Avatars play a significant role in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered education, supported by various human-computer interactions and second language acquisition theories. AI avatars have become increasingly anthropomorphic and realistic with advancements in speech synthesis, speech-driven lip-syncing, and speech-to-facial animation. D-ID Studio…

Following a paradigm of English as an international language -- one that values cultural diversity -- this classroom research conducted a quasi-experiment using a single-group pretest and posttest design. The study incorporated learning materials from both Anglophone and non-Anglophone settings, utilizing international movie trailers with English…

This study examines the effectiveness of animated movies (AM) in increasing students' vocabulary and determines what students think about English language learning in Pakistan. Particularly in the education field, vocabulary is an essential factor for foreign language learning in academic achievements. This research aimed to determine whether…

Previous research has shown that task repetition can positively affect L2 oral performance. However, few studies have explored the effects of task repetition on young EFL learners' production. Also, task repetition research has paid little attention to effects of "spacing" examined through longer time intervals between the two occasions…

This article addresses the need for increased representation in instructional materials of people with disabilities. It argues not only for materials that show people with disabilities engaging in all facets of daily second language (L2) culture but also for materials that challenge students to reflect on products and practices that continue to…

Through examples of literary and audiovisual translation teaching practices, "Inclusion, Diversity and Innovation in Translation Education" places a novel emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) synergising the latest research advancements in EDI and translation curricula. The contributors revisit how languages and…

Purpose: Audio-visual translation (AVT) is recognized as the most vibrant type of translation. While AVT plays a vital function in the field of translation, its significance within cultural studies hasn't been thoroughly investigated. This research aims to uncover the predominant techniques employed in translating idiomatic expressions found in…

This study examines the use of English film subtitles to cultivate critical language awareness (CLA) and enhance language skills via a corpus-based approach. Creating and analyzing a specialized corpus of film subtitles reveals the cultural, social, and ideological dimensions of language usage. The findings show that film subtitles provide an…

This article explores how soccer can be used as a lens to teach about German history, culture, and society. I outline three sample modules for an advanced German course at the high school or college level: The first module focuses on soccer in German history, the second on sexism and LGBTQ-related topics in soccer, and the third on soccer and…

Given that societies across the globe are increasingly multicultural and multilingual, the notion of communicative competence grounded in constricting definitions of national cultures and languages reflects neither our instructional realities nor the sociolinguistic reality of the languages and cultures we teach. To foster students' development of…

There exists a dearth of textbooks for teaching medical Spanish and Spanish for law, justice, and human services through a social justice lens. In addition, many texts do not meet the needs of learners with disparate language proficiency levels of Spanish and varying depth and breadth of knowledge about these topics. The literature has identified…

The role of culture instruction in modern language classrooms has varied through the years, most recently presenting the option to learn virtually as opposed to on campus or abroad. The current study compares various learning environments of 49 participants (in-person, abroad, Zoom) to test the efficacy of targeted culture instruction through the…

Inspired by academic thinking and practice-based work on creativity and education, and creative approaches in language education, this article is based on outcomes of the project 'Creating Welcoming Learning Environments: Disseminating Arts-Based Approaches to Including All Learners', funded by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council. The…

Cultural awareness is essential in foreign language education. This paper explores two projects that exemplify the integration of cultural elements into foreign language learning involving both first language (L1) and second language (L2) cultures. The first project was initiated in the course "German Cinema". It focuses on the legendary…

Language is connected to a people, culture, history, and communicative purpose. One way world language teachers help students explore the intersections of culture and language is through the use of authentic texts, such as films, newspapers, podcasts, videos, music or short stories (see: Pinzon, 2020). While the research points to the success of…