While the importance of the peer feedback in second or foreign language (L2 or FL) classrooms in higher education has been increasingly recognized, empirical research on discussing peer feedback literacy from the perspective of community-based academic writing is very much in its infancy. Informed by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, this…

This study used computerized dynamic assessment (CDA) as a teaching and assessment method to promote Chinese EFL learners' reading comprehension, with a quasi-experimental design in which the control and experimental groups were each given three tests but in different formats. Each test consisted of multiple choice questions (MCQs) selected from…

This study was designed to explore improvement in conversational interactions by English speakers learning Spanish when exposed to task-based speaking activities in three phases. Fifty-three college students enrolled in Intermediate Spanish 1 and Intermediate Spanish 2 engaged in input activities, recorded summaries and reflections on the input…

Lower-level processes have long been overlooked in EFL listening pedagogy. To address this pervasive problem, in this study, a program was designed that integrated WeChat, the most popular mobile instant messaging app in China, into dictation practice. Students in two classes studying a compulsory university EFL course were selected as…

This study seeks to understand how bilinguals process texts with lexical cues in their first language (L1) and second language (L2) using an eye-tracking methodology. Quantitative data were obtained from an eye-tracker and a post-test, while qualitative data were gathered through interviews with the participants. The findings from the eye-tracking…

The present quasi-experimental study investigated the comparative effects of metalinguistic clue (MC) and metalinguistic explanation (ME) on the accurate use of Japanese transaction expressions. The study recruited 25 learners in a second-semester Japanese course (i.e. non-introduced group) and 17 students in a fourth-semester course (i.e.…

In foreign language learning, computer-mediated dictionaries are among the most popular tools, and ambiguity tolerance (AT) is a key impact factor. However, few studies have focused on the effects of AT on computer-mediated dictionary-assisted English learning. To fill this gap, the current study explored the differences between two groups (a high…

This study investigated the effectiveness of integrating Student Team Achievement Division (STAD), a structured cooperative learning method, and "WebQuest," an inquiry-based technological model (IBTM) on developing university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' advanced-level argumentative writing skills and enhancing…

With the emergence of innovative mobile-based tools, new opportunities have been made to enhance the quality of language learning. Keeping this in mind, the current study aimed to investigate the impact of a flipped classroom on enhancing EFL learners' pragmatic competence. To this end, 60 EFL learners from two universities in Iran were assigned…

The present study aimed to examine whether agent-based instruction would privilege English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners any better than mainstream approaches (e.g. analogical reasoning, guessing from context, image formation, semantic analysis, etc.) when it comes to the teaching of English idioms. It also sought to explore whether…

Interest in using mobile applications to enhance students' learning in Spanish classrooms runs high; however, little empirical research about their effects has been conducted. Using intentionally designed classroom activities to promote meaningful learning with a mobile application, we investigated the extent to which students of Spanish as a…

We examine the impact of the pedagogical use of mobile TTS on the L2 acquisition of French liaison, a process by which a word-final consonant is pronounced at the beginning of the following word if the latter is vowel-initial (e.g. peti/t.a/mi = > peti[ta]mi "boyfriend"). The study compares three groups of L2 French students learning…

This paper reports an experiment designed to evaluate an attempt to improve the effectiveness of an existing L2 idiom-learning tool. In this tool, learners are helped to associate the abstract, idiomatic meaning of expressions such as "jump the gun" (act too soon) with their original, concrete meaning (e.g. associating "jump the…

Previous studies have evaluated reading comprehension as the general understanding of reading texts. However, this broad and generic assessment of reading comprehension overlooks the specific aspects and processes that students need to develop. This study adopted Kintsch's Construction-Integration model to tap into reading comprehension at…

Translation instruction is very important in specialized English teaching activities. The effectiveness of current specialized English translation instruction (SETI) in mainland China, however, is unclear because university students have become less interested in, and less confident when doing, English translation. This study investigated the…