Guided by both the interactionist and sociocultural learning theories, this study investigates the interactive communications in text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and face-to-face (FTF) oral communication environments and the impacts they bring to subsequent L2 Chinese speaking. Learners' perspectives on using…

Millions engage in learning a Second Language (L2) using their mobile devices with a wide range of success. Concomitantly, there exists a growing interest in research on the effects of mobile-assisted language learning and predictors of learner outcomes (e.g., Loewen et al., 2020; Sudina & Plonsky, 2023). However, few of these apps and studies…

This dissertation provides an in-depth linguistic description and analysis of the discourse in a target domain of digital games, a domain referred to as "single player offline role-playing games." Gaming discourse from this domain is represented by a 4.8-million-word corpus of spoken and written language extracted from the digital files…

The field of Heritage Language has experienced a great deal of advancement in the past few decades. Much research effort has been dedicated to analyzing and understanding different aspects of heritage language speakers, but less work has been done in the topic of pedagogical approaches. The few recent studies on pedagogical approaches have focused…

This longitudinal case study investigated the developmental trajectories of two participants enrolled in an ITA oral communication course at Purdue University. The course provides language support to the ITA population who play a crucial role in higher education programs in the U.S. (Gorsuch, 2016). Over four months (i.e., one semester), I…

This study examined a novel learning environment in one kindergarten classroom with 90% Spanish-speaking ELLs. The design combined the interactive whiteboard platform and a student-centered, constructionist pedagogy to structure cooperative tasks, academic language and semiotic formations through the engineering design process within a…

Language learners' identity construction and language learning through narratives (Norton 2010; Johnson 2015) and multimodal technologies (Lam 2006; White 2007) have been found to be effective ways to facilitate ESL learning. Additionally, Multimodal pedagogies and narrative practices in the language classroom facilitate L2 learning, investment in…

This dissertation explores Spanish copular verbs, "ser" and "estar" (both 'to be' in English), in pre-adjectival contexts within two Spanish varieties: first-language (L1) Chilean speakers from Santiago (N = 29) and second-language (L2) English-speaking learners studying in Chile (N = 31). Bridging sociolinguistics and second…

Adult first language (L1) English speakers who are advanced second language (L2) learners of Spanish demonstrate near-ceiling levels of accuracy for some features of Spanish, such as [Person] and [Number] for verbs (McCarthy, 2012; Rodgers, 2011). While for other features, such as [Aspect] for copulas (i.e. ser and estar), and [Person] and…

With the recent surge of online language learning, it is important to explore the different possible modalities of online learning and the factors that could influence the success of those modalities in language learning. This study found differences in (1) motivation, (2) anxiety, (3) perception of the learning community, and (4) oral proficiency…

The problem addressed through this study was that, in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, adult learners in an intensive English program often suffer from tiredness, mental overload, and not having enough time for learning, these are factors which negatively impact their ability to learn English successfully. The purpose of this study…

In the ever-changing digital era, the surge of online informal language learning platforms has revolutionized the way we learn new languages. This dissertation delves into the critical role of interactional feedback (IF) in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC), a cornerstone for optimizing these digital learning spaces. Anchored in…

Using narrative and poetic inquiry as methods for data collection an analysis, this dissertation documented the stories of four poets and their engagement in Spoken Word practice as well as how they utilized this art form to engage in learning individually and collectively. Each dissertation participant shared stories through conversational…

Since Swain's (1985) Output Hypothesis, producing output in second language (L2) has been assumed to be a crucial cognitive process that promotes L2 acquisition, by actively facilitating various cognitive processes (e.g., noticing, hypothesis testing, conscious reflections of own language use, and automatization of the linguistic knowledge) (de…

The ability to speak in a second language (L2) requires a certain level of linguistic proficiency, but the ability to "live" in a second language requires a certain level of "sociolinguistic" proficiency. L2 sociolinguistic variables present acquisitional challenges for language learners, since informal discourse features are…