Purpose: The integration of mobile technology in ESL/EFL contexts has garnered significant attention from contemporary researchers, teachers, and learners due to the advancements in technology, dynamic features, and multimodal applications. With this growing interest, there is a need to synthesize the existing literature and identify current…

Digital games have gained significant attention in the field of language education. Among various educational applications, research on digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) has seen a marked increase in interest and exploration. This study presents a scientometric review based on bibliometric data from the Scopus and Web of Science Core…

The present study aimed to investigate whether and how Chinese single character reading and 2-character word reading can reflect somewhat different processes. Tasks of Chinese rapid automatized naming (RAN), morphological awareness, phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, along with vocabulary knowledge and nonverbal intelligence tasks,…

Digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) integrates key game elements such as Challenges, Rewards, Human-Computer Interactions (HCI), Multimedia, and Fantasy. Although the overall effectiveness of digital games in enhancing English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) vocabulary knowledge development is well-established, the specific roles of…

Research Findings: This study investigated the effectiveness of a home-based intervention in increasing the intrinsic reading motivation and Chinese oral vocabulary of minority South Asian children in Hong Kong. A quasi-experiment was conducted with 78 children (M[subscript age] = 51.54 months; control: 37 children, intervention: 41 children) and…

Despite the growing popularity of corpus linguistics among researchers in recent decades, a corpus-based approach remains largely unknown to most teachers in primary and secondary schools. Drawing on Shulman's concept of pedagogical content knowledge, this study differentiated between two key terms -- corpus literacy and corpus-based language…

Students often have difficulties in self-regulating their vocabulary learning in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). Building on past studies of vocabulary learning, MALL, self-regulation, and personalised learning (PL), we propose a self-regulated, collaborative, personalised vocabulary (SCPV) learning approach in MALL. In this exploratory…

Prior studies have reported positive outcomes of technology-enhanced vocabulary learning and recommended self-regulated learning (SRL) as a design principle for the relevant technologies. However, there has not hitherto been any comprehensive study of the combined use of SRL and specific vocabulary-learning strategies in technology-enhanced…

Despite its significance, the relationship between changes in teachers' beliefs regarding specific aspects of language learning and teaching, and the developmental processes of such beliefs in relation to teacher reflection has remained under-researched. Accordingly, this paper reports the results of a case study that examined how two English…

Given the significant role vocabulary plays in second language acquisition, how to help learners acquire vocabulary has always been a concern for educators. Despite the general consensus that beliefs influence learners' behaviour, limited research effort has been devoted to the exploration of English as a second language (ESL) learners' beliefs…

Working memory (WM) may be an essential component of incidental vocabulary learning and retention from captioned videos. However, how WM affects young learners' incidental vocabulary learning under different types of captions remains unclear. The present study employs a between-subject research design. The main purpose is to examine how two types…

This study investigated instruction in vocabulary consolidation strategies over eight months and vocabulary learning among a group of secondary students in Hong Kong. Two vocabulary tests and one vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) questionnaire survey were administered near the end of the school year. The data were analysed using t-tests and…

Moving the hands or chewing in the encoding stage enhances memory, because body movement activates the frontal cortex, which is crucial to the memory process. However, how hand movement facilitates word memory in an applied setting and whether it produces long-term effects remain unclear. Grade 1 students studied 15 new words through different…

This research project involved a mixed-methods study investigating language-related challenges of first-year students at an English Medium Instruction (EMI) university in Hong Kong. The two-phased sequential study employed a questionnaire survey and semi-structured student interviews. The survey and interview findings indicate that first-year…

This article reports on an exploratory study on developing and adopting a 'Virtual Go Mode' feature embedded in a mobile vocabulary learning app, VocabGo, to enhance students' vocabulary learning engagement. Distinguished from other virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) applications, the Virtual Go Mode is designed for students to…