During traditional, in-person writing instruction, teachers can quickly model tasks for students, students have clear directions for following lesson sequences step-by-step, and partner or group collaboration can begin by simply asking students to turn to whomever is sitting next to them. Online instruction poses challenges to these typical…

The future of teaching foreign languages is associated with a screen culture, which will contribute to diversification and multiplication of educational sources. Therefore, along with a teacher, hypertext technology and information network claim the role of an authoritative source of knowledge about the world. The image of modern language is the…

This study investigated the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on adult second language (L2) learners' vocabulary recognition and production across high and low proficiency levels. Seventy-four participants were assigned to experimental (CAI) and control groups. All participants in the CAI group were categorized into high and low…

Adaptive and intelligent instructional systems are used to deal with the issue of learning personalisation in contexts where human instructors are not immediately available, so their role is transferred entirely or in part onto the computer. Even though such systems are mostly developed for well-defined domains that have a rather straightforward…

This study compared how three different gloss modes affected college students' L2 reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. The study also compared how results on comprehension and vocabulary acquisition may differ depending on the four assessment methods used. A between-subjects design was employed with three groups of Mandarin-speaking…

Glossing words is done via special software called multimedia editors. Foreign Language Annotator (FLAn), created by Thibeault (2011), is one of these multimedia editors. FLAn (Foreign Language Annotator), a free hypermedia editor that works on both Macs and PCs, allows instructors to turn static texts into dynamic learning units by attaching…

The present study investigated comprehension, immediate and delayed vocabulary retention under incidental and intentional learning conditions via computer mediated hypertext gloss. One hundred and eighty four (N = 184) intermediate students of English as a foreign language at an English school participated in the study. They were randomly assigned…

This study examines (1) the effects of hypertext gloss use on L2 vocabulary acquisition in computerized reading contexts; (2) which specific combination of either text-only (single) or text + visual (multiple) hypertext glosses is more effective on L2 vocabulary acquisition; and (3) potential moderators to systematically account for between study…

This study explored whether hypermedia annotation presentation in different locations of the text facilitates EFL vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension. It also examined participants' preferences for the location of hypermedia-annotated text (at the end of the text, in the margin, at the bottom of the screen, or in a pop-up window).…

Intermediate learners of Spanish read a Spanish newspaper article with vocabulary assistance either before reading, while reading, both, or without any such assistance. Reading performance was significantly better for students receiving vocabulary assistance during reading, but not for those receiving it before reading. Reading time of the…

Commentary on an article presented in a previous issue of this journal titled "'To Gloss or Not to Gloss': An Investigation of Reading Comprehension Online." The commentary is supportive of the conclusions drawn in the original article and offers arguments to spur serious research on the topic of glossing in the future. (Author/VWL)

Discusses research aimed at improving the educational quality of hypermedia-based computer assisted language learning systems. Focuses on a methodological framework that draws on recent developments in the field of human-computer interaction regarding interactive system design and a general constructivist approach to the design of computer-based…

Describes a computer-based intelligent tutoring system for French as a Second Language, called FrenchWriter, which is built on an object-orientated, unification-based natural language processor. Examples are provided of how this hypertext software interacts with students and of what sort of grammatical phenomena it is capable of handling.…

Examines the impact of new forms of communication technology on our concepts of literacy and literacies, particularly in relation to personal computer use, and argues that the unique quality of hypertext structure underlying computer-mediated communication, asynchronous and nonlinear, challenges many accepted notions of the nature and structure of…

Shows how developing tasks for a virtual independent learning center offers teachers a simple and accessible way to work effectively online. (Author/VWL)