Submissions

Submission Guidelines

Editor's advice

1. Check your reasonings behind the problem statement, the research objective(s) and the chosen method. A sound reasoning should consist of two substantiated arguments (premises) leading to a verifiable/falsifiable conclusion.
2. Make a clear distinction between your analysis of the problem (relevance and lack of research on the topic) and your theoretical framework (previous attempts and possible new ways or angles of attack based on new findings and theories). Do not mention a perfunctory theory or model as theoretical framework without justifying your choice.
3. Limit the number of research questions and/or hypotheses to an absolute minimum. Avoid yes/no or hypothesis validation questions. It is safer to formulate your research question more like: “based on the problem explained above, and the theoretical framework applied, I need to analyze to what extent ... and to identify which factors or parameters ....”
4. Do not exaggerate with ‘textbook’ methods, especially those that involve a lot of statistics. The complexity of statistics in an article is often inversely proportional to its relevance. An adequate research method should be designed or chosen according to the specificities of the research context and goal.
5. Have your article reread by three or four colleagues worldwide before submitting it. Conference presentations are also an excellent opportunity to check the relevance, quality and acceptability of your work.
6. The topic, skill, context, population and technology may be so specific that they compromise the relevance and generalizability of your findings. Ask yourself why your topic would be of interest to colleagues in other continents.
7. Try to avoid hype-driven research, especially with regard to artificial intelligence. The technology itself is evolving so quickly that your article might be obsolete once it gets published. 
8. Avoid using terms such as blended, flipped, digital, artificial, intelligent, big, deep or virtual, except if you define them accurately. Try to avoid the name of a concrete product or system (ChatGPT, Metaverse...) in title, abstract or introduction. Use a more generic term and only mention the name of the chosen product or system later on, once you clearly explained why you chose that particular one, on the basis of a substantiated reasoning.
9. Do not state the obvious. Do not start with a sentence like “The Internet has revolutionized the way we live, work, learn and teach.” Do not take as starting point political decisions, documents or guidelines.
10. Check your references. Your list should not be too long, but it should be up-to-date and it should demonstrate that you know most relevant literature on motivation, language pedagogy and educational technology.

Example of article structure

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction: what was the (personal) context of your research?
• Problem statement: why is the topic you propose relevant and important, why is there a lack of knowledge to solve the problem?
• Theoretical framework: what are models and theories that have not yet been applied, new ways of thinking or angles of attack that may lead to a solution?
• Research objective and question(s): “based on this analysis of the problem and the theoretical framework described, we need to analyze to what extent ... and which are the factors that ...”
• Research method: what was the most adequate method to conduct this research and why?
• Research report: how has the proposed research been carried out?
• Data analysis: how were the data analyzed and what were the results?
• Conclusions: findings, limitations and directions for future research

Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts considered for publication will be double blind reviewed for their presentation and analysis of new empirical data using appropriate research methods, development of theories relevant to language learning and teaching, development or refinement of language learning pedagogies, and discussion papers relevant to teachers and learners of languages at all levels.

Regular articles are expected to be no more than 8000 words in length (inclusive of references and appendices) and are expected to include original research based on solid methodology and sufficient background research. 

Consider titles that are not too informal or that narrow the focus too much (only include a specific country in the title if you feel that is has a crucial impact on the study), and ensure the writing is clear throughout. Proofread manuscripts thoroughly before submission, as large amounts of grammatical errors can make it difficult for reviewers to read the manuscript which may have a detrimental effect on their evaluation of your research.

Publication Frequency

Language and Motivation publishes on an online continuous publication model. Accepted manuscripts are assigned to the soonest available issue and published as soon as the production process is completed.