Gamification in second language acquisition research is a popular topic, but there are few empirical comparative studies in the literature. This quasi-experimental mixed-approach study enrolled 77 Japanese university EFL learners to enable a comparison between two digital vocabulary flashcard learning software conditions carefully designed by the…

Interactive digital tools increasingly used for language learning can provide detailed system logs (e.g., number of attempts, responses submitted), and thereby a window into the user's learning processes. To date, SLA researchers have made little use of such data to understand the relationships between learning conditions, processes, and outcomes.…

Purpose: Web-based language learning (WBLL) materials have long been favored by English language instructors because they are plentiful, easily accessible, user-friendly and, most importantly, free. This research looks into the effects of learning the simple perfect tense translation in three different English translation classes that used three…

With the advent of technology over the past decade, teachers have started to incorporate live games into second or foreign language (L2) teaching to create an active learning environment and thus keep learners engaged in learning tasks. The present study reports on the findings of an investigation into the impact of the online "Kahoot!"…

The current study investigates the effects of more explicit versus more implicit corrective feedback on beginner Mandarin learners' perception and production of Mandarin tones. The effects of oral corrective feedback have been extensively investigated for various domains of second language acquisition (see Mackey & Goo, 2007). For phonological…

The growing availability of mobile technologies has contributed to an increase in mobile-assisted language learning in which learners can autonomously study a second language (L2) anytime or anywhere (e.g. Kukulska-Hulme, Lee & Norris, 2017; Reinders & Benson, 2017). Research investigating the effectiveness of such study for L2 learning,…

This paper reports how robot-assisted language learning (RALL) impacts Japanese adults' English speaking skills. With existing research on RALL focusing on children, there is little evidence indicating RALL's effects on adults. We developed a RALL system comprising a robot, a tablet, and designed learning materials for speaking practice. To…

Although Extensive Reading (ER) has been shown to increase reading fluency and comprehension, such benefits are generally slow to appear. The present study investigated the possible contribution of ER to single-semester Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) reading gains. The participants were 497 first-year students from two…

ChatBot has potential as a language learning tool, especially for learning Chinese vocabulary. This study aimed to investigate the impact of using a newly developed ChatBot to learn Chinese vocabulary by comparing how it works in different learning environments and to explore the ChatBot with reference to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).…

Communicative multimedia is becoming a significant tool of improving metalinguistic knowledge (Lai, 2015, 2016). This research applied three basic examples of song, movie (Hung & Higginsb, 2015, 2016; King, 2002, 2010; Sanne, 1994, 2006; Tillmana, 1997, 2006) and game pedagogies (Tsai, 2017) for discussing cognitive consequences of Taiwanese…

Being able to communicate in foreign languages, along with the remaining key competences for lifelong learning, are of special significance for upper-secondary school students -- soon-to-be tertiary education students and employees. Although Polish educational authorities have made efforts to account for this need in the Core Curriculum for Modern…

The current 2-part study investigated the relative contributions of English language training (ELT) and computerized Cogmed working memory training (WMT) to improvements in English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) proficiency and working memory capacity. In Study 1, Japanese undergraduate EFL learners were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 experimental…

This article explores the usefulness of a web-based education game for learning English idioms and examines attitudinal factors contributing to the learning of the idioms with the game. The two studies reported in this article involved two groups of English as a foreign language students in two different contexts. The students were surveyed on…

Lexical inferencing has not led to substantial vocabulary gains. In previous studies, the learners were not obliged by design to notice the unfamiliar words and static approaches to assessment were adopted. In this quasi-experimental study, we adopted dynamic assessment (DA) approach and took measures to ensure noticing of the new words. Through…

The topic of this paper is to describe the development of an interactive application that can be used in teaching English as a second language using children's stories in mobile devices. The aim of this experimental study has been to find out the potential of using the developed interactive mobile application in improving the learning skills such…