Focus and Scope

Research and Innovation in Language Learning is an international refereed journal devoted to research into all aspects of innovation in area of first, second or foreign language learning and teaching. It publishes research articles and innovative practice articles. It draws on a range of disciplines that share a focus on exploring new approaches to language learning and teaching.

Changes in learners’ work, life, and study patterns and the use of new technologies for learning strongly impact on every aspect of language learning and teaching, from how we perceive the roles of teachers and learners, to how we adapt to new roles, from the materials and methods we develop to support learners in more flexible ways, to the research methodologies we use to investigate learning and teaching. The impact of globalisation, increased international mobility, and a need for more flexible ways of learning make a critical reflection on the changing needs of the learner necessary. The journal offers a forum for this kind of reflection and encourages researchers to explore the theoretical underpinnings of new pedagogies which focus on the development of and support for innovation in language learning.

The journal will appeal to anyone interested in research into the development of or practical application of new methodologies in language teaching and learning. Its aims are:

• To publish research into the theoretical and methodological bases of innovative approaches in language education;
• To encourage dissemination and cross-fertilisation of policies and practice relating to innovation in pedagogies for language learning in different learning contexts.

In the journal, the concept of innovation is broadly interpreted, and may be related to innovation in practice, innovation in policy, innovation in research methodologies, or any other form of innovation. It is important to consider the context in which the research is located, as clearly what is viewed as innovation in a well-resourced environment with, for example, access to the latest technologies, is different from the innovation that may occur in other contexts. For this reason, we require authors to be explicit in their articles about the ways in which their work constitutes innovation.

The scope of the journal is intentionally broad, as it is intended to offer an interdisciplinary platform for all those interested in innovative pedagogies and methodologies. Articles may draw on fields as diverse as educational psychology, artificial intelligence, neurolinguistics, human-machine interaction, educational technologies, philosophy, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, multi-/plurilingual education, and others.

Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching accepts two types of articles:

1) Research article  (no more than 6,000 words) which report on research whether it relates to pedagogy, policy, theoretical concepts or other relevant fields;

2) Short report on an innovation in teaching, materials development, or another practical element of learning and teaching, preferably with the inclusion of some sort of evidence from evaluation. This includes reseach in progress (about 750-1500 words).