WoPaLP

We are happy to introduce the sixth volume of WoPaLP − Working Papers in Language Pedagogy. Continuing the traditions set earlier, both research articles and book reviews are published in this issue of WoPaLP. We hope that these will serve as inspiration to both future authors of original research articles in the area of applied linguistics and language pedagogy as well as researchers interested in writing up the results of relevant projects in academic books presenting the knowledge base of specific fields.

The current volume of WoPaLP presents five research articles. These provide a good insight into a number of interesting issues and projects. The first four articles present empirical research projects in four different educational contexts, and the last one offers a theoretical article related to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The first article by Rita Kóris reports on a small scale interview study to find out about the competencies and attributes needed by Business English teachers. The results imply that compliance with corporate requirements and fulfilment of the immediate needs of the learners of Business English are perhaps the most important ones. In the following article Bálint Feyér looks at how Hungarian secondary school EFL learners relate to different accents of English. His survey concludes that the learners’ attitudes are influenced by their identity, their personal and cultural affiliations and their motivation. Andrea Koltai explores the motivation of a group of Hungarian University students to learn EU English in the hope that the results of the interviews with students and teachers can lead to the improvement of the course syllabus by making course content more relevant for the learners. The article written by Júlia Bosnyák and Nikolett Gáncs is a small scale pilot study that aims to find out what motivation and attitudes teacher trainees have towards their chosen profession. The interviews the authors conducted reveal a variety of views and opinions. In the final article Negah Allahyar and Ahmad Nazari review Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory as a framework in the study of learning and teaching processes. They propose that this theoretical perspective accounts for cognitive processes in the classroom along with teachers’ teaching practices, their interactions, and the contexts in which these interactions happen. Following the tradition started in our last edition, the volume closes with four book reviews.

For the first time in its history WoPaLP has received some sponsorship that allowed us to have the articles professionally proofread. We are grateful to Christopher Ryan of the Department of English Language Pedagogy at Eötvös Loránd University for revising the texts so carefully and meticulously, and we also express our thanks for the grant provided by the TÁMOP (Social Renewal Operational Programme) Project 4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0030.

Another word of thanks goes to the members of the Advisory and Editorial Boards and to our external referees, who always offer their time and expertise so selflessly to evaluate and comment on the submitted manuscripts. Their work is essential in keeping up the standards of WoPaLP. Last but definitely not least it is by expressing our appreciation to the authors of the research articles and the book reviews that we offer our readers this volume of the journal.

The editors

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Articles

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Rita Kóris: Adventures into the Unknown: A Pilot Interview Study on Business English Teachers' Specialized Competencies and Attributes

Bálint Feyér: Investigating Hungarian EFL Learners' Comprehension of and Attitudes towards Speech Varieties of English: A Two-phase Study

Andrea Koltai: Exploring Student Motivation: Teaching Students Specializing in EU English

Júlia Bosnyák and Nikolett Gáncs: The Motivational Disposition of English Language Teacher Trainees

Negah Allahyar and Ahmad Nazari: Potentiality of Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory in Exploring the Role of Teacher Perceptions, Expectations and Interaction Strategies

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Book Reviews

Orsolya Szatzker: Individual differences in language learning and teaching: Essential theory and practice

on: Pawlak, Mirosław (Ed.). (2012). New perspectives on individual differences in language learning and teaching. Berlin: Springer.

Dorottya Holló: Language and culture as dynamic social phenomena: incentives for teaching and research

on: Hall, Joan Kerry (2012). Teaching and researching language and culture. (2^nd ed.) Harlow: Pearson Education.

Éva Mák: A hitchhiker's guide to motivation

on: Dörnyei, Zoltán & Ushioda, Ema (2011). Teaching and researching motivation. (2^nd ed.) Harlow: Pearson Education.

Lajos Marosán: Another frustrating grammar?

on: Barry, Anita (2013). English Grammar: Language as Human Behavior. Boston: Pearson.

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