This study examines how English-as-lingua-franca (ELF) learners employ semiotic resources, including head movements, gestures, facial expression, body posture, and spatial juxtaposition, to negotiate for meaning in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment. Ten ELF learners participated in a TaiwanSpain VR virtual exchange project and…

EFL students often struggle with second language (L2) learning, particularly because they learn L2 out of context, which they find unmeaningful and demotivating. To provide a meaningful context for L2 learning and make learning more interesting, the present study utilized a customizable metaverse platform. First, we developed a scenario of a rose…

This study investigated student engagement and focused attention in three co-creation environments (a paper-based environment, the 2D Jamboard platform, and the CoSpaces virtual reality (VR) platform). The study utilized a quasi-experimental research design with a total of 66 tenth-grade students including 34 males (52%) and 32 females (48%) from…

In language learning, it is important to foster students' computational thinking and improve their skills of building arguments and dialectical structure, teamwork, and decision accuracy. This is especially so in English language courses which aim to promote students' cultural learning interest, creative thinking, and oral presentation.…

Virtual reality (VR) has been found to be effective for increasing student motivation and engagement (Parong & Mayer, 2018), experiential learning (Hu-Au & Lee, 2018), and even improving spatial memory (Pollard et al., 2020). However, few studies have moved beyond the novelty of single-lesson VR experiences, nor have they used VR as the…

New technologies often influence the ways in which one shares linguistic experiences. One such technology, Augmented Reality (AR), may initiate concepts used in language learning through digital storytelling. This paper describes an exploratory research project based on Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) AR digital storytelling which investigated…

To explore knowledge co-construction patterns and learning motivation within virtual EFL co-creation environments, this study examined behavioral patterns and motivation in three different co-creation environments (paper-based, 2D digital, and 3D VR co-creation) through sequential behavioral analysis and ANCOVA. The study utilized a…

With increasing global interconnectivity, effective cross-cultural interaction has become crucial for global citizens. However, learners in non-English speaking countries often lack practical English communicative skills and opportunities for authentic language practice. This study explores the effectiveness of a virtual exchange programme in…

Drawing on usage-based approaches to the study of language learning--including recent research on mobility in interaction, embodied approaches to cognition and communicative action, and innovations in place-based language learning in the wild--this article uses methods from ethnomethodological conversation analysis to investigate video recordings…

In recent years, the application of augmented reality (AR) technology has been explored in numerous disciplines. This research focused on English sentence learning and utilized the activity theory as the basis to structure a game-based AR learning model (GBARLM). The aim of the investigation was to describe the model and explore the following…

Computer-mediated communication tools facilitate international collaboration projects between foreign language learners and peers abroad (O'Dowd, 2018). Social Virtual Reality (VR) applications allow for synchronous interactions and task-based communication in which learners can experience telepresence and immersion and conversate in a foreign…

Three-dimensional virtual (3D) environments provide EFL students with a rich and dynamic multimodal understanding of vocabulary. This study aims to explore implementing a 3D vocabulary learning strategy for young students on EFL vocabulary. The relationship between two facets of learning -- autonomy and collaboration -- has been studied in…

Virtual exchange projects have become an effective pedagogical method to support students' development of intercultural language competence. High-immersion experiences in Virtual Reality (VR) may offer an environment which is conducive to developing such competence. This paper reports on a pilot study carried out with two groups of university…

The objective of this research was to understand the current situation and challenges associated with the internationalization of the curriculum (IoC) in English-medium instruction (EMI) programs at Japanese universities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a conceptual framework and ideas of 'enablers' and 'blockers' of IoC, we…

This paper discusses the potential of immersing foreign language learners in Social Virtual Reality (SVR) in an international seminar, designed by the authors, called SpEakWise VR, combining the tandem language learning paradigm with gamification in immersive virtual environments. SpEakWise VR builds on an existing telecollaboration (SpEakWise)…