To learn to read, the brain must repurpose neural systems for oral language and visual processing to mediate written language. We begin with a description of computational models for how alphabetic written language is processed. Next, we explain the roles of a dorsal sublexical system in the brain that relates print and speech, a ventral lexical…

Public speaking is considered the most anxiety-provoking speaking activity for English as a foreign language (EFL) learner. While traditional lecture-based classrooms hinder EFL learners' constant practice and frequent interaction due to large class sizes and limited time, recent developments in technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI),…

Feedback plays a central role in learning. Crucial to this is the nature and timing of the feedback. This experimental study explores the efficacy of immediate computer-mediated feedback within a virtual reality environment designed to facilitate the development of pre-university students' presentation skills. Two conditions were established to…

To address the problem of limited opportunities for practicing second language speaking in interaction, especially delicate interactions requiring pragmatic competence, we describe computer simulations designed for the oral practice of extended pragmatic routines and report on the affordances of such simulations for learning pragmatically…

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…

This study reports the results of a mixed-methods investigation on the impact of a virtual reality (VR) tool on Iranian EFL learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) and oral proficiency. Twenty upper-intermediate EFL learners were divided into experimental and control groups role-playing as museum guides with and without Google Expeditions VR…

This paper explores the impact of AI applications in adaptive learning on learners with varying levels of Chinese proficiency and diverse learning needs. The study investigates the robustness of VR technology in enhancing Chinese oral proficiency and pragmatic skills among 1st year and 2nd year learners. It compares the established VR app Mondly…

Prior research on pre-task planning examines its effects on the quality of second language (L2) learners' planned output. Planning mitigates the cognitive overload placed upon L2 learners' oral performance, thus improving language production. Despite the pedagogical benefits, studies on pre-task planning on L2 learners' oral output are conducted…

The 2021 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages forged a fresh perspective for the organization with a virtual setting. Held March 11-13, 2021, the conference offered flexible scheduling for educators balancing a multitude of unique teaching situations in the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic. The theme, "One…

Foreign language teachers and researchers face a major challenge enabling students' learning. Not only must they provide training in the target language, but they must also find ways to optimise class time and enhance students' communication skills in the target language. How does technology intersect with English teaching in ways that benefit…

This article reports how simulation strategy applied to improve student's speaking skill. The participants were 36 students of State Junior High School 1 Citeureup, Kranggan, West Java. For about two months they were taught speaking using simulation strategy. The instruments used were speaking test and observation. The data were analyzed using the…

This research was aimed at investigating the pedagogical roles of computer games (Hao et al, 2019, Chen & Hsu, 2019). It explored the impact of computer "mixed with language" (White et al, 2019) training, using simulation games, upon language acquisition and diverse daily-life knowledge. In a teacher preparation university of western…

Usage-based linguistics posits that communicative functions, including pragmatics, are at the core of language (Tomasello, 1992). It is surprising, then, that pragmatics is rarely systematically included in second language curricula (e.g., Bardovi-Harlig, 2017), especially since pragmatics instruction has been shown to significantly contribute to…

The need for powerful professional learning to enable Multilingual Learners reach their full potential is more profound than ever. MLL shadowing is a way to create urgency around the instructional and academic needs of Multilingual Learners. The MLL Shadowing protocol is used to collect data on MLL's opportunities for speaking and listening--the…

Recent CALL technology reviews cover a plethora of technologies available to language learners to improve a variety of skills, including speaking. However, few technology-enhanced self-access tools are available for pragmatic development, especially in oral modality. Recognizing the benefits of structured practice for second language development,…