WPEL (Working Papers in Educational Linguistics) presents works in progress primarily by Penn-affiliated students and faculty working in areas of educational linguistics. Areas include, but are not limited to, second language development, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, language ideologies, language planning and policy, literacy, TESOL methods and materials, heritage language education, bi-/multilingual education, classroom research on language and literacy, discourse analysis, linguistic anthropology of education, technology and language learning, language and gender, language and the professions, and language-related curriculum design.

Submissions to WPEL cannot be under consideration for publication elsewhere unless permission has been granted by the other publications. In this case, it is the author’s responsibility to obtain the necessary permission and citation. We ask that any WPEL article published elsewhere at a later time include a reference to WPEL. The individual authors retain copyright privileges.

Submission and editing process

Submissions approved for publication are sent to an expert in the author’s field of studies, therefore manuscripts need to be theorized adequately for authors to receive constructive feedback from their mentors.

Authors whose submissions are approved will complete a survey asking which areas of their paper they would prefer to prioritize for feedback to be provided. They will also have the option to name up to 3 professors in their field of study for the possibility of a mentorship opportunity (can be at other institutions).

After receiving feedback from mentors, authors participate in two formal rounds of writing revisions with WPEL editors, these include a first round of content editing, and a second round of copy editing. The timeline for these revisions may differ depending on the internal deadlines set between authors and their faculty mentors.

Manuscripts should be submitted using either Microsoft Word or Google docs ( .doc or .docx format) and not exceed 7,500 words on Palatino size 12 font. Please include page numbers and a short running head.

Articles not accepted for the current issue may be rewritten and resubmitted for the following edition. A recommendation to rewrite is not a guarantee of future publication in WPEL.

Submission deadlines are generally in May and December. Please send your submissions via email (gse-wpel@gse.upenn.edu) or subscribe to our mailing list (https://wpel.gse.upenn.edu/subscribe) to receive calls for papers and updates.

Guidelines

Cover Page

On your cover page please include the article title, your name, telephone number, institution (UPenn) e-mail address, personal e-mail address, and a fifty-word mini biography. Do not include your name on any other pages of your paper.

Write a short version of the paper title to be used as a running head (no more than 8 words).

Abstract

Include an abstract of approximately 125 words. All abstracts should include research aims or objectives, overview of theoretical framework, and findings or implications.

Write up to 5 key words related to the main concepts and theories featured on your paper.

Structure and components

Required components for submissions will depend on the type of paper:

Empirical studies

These projects are the result of scientific inquiry with a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed approach study design. These papers feature a concise literature review, theoretical framework, methodology and design including data collection procedures, data analysis, and findings.

Theoretical papers

Advance knowledge in a field by expanding currently used theoretical models, or by proposing new concepts, frameworks, or orientations. These papers usually include a literature review, a theoretical gap addressed through concept or framework development, examples, and discussion or implications.

Proposal for teaching/application

These papers offer proposals in which theories or conceptual frameworks are implemented in teaching practice, material or curriculum design, policy enactment, or teacher training/development. They may include a literature review, conceptual framework that connects theory to practice, setting with situated needs, and pedagogical or research implications.

WPEL does not generally publish papers that are only literature reviews.

Tables and Figures

Please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition and recent issues of WPEL for examples of how to format tables and figures.

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures

References and Citations

The text should be fully documented with accurate references and corresponding in-text citations as set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition:

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples

Note:
We highly recommend you to avoid using an extensive amount of direct quotations. Please also pay attention to the specific citation format if you choose to include block quotations (50 words or more).

Italics

We understand that different fields have different styles and ways of making emphasis. For WPEL, we recommend the use of italics rather than quotation marks for emphasis (recommended by APA as well).

Ethics

Authors should follow the ethical guidelines for research set forth by their academic institutions.

All correspondence should be sent to the following address:

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics

Educational Linguistics Division
Graduate School of Education
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216
gse-wpel@gse.upenn.edu
www.gse.upenn.edu/wpel