Rating scales that language testers design should be tailored to the specific test purpose and score use as well as reflect the target construct. Researchers have long argued for the value of data-driven scales for classroom performance assessment, because they are specific to pedagogical tasks and objectives, have rich descriptors to offer useful…

This paper investigates how an assessment roleplay task was being interpreted and performed by its student test-takers. The rationale for this is that we need feedback into whether the task is functioning as intended and to ensure that our interpretation of the scores from grading these students correctly informs our decision making about their…

Multimodal synchronous-computer-mediated communication (SCMC) provides many possibilities for improving language learners' pragmatic competence (Maa & Taguchi, 2022). However, the research exploring how SCMC mode affects the pragmatic learning process and its outcome is limited. This study investigates the effects of SCMC modes on pragmatic…

This study compared task-based interaction with ChatGPT and peer interaction in the effectiveness of learning L2 speech acts (requests and refusals) and explored L2 learners' perceptions towards task performance. Forty Korean EFL learners were randomly assigned to either the peer interaction group (n = 20) or the ChatGPT group (n = 20). Both…

This state-of-the-art paper reviews studies employing role-playing as an instructional technique in English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language contexts. Through a systematic review of 32 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000-2023, the paper highlights the potential of role-playing to facilitate experiential learning and…

This study investigates the nature of co-construction in roleplays conducted with human versus AI interlocutors for assessing interactional competence (IC) in L2 English. Seventy-five university students in Japan completed roleplay tasks with both human tutors and an AI agent. The AI agent is a multimodal dialog system integrated with a large…

This paper presents findings from a quasi-experimental study that examined the effect of corrective feedback (CF) on L2 pragmatics, specifically comparing Face-to-Face (FF) and Technology-Mediated (TM) modes. The study involved a total of forty-four ESL students from three parallel intact classes. The primary focus of this paper is to report the…

This study intends to contribute to the methodological debate into L2 pragmatics research by examining the usability of immersive virtual reality (VR) for developing a pragmatics task. The study compared participants' speech act performance between two closed role-play tasks using different mediums: computer-based and VR-based. Sixty-two native…

Role-play tasks have long been used by researchers and practitioners to observe L2 (Second language) speaking performance. This social-situated simulation allows students to employ their language skills to converse about real-life themes. While role-plays are highly plausible to actively engage students in interactive learning environments, it has…

Artificial Intelligence technologies are becoming ubiquitous, transforming the workforce by altering or creating jobs and influencing decisions that affect minority communities. The necessity of AI literacy, comprising knowledge and skills for critical interaction with AI, is increasingly important. Multilingual learners, engaging with both every…

This paper reports on a major study which examined how middle-primary teachers (of students aged 8-10) in Australia used drama-rich pedagogy in their literacy programs to support the development of academic language proficiency, a critical element of ongoing student progress in literacy beyond the early years. Despite its proven status as a…

This research sets out to enhance students' active learning through group discussion roleplaying. The research recorded the implementation of group discussion in order to find the revision in the teaching-learning process. Classroom action research involving students from a higher institution was used. The data was collected from observations and…

Role-play activities are considered a useful instructional design in enhancing the speaking performance of foreign language learners. However, in the traditional classroom context, learners may not readily have access to interlocutors for role-play activities. In this study, we proposed a designed method that integrated the GenAI agent into…

Because of their presumably familiar plot lines and character tropes, the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales are often included as one of the earliest literary selections in German language and culture curricula. However, for learners to engage more critically and interpretively with fairy-tale genres, it is exactly their assumed familiarity with the…

Interactional competence (IC) is crucial for L2 learners to communicate effectively across diverse contexts (Roever [2022], Teaching and testing second language pragmatics and interaction: A practical guide). However, providing opportunities to practice interactive oral skills is time and resource intensive, and assessing IC is challenging due to…