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…

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.…

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…

This study reports on how students construct new language knowledge by indirect feedback in web-based collaborative writing. Indirect feedback (text organization, reader-based perspectives, and clarity of purpose) encourages students to negotiate meaning instead of merely copying peers' direct feedback on grammatical corrections. According to the…

This paper presents the results of a study aimed at exploring the possibilities Twitter offers for pronunciation instruction. It investigates the potential of a Twitter-based approach based on explicit instruction and input enhancement techniques to help English Foreing Language (EFL) learners improve their pronunciation of segmental and…

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…

One of the main purposes of foreign language teaching is currently identified by many researchers as developing intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of foreign language learners. Facebook is one of the easiest and quickest ways to communicate with other people, therefore it may potentially be used to promote intercultural communicative…

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…

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…

This study examines the differential impact of tutor labeling vs. non-labeling approaches on the performance; motivation beliefs; and cognitive, social, and teaching presence of low-achieving students. Two interactive tutoring strategy patterns are investigated based on the taxonomical e-moderating model of Salmon. In addition, the tutees' online…

Wikis provide users with opportunities to post and edit messages to collaborate in the language learning process. Many studies have offered findings to show positive impact of Wiki-based language learning for learners. This paper explores the effect of collaborative task in error correction for English as a Foreign Language learning in an online…

This study designed and developed a Chinese character handwriting diagnosis and remedial instruction (CHDRI) system to improve Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners' ability to write Chinese characters. The CFL learners were given two tests based on the CHDRI system. One test focused on Chinese character handwriting to diagnose the CFL…