Although the "digital natives" theory is still used to justify the implementation of technologies such as video games in the language classroom, whether digital nativeness (i.e. the extent to which an individual embodies the characteristics attributed to digital natives) may be used as a predictor of digital game-based learning outcomes…

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft are ideally suited to encourage and facilitate second language development (SLD) in the extramural setting, but to what extent do the language learners' actual trajectories of gameplay contribute to SLD? With the current propensity to focus research in digital game-based…

Anxiety plays an influential role in foreign language learning. However, a lack of attention was paid to examining the effects of anxiety levels on learning performance and gaming performance in digital game-based learning. To this end, this study developed a game-based English learning system and investigated how different levels of anxiety…

The teaching of spoken Chinese in the context of post-primary education in Ireland faces several complexities. Learners of Mandarin Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL), including both Irish and heritage learners, have demonstrated difficulty in learning spoken Chinese. This exploratory research is part of a larger project which aims to develop…

Vocabulary teaching and learning constitute a major problem for EFL instructors and students. EFL freshman students have difficulty in pronouncing, recognizing the meaning of, using and spelling new English words. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, all college courses have shifted to online distance learning since March 2020. Surveys with samples of…

This meta-analysis reviewed research between 2012 and 2018 focused on technology-assisted second language (L2) vocabulary learning for English as a foreign language (EFL) learner. A total of 45 studies of 2,374 preschool-to-college EFL students contributed effect sizes to this meta-analysis. Compared with traditional instructional methods, the…

This ethnographic case study aims to examine second language socialization (SLS) in a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) called "Stronghold Kingdoms" (SK). To explore the affordances of this community for SLS, the social dynamics in a faction community during 4 life-time periods, namely, war, post-war peace and life in exile, end…

Technology use in the classroom to improve student's learning has gained significant attention over the past few years. Technology has metamorphosed from CALL to MALL and the use of gamification. Teachers are more concerned with methodologies that can improve students' motivation and engagement, particularly in EFL classrooms. This mixed method…

Although English is the de facto language of communication across nations in today's world, a limited number of foreign language learners are able to communicate well in English and perceive themselves as competent speakers. Investigating traits of proficient speakers of English and understanding the reasons behind their speaking skills can guide…

There is no doubt that Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) and mobile mediated communication are linked as technology continues to transform the way we communicate with each other. Campbell (2019) analyzed how mobile communication evolved into portable devices to form a complete system of mobile media, reshaping the fabric of our social lives…

Although game-based learning has been increasingly promoted in education, there is a need to adapt game content to individual needs for personalized learning. Procedural content generation (PCG) offers a solution for difficulty in developing game contents automatically by algorithmic means as it can generate individually customizable game contents…

Fan practices involving translation open up opportunities to explore language learning practices within the fandom (Sauro, 2017). We examine how three fans capitalize on fan translation and language learning. We consider the cases of Selo (an English-Spanish translator of games), Nino (a Japanese-Catalan fansubber of anime, and Alro (an…

This dissertation reports on the experiences of seven American undergraduate students who played "World of Warcraft" (WoW) over eight weeks with native German speakers. Participants played in groups of four with a language guide (LG) for three hours a week, and at the end of eight weeks they returned to play in a two-week delayed gaming…

This meta-analysis aims at investigating the impact of English language teaching practices on language outcomes. The literature search yielded 90 meta-analyses that were published between January, 1995 and December, 2019. The current study analyzed 90 meta-analysis and these studies comprised 3496 studies, 7870 effect sizes and nearly 700,000…

This study examines the English language learning outcomes of young Chinese L1 children when using a digital self-guided learning tool, ABCmouse "English Language Learning Academy" (ABCmouse ELL), created by Age of Learning, Inc. and designed based on principles of second language research. In a pretest, posttest study design, experiment…