In a world in which rampant misinformation and partial truths can spread like wildfire, adult English as a Second Language (ESL) conversation classes can become fertile ground for unplanned discussions about unexpected information. When a student introduces new information, it can lead to repair-driven side sequences in which student explanations…

This study, conducted in 2024, investigates the transformative impact of Technology-based Education (TBE) within the context of the Russian Language Curriculum (RLC). The research aims to examine how TBE influences eagerness to learn (ETL), academic performance (AP), and academic self-regulation (ASR) in the RLC, an area that has received limited…

Language learning activities involving time-pressured repetition of similar content have been shown to facilitate improvements in fluency. However, concerns have been voiced about whether these gains might be offset by reduced levels of grammatical accuracy. This descriptive study tracked the oral proficiency of 32 Japanese university students…

Higher education institutions often pair native speakers with English as a second and foreign language learners to encourage oral conversation practice. Born out of such circumstances, the current investigation, drawing upon the activity theory perspective, examined the plausibility of native-speaking conversation partners providing oral…

Second language learners, particularly those with lower proficiency, often struggle with insufficient practice and heightened anxiety when speaking. This case study investigates the impact of one-on-one online conversation lessons on a university student's speaking skills and language anxiety. The participant, a university student with low…

This study's goal was to determine if appropriately designed, completely virtual formats of language courses are able to engender in students speaking ability progress comparable to that fostered within traditional face-to-face (F2F) classrooms. The study further sought to clarify language learners' perceptions of online Japanese courses. The…

The purpose of the article is to determine the role of critical thinking and unconscious competence in the implementation of effective communication during group discussions, debates and dialogues. The necessary conditions for creating an effective educational environment conducive to the development of students' conversational skills are…

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) via Facebook as social media could support a relaxed and non-threatening learning atmosphere, augmenting EFL learners' engagement through increasing social interaction. To maximize the potential of CMC for English language learning outside of classroom activities, an understanding of communication flow through…

This dissertation investigates second language (L2) learners' comprehension of conversational implicatures that arise in two speech acts, requests and refusals. The review of empirical studies that investigated L2 pragmatic comprehension revealed two recurring issues: (a) the lack of a clear definition of conventionality, leaving open the…

According to the functional model proposed by Sampasivam and Clément in 2014, the two determinants that build towards second language confidence (L2C) are "richness and self-involvement" of the contact experience. This study adds to previous research by investigating, for the first time, the role of interlocutor type in the context of…

This study provides a research-based approach to reimagining the world language classroom through open educational resources (OER), primarily in higher education. Using quantitative and qualitative analyses, we provide insight into students' perceptions of OER in world language education classrooms, with a specific focus on conversation courses.…

Taiwanese learners find it hard to communicate with others in English in their daily lives because of living in an EFL environment. However, ICT and blended learning have recently been recognised as being beneficial to English learners who live in a non-English-speaking country due to the formation of a virtual native-like setting based on online…

Using vocabulary learning strategies allows learners to gain vocabulary autonomously. This study presents data from a self-report survey of Korean university students comparing meaning discovery strategies they employ to comprehend unknown singleword items and unknown idioms. Survey data recorded strategies used by learners, and effectiveness of…

Technology-enhanced language learning, or TELL, has played a major role in boosting EFL learners' speaking skills in recent years. The use of online technological methods such as vlogging and uploading videos to popular social networks such as YouTube, in particular, has been recommended as a tool to hone students' conversation skills in addition…

The Vygotskian concept of "perezhivanie," or emotional lived experience, was adopted to examine the learner identities of 2 Japanese university students in English language learning. Current studies on language learner identities have given analytic primacy to either psychological processes or social influences. In contrast,…