Phuentsholing Primary School, located in southern region of Bhutan has a diverse student body. This diversity presents challenges in developing strong English-speaking skills among students." English as a second language (ESL) instruction and learning have become essential components of daily education in Bhutan and many other non-native English-speaking nations. In our years as educators, we have noticed that students in the southern borders speak more of their local language than English, which has hampered their ability to communicate. This forced them to converse in their mother tongue in a classroom as well. Consequently, it is difficult for the educators to improve the speaking skills. Furthermore, collaborative action research was employed to navigate the problem and work on the strategies that would enhance the speaking skills to the students. Our research pondered on “How does implementation of various speaking strategies in ESL classrooms contribute to overall speaking enhancement in class 3B students?” the Population sample was selected based on the convenience of the researchers teaching the particular class and off periods for the co-researchers to visit and implement the strategies. The methods for the study were mixed method and the findings revealed a 20%" increase in students achieving advanced proficiency levels.

This study looks at how "false friends" (faux-amis), which are words that seem same in French and English but have different meanings, affect second language (L2) learners. Such phrases frequently generate problems, resulting in misinterpretations, vocabulary mistakes, and mispronunciations. Fifty-six French Higher Secondary students in Tamil Nadu's State Board who choose French as their optional second language (L2) provided the data. Thirty faux-amis were found via cross-linguistic research of the required textbook C'est Chic. The study investigated the effects of faux-amis on vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, and semantic comprehension using a mixed-method paradigm. A manual pre-test revealed the main learner challenges: inappropriate word usage, phonological errors, and negative transfer from the mother tongue. A Blended Phonosemantic Approach (BPA) was used to address these. This method combines aspects of the Audio-Lingual Method, Contrastive Analysis, and Communicative Approach. BPA emphasizes the phonological and semantic aspects of faux-amis by integrating organized pronunciation drills, contextual interaction, and cross-linguistic awareness. Results from the post-test showed that learners had significantly improved their ability to use vocabulary, pronounce words correctly, and comprehend semantics. The study comes to the conclusion that L2 learners may overcome faux-amis with explicit training using BPA, which improves their lexical competence and communicative confidence.

This paper focuses on spelling errors in the interlanguage of a group of university students, whose L1 are Czech and Slovak, enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree of Spanish Language and Literature at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, during the academic year 2022-2023, with a B1-B2 level of Spanish. In order to find out which are the spelling errors made by these students and which appear more frequently in the texts, a mixed approach research has been designed. Specifically, a corpus of 62.422 words comprising 316 texts has been analyzed following the Error Analysis methodology (Corder, 1967), with a classificatory typology (Fernández, 1997; Fernández Jódar, 2006; Sánchez Jiménez, 2006) based on linguistic and strategic criteria (Vázquez, 1999). In the analysis, a total of 566 spelling errors were found. Furthermore, the results suggest that the most frequent spelling errors in the interlanguage of Czech and Slovak learners of Spanish are those affecting graphic accentuation, especially the omission of the accent mark and the unnecessary addition. Other remarkable errors are the confusion between uppercase and lowercase letters, omission of letters and overlapping letters, as well as confusion of graphemes. The analysis also confirms the hypothesis that L1 Czech and Slovak learners of Spanish make the same types of spelling errors, regardless of their mother tongues.

This article aims to analyze a text-enunciated in specific communication situation, for studies of language practices in the educational field. The research question seeks to investigate the extent to which practice of linguistic-semiotic analysis (PAL-S) contributes to the development of reading skills in the process of literacy for social practices. The research —of a theoretical, qualitative-interpretative nature and with explanatory purposes—, is based on the assumptions of Linguistic Applied (LA) (Moita-Lopes, 2006; Kleiman; Vianna; De Grande, 2019), from the dialogical perspective of language (Bakhtin, 2016[1979]; Volóchinov, 2018[1929]) and the studies of multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996; Rojo, 2009, 2013; Moura, 2012, 2019; Rojo; Barbosa, 2015). Data generation happens through indirect documentation —anchored in specialized literature, as well as from the investigative corpus, resulting from posting on social networks. The method of analysis and interpretation of information is dialectical, with technical procedures of historical and comparative nature. As results, it is noticed that in the initial and continuing training of mother tongue teachers, a fruitful way to expand reading abilities is through the study of (multi)literacies for social practices, anchored in LA and in the dialogical perspective of language, as well as the development of PAL-S in the reading process.

This study investigates the impact of mother tongue interference on the translation of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) terminology by engineering students at the Polytechnic University of Tirana. The main objective is to identify the linguistic challenges students face when translating technical terms from English into Albanian and to explore effective pedagogical strategies to mitigate such interference. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining translation exercises, student questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with ESP instructors. The findings reveal that the most frequent difficulties involve lexical gaps due to the lack of standardized Albanian equivalents, literal translation errors, and syntactic transfer from the mother tongue. Moreover, over 70% of students admitted to thinking in Albanian before expressing ideas in English, which often leads to structural inaccuracies. The study concludes that mother tongue interference remains a key obstacle in developing ESP competence and translation accuracy. It recommends integrating bilingual glossaries, task-based translation activities, and critical use of digital tools into ESP curricula. These implications highlight the need for a more contrastive and context-based approach to ESP teaching in Albanian higher education.

ABSTRACT The transition from a mother tongue (MT) to a foreign language, typically European languages, as the medium of instruction poses significant challenges for learners in many African countries. In Tanzania, students who receive primary education in Kiswahili are compelled to switch to English language Education at the secondary school level. This study investigated the language accessibility of biology and history textbooks for these students during this critical transition period. The study employed a descriptive research design, qualitative content analysis, and corpus analysis to analyse the textbooks. The findings revealed numerous language-related challenges, including complex vocabulary, intricate grammatical structures, referential meaning-based sentences, and unfavourable Flesch and Gunning Fog readability scores. These linguistic barriers likely hinder the students’ comprehension of the subject content. The implications of these language accessibility issues for students are discussed. The study underscores the need for policymakers and educational authorities to carefully evaluate the language used in textbooks to ensure they are aligned with the linguistic proficiency of students transitioning from MT to a foreign medium of instruction. Practical recommendations are provided to improve textbooks language use and support inclusive and equitable access to quality education for all learners.

ABSTRACT I reflect on autobiographical experiences to unpack non-dominant language (NDL) learners’ educational barriers. I connect my lived experiences as an English learner and educator to multilingual learners in Nepal, who are deprived of education in the mother tongue. I aim to proffer input for language policy, planning, and pedagogical development to minimize language-based disparities in schools and support language maintenance. This approach allows me to deeply engage with impactful events, actions, and relationships as an English learner and teacher and helps me relate my school-based experiences to linguistically marginalized children. By unpacking parental literacy, literacy in the home language, corpus planning, home-school distance, pedagogical practice, school environment, discriminatory practice, and language attitude as critical issues affecting multilingual children’s schooling, this narrative identifies and calls for attention to multilingual children’s invisibility in school. This study has direct implications for NDL children’s school access and success, and NDLs’ maintenance as it helps enrich our understanding of NDL children’s multilayered school-based barriers from a unique sociolinguistic context. This study informs language advocates, policymakers, educators, and researchers who are concerned about the roots of academic disparity among NDL children and the endangerment of NDLs as a consequence of unjust language policy and practice.

This paper presents the design and development of an AI-powered web application for personalized language learning, with a focus on integrating native language support and intelligent interaction. The proposed system addresses limitations of existing platforms, such as English-only interfaces, limited voice assistance, and fixed learning paths. The platform incorporates a mother tongue interface, AI-driven pronunciation training, and an intelligent chatbot mentor to provide real-time feedback and adaptive learning experiences. By combining speech recognition, natural language processing, and cultural context integration, the system enhances learner engagement, improves accessibility for regional users, and promotes effective multilingual education. The architecture is implemented using modern web technologies with backend support through Python-based APIs, while AI models handle speech, text, and personalization. This study contributes to bridging the gap in language education by offering a scalable, user-friendly, and socially impactful solution for diverse learners.

ABSTRACT This study examined how Grade 4 ESL teachers in Namibian primary schools employ translanguaging strategies to enhance reading comprehension among multilingual learners. Grounded in translanguaging theory, schema theory, and reflective practice, the research highlights the intentional integration of learners’ mother tongues (e.g. Oshindonga) with English to scaffold understanding, foster metalinguistic awareness, and affirm linguistic identities. Using a qualitative case study design, the study engaged five teachers through classroom observations, interviews, and document analysis. Key findings reveal dynamic strategies such as multimodal code-switching, lingua receptiva (flexible language responses), and peer-mediated language brokering, which collectively create inclusive and cognitively enriching learning environments. These practices challenge monolingual ideologies in ESL instruction, demonstrating that using learners’ full linguistic repertoires enhances comprehension and academic confidence. The study also identifies tensions between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and policy constraints, underscoring the need for systemic support. Implications include advocating for flexible bilingual pedagogies in teacher training and language policy reform, particularly in transitional educational contexts like Namibia, where abrupt shifts to English-medium instruction often hinder literacy development. By centering teachers’ adaptive practices, this research contributes to broader discussions on equitable, context-sensitive approaches to multilingual education in postcolonial settings.

This article focuses on the core issue of mother tongue negative transfer in Chi-nese language learning for non Chinese Filipino students. Based on second lan-guage acquisition theory and comparative analysis hypothesis, combined with the context of bilingual education in the Philippines, it systematically analyzes the specific manifestations of negative transfer at four levels: phonetics, vocab-ulary, grammar, and pragmatic culture. Through empirical investigation data and teaching cases, reveal the three major causal mechanisms of differences between mother tongue and target language systems, learners' language psy-chological representation biases, and teaching environment deficiencies. A three-dimensional response system of "comparative analysis leading+layered precise teaching+cultural infiltration integration" is proposed for different lev-els of bias characteristics, including strengthening Chinese-English language comparative teaching, optimizing speech specific training mode, constructing immersive language environment, implementing layered task design, and culti-vating cross-cultural communication skills. The research aims to provide a practical path for improving the accuracy and practicality of Chinese language learning for non Chinese Filipino students, and enrich the regional research re-sults of Chinese international education.

ABSTRACT This article examines the intersection of language enumeration practices in the Indian Census and the shaping of the Three Language Policy (TLP) in national educational planning. Drawing on census documents, government reports, and policy frameworks, the study traces how census categories, rationalisation methods, and thresholds influence which languages gain visibility and legitimacy in educational policy. The paper identifies how enumeration practices, particularly the flattening of mother tongues in post-enumeration processes, contribute to a constructed sociolinguistic reality that favours scheduled and official languages while marginalising others. Through a critical analysis of census questionnaires from 1961 to 2011, and a review of key planning documents such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) reports and post-census reports, the study shows how linguistic hierarchies are institutionalised in state policy. The paper argues for greater transparency in census codification methods and calls for the inclusion of multilingual realities in both enumeration and educational frameworks. By foregrounding enumeration as a site of language policy in action, the article contributes to rethinking how language data shapes and constrains policy decisions in multilingual nations like India.

Amy Tans seminal work The Joy Luck Club employs the four-player game structure of a mahjong to depict the intricate narratives unfolding between four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. The novel vividly portrays the complex generational dynamics within Chinese-American families: Waverlys struggle with her mother Lindo Jong over the honour of chess championship, and Roses complete loss of voice within an American marriage, only to find the courage for Chinese-style voicing through her mother An-Mei Hsu.This article therefore examines the silence of the mother tongue in The Joy Luck Club, employing Stuart Halls theory of cultural identity to explore the conflict and reconciliation between the mothers adherence to traditional cultural values and the daughters pursuit of independence within a cross-cultural context. Their unspoken mother tongue not only leads to misinterpretations of maternal affection and cognitive disorientation but also constitutes a primary source of communication difficulties between mothers and daughters. Efforts to bridge generational divides manifest through polyphony, ultimately facilitating cultural continuity and the reconstruction of identity for both parties. Furthermore, this article aims to illuminate the pervasive clash between old and new cultures within immigrant families across generations, thereby reflecting on ethnic identity anxieties and cultural belonging within the globalised context.

The practice of reading aloud and in groups using the variety of languages present in the classroom constitutes, as illustrated below, a multifunctional and multilevel activity. Reading, moreover, is the ideal place to cultivate and refine language skills, both in terms of language learning in general, and of preserving mother tongues in particular. Building on these premises, this contribution focuses on the multiple roles that reading plays in enhancing cultural-linguistic diversity and the mother tongue at school, in relation to the processes of reception and linguistic, scholastic and socio-cultural inclusion of pupils of immigrant origin, with particular reference to the Florentine experience.

This study examines the effect of theme-based blended learning on Egyptian EFL university students' oral performance. In this context, barriers such as the influence of mother tongue, students’ huge number, restricted opportunities for authentic resources, and limited classroom time often hinder fluent and confident expression. To address these challenges, a mixed-method, quasi-experimental pre-/post-test design was employed with 30 intermediate-level second-year students from the Faculty of Business Technology at the Canadian International College. Across 17 blended sessions, students engaged with authentic themes using digital tools such as Jitsi Meet, Edpuzzle, Nearpod, and WhatsApp. Quantitative analysis using paired-sample t-tests revealed statistically significant differences in overall oral performance and across strategic, discourse, interactional, and paralinguistic competencies (η² > 0.90). Qualitative data from observations, recordings, and student reflections suggested improvements overall and each oral performance competency, particularly in intonation, topic maintenance, active listening, and use of fillers. The findings indicate that integrating authentic themes within a blended learning framework promotes sustained oral practice and provide meaningful exposure to authentic language contexts. Despite limitations such as the small sample size and absence of a control group, the study offers insights into the potential of theme-based blended learning to foster engagement and support oral proficiency development.

The study examined the preference of Mother Tongue (MT) for effective understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic in three selected Local Government Areas of Jigawa State, Nigeria. Two research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population consisted of residents from the three selected Local Government Areas, from which 215 respondents were randomly sampled. A structured questionnaire developed by the researcher served as the main instrument for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using frequency and percentage. The findings of the study revealed that the respondents prefer the use of Mother Tongue (MT) for effective understanding of COVID-19 disease in both social and official settings. It further showed that communication in MT through radio and mobile phones facilitates effective understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommended, among others, that public health campaigns and awareness programs should adopt local languages to improve the effectiveness of health communication, especially in rural communities where literacy levels are low. In addition, government at all levels should ensure timely procurement of all relevant facilities to fight the pandemic disease when it emerges.

My sinuous life as a humanist traversing disciplinary, periodic, geographical, and national borders has yielded palpable wonders, the most wonderful being the opportunity to live and connect many lives. I was made bilingual, bicultural, and cosmopolitan in colonial Hong Kong, a classicist at Pepperdine University, a Renaissance scholar at Berkeley, an intersectional Americanist at UCLA, and a polyglot comparatist by UCEAP. The many splendors of literary America unraveled by Bruins of disparate stripes have driven me to herald the variegated beauty of Chinese American heritage at UCLA. I have gone from being an outsider, a suspect even, in both English and Asian American studies to being a humanist resource. It behooves me to usher in, among the Bruins, my mother tongue—the language of the Tang poets, gold miners, and the Transpacific railroad workers, and to stage Cantonese opera. “In my end is my beginning”.

Japanese YouTuber (non-Indonesian speaker) who tries to speak Indonesian has a different pronunciation from Indonesian. Therefore, this research was conducted using a descriptive method, which involved listening to video blog, collecting data using note-taking and sorting techniques, analyzing the data, and concluding using Weinreich’s theory. Weinreich’s theory is used to analyze the data obtained. Therefore, the results obtained are in the form of speakers changing the phoneme /l/ to /ɾ/ amounts to 12 data, the speaker pronounces with tongue vibrates at the back of the upper teeth, and air is forced through the oral cavity, producing a sound known as trilling. Changing the phoneme /ŋ/ to /n and /m/ amounts to 2 data pronounced by pressing the lips together so air can escape through the nose. And changing the phoneme /ə/ to /ɯ/ amounts to 5 data, the speaker pronounces it by looking for the closest phoneme, namely /ɯ/, and even pronouncing /ə/ sounds more like the sound /ɯ/. From this analysis, speakers experienced phonological interference, which turned out to be that their mother tongue, Japanese could influence their second language, Indonesian.

ABSTRACT Audio description for the blind and visually impaired has received little critical analysis within the thinking-for-speaking and the thinking-for-translating hypotheses. Because languages typically describe motion in varying ways, the audio-described experience for speakers of different languages may also vary. Thus, the primary aim of this paper is to examine the information included about motion in an English-Spanish and a German-Spanish corpus of audio-described films aimed at children and young adults. The results of the study confirm the impact of the describer’s mother tongue on the end product of AD (e.g. regarding the lexical diversity of manner verbs and the use of typical V-framed and S-framed lexicalization patterns). Additionally, the contribution includes a report on the availability of AD in Spanish in a series of streaming services in Spain (i.e. Disney+, Filmin and HBO/Max).

Speakers of second languages may struggle communicating due to interference from the mother tongue. This is especially true among Sabahan students, since Sabah, Malaysia is multilingual. This study seeks to identify the interference of the mother tongue among Sabahan students at Universiti Teknologi MARA, as well as the strategies they employ to reduce the interference. Five respondents were selected via purposive sampling, and data collected from interview sessions was audiotaped and transcribed, and then analysed using content analysis methodology. The study finds that mother tongue interference reduces fluency due to errors in language transfers, and carries phonological effects that hinders pronunciation. Despite this, the efficacy of communication remains stable. The findings suggest ways that Sabahan learners of English can be supported by educators and the education system.

Negative transfer of mother tongue is a difficult point for second language learners, because they can be influenced by the knowledge and habits they have acquired in the process of first language learning. This research is based on the error analysis theory, collecting compositions from Chinese college students and categorizing the errors picked out from the text by analyzing and interviewing. The research finds out that the main error types are “Confused Meaning”, “Article Misuse” and “Verb Forms”, and these types of error are the easiest to be influenced by negative transfer of mother tongue as well. The author conducted a survey on students’ habit of using dictionaries as well and found that students tend to search the interpretation in Chinese merely, which is not helpful to impair the negative influence of language transfer. Students are advised to be aware of the existence of negative transfer of mother tongue. Some specified advice for students is to strengthen the memory of grammatical knowledge and change the habit of looking up the dictionary, enhancing the grasp of knowledge to compensate for the lack of language environment.