Less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) have traditionally lagged behind in terms of the availability of learning/teaching materials and of appropriate pedagogical models. For many languages, online tools, courses, and digital archives have been developed in recent years that offer opportunities for both formal instruction and self-study. Now the…

This article presents a study on novel language forms and uses across evolving digital environments, and questions whether emerging digital communication conventions should have a place in language education. The study was motivated by the deepening gap between the content of and approaches to language instruction evident in popular…

Generative AI offers significant opportunities for language learning. Tools like ChatGPT provide second language practice through chats in written or voice formats, with the learner specifying through prompts conversational parameters. AI can be instructed to give corrective feedback and create practice exercises. Using AI, instructors can build…

This article introduces the structure and content of an online learning platform called "SMART Teacher Lab" (STL, henceforth) implemented at the authors' university since 2014. "STL" is an online platform specifically built for the professional development of pre- and in-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers,…

In order to develop pragmatic competence in a language other than our own (L2), it is important to have enough knowledge of the cultural norms of the target language and enough opportunities to interact with a wide range of speakers to deploy different speech acts, registers, levels of politeness, conversational moves, and the like. The…

The use of computing technologies in less commonly taught language (LCTL) and endangered language (EL) learning is different from mainstream computer-assisted language learning (CALL), where several languages, most noticeably English, dominate the literature. Many most commonly taught language (MCTL) learners learn a language for a variety of…

It has been repeatedly asserted in recent years that telecollaboration is such a powerful and effective tool for both second language acquisition (SLA) and fostering intercultural communication competence (ICC) that it should be regularly included in foreign language instruction (Çiftçi & Savas, 2018; Lewis & O'Dowd, 2016a; O'Dowd, 2016a;…

Although data collection has been used in language learning settings for some time, it is only in recent decades that large corpora have become available, along with efficient tools for their use. Advances in natural language processing (NLP) have enabled rich tagging and annotation of corpus data, essential for their effective use in language…

Data collection and analysis is nothing new in computer-assisted language learning, but with the phenomenon of massive sets of human language collected into corpora, and especially integrated into systems driven by artificial intelligence, new opportunities have arisen for language teaching and learning. We are now seeing powerful artificial…

Virtual reality (VR) is not only attracting the attention of the information and computer technology (ICT) industry (Shirer & Torchia, 2017), especially in the production of consumer VR hardware, but also that of educators. One of the important features of VR is immersion, which enhances the situated experience of users. The sensation of being…

While vocabulary development is mostly peripheral to entertainment or socialization, there are opportunities for explicit learning which can complement incidental learning. In fact, recent work based on usage-based language theories calls for a combination of inductive learning and explicit instruction (Ortega, 2015; Tyler & Ortega, 2018). A…

The research literature on L2 writing processes contains a multitude of insights that could inform writing instruction, but writing teachers are constrained in their capacity to make use of these insights insofar as they lack detailed information about how their students actually engage in the processes of writing. At the same time,…

"Ready access to travel and to technology-enhanced social networking (e.g., Facebook or Skype) has changed the nature of study abroad to the point where today's experiences are fundamentally different from those of earlier eras" (Kinginger, 2013a, p. 345). In addition to more travel options and greater technology availability, study…

Culture, as the fifth language skill, enables learners to develop into multilingually and multiculturally aware global citizens. The traditional Chinese architecture is as old as Chinese civilization. The wisdom, stories, and cultural elements behind traditional Chinese construction is a valued aspect of Chinese culture. This article introduces a…

Technology-mediated task-based language teaching is the merger between technology and task-based language teaching (TBLT; González-Lloret & Ortega, 2014) and is arguably now an imperative for language education. As language classrooms are being redefined, training for how to set learners up to successfully do tasks online must be part of…