Language Teaching for Young Learners

Editors
Dingfang Shu | Shanghai International Studies University
ORCID logoRod Ellis | Curtin University
ORCID logoJonathan Newton | Victoria University of Wellington
Associate Editor
Yan Zhu | Fudan University | screle.ltyl at outlook.com
Review Editor
ORCID logoNatsuko Shintani | Kansai University
Editorial Assistant
Jiashu Chen | Shanghai International Studies University
Xi Chen | Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Language Teaching for Young Learners is an academic, refereed journal, which publishes articles relating to the teaching and learning of foreign / second languages for young learners. ‘Young’ is defined as including both children and adolescents. Although some young learners receive language instruction in out-of-school contexts, in the main the journal publishes articles reporting on teaching languages in state and private elementary and secondary school contexts. This journal publishes articles about a range of foreign/second languages – not just English.

LTYL publishes its articles Online First.

ISSN: 2589-2053 | E-ISSN: 2589-207X
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl
Latest articles

19 November 2024

  • Mentoring task-based language teaching as an innovation in an Indonesian secondary school
    Ariatna Rod Ellis
  • 28 October 2024

  • Exploring the intercultural potential of picturebooks in early secondary EFL classrooms in Austria : The case of perspective-taking
    Jasmin Peskoller Caroline Bader | LTYL 6:2 (2024) pp. 196–219
  • 25 October 2024

  • Young language learners and the intercultural domain : Emerging perspectives
    Sandie Mourão Raphaëlle Beecroft | LTYL 6:2 (2024) pp. 127–148
  • 21 October 2024

  • Designing L2 pronunciation instruction activities for primary school learners : A content analysis of ELT textbooks used in China
    Jie Gao
  • 17 October 2024

  • A pilot analysis of a young-learner classroom anecdote : Exploratory Practice (EP) in terms of phenomenology
    Yuzuru Miyamoto Timothy Hunter
  • “It’s a teacher’s dream to have something this engaging” : English picturebook read-alouds in upper primary school
    Maria Nilsson
  • 4 October 2024

  • Intercultural encounters through two picturebooks in the lower primary EFL classroom in Denmark
    Karoline Søgaard | LTYL 6:2 (2024) pp. 173–195
  • 19 September 2024

  • Asynchronous virtual exchange and young English learners’ intercultural communicative competence : An exploratory study
    Sarah Reader | LTYL 6:2 (2024) pp. 220–242
  • 16 September 2024

  • Fostering primary students’ competences for democratic culture in EFL : The PEACE project
    Motoko Abe Raphaëlle Beecroft | LTYL 6:2 (2024) pp. 243–269
  • 27 August 2024

  • An investigation into FL children’s classroom emotions and their concurrent and longitudinal relationships with grit and growth mindset
    Art Tsang
  • 15 August 2024

  • Chinese parents’ involvement in their young children’s app-based language learning
    Hee Jin Bang Alison Mackey
  • 19 July 2024

  • “I want children to see that their languages are respected” : Perspectives on world language learning from pre-primary teachers in the United States
    Veronika Timpe-Laughlin , Lorraine Sova Michelle Kim | LTYL 6:2 (2024) pp. 149–172
  • Annamaria Pinter . 2023. Engaging children in applied linguistics research
    Reviewed by Meifang Zhuo
  • 11 March 2024

  • Editorial
    Rod Ellis | LTYL 6:1 (2024) pp. 1–4
  • 9 February 2024

  • David Valente Daniel Xerri (Eds.). 2023. Innovative Practices in Early English Language Education
    Reviewed by Melike Ünal Gezer | LTYL 6:1 (2024) pp. 122–126
  • 5 February 2024

  • Children and extensive reading motivation : An action research project on extensive reading motivation in a private language school
    Lesley Ito | LTYL 6:1 (2024) pp. 104–121
  • 30 January 2024

  • Surveying L2 Shakespeare studies in Canadian secondary schools : Developing a framework for continuing research
    Gary G. Fogal | LTYL 6:1 (2024) pp. 60–83
  • 29 January 2024

  • Vocabulary learning in Finnish early foreign language learning textbooks : A mismatch between theory and practice
    Katja Mäntylä , Anssi Roiha , Hannele Dufva Heini-Marja Pakula | LTYL 6:1 (2024) p. 84
  • 7 December 2023

  • Engagement in oral production : The impact of a coursebook innovation
    Le Hong Phuong Thao John Macalister | LTYL 6:1 (2024) pp. 32–59
  • Editorial
    LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 119–121
  • 4 December 2023

  • Setting research priorities for English as an Additional Language : What do research users want from EAL research?
    Hamish Chalmers , Faidra Faitaki Victoria A. Murphy | LTYL 6:1 (2024) p. 5
  • 17 November 2023

  • A teacher-researcher snapshot of task-based peer interactions in EFL secondary school classrooms in Germany
    Tomáš Kos | LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 170–195
  • 2 November 2023

  • Effects of an early start in learning English as a foreign language on reading and listening comprehension in Year 9
    Raphaela Porsch , Stefan Schipolowski , Camilla Rjosk Karoline A. Sachse | LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 122–148
  • Introducing plurilingualism in the English as an Additional Language classroom through plurilingual approaches : A study in a Catalan primary school
    Kevin Randall Steil Encarnación Carrasco Perea | LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 217–246
  • 19 October 2023

  • Does repeated pre-task planning have an impact on form-focused LREs? Evidence from EFL children
    María del Pilar García Mayo María Luquin | LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 149–169
  • 17 July 2023

  • J. Winston . 2022. Performative Language Teaching in Early Education: Language Learning through Drama and the Arts for Children 3–7
    Reviewed by Faidra Faitaki | LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 247–251
  • 6 July 2023

  • Visual images and image-text relations in ELT textbooks for young learners
    Yan Zhu Nana Yang | LTYL 5:2 (2023) pp. 196–216
  • IssuesOnline-first articles

    Volume 6 (2024)

    Volume 5 (2023)

    Volume 4 (2022)

    Volume 3 (2021)

    Volume 2 (2020)

    Volume 1 (2019)

    Board
    Editorial Board
    Scott Aubrey | Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Yuko Goto Butler | University of Pennsylvania
    Xiaotang Cheng | Beijing Normal University
    Janet Enever | Umeå University Sweden / King’s College London
    ORCID logoRosemary Erlam | The University of Auckland
    ORCID logoXuesong Gao | University of New South Wales
    ORCID logoMaría del Pilar García Mayo | University of the Basque Country
    Jin Sook Lee | University of California, Santa Barbara
    Shaofeng Li | Florida State University
    ORCID logoCarmen Muñoz | Universitat de Barcelona
    ORCID logoJonathan Newton | Victoria University of Wellington
    ORCID logoRhonda Oliver | Curtin University
    Jenefer Philp | Lancaster University
    Annamaria Pinter | The University of Warwick
    ORCID logoMasatoshi Sato | Universidad Andrés Bello
    Huizhong Shen | The University of Sydney
    Yilin Sun | South Seattle College
    Brian Tomlinson | University of Liverpool
    Chuming Wang | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
    Qiufang Wen | Beijing Foreign Studies University
    Jinfen Xu | Huazhong University of Science and Technology
    Su Yon Yim | Chinju National University of Education
    ORCID logoLawrence Jun Zhang | University of Auckland
    Shen Zou | Shanghai International Studies University
    Weicheng Zou | East China Normal University
    Subscription Info
    Current issue: 6:1, available as of March 2024
    Next issue: 6:2, expected March 2025

    General information about our electronic journals.

    Subscription rates

    All prices for print + online include postage/handling.

    Online-only Print + online
    Volume 7 (2025): 2 issues; ca. 300 pp EUR 161.00 EUR 210.00
    Volume 6 (2024): 2 issues; ca. 300 pp EUR 156.00 EUR 191.00

    Individuals may apply for a special online-only subscription rate of EUR 65.00 per volume.
    Private subscriptions are for personal use only, and must be pre-paid and ordered directly from the publisher.

    Available back-volumes

    Online-only Print + online
    Complete backset
    (Vols. 1‒5; 2019‒2023)
    10 issues;
    1,500 pp.
    EUR 752.00 EUR 855.00
    Volume 5 (2023) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 151.00 EUR 174.00
    Volumes 2‒4 (2020‒2022) 2 issues; avg. 300 pp. EUR 151.00 per volume EUR 171.00 per volume
    Volume 1 (2019) 2 issues; 300 pp. EUR 148.00 EUR 168.00
    Guidelines

    Submission guidelines

    Authors wishing to submit articles for publication in Language Teaching for Young Learners are requested to do so through the journal’s online submission and manuscript tracking site. If you are not able to submit online, please contact the associate editor at: screle.ltyl at outlook.com

    1. Peer review

    Manuscripts submitted to Language Teaching for Young Learners will undergo double-blind peer review and will be evaluated based on their originality, methodological rigor, significance of findings, and quality of presentation. Manuscripts submitted to the journal should not be previously published or under consideration for publication elsewhere.

    2. Authorship

    Authors should decide the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript. Any changes of author names should only be made when the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editors.

    3. Language

    All submissions to Language Teaching for Young Learners should be written in English. Either American English or British English can be used, but the spelling style should be consistent throughout the paper. If the manuscript is not written by a native speaker, it is advisable to have the paper proofread by a native-like speaker prior to submission.

    4. Format

    All submissions to Language Teaching for Young Learners should conform to the requirements of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.), which can be ordered online. Submissions that do not follow the APA style or that do not fall within the scope of Language Teaching for Young Learners will be returned to authors without review.

    5. Article types and lengths

    The journal invites submissions in five categories:

    1. Survey articles
      Survey articles provide researchers, teacher educators, and school teachers with up-to-date information on research concerning the teaching of second/foreign languages in state and private schools throughout the world. Survey articles should be no more than 10,000 words.
    2. Original research articles
      Original research articles report empirical studies relating to the teaching and assessment of second/foreign languages for young learners. The journal also welcomes research articles on in-service and pre-service preparation courses for teachers of young learners. Original research articles should not be longer than 8,000 words.
    3. Practitioner research articles
      Practitioner research articles report studies carried out by teachers investigating their own teaching in their own classrooms. The maximum length for practitioner research articles is 4,000 words.
    4. Brief reports
      Brief reports present descriptions of teacher-education programmes, innovation projects, and small-scale research studies. Brief reports should be no longer than 3,000 words.
    5. Book reviews
      This section reviews published materials (e.g. textbooks, teacher education materials, etc.) that have been designed for educating young second / foreign language learners. The word limit for book reviews is 1,500 words. See also the Book review guidelines.

    Word limits should be adhered to closely; tables, references, notes, and appendices should be included in the word counts.

    6. Title page

    Title. Concise and informative. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.

    Author names and affiliations. Present the authors’ affiliation addresses below each author’s name. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.

    Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing, publication, and post-publication.

    7. Abstract

    The abstract for all kinds of the articles should be no more than 200 words.

    8. Key words

    All submissions should include four to six keywords that can be used for indexing purposes.

    9. Presentation

    All submissions should be presented in Times New Roman, 12-point font. Please include page numbers in the manuscript.

    10. Sections and Section Headings

    Papers should be reasonably divided into sections and, if appropriate, subsections. The headings of these subsections should be numbered in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Authors are advised not to use more than three levels of headings.

    11. Tables, Figures, and Other Graphics

    In the initial submission, authors should place tables, figures, and other graphics within the paper in the desired location. However, authors should be prepared to submit original artwork files separately upon final acceptance of their article. All tables and figures should be numbered consecutively and include a caption that is in accordance with the format described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

    12. In-text citations

    In-text citations list should follow guidelines provided by the American Psychological Association (7th edition). A few examples follow; please consult the APA manual for full details.

    Direct quotations

    Use double quotes for shorter quotations. Any quotations within the main quote should use single quotes.
    Examples:
    Interpreting these results, Robbins et al. (2003) suggested that the “therapists in dropout cases may have inadvertently validated parental negativity about the adolescent without adequately responding to the adolescent’s needs or concerns” (p. 541), contributing to an overall climate of negativity.

    Confusing this issue is the overlapping nature of roles in palliative care, whereby “medical needs are met by those in the medical disciplines; nonmedical needs may be addressed by anyone on the team” (Csikai & Chaitin, 2006, p. 112).

    If the quotation comprises 40 or more words, display it in a freestanding block of text and omit the quotation marks. Start such a block quotation on a new line and indent the block about a half inch from the left margin (in the same position as a new paragraph).
    Example:
    Others have contradicted this view:

    Co-presence does not ensure intimate interaction among all group members. Consider large-scale social gatherings in which hundreds or thousands of people gather in a location to perform a ritual or celebrate an event. (Purcell, 1997, pp. 111–112)

    Indirect quotation/paraphrasing/summarizing
    Example:
    Classroom studies by Ellis (1984), Myles et al. (1998, 1999) and Myles (2004) demonstrate that learners often internalize rote-learned material as chunks, breaking them down for analysis later on.

    Citations from a secondary source
    Example:
    1) Gould’s (1981) research “raises fundamental doubts as to whether we can continue to think of intelligence as unidimensional” (as cited in Cohen & Lotan, 2014, pp. 151-152).
    2) Intelligence cannot be believed to consist of one single entity any more (Gould, 1981, as cited in Cohen & Lotan, 2014).

    Citing one work by multiple authors
    When a work has two authors, cite both names every time the reference occurs in text. When a work has three, four, or five authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs; in subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first author followed by et al. (not italicized and with a period after al) and the year if it is the first citation of the reference within a paragraph.
    When a work has six or more authors, cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. (not italicized and with a period after al) and the year for the first and subsequent citations.
    Example:
    Kisangau, Lyaruu, Hosea, and Joseph (2007) found [Use as first citation in text.]
    Kisangau et al. (2007) found [Use as subsequent first citation per paragraph thereafter.]

    13. Notes

    Use footnotes rather than endnotes. These should be numbered consecutively throughout the paper and numbered in section headed Notes following the conclusion or acknowledgements section.

    14. Acknowledgements

    In order to maintain anonymity, acknowledgements, if any, should not be included in the initial submission. Authors of accepted papers may include a brief acknowledgements section in the final submission. The Acknowledgements should follow the Conclusion section of the main article.

    15. Funding

    Reference to any funding for the research reported in the article should be made as in this example:
    This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA [grant number zzzz]; and the United States Institutes of Peace [grant number aaaa].

    16. References

    To ensure anonymity of the article, authors should include any references to their own publications as ‘Author’ at the beginning of the list of references. Authors should also ensure that ‘Author’ replaces any of the authors’ own names for works cited in the article.

    The full reference list should follow guidelines provided by the American Psychological Association (7th edition). A few examples follow; please consult the APA manual for full details.

    Journal article
    Calvert, M., & Sheen, Y. (2015). Task-based language learning and teaching: An action-research study. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), 226-244.

    Journal article, title translated into English, print version
    Guimard, P., & Florin, A. (2007). Les évaluations des enseignants en grande section de maternelle sont-elles prédictives des difficultés de lecture au cours préparatoire? [Are teacher ratings in kindergarten predictive of reading difficulties in first grade?]. Approche Neuropsychologique des Apprentissages chez l’Enphant, 19, 5–17.

    In-press article posted in a preprint archive
    Briscoe, R. (in press). Egocentric spatial representation in action and perception. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. Retrieved from http://cogprints.org/5780/1/ECSRAP.F07.pdf

    Magazine article
    Chamberlin, J., Novotney, A., Packard, E., & Price, M. (2008, May). Enhancing worker well-being: Occupational health psychologists convene to share their research on work, stress, and health. Monitor on Psychology, 39(5), 26–29.

    Online magazine article
    Clay, R. (2008, June). Science vs. ideology: Psychologists fight back about the misuse of research. Monitor on Psychology, 39(6). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/

    Newspaper article
    Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post, pp. A1, A4.

    Online newspaper article
    Brody, J. E. (2007, December 11). Mental reserves keep brains agile. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

    Special issue or section in a journal
    Haney, C., & Wiener, R. L. (Eds.). (2004). Capital punishment in the United States [Special issue]. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 10(4).

    Entire book, print version
    Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction? A study of computer dependency. London, England: Taylor & Francis.

    Electronic version of print book
    Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction? A study of computer dependency [DX Reader version]. Retrieved from http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/html/index.asp

    Book chapter, print version
    Haybron, D. M. (2008). Philosophy and the science of subjective well-being. In M. Eid & R. J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 17–43). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Reference book
    VandenBos, G. R. (Ed.). (2007). APA dictionary of psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Corporate author, government report
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2003). Managing asthma: A guide for schools (NIH Publication No. 02-2650). Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/asth_sch.pdf

    Symposium contribution
    Muellbauer, J. (2007, September). Housing, credit, and consumer expenditure. In S. C. Ludvigson (Chair), Housing and consumer behavior. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Jackson Hole, WY.

    Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis
    Author, A. A. (1978). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis). Name of Institution, Location.

    Unpublished and Informally Published Works
    Author, A. A. (Year). Title of manuscript. Unpublished manuscript [or “Manuscript submitted for publication,” or “Manuscript in preparation”].

    17. Appendices

    One or more appendix sections may be included after the references section.

    18. Copyright permission

    It is the responsibility of the author to obtain permission to reproduce any material that has been previously published.

    The editors of Language Teaching for Young Learners reserve the right to make editorial changes in any manuscript accepted for publication to ensure clarity, conciseness, or style. The author will be consulted only if the editing has been substantial.

    Submission

    Language Teaching for Young Learners offers  online submission .

    Before submitting, please consult the  guidelines  and the  Short Guide to EM for Authors .

    If you are not able to submit online, or for any other editorial correspondence, please contact the editors via e-mail: screle.ltyl at outlook.com

    Ethics

    John Benjamins journals are committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and to supporting ethical research practices.

    Authors and reviewers are kindly requested to read this Ethics Statement .

    Please also note the guidance on the use of (generative) AI in the statement.

    Rights and Permissions

    Authors must ensure that they have permission to use any third-party material in their contribution; the permission should include perpetual (not time-limited) world-wide distribution in print and electronic format.

    For information on authors' rights, please consult the rights information page.

    Open Access

    Articles accepted for this journal can be made Open Access through payment of an Article Publication Charge (APC) of EUR 1800 (excl. tax). To arrange this, please contact openaccess at benjamins.nl once your paper has been accepted for publication. More information can be found on the publisher's Open Access Policy page.

    Corresponding authors from institutions with which John Benjamins has a Read & Publish arrangement can publish Open Access without paying a fee. Please consult this list of institutions for up-to-date information on which articles qualify.

    For information about permission to post a version of your article online or in an institutional repository ('green' open access or self-archiving), please consult the rights information page.

    If the article is not (to be made) Open Access, there is no fee for the author to publish in this journal.

    Archiving

    John Benjamins Publishing Company has an agreement in place with Portico for the archiving of all its online journals and e-books.

    Special Issue Proposals

    Special Issues

    We aim to publish one special issue biennially.

    A special issue should include up to six papers including an introduction. When submitting a proposal for a special issue include the following:

    After submitting your proposal, the editors of the journal will evaluate it. If the proposal is accepted they will negotiate with the editor(s) of the special issue of the journal when it will be published in the journal.

    The editor(s) of the special issue will be responsible for carrying out the normal review process for reviewing articles and will liaise with one of the journal’s editors throughout the process.

    Submit your proposal to screle.ltyl at outlook.com

    Subjects

    Main BIC Subject

    CJA: Language teaching theory & methods

    Main BISAC Subject

    LAN020000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Study & Teaching