This study investigated the effect of visual input on L2 listening comprehension within the context of a North American intensive English program. The interaction between visual input and working memory (WM) was also investigated, with the aim of clarifying what role visual input, together with WM, plays in L2 listening tests. The study compared two groups of upperintermediate L1 Chinese and Arabic ESL students. All participants (N = 24) took a WM test and were divided into two groups to take a listening comprehension test under two treatment conditions: one with video and one with audio-only texts. Results indicated that the presence of visual input had a significant negative effect on listening comprehension, while working memory had no significant effect. Additionally, no interaction was found between WM and the presence or absence of visual input. This paper concludes by discussing further research questions and implications for L2 listening assessment.

While the literature on English as a medium of instruction (EMI) has seen steady growth over the last two decades, the topic of pre- and in-service teacher education for EMI has received relatively little attention—a situation that is even more marked within the context of Brazilian higher education. Responding to this gap with a practice-oriented contribution, this paper distills some of the major insights gained from piloting an EMI support course at a private university in the south of Brazil. The paper is organized around five themes, or ‘lessons learned,’ which represent the most salient takeaways from the piloting experience. These lessons intersect with some of the most pressing issues faced by researchers, practitioners, and policymakers involved with EMI in higher education contexts. By aligning theoretical and practical concerns, the paper seeks to establish an agenda for further investigation into EMI teacher education—especially within the Brazilian context.

Literature Review Attitudes, Motivation, and L2 DevelopmentNumerous researchers have substantiated the relationship among learner attitudes, motivation, and second/foreign language (L2) development (Dörnyei, 2005;Gardner et al., 1997;Masgoret & Gardner, 2003) and have demonstrated, for example, that learners with positive attitudes and high levels of motivation for L2 learning tend to achieve greater learning outcomes. Conversely, research has shown a negative relationship between L2 anxiety and L2 learning (Teimouri et al., 2019)-that is, L2 anxiety tends to have a detrimental effect on L2 learning. However, 'attitudes' and 'motivation' are not unitary nor static traits, but rather are complex and dynamic, consisting of multiple constituent attributes which shift in response to contextual factors (Dörnyei & Ryan, 2015). To understand L2 learners' attitudes and motivation thus requires probing multiple dimensions of the social, psychological, and (inter)personal aspects of L2 learning. To this end, researchers have investigated various related attitudinal subconstructs including anxiety (e.g., Ushida, 2005), autonomy (e.g., Oxford, 2003), convenience (e.g., Chang et al., 2012), and open-mindedness (e.g., Webb & Doman, 2016).

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, transitions to online L2 learning have rapidly emerged. However, the impacts of these transitions on students’ attitudes toward online language learning are largely unknown. This study investigated how participation in remote EAP instruction impacted the attitudes of Thai university students ( n = 263) toward online language learning. The study employed a longitudinal survey design and utilized a questionnaire instrument designed for the study containing 33 Likert scale items. The questionnaire was administered at the beginning and end of students’ first fully remote semester. Within- and between-groups comparisons were made of participants’ mean attitudinal ratings on eight multi-item subscales to measure the extent to which, and in what ways, students’ attitudes changed over time. Statistically significant differences were evident in the subscales of open-mindedness, autonomy, effectiveness of instruction, interactivity, and engagement over time; the general trend was toward a more positive perspective on online learning. Results indicated no statistically significant differences on three of the multi-item subscales (motivation, anxiety, and convenience) over time. The analysis showed a significant interaction between proficiency level and time in ratings for the effectiveness of instruction subscale only. Most subscales were weakly correlated with motivation at the beginning of the term; however, all subscales except interactivity showed a higher correlation at the end of the term. The results of this study will be of interest to educators who are seeking to understand learners’ attitudes toward online language instruction during times of crisis and emergency remote teaching (ERT).