This research investigates the impact of task-based language teaching (TBLT) on Vietnamese adult English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' attitudes toward speaking performance. The study explored self-efficacy, motivation and speaking anxiety through an online questionnaire administered to 35 employed adults in Vietnam, supplemented by three…

We gathered data from business practitioners to learn how they describe successful online business presentations. We found that many--but not all--successful examples were described in terms of classical rhetorical concepts (e.g., source credibility and content). We also found that about 20% of the examples were described as successful because of…

The primary objective of this study is to enhance the English language proficiency of undergraduate students pursuing bachelor's degree programs. This is achieved through the development of a mandatory English course based on Interest-driven creator (IDC) principles within a blended learning environment. The IDC course was implemented over a…

This study investigated the effects of two types of oral explanations (ie, self-explanation vs. instructional explanation) and drawing activity (no drawing vs. drawing) on video learning outcomes. These outcomes were measured by visual attention to the video (indexed by fixation time on text and diagram areas), explanation quality (indexed by…

The use of smart technologies in bilingual education opens up new opportunities for language learning. This study aims to examine the influence of bilingualism on neural connections and brain activity in the context of education based on smart technologies. To achieve this goal, an experiment used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). An…

The process of spoken word recognition is influenced by both bottom-up sensory information and top-down cognitive information. These cues are used to process the phonological and semantic representations of speech. Several studies have used EEG/ERPs to study the neural mechanisms of children's spoken word recognition, but less is known about the…

Research has indicated that lexical richness is an important indicator of second language (L2) proficiency. However, most research has examined written, cross-sectional English L2 corpora and does not necessarily indicate how spoken lexical use develops over time or whether observed trends are stable across L2s. This study adds to previous…

Although lexical diversity is often used as a measure of productive proficiency (e.g., as an aspect of lexical complexity) in SLA studies involving oral tasks, relatively little research has been conducted to support the reliability and/or validity of these indices in spoken contexts. Furthermore, SLA researchers commonly use indices of lexical…

This activity draws on the African American rhetorical tradition to extend the project of communication activism pedagogy. Through instruction that decenters the Greco-Roman rhetorical tradition, this assignment invites students to engage in protest rhetoric that facilitates an understanding of how to use communication and rhetorical resources to…

Purpose: Speech motor skill is refined over the course of practice, which is commonly reflected by increased accuracy and consistency. This research examined the relationship between auditory-perceptual ratings of word accuracy and measures of speech motor timing and variability at pre- and posttreatment in children with childhood apraxia of…

Besides linguistic benefits, e-tandem virtual exchanges provide opportunities for intercultural meaning negotiation in interaction. However, several studies showed that learners in such exchanges often engage in lengthy interactions but do not always succeed in intercultural communication. The present paper examines intercultural negotiation of…

Purpose: This study investigated the criterion (analytical and clinical) and construct (divergent) validity of a novel, acoustic-based framework composed of five key components of motor control: Coordination, Consistency, Speed, Precision, and Rate. Method: Acoustic and kinematic analyses were performed on audio recordings from 22 subjects with…

Purpose: Speech understanding in noise and horizontal sound localization is poor in most cochlear implant (CI) users with a hearing aid (bimodal stimulation). This study investigated the effect of static and less-extreme adaptive frequency compression in hearing aids on spatial hearing. By means of frequency compression, we aimed to restore…

Connecting assessment with teaching through faculty capacity building can be a design principle in any assessment project aimed at improving student learning. This design principle is supported by the evaluation capacity-building literature, backward design curriculum approach, research on learning, and inquiry-driven assessment-for-learning…

Learning a spoken language requires learning a phonological inventory and phonotactics, or the sequences of phonemes possible in the language. Laboratory investigations of phonotactic learning include tongue-twister studies that show that speech errors respect artificial phonotactic constraints, for example that /k/ never appears as a syllable…