In our critical review, we explore the progress of second language (L2) teaching research in Japan from 2019 to 2023, focusing particularly on English Language Teaching (ELT) and Japanese Language Teaching (JLT). After scrutinising numerous publications from over 50 academic journals, as well as academic books and chapters, we selected around 40 studies for analysis. These studies met our screening criteria of articles published in Japan, which were written in English or Japanese, peer-reviewed, presented original findings or insights, and focused on the Japanese context. We highlighted six key areas: grammar, language testing, teachers’ professional development, the realities and influences of foreign residents and immigration, the identity of language learners/users and language education policy. Through our review, we provide notable characteristics, developments, and challenges in L2 teaching research in Japan for a global readership. This contribution furthers the ongoing conversation and sets directions for future research in this field.

Based on the simple view of reading (SVR), we investigated factors associated with reading comprehension in Second Language (L2) minority children learning a highly consistent orthography through a network analysis. Bilingual and monolingual children participated in the research. Consistent with prior findings, reading speed supported reading comprehension for L1 learners, whereas, for L2 learners, correct decoding carried greater weight than reading speed. In monolingual children, vocabulary and morphosyntactic comprehension contributed jointly and independently to reading comprehension success. However, only vocabulary facilitated reading comprehension in bilingual children, with morphosyntactic skills showing no influence. While monolinguals benefitted from a rich vocabulary and good morphosyntactic knowledge for reading speed and accuracy, in bilingual children, only L2 reading speed was affected by linguistic skills.

Simultaneous interpreting (SI) is an intensive multitasking activity that requires coordination of a variety of linguistic and cognitive control mechanisms. Research has shown that interpreters perform better in tasks that require domain-general executive functions (EF), but the question remains whether such cognitive alternation is a result of interpreting experience or it reflects a selection bias that only cognitively capable people are recruited and trained to be interpreters. We examined the cognitive changes experienced by beginner-level students engaged in an intensive, two-week interpreting training programme. Our findings show that: (a) only cognitive flexibility was enhanced by training, together with improvement in SI performance; (b) the three EF subcomponents in their pre-existing forms negatively correlated with training gains; and (c) only pre-existing cognitive flexibility was positively associated with improvement in SI performance. Findings were discussed regarding the relationship between cognitive abilities and the early-stage acquisition of interpreting.

We conducted a detailed linguistic analysis of Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) from older Spanish-English bilinguals (n = 28) to determine which cognitive, linguistic, and demographic factors predict proficiency. In the dominant language, older age was associated with lower proficiency scores, but aging effects were not significant after accounting for cognitive functioning scores. In the nondominant language, bilinguals with larger vocabulary scores, fewer speech errors, and higher education levels obtained higher proficiency scores. Multiple linguistic submeasures from the OPIs were highly correlated across languages (e.g., fast speakers spoke fast in both languages), but these same measures exhibited significant language dominance effects (e.g., bilinguals spoke faster in the dominant than in the nondominant language). These results suggest it is critical to control for cognitive functioning when examining aging effects on language production, reveal powerful individual differences that affect how people talk regardless of language, and validate the use of the OPI to measure bilingual proficiency.

Adult heritage language (HL) speakers often exhibit subtle phonetic-phonological variations (“accentedness”) that diverge from the patterns of the language spoken at home. Perception of accentedness may also be influenced by the listener’s linguistic background. This study investigated perceived accentedness in 80 English speech samples from four groups of monolingual English and bilingual English-Hebrew speakers for whom English was either L1 or HL. These samples were evaluated by three rater groups: monolinguals, English-dominant bilinguals, and Hebrew-dominant bilinguals. Our findings confirmed the presence of slight accentedness in HL-English speakers and, to a lesser extent, in immigrants who acquired Hebrew as a second language. While rater background generally had minimal impact, English- and Hebrew-dominant bilinguals differed in their evaluations of the less-accented groups. Individual factors such as lexical proficiency and early language input influenced the HL-English speakers’ accentedness levels. The results are discussed in relation to the Critical Period Hypothesis and its implications.

This article examines recent developments in English language education in Vietnam, contextualising them within contemporary sociopolitical and cultural discourses. It begins by tracing the historical emergence and evolution of English in Vietnam before examining its role in the education system. The article then critically discusses Project 2020, Vietnam's largest language education initiative, and its profound impact on the country's language education landscape. Finally, it presents three notable trends significantly shaped by Project 2020: the increasing prevalence of IELTS preparation, the rise of second-career language teachers, and the emergence of communities of practice for English teachers.

Neoliberal forces have increased the use of English as a medium of instruction (MOI) in higher education globally. The status of English has shifted from being a curricular subject to the primary language of instruction, particularly in private higher education institutions. Drawing on Baldauf (2006), Kaplan and Baldauf (2003), and Spolsky (2009), and conducting a multi-level policy document analysis, this study set out to investigate the use of English as an MOI in Bangladeshi higher education. At the macro level, we analysed language-related policy documents, such as the National Education Policy (NEP), the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNQF), and University Grant Commission (UGC) policies. At the meso level, we examined various publicly available policy documents of a private university, including MOI statements, purpose and vision statements, admission requirements, curriculum, assessment, textbook recommendations, and advertisements for faculty positions. The findings revealed that while macro-level MOI policies are left open for meso-level interpretation, private universities have adopted an MOI policy that shifted from a nationalist Bangla-only ideology to a neoliberal English-only one, as evidenced in their practices and management initiatives. This shift has essentially served a covert colonial agenda under the guise of internationalisation and adoption of the American higher education model.