This study investigated how learners' motivation to improve their pronunciation (i.e., pronunciation-focused motivation) influences their L2 pronunciation achievements. This relationship was explored separately in an online (n = 28) and a face-to-face (F2F) (n = 49) learning environment with beginner learners of German. In the online learning…

Looking at human communication from the perspective of semiotics extends our view beyond verbal language to consider other sign systems and meaning-making resources. Those include gestures, body language, images, and sounds. From this perspective, the communicative process expands from individual mental processes of verbalizing to include features…

This quasi-experimental research investigates the employment of a formative assessment platform aided by artificial intelligence in an English public speaking course. The platform integrates deep learning, automatic speech recognition, and automatic writing evaluation. It provides automated assessment and immediate feedback on speakers' public…

Eye-tracking is primarily used as a tool to capture attentional processes in second language (L2) research. However, it is feasible to design visual displays that can react to and interact with eye-movements in technology-mediated contexts. We explored whether gaze-contingency can foster L2 development by drawing attention to novel words…

This column traces the evolution of electronic resources for language learning over the past 25 years, focusing on the arrival and transformation of the "world wide web", the dramatic changes in mobile technologies, and the movement towards commercial and all-in-one solutions to online learning. In the choice and use of learning…

This is the first paper that provides correlational evidence about how interacting with an online allophonic transcription tool helps learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) to improve their phonological awareness. The study investigates 55 advanced ESL learners at a Polish university enrolled in a course in English phonetics and phonology.…

The road to second language competence is a long and arduous one, and much of its effort involves learning to recognize and use vocabulary. Fortunately, anytime-anywhere learning with smart phones and smart apps offer a means to lessen the burden and make vocabulary learning more efficient. Accordingly, this study investigated 134 students across…

The advance of computer input log and screen-recording programs over the last two decades has greatly facilitated research into the writing process in real time. Using Inputlog 4.0 and Camtasia 6.0 to record the writing process of 24 Chinese EFL writers in an argumentative task, this study explored L2 writers' pausing patterns in computer-assisted…