- What challenges do learners face when using English in professional settings? How can schools and training programs better support them?
- How can employers and educators collaborate to ensure that English language education aligns with workforce needs?
About TIRF Insights: “TIRF Insights” profiles recent research in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in a practical and accessible format. Our publications are written for parents, teachers, school leaders, and all student advocates who want to review recent educational trends in a nonacademic way. This paper on English for Career Readiness is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.
Video Greeting from TIRF Trustee Michael Carrier
The use of mobile and handheld technology is growing exponentially in language education, and it is clear that much more research, project evaluation, and evidence-based analysis are needed to help us understand this new phenomenon. However, important questions remain about the efficacy of handheld devices in language learning.
What benefits do learners, teachers and school administrators derive from the use of mobile and handheld technology? What are the challenges and pitfalls? Can this technology be misapplied and waste precious resources?
With questions like these in mind, TIRF has commissioned six papers to explore the current state of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). It is our hope that these papers provide an accurate account of how MALL is impacting the landscape of English language education, and what challenges lie ahead for language learning teachers and students, administrators, business professionals, and others.
The following provides brief information about the five papers and the authors who wrote them. Click on any of the papers’ titles to read an executive summary of the paper, download the paper, and to view invited discussants’ comments on the authors’ papers. We would also very much like to have your reactions to our MALL papers. Please use the “Comment” function below or on the authors’ pages to provide any feedback you may have.
Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.
Beyond the Classroom: Mobile Learning the Wider World
- Ken Beatty, Professor of TESOL, Anaheim University
Designer Learning: The Teacher as Designer of Mobile-based Classroom Learning Experiences
- Nicky Hockly, Director of Pedagogy, The Consultants-E
Re-skilling Language Learners for a Mobile World
- Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Professor of Learning Technology and Communication, The Open University
Some Emerging Principles for Mobile-assisted Language Learning
- Glenn Stockwell, Professor, Waseda University
- Philip Hubbard, Senior Lecturer and Director of English for Foreign Students, Stanford University Language Center
- Paul Sweeney, Founder and Director, Eduworlds Knowledge Ltd.
Mobile Learning for Languages: Can the Past Speak to the Future?
- John Traxler, Professor of Mobile Learning and Learning Lab Director, University of Wolverhampton
Beyond the Classroom: Mobile Learning the Wider World
For the main page, click here.
Ken Beatty, Professor of TESOL, Anaheim University
Executive Summary: Mobile learning has extended opportunities for making teaching and learning available beyond the traditional classroom. Associated technologies, software programs, and internet access have enfranchised many students who previously had little access to quality teaching. However, a paradigm shift has occurred in which learners are turning to new mobile learning opportunities to supplant traditional teaching as virtual extensions of earlier self-help books, phrase books, and audio-based language learning programs. Audio translation apps, augmented reality, and just-in-time learning approaches are providing alternatives to those with neither access nor time to learn a language. This paper examines the theoretical underpinnings of a range of technologies and applications, contrasting them with the traditional classroom and imagining the future of mobile language teaching and learning and the impact it will have on policymakers, teachers, employers, and learners.
Discussion of this paper provided by: Leonardo A. Mercado, Academic Director, Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano (ICPNA), Peru
Read Leonardo A. Mercado’s discussion of this paper by clicking here.
Discussion of this paper provided by: Joyce Wangia, Director, Centre for Institutional Based Programmes, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Read Joyce Wangia’s discussion of this paper by clicking here.
Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.
This publication presents research on the practice of integrating content and language in diverse contexts where English is used as a medium of instruction. With chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees and other scholars, the volume offers an overview of a wide range of methodological approaches to teaching content in English to English learners and examines factors that impede or contribute to effective instruction. The chapters include findings from original empirical research, as well as overviews of existing research and model programs, providing valuable insights and taking into account a multitude of contextual features.
Offering up-to-date research on integrating language and content at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels, this book familiarizes readers with the latest advances in theory and practice. It is a key text for teacher education courses for preservice teachers, a resource for professional development programs for practicing teachers, and a useful reference for researchers.
Research on Integrating Language and Content in Diverse Contexts is the latest volume in the TIRF-Routledge “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” series. The book is the ninth volume in the “Global Research” series.
Three long-time TIRF Trustees collaborated to compile the volume. MaryAnn Christison, Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and the Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah; JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall, Professor Emerita and former Director of the Language, Literacy, and Culture Ph.D. Program and Co-Director of the MA TESOL Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Donna Christian, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C. are the co-editors of Research on Integrating Content and Language in Diverse Contexts.
TIRF would like to acknowledge the contributions of all the authors and editors. We are grateful for their scholarship and dedication to furthering research in our field, as well as for agreeing to forego any royalties or honoraria, so that any profits may be used for TIRF initiatives.
To learn more about the volume, including how to purchase a copy, please click here.
