This study used computerized dynamic assessment (CDA) as a teaching and assessment method to promote Chinese EFL learners' reading comprehension, with a quasi-experimental design in which the control and experimental groups were each given three tests but in different formats. Each test consisted of multiple choice questions (MCQs) selected from…

Disruptive technologies have seen how students interact with their teachers, how we as teachers now prepare and provide learning, and how we might best incorporate artificial intelligence into the classroom. To this end, the pedagogical affordances offered by the voice-user interface of digital assistants is explored. Instructional strategies…

Recent studies have uncovered substantial individual differences in first language (L1) language attainment across the lifespan and across multiple components of language. The existence of such variability raises the question of its role in second language (L2) learning. The existing body of research on L1-L2 relationships has primarily targeted…

This paper sets out to discuss the monolingual problem within computer-assisted language learning (CALL) research and CALL product development, namely a lack of knowledge about how CALL products and projects can support learners in using all their linguistic resources to achieve language-learning- and language-using-related goals, and a lack of…

Although several investigations have been carried out in recent years on written corrective feedback (WCF), there is a lack of agreement about its definition and the effect on students' writings of different types of feedback. This may be due to the lack of systematicity regarding the characterization of WCF used in those studies. This article…

The practicum in teacher education is considered as the application of the theory into practice. (Zeichner, 2009). However, the disconnection between the academic learning and practicum (Alen & Wright, 2014; Kwenda et al.2017) has been a barrier for pre-service teachers' learning. My research introduces a new approach to bridge this gap by…

This exploratory study examined the potential connections between informal digital learning of English (IDLE), strategic competence for cross-cultural communication and perception of varieties of English. A total of 266 Korean EFL university students, who had no overseas experience, filled in a questionnaire survey. Follow-up semi-structured…

This study intends to find out how the retention of new vocabulary items could be affected by the item type (collocations versus single words), association strength between collocates and the collocate-node relationship. 101 Chinese EFL learners encountered the new items in paired-associate format. Participants were assigned to three groups:…

This study examined the use of Audacity software to improve the pronunciation of regular verbs in the past tense. The participants were 30 advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students of the English major of Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Ecuador. A mixed-method approach was used to gather qualitative and quantitative data…

Writing anxiety may occur if students are expected to write excellently. To assist the students in minimizing their writing anxiety, teachers can introduce rubrics to the students prior to accomplishing writing tasks. The present study intended to investigate the levels of students' second language writing anxiety and students' use of writing…

The impetus behind the development of this research is to study the potential influence(s) of cartoons (caricatures) on L2 learners in terms of gaining cultural awareness and enhancing their motivation levels. To that end, three English classics in the form of cartoons, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Romeo & Juliet by William…

This study used a mixed-methods design to investigate the effects of language learners' subjective norm (SN) beliefs on learning English as a foreign language (EFL). To examine the perceived social pressure to learn EFL, two experiments were conducted in a Saudi university: a face-to-face language learning (FLL) experiment and an online language…

The concept of English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the subject of much theoretical discussion and debate within ELT. However, little has been written concerning the history of ideas preceding it. This article discusses the concept of 'neutral English' proposed in 1967 by the writer L.?A. Hill. After summarizing Hill's life and work, the article…

Comprehending a text involves constructing a coherent mental representation of it and deep comprehension of a text in its entirety is a critical skill in academic contexts. Interpretations on test takers' ability to comprehend texts are made on the basis of performance in test tasks but the extent to which test tasks are effective in directing…

Using a thematic analysis methodology, this paper attempts a critical review of published articles on Chinese character teaching and learning in and outside China between 2005 and 2019, highlighting contributions scholars made to the current literature as well as identifying gaps in the research. The analysis reveals that there is a rather large…