E-J000iv-000vi_Elilau (finale) EuroAmerican  Journal  of  Applied  Linguistics  and  Languages   EJ JournALL,  Volume  1,  Issue  1,  November  2014,  pages  iv-vi   ISSN  2376-905X   DOI    http://dx.doi.org/10.21283/2376905X.1.1 www.e-journall.org   Copyright  ©  2014.  This  work  is  licensed  under  the  Creative  Commons  Attribution-­‐NonCommercial-­‐NoDerivs  3.0  Unported  License. 1. Crossing  boundaries  and  bridging  disciplines:  E-­‐JournALL,  EuroAmerican  Journal  of Applied  Linguistics  and  Languages   In  this  first  editorial  we  would  like  to  introduce  the  reader  to  E-­‐JournALL,  its  mission  and  objectives,   and  then  present  the  content  of  the  articles  of  the  first  issue  and  how  they  fit  within  the  scope  of  the  journal.   The   name   of   the   journal   includes   three   aspects   that   were   crucial   in   the   design   of   this   ambitious   academic  publication.  The   first  element   in   the  name  of   the   journal,  EuroAmerican,   represents  a  geopolitical   concern.   The   complexity   of   language   teaching,   learning,   and   research   is   particularly   apparent   in   America,   where  the  most  frequently  spoken  L1  and  L2  varies  across  the  three  macro-­‐areas  (North,  Central,  and  South   America),  and  a  major  role  is  played  by  heritage  languages,  such  as  Spanish  in  the  United  States.  On  the  other   hand,  as  a  continent,  Europe  has  a  linguistic  diversity  that  is  unmatched  in  many  other  geographical  regions   of  its  size.  The  use  of  the  term  EuroAmerican  blends  together  the  names  of  two  continents  and  with  them  the   often  different  traditions  that  have  developed  in  language  teaching  and  learning.  Europe,  America,  and  their   linguistic   and   cultural   variety   are   represented   together   in   the   name   of   this   journal,  which   aims   at   being   a   place  where   the   research   on,   and   in,   English,   Spanish,   and   Italian   can   be   shared,   discussed,   and   compared   across  continents.   The   second   element   in   the   name   of   the   journal   refers   to   the   field   of   Applied   Linguistics   as   the   journal’s  academic  field.  Applied  Linguistics  is  used  here  in  a  broad  sense  that  has  at  its  core  the  teaching  and   learning  of   languages,  but  yet  also  embraces  other  applications  of   linguistics  that  are  not  primary  teaching-­‐ oriented,  but  have  the  potential  to  contribute  to  the  teaching  or  learning  of  a  language,  such  as  computational   linguistics.   The   last   element   in   the   name   of   the   journal,   languages,   refers   to   the   trilingual   nature   of   this   publication   where   research   written   in,   and   about,   English,   Italian,   and   Spanish   is   hosted.   By   doing   so,   E-­‐ JournALL  offers  to  its  readers  high  quality  academic  articles  on  how  these  three  languages  work,  are  taught,   and  learned.     2. Our  Mission The   creation   of   E-­‐JournALL   was   motivated   by   the   need   for   a   new   type   of   academic   publication   capable  of  meeting  the  exigencies  and  demands  of  a  multicultural,  multilingual,  and  teaching-­‐oriented  field.   The   characteristics   of   our  new   research  venue   are   its   independent,  web-­‐based,   peer-­‐reviewed,   free-­‐access,   interdisciplinary,  and  multilingual  nature.   E-­‐JournALL   is   an   independent   publication   that   is   not   owned   or   operated   by   a   publisher   or   other   institution.    This  allows  it  to  be  entirely  free  of  charge.  Authors  are  not  required  to  pay  any  publication  fees,   and   readers   are   free   to   download   or   read   the   articles   online   without   any   charge   or   having   to   fill   in   a   subscription  form.  In  response  to  a  fast-­‐paced  research  and  teaching  landscape,  which  requires  researchers   and  teachers  to  keep  up-­‐to-­‐date  with  the  latest  developments  in  the  field  of  applied  linguistics,  the  journal  is   also   entirely   web-­‐based.   All   the   articles   published   in   E-­‐JournALL   are   immediately   accessible   online.   We   believe  that  this  is  an  essential  feature  of  a  publication  venue  that  aims  at  being  truly  international  and  whose   main   purpose   is   disseminating   and   sharing   knowledge   globally.  Moreover,   in   order   to   promote   a   creator-­‐ friendly  environment,  E-­‐JournALL  operates  under  the  Creative  Commons  BY-­‐NC-­‐ND  3.0  license,  which  grants   1   THE   COLLEGE   OF   HUMANITIES,   SOCIAL   SCIENCES   &   ARTS   and   the   DEPARTMENT   OF   LITERATURE   AND   LANGUAGES   at   Texas   A&M   University-­‐ Commerce   financially   contributed   to   this   inaugural   issue.   Both   the   authors   contributed   equally   to   this  work.  We   thank  Dr.   Salvatore   Attardo  and  Dr.  Lucy  Pickering  for  their  mentorship  and  support  toward  this  endeavor.   2  Contact:  editor@e-­‐journall.org   In  this  issue1   LAURA  DI  FERRANTE,  ELISA  GIRONZETTI2   Texas  A&M  University-­‐Commerce   IN  THIS  ISSUE   E-­‐JournALL  1  (2014),  pp.  iv-­‐vi   v   authors   the   right   to   republish   their   work,   provided   that   its   original   publication   in   E-­‐JournALL   is   acknowledged.   The   journal   is   represented   by   an   international   Editorial   Board,   Editorial   staff,   and   board   of   anonymous   reviewers   comprising   renowned   researchers   and   active   practitioners   in   the   field   of   applied   linguistics  and  language  teaching  and  learning  from  all  over  the  world.  Its  main  disciplinary  areas  are  applied   sociolinguistics,  applied  pragmatics,  discourse  and  interaction  in  the  language  classroom,   language  teaching   methods  and  practices,  applied  phonology  and  phonetics,  and  humor  in  the  language  classroom.     In   line  with   the   highest   quality   publication   venues   in   our   field,  E-­‐JournALL   is   a   double-­‐blind  peer-­‐ reviewed   publication   in   order   to   guarantee   the   quality   standards   of   an   academic   publication.   Every   paper   submitted   to  E-­‐JournALL   is   first   checked  by   the   editors,   and   then   reviewed  by   a  minimum  of   two   referees   among   the  members  of   the  Editorial  Board  or   the  board  of  anonymous  reviewers   that  collaborate  with   the   journal.  The  identity  of  the  authors  and  the  reviewers  is  not  disclosed  to  any  of  the  parties  involved  so  as  to   guarantee  an  impartial  and  unbiased  review  of  the  submitted  manuscript.  Every  paper  is  also  proofread  twice   by  our  team  in  order  to  ensure  the  quality  of  the  paper  and  a  pleasing  experience  to  the  reader.    We  accept  a  range  of  original  papers  including  full-­‐length  articles  with  substantive  research  findings   or  applications  of  new  methods  and  techniques  for  scientific  linguistic  analysis  and/or  classroom  instruction;   teaching-­‐oriented  papers  about  successful  practices  in  any  of  the  three  languages  represented  by  the  journal   and  informed  by  linguistic  research;  and  technology  and  book  reviews.  With  this  variety,  we  offer  our  readers   a  wide   perspective   on   applied   linguistics   and   language   teaching,   fostering   linguistically   informed   teaching   approaches  and  bridging  the  gap  between  theory  and  practice,  research  and  its  application  in  the  classroom.     Finally,  E-­‐JournALL   is   a  multilingual  publication,   in   line  with   its   international  nature.  E-­‐JournALL   is   multilingual  because  all   the  disciplinary  areas   concern  both   research  and  practice   in   teaching  and   learning   English,  Italian,  and  Spanish  as  Second  Languages  (SL),  Foreign  Languages  (FL),  and  Heritage  Languages  (HL),   thus   broadening   the   scope   of   the   journal   beyond   just   one   possible   teaching/learning   context.   E-­‐JournALL   accepts   submissions   in   any   of   these   languages,   and   our   team   of   professional   translators   translates   the   abstract  and  the  authors’  biographical  notes  for  each  paper  accepted  for  publication  in  the  second  and  third   language.  This,  too,  is  done  with  the  goal  of  increasing  the  dissemination  of  knowledge  and  the  professional   interaction  among  researchers  and  practitioners  across  these  three  languages.     3. Presentation  of  the  articles In   this   first   issue,   we   present   original   research   addressing   both   theory   and   practice   in   teaching   contexts.   The   articles  move   on   a   virtual   continuum  where   theory   and   practice,   research   and   teaching,   are   present   at   the   same   time   but   in   different   proportions   from   paper   to   paper.   Their   order   of   presentation   proceeds  from  a  more  theoretical  perspective  to  a  more  teaching-­‐oriented  one  in  the  final  papers.       In   the   first   article,   Paolo   Balboni   posits   language   instruction   as   an   environment   and   a   cohesive   system.   In   such   a   system,   all   the   elements   should   be   eco-­‐friendly:   approach,   method,   and   practice   are   considered   from  an  ethical  point  of  view  and   the  ethical   solutions   to  every   issue  must  allow   the  system   to   hold   together,   and   be   compatible  with,   the   other   processes   involved.   Balboni   presents   a   reflection   on   the   approaches,   methods,   and   practices   in   the   interdisciplinary   field   that   in   Italy   is   known   as   “Educazione   Linguistica,”  which  we  have  translated  as  “language  instruction.”  Balboni  asserts  the  necessity  for  readers  to   reflect  on  ethical  issues  connected  to  language  teaching  and  learning  in  an  ethically  sustainable  way.  In  order   to   do   so,   he   asks   open   questions   aimed   at   asking   the   reader   to   consider   the   elements   involved   in   the   instruction   process:   how   are   students’   and   teachers’   roles   perceived   by   instructors?  What   specific   choices   should  be  made  regarding  the  curriculum,  the  textbook,  and  the  syllabus?  How  can  these  choices  be  informed   by  the  teaching  context  and  the  teacher-­‐student  relationship?  In  other  words,  Balboni  underlines  the  need  to   adopt  an  ethical  perspective,  sustainable   in   terms  of   logic  and  structure,  and  capable  of   taking   into  account   cohesively   all   the   elements   involved,   such   as   student,   teacher,   language,   teaching   practice,   method,   and   assessment.   Cohesiveness  is,  in  many  ways,  also  the  perspective  of  the  second  article  by  Susana  Pastor  Cesteros,   in  which  SL/FL  teaching  and  learning  are  not  conceived  of  as  necessarily  confined  to  a  traditional   language   course.   The   author   focuses   on   Content   and   Language   Integrated   Learning   (CLIL),   which   promotes   the   simultaneous   learning  of   the  course  discipline  and  of   the   foreign   language   in  which   they  are   taught.  Pastor   Cesteros  draws   a   picture   of   how  well   Spanish  universities’   curricula   are  designed   to   facilitate   the   learning   experience  of   foreign  students  and  reflects  on  the  lived  experience  of  teachers  and  foreign  students  in  CLIL   courses.  The  article  offers  examples  that  may  be  relevant  for  universities  and  scholars  interested  in  creating   DI  FERRANTE  &  GIRONZETTI   E-­‐JournALL  1  (2014),  pp.  iv-­‐vi  vi   programs,  curricula,  and  practices  to  satisfactorily  equip  foreign  students  with  the  content  and  the  language   they   need.   Pastor   Cesteros   applies   the   theory   of   SL/FL   studies   and   CLIL   to   describe   and   reflect   on   the   challenges,   successes,   and   possible   future   improvements   of   five   academic   Spanish   courses   offered   at   the   Universidad  de  Alicante  and  developed  based  on  the  work  of  the  research  group  ACQUA.   The  idea  of  language  instruction  integrated  with  other  disciplines  and  teaching/learning  tools  is  also   central  in  the  article  by  Nancy  Bell  and  Anne  Pomerantz.  The  authors  demonstrate  how  humor  and  language   play  can  be  integrated  into  pedagogical  activities  to  develop  SL/FL  learners’  communicative  competence  and   interpretive  practice  and  repertoires.  Bell   and  Pomerantz   frame   their   research  within   the   field  of   language   ecology,  conceiving  of   language  as  a  dynamic  system  that  cannot  be  detached  from  the  historical,   temporal,   and   social   context   in  which   it   is   nested.   They   focus   on   how   humor   and   language   play   can   be   used   in   the   language   classroom   to   enable   students   to   learn   and   handle   the   dynamic   variety   of   language.   The   scholars   provide  examples  of  how  L2  students  can  be  guided  to  produce  and  recognize  humor,  and,  most  importantly,   to  develop  full  pragmatic  competence  in  the  target  language  and  culture.     In   the   fourth   article   of   this   issue,   Eric   Friginal,   Marsha   Walker,   and   Janet   Beth   Randall   bridge   research  and  teaching  practice.  They  assess  the  application  of  Internet-­‐based  mega-­‐corpora  for  the  analysis  of   academic  word  lists.  The  three  authors  offer  a  thorough  introduction  to  corpus  analysis  and  an  overview  on   the  history,  developments,  current  methods,  and  tools  in  corpus  linguistics.  The  scholars  present  a  case  study   on  the  analysis  of   the  Academic  Word  List  (AWL)  through  Google  Ngram  Viewer  and  COHA,  demonstrating   that  the  usage  of  some  words  has  visibly  decreased  in  the   last   few  years.  They  underline  the  importance  of   these  findings  and  suggest  they  should  inform  the  design  of  courses  in  academic  writing,  English  for  Specific   Purposes,  and  English  for  Academic  Purposes.     The   fifth   article   in   this   issue,  written  by  Elina  Banzina,   Lynne  Hewitt,   and  Laura  Dilley,   presents   a   study   targeting   a   specific   audience   of   language   teaching   professionals—International   Teaching   Assistants   (ITAs)—and  focusing  on  the  acquisition  of  rhythm  patterns   in   the  SL/FL.  Many  classes   in   the  United  States   and  around   the  world   are   taught  by   ITAs,  who  are  non-­‐native   speakers  of   the   language  of   instruction.   For   ITAs,  having  a  competence  in  the  rhythm  and  intonation  of  the  target  language  may  be  relevant  for  their  job,   since   it   may   affect   communication.   The   authors   of   this   paper   propose   the   integration   of   the   synchronous   speech  technique  in  the  conventional  instruction  of  ITAs  to  help  them  acquire  English  rhythm  patterns,  and   demonstrate  the  effectiveness  of  this  approach  with  a  small-­‐case  study.   The   sixth   article,   by   Paolo   Torresan,   is   specifically   teaching-­‐oriented.   Torresan   offers   a   fresh   perspective  on   the  use  of  drills   in   the  SL/FL  classroom.  Referring   to   the   literature  on   the   topic,   the  author   challenges  SL/FL   instructors   to  experiment  with  new  ways  of  using   conventional   tools   and  offers   concrete   examples  of  drill  activities  intended  to  trigger  creative  uses  of  the  language.  Torresan  demonstrates  that  drills   can  be  used  as  communicative  tools  and  socialization  means  within  the  second/foreign  language  classroom.     In   the   seventh   article,  math   is   presented   as   a   powerful   tool   to   enhance   the   teaching   and   learning   experience  of  both  students  and  instructors.  Martina  Brazzolotto  presents  the  results  of  an  experiment  where   Italian   verb   tenses   were   taught   through   numbers.   The   study,   carried   out   in   two   elementary   school   classrooms,   one   serving   as   control   group,   encourages   the   integration   of  math   as   a   technique   to   teach   and   learn  a  foreign  language.     The   inaugural   issue’s   last  paper   is  a   review  of  a   tool  designed   for   learning  Spanish,   the  web  portal   Practica   Español.   The   author   Mirjana   Filđokić   systematically   describes   and   analyzes   the   aesthetics   and   contents  of  this  portal  and  offers,  on  the  one  hand,  precious  insights  for  teachers  and  learners  of  Spanish  as  a   foreign  language,  and,  on  the  other,  an  interesting  model  to  analyze  online  resources  for  language  learning.