Information For Authors

Authors preparing a submission to the Journal of Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (LATE) should review the Overview, Aims and Scope, Review Process, Open Access Policy, and Publication Fees. Register for an account or log in, then follow the online submission instructions.

The manuscripts submitted to LATE must be original and can be either empirical research articles or critical review articles. The specific guidelines for these two types of manuscripts are included below.

Guidelines for Empirical Research Articles
Empirical research articles report original studies that make a substantial contribution to understanding issues in language acquisition. Such articles may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches and should be grounded in clear theoretical frameworks and rigorous research design. Submissions should present well-structured analyses, discuss findings in relation to existing literature, and highlight implications for language teaching, teacher education, or policy. The research should offer new insights that advance knowledge and practice in the field of language acquisition and teacher training.

  • Length: Between 6,000 and 7,500 words (12 -14 pages approximately), including tables, figures, references, and appendices.
  • Abstract: Between 150-250 words.
  • Keywords: Provide 3–5 keywords or keyword phrases after the abstract, separated by commas. Use lowercase except for proper nouns and acronyms. Enter each keyword or phrase separately in the online submission form.
  • Structure: The manuscripts should, but are not limited to, include these sections: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings/ Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References, and Appendices if applicable.
  • References: APA 7th

  • Format and required files: Use the journal templates and upload four separate files:

    1. Cover Page
    2. Article Manuscript Without Author Information
    3. Article Manuscript With Author Information
    4. Declaration

    The complete template package is also available.

    The manuscript intended for double-blind review must not disclose author identities. Remove or anonymise identifying names, affiliations, acknowledgements, self-identifying references, file properties, comments, and tracked changes. Use five continuous hyphens (-----) where identifying references require anonymisation.

    Complete all six Declaration sections: Ethics Approval and Informed Consent; AI Tool Use; Funding; Conflicts of Interest; Data Availability; and Author Contributions. Select and adapt the appropriate statements, remove unused examples and instructions, and replace all placeholders. Keep author-identifying declaration details in the separate Declaration file.

Guidelines for Critical Review Articles
Critical review articles provide a comprehensive and analytical overview of empirical research within a specific area of language acquisition. Reviews should be both broad and focused, summarizing key studies that have shaped the field while identifying trends, gaps, and future directions. These articles are expected to critically evaluate the methodological and theoretical contributions of existing research and to demonstrate the significance and impact of these studies on language acquisition, language policy, and teacher education.

  • Length: Between 5,000 and 6,500 words (8-10 pages approximately), including tables, figures, references, and appendices.
  • Abstract: Between 150-250 words.
  • Keywords: Provide 3–5 keywords or keyword phrases after the abstract, separated by commas. Use lowercase except for proper nouns and acronyms. Enter each keyword or phrase separately in the online submission form.
  • Structure: The manuscripts should, but are not limited to, include these sections: Introduction, Key Concept(s) and/or Topic(s), Methodology, Findings/ Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References, and Appendices if applicable.
  • References: APA 7th

  • Format and required files: Use the journal templates and upload four separate files:

    1. Cover Page
    2. Article Manuscript Without Author Information
    3. Article Manuscript With Author Information
    4. Declaration

    The complete template package is also available.

    The manuscript intended for double-blind review must not disclose author identities. Remove or anonymise identifying names, affiliations, acknowledgements, self-identifying references, file properties, comments, and tracked changes. Use five continuous hyphens (-----) where identifying references require anonymisation.

    Complete all six Declaration sections: Ethics Approval and Informed Consent; AI Tool Use; Funding; Conflicts of Interest; Data Availability; and Author Contributions. Select and adapt the appropriate statements, remove unused examples and instructions, and replace all placeholders. Keep author-identifying declaration details in the separate Declaration file.

  • Manuscript preparation tips: We have prepared a list of tips for your reference. Please have a look at them to avoid being desk-rejected.

Common Mistakes
To avoid being rejected on the first round of technical review, please ensure that you follow the submission requirements as indicated in each section of the submission page. Here are some common mistakes that first-time submitters often encounter.

  • Incorrect title capitalisation: The online submission form requires sentence case, while the manuscript files use title case. Follow the title-formatting guidance on the Manuscript Tips page.
  • Inappropriate font style of the abstract: No italic format is used for the abstract texts in the abstract box of the submission form. However, the abstract texts in the files attached must be in italics.
  • Missing biographical information: Provide a biographical note of 40–60 words for each author in the Cover Page and the Bio Statement field of the online submission form.
  • Empty or inaccurate affiliate: The correct details of author's affiliate must be included.
  • Identifiable name(s) of the research site(s) and participant(s): Authors must ensure that the names of research sites, institutions, or individual participants are not identifiable in their manuscripts. Real names should be replaced with pseudonyms or anonymized descriptions to protect privacy and confidentiality, unless explicit written consent has been obtained and documented.
  • Identifiable submission file name: The inclusion of author's name in the name of the submission file is not accepted.
  • Identifiable details in the manuscript file without author's information: The manuscript file submitted without author's information must be fully anonymized. The inclusion of author names, institutional affiliations, acknowledgements, self identifying references, or any other information that could reveal the identity of the author(s) is not accepted. This requirement applies to the main text, headers or footers, file properties, and any embedded comments or tracked changes.
  • Heading style in the navigation pane in MS Word: The heading styles provided in the template files must be consistently used for the whole manuscript. Do not create your own formatting manually. Do not insert numbers into the headings. To confirm that headings are correctly applied, press Ctrl + F to open the Navigation Pane. All section headings should appear under the Headings tab. This ensures your manuscript follows the required structure and is easy to navigate during review, editing, and production.
  • Submission file mis-location: The manuscript file must be submitted into the Author's section, not the Editor's submission.
  • Inappropriate referencing style: The referencing style required is APA 7th. This must be strictly observed throughout the whole manuscript.
  • Incorrect keyword entry: Enter each keyword or keyword phrase as a separate item in the submission form. Do not enter the entire comma-separated list as one item or split a multiword phrase into separate words.
  • Manuscript preparation tips: We have prepared a list of tips for your reference. Please have a look at them to avoid being desk-rejected.

Academic Integrity and AI Tool Use

Submissions to LATE must represent original scholarly work and must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal or publication outlet. Authors must disclose overlapping publications and prior dissemination. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and misleading reporting are prohibited. All citations and references must be checked against their original sources.

LATE follows the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools policy of Researcher Publishers. AI tools may support technical and linguistic preparation, including grammar checking, translation assistance, formatting, and improving the clarity and organisation of author-generated content. They must not replace the authors' intellectual contribution, analysis, interpretation, arguments, or conclusions, or be used to fabricate data, findings, citations, or references.

Legitimate use of AI as part of the research methodology must be academically justified and described in the Methods section, including the tool, procedures, validation, and human oversight where applicable.

Every submission must include an AI Tool Use statement in the separate Declaration file. Authors who used AI-assisted tools must identify the tools and versions where available, explain their purpose and extent of use, identify the affected materials, and confirm that the output was reviewed and verified. Authors who did not use such tools must state: “No AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted content, including AI-assisted material. Confidential information and protected research data must not be disclosed to external tools without appropriate authorisation and safeguards.

Suspected breaches will be assessed under the Academic Integrity and Malpractice policies of LATE.

ORCID ID Verification
To ensure transparency, proper attribution, and the integrity of scholarly records, LATE requires all authors, both corresponding and co-authors, to verify their ORCID iD as part of the manuscript review process. After a manuscript is submitted, each listed author will receive an automated email containing detailed instructions about ORCID iD verification. This message will explain the purpose of the process and provide a secure link labeled Connect with ORCID. By clicking this button, authors will be redirected to the official ORCID platform, where they must sign in to their ORCID account and grant permission for the journal to access and link their identifier.

Once verified, the author’s ORCID iD will be securely associated with their author profile in the system of LATE. This connection ensures that their scholarly contributions are accurately attributed and unambiguously linked to their research record, regardless of name variations, institutional changes, or similar author names. ORCID verification plays a critical role in modern scholarly publishing. It enhances discoverability of research outputs, supports interoperability across publishing and indexing platforms, and facilitates compliance with funding agencies and institutional requirements. Moreover, it helps prevent misidentification and ensures that each author receives appropriate credit for their work.

Failure to complete ORCID verification may delay the review and publication process, as the journal cannot proceed with incomplete author identification records. Authors are therefore strongly encouraged to complete this step promptly upon receiving the verification email. If you do not yet have an ORCID iD, you can register for free at ORCID.