World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Social Sciences and Humanities

D-Index
49
Citations
9441
World Ranking
2958
National Ranking
1434

Overview

Richard L. Sparks is affiliated with Saint Joseph's University in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Arts and Humanities as well as Psychology, with a significant focus on language-related studies and educational psychology.

The main topics covered in their work include:

  • EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
  • Second Language Learning and Teaching
  • Reading and Literacy Development
  • Multilingual Education and Policy
  • Second Language Acquisition and Learning
  • Disability Education and Employment
  • Educational Methods and Media Use

Sparks has contributed to a variety of subfields including:

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Literature and Literary Theory
  • Linguistics and Language
  • Information Systems

Their recent papers demonstrate sustained activity in second language acquisition and reading anxiety research, such as:

  • "Long-term impacts of L1 language skills on L2 anxiety: The mediating role of language aptitude and L2 achievement" (2022), published in Language Teaching Research
  • "How does first language achievement impact second language reading anxiety? Exploration of mediator variables" (2023), published in Reading and Writing
  • "Identification and Characteristics of Strong, Average, and Weak Foreign Language Readers: The Simple View of Reading Model" (2021), published in Modern Language Journal
  • "The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT assessment of underlying L1 abilities" (2023), published in Studies in Second Language Acquisition

They also have publications in venues that regularly feature their work, including:

  • Language Teaching Research
  • Modern Language Journal
  • Studies in Second Language Acquisition
  • Language Teaching Research Quarterly
  • Applied Psycholinguistics

Frequent collaborators of Richard L. Sparks include:

  • Jon Patton
  • Leonore Ganschow
  • Abdullah Alamer
  • Philip S. Dale
  • Nancy Humbach

Among their academic publications is the book Exploring L1-L2 Relationships, published by Multilingual Matters eBooks in 2022.

Best Publications

  • Foreign language learning differences: Affective or native language aptitude differences?

    Richard L. Sparks;Leonore Ganschow

  • Anxiety about Foreign Language Learning among High School Women

    Leonore Ganschow;Richard L. Sparks

  • Searching for the Cognitive Locus of Foreign Language Learning Difficulties: Linking First and Second Language Learning

    Richard Sparks;Leonore Ganschow

  • Differences in Language Performance among High-, Average-, and Low-Anxious College Foreign Language Learners

    Leonore Ganschow;Richard L. Sparks;Reed Anderson;James Javorshy

  • Foreign Language Learning Difficulties An Historical Perspective

    Leonore Ganschow;Richard L. Sparks;James Javorsky

  • The Impact of Native Language Learning Problems on Foreign Language Learning: Case Study Illustrations of the Linguistic Cooling Deficit Hypothesis

    Richard L. Sparks;Leonore Ganschow

  • A Strong Inference Approach to Causal Factors in Foreign Language Learning: A Response to MacIntyre

    Richard L. Sparks;Leonore Ganschow

  • Aptitude for learning a foreign language

    Richard Sparks;Leonore Ganschow

  • Early Reading Success and Its Relationship to Reading Achievement and Reading Volume: Replication of "10 Years Later".

    Richard L. Sparks;Jon Patton;Amy Murdoch

  • Déjà Vu All Over Again: A Response to Saito, Horwitz, and Garza

    Richard L. Sparks;Leonore Ganschow;James Javorsky

  • Examining the linguistic coding differences hypothesis to explain individual differences in foreign language learning.

    Richard L. Sparks

  • Long-Term Crosslinguistic Transfer of Skills From L1 to L2

    Richard Sparks;Jon Patton;Leonore Ganschow;Nancy Humbach

  • Early first-language reading and spelling skills predict later second-language reading and spelling skills

    Richard L. Sparks;Jon Patton;Leonore Ganschow;Nancy Humbach

  • Linguistic coding deficits in foreign language learners.

    Richard Sparks;Leonore Ganschow;Jane Pohlman

  • Native language predictors of foreign language proficiency and foreign language aptitude.

    Richard L Sparks;Jon Patton;Leonore Ganschow;Nancy Humbach

  • Identifying Native Language Difficulties Among Foreign Language Learners in College: A "Foreign" Language Learning Disability?

    Leonore Ganschow;Richard L. Sparks;James Javorsky;Jane Pohlman

  • Effects of Direct Instruction in Spanish Phonology on the Native-Language Skills and Foreign-Language Aptitude of At-Risk Foreign-Language Learners

    Leonore Ganschow;Richard Sparks

  • College Students With Learning Disability Diagnoses Who Are They and How Do They Perform

    Richard L. Sparks;Benjamin J. Lovett

  • Is the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Measuring Anxiety or Language Skills

    Richard L. Sparks;Leonore Ganschow

  • Long-term relationships among early first language skills, second language aptitude, second language affect, and later second language proficiency

    Richard L. Sparks;Jon M. Patton;Leonore Ganschow;Nancy Humbach

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring Social Sciences and Humanities in the USA opens up a variety of online degree options that cater to diverse career goals. For those interested in social work, it’s important to balance accreditation and affordability. The cheapest cswe-accredited online msw programs offer quality education recognized by employers without breaking the bank.

If your professional aspirations involve behavior analysis, pursuing specialized bcba masters programs can lead to rewarding careers working with individuals who need behavioral support. Some students also choose accelerated options to fast-track their entry into the workforce. The growing demand for mental health professionals has made one year msw programs increasingly popular, offering a fast and rigorous path to licensure.

Similarly, those enthusiastic about psychology can find flexible, reputable choices, such as the fastest online psychology degree programs. These options allow for quick completion so graduates can start making an impact sooner. No matter your focus, choosing the right online degree will set the stage for a fulfilling career in the social sciences or humanities.

Best Scientists Citing Richard L. Sparks

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles