Journal profile · Multiple
Modern Language Journal
ISSN 0026-7902 · eISSN 1540-4781 · Wiley-Blackwell
Modern Language Journal: CAS Zone 1 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.43; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,800; review about 3 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); acceptance rate 9% (journal website); 86 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Modern Language Journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 1 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning, Multilingual Education and Policy and Second Language Learning and Teaching, together about 35.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Language and Linguistics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The editorial mission of The Modern Language Journal is to publish “research and discussion about the learning and teaching of foreign and second languages.” The MLJ is an international refereed journal that is dedicated to promoting scholarly exchange among researchers and teachers of all modern foreign languages and English as a second language. The journal is particularly committed to publishing high quality work in non-English languages. Its publication focus is further defined by linking the findings of research to teaching and learning in a variety of settings and on all educational levels. Article contributions are expected to meet the highest standards of scholarly excellence, advance theoretical knowledge, and explore clearly stated and well supported implications for teaching. In each of the four regular issues that comprise a volume, The Modern Language Journal publishes 8-10 research studies. At times, a regular issue may also be guest edited, in which case it focuses on a particular topic. A supplementary issue of the journal, usually published in January, offers a variety of formats, from guest edited issues to monograph-length publications. Guidelines for proposing guest edited issues and monographs are posted here on the journal’s Web page. The MLJ also offers Perspectives, a column that appears in the summer issue and presents timely professional concerns for discussion from various perspectives. From time to time, the MLJ also publishes invited critical review essays that consider topically related publications written in any language (e.g., monographs, edited volumes, empirical research articles, essays, reports, policy documents) by placing them into a broad context of scholarly inquiry. The journal is indexed in “Linguistics” and “Education and Educational Research.”
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Jubail EnglishPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Hong Kong, China 1, United States 1, United Kingdom 1, Saudi Arabia 1 (4 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningArts and Humanities12.9%
- Multilingual Education and PolicySocial Sciences11.5%
- Second Language Learning and TeachingArts and Humanities11.2%
- Historical Linguistics and Language StudiesArts and Humanities8.9%
- Lexicography and Language StudiesArts and Humanities5.4%
- Linguistic Education and PedagogyArts and Humanities4.1%
- Spanish Linguistics and Language StudiesArts and Humanities3.9%
- Linguistics and Discourse AnalysisArts and Humanities3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PsycINFOERICCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.43LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 8.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.5LetPub ·
- h-index
- 309OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,258OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.43OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 49.6%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 39LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 64Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 371,484Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 24,462 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 74 | 39 | 51 |
| 2025 | 86 | 62 | 291 |
| 2024 | 73 | 47 | 690 |
| 2023 | 74 | 47 | 552 |
| 2022 | 74 | 26 | 1,217 |
| 2021 | 75 | 22 | 2,132 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref
Not usableThis publisher's "received" date is mostly when the revised manuscript arrived (38% of articles were "accepted" within 3 days), so it cannot measure review time
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 9%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 9%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 58 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,800 / EUR 3,170 / GBP 2,560 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Cover letter
- Optional
- Not considered
- exclusive self-report/survey/questionnaire data
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- commentaryEditors in Chief in the first instance. Commentary articles should, typically, be between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length (all inclusive). Longer or shorter sub…main text ≤ 5,000 words
- meta-analysisThe MLJ invites original submissions in the following categories: Original Article: Original Articles are the journal’s primary vehicle for reporting significan…Length not stated
- original articleThe MLJ invites original submissions in the following categories: Original Article: Original Articles are the journal’s primary vehicle for reporting significan…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- original researchThe MLJ invites original submissions in the following categories: Original Article: Original Articles are the journal’s primary vehicle for reporting significan…Length not stated
- perspectiveThe MLJ invites original submissions in the following categories: Original Article: Original Articles are the journal’s primary vehicle for reporting significan…Length not stated
- position paperPosition Paper: Position Papers are by invitation only and are intended to address significant issues, debates, or emerging directions in the field.Length not stated
- registered reportRegistered Report: TBALength not stated
- reviewThe MLJ invites original submissions in the following categories: Original Article: Original Articles are the journal’s primary vehicle for reporting significan…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review essayReview Essay: Review Essays provide a critical and synthetic overview of a body of scholarship relevant to the journal’s scope.Length not stated
- short reportShort Report: Short Reports are concise, focused, and timely scholarly contributions that do not require the scope or length of a full Original Article.Length not stated
- systematic reviewThe MLJ invites original submissions in the following categories: Original Article: Original Articles are the journal’s primary vehicle for reporting significan…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Data availability, Open access, Peer review
- Authorship Authorship and Author Contributions
The MLJ adheres to the definition of author contributorship and responsibilities for authors set up by the American Psychological Association, which requires authorship to be based on substantial contribution to (a) the conception or design of the research, or (b) data collection and analysis, or (c) manuscript drafting, and (d) final approval. All listed authors should have contributed to the man…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data sharing
This journal expects data sharing. You can learn more about data sharing in Wiley's Data Sharing Policies resource. Data availability statement You must include a data availability statement with your submission. When submitting the manuscript, you will be asked to select from several pre-written statements. If our standard templates do not match the circumstances of your data, you can use the tex…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access
Open Materials Policy Model summary
Open Materials Policy: Starting July 1, 2026, The MLJ requires that authors provide free and public access to research materials (when possible) in an appropriate repository as a condition for manuscript review.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Review Process
The MLJ uses a two-stage reviewing process. At the first stage, the in-house review, a determination is made whether the article merits further consideration. If it does not, the author will be so notified. If it does, the second stage of reviewing involves obtaining double-blind peer reviews, usually by three reviewers. An editorial decision (minor/major revision, reject) will be made based on th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 0026-7902
- Electronic ISSN
- 1540-4781
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 110, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Modern Language Journal
What CAS zone is Modern Language Journal in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Modern Language Journal is in Zone 1 of Literature, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Education & Educational Research / Linguistics; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Modern Language Journal?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.43; CiteScore 8.4, h-index 309.
How long does peer review take at Modern Language Journal?
The publisher reports about 3 days (submission to acceptance); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 9% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Modern Language Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: APA; Cover letter: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Modern Language Journal based?
Of the 4 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Hong Kong, China (1), United States (1) and United Kingdom (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Modern Language Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Modern Language Journal is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PsycINFO, ERIC and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Modern Language Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Modern Language Journal is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,800.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .