Sharing Scholarship Related to Language Program Direction

Journals that Publish Research on Teaching Practice

The following is a list of some of the major journals that publish research related to language program direction, curriculum development, and teaching practices. 

• Second Language Research and Practice (SLRP): This annual publication of the American Association of University Supervisors and Coordinators of Language Programs (AAUSC) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that focuses on scholarship related to postsecondary language education and language program direction. In addition to research articles, SLRP includes pedagogical reports and position papers.
• L2 Journal: This is a fully refereed, interdisciplinary journal that promotes research on second language teaching and learning. Featured articles include those with a more theoretical orientation, that contribute to our conceptualization of language education, and those with a more pedagogical orientation that inform and transform practice. 
• Foreign Language Annals: Founded in 1967, Foreign Language Annals is one of the oldest journals devoted to this field and is the official refereed, scholarly journal of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Contributions cover a range of perspectives and topics, which have implications for teaching, learning, and future research in the teaching and learning of languages other than English. 
• Language Teaching Research: Language Teaching Research is a British-based, peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the teaching of second and additional languages. Focal topics include language program development, syllabus and materials design, methods, and teaching practice. 
• Modern Language Journal: The Modern Language Journal is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research and discussions related to the learning and teaching of foreign and second languages. In addition to four regular volumes each year, the journal includes an annual supplement issue on a special topic, and a summer perspectives column that brings together experts around a timely conversation in the field of language teaching.  
• ADFL Bulletin: The ADFL Bulletin is a peer-refereed journal published two times a year by the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages, an affiliate of the Modern Language Association. ADFL features shorter essays related to professional, pedagogical, and programmatic dimensions of collegiate modern language and culture teaching and learning. 

Learning Activity:

Choose one of the journals from the list and browse the most recent couple of issues. What topics and concepts stand out to you? Is there anything that resonates with your interests and experiences? Is there anything that strikes you as unexpected? 

Now search for an article or an essay that relates to the potential action research project you brainstormed earlier in this module and read it more closely. What do you notice about how the article/essay frames and describes the problem? What methods does/do the author(s) use to investigate this set of questions? What new answers and insights does the study or argument provide? How could this article/essay inform your own action research project? Gather these ideas in the table below (click the link below the table to make a copy you can type in). 

If you have trouble finding a publication related to your topic, consider whether other keywords might work.

Your problem/puzzle in brief
Full citation for your article/essay
Questions for reflection	Your notes
What do you notice about the kinds of problems and puzzles the research addresses? Does the article essay use terms or concepts that are new to you or different from those you used? What is the background of this topic or focus and why is that background important to understand?
What methods does/do the author(s) use to investigate this set of questions? If this is a classroom-based study, how many classes/students/lessons/etc are involved? What kinds of data are collected?
What new answers and insights does the study or argument provide? How do these help you to understand the problem you identified? To what extent are these findings generalizable to your teaching context?
How could this article/essay inform your own action research project? What aspects of the research could you borrow in the design of your own action research project?

[Click for editable Google doc]