Volume 28 Number 1, 2024
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Item Review of Technology in second language writing: Advanced in composing, translation, writing pedagogy and data-drive learning(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-12-16) Li, Siqi; Wang, Huafeng; Jiang, Lin; Rock, KristinItem Promoting grammatical development through multimodal digital recasts in video-conferencing tasks(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-12-16) Jung, Yeonwoo; Révész, AndreaThis study investigated the effectiveness of multimodal recasts (the simultaneous presentation of oral and written recasts) relative to oral recasts and written recasts for L2 grammatical development in the context of videoconferencing. We employed a pretest–posttest–delayed posttest design, with 60 Korean learners of English randomly assigned to three experimental groups and a control group: an oral recast group, a written recast group, a multimodal recast group, and a no recast group. Each group completed a series of communicative videoconferencing treatment activities, during which they received recasts according to their respective feedback conditions. The target L2 construction was English wh-question formation. Participants’ gains were assessed using oral, written, and spontaneous oral production tests. We found that the presence of recasts, regardless of modality, facilitated participants’ development in wh-question formation, as reflected in their performance across the three outcome measures. Multimodal recasts, however, proved more effective in promoting gains than their oral and written counterparts.Item EFL students' self-directed learning of conversation skills with AI chatbots(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-12-02) Kang, Sooyeon; Sung, Min-ChangThis study investigates the potential of AI chatbots as practice partners in the context of EFL secondary school students’ self-directed learning of conversation skills. Using the Dialogflow CX Console at Google Cloud Platform, we designed two sets of AI chatbots based on two target dialogues. A total of 112 eighth-graders at a public middle school in South Korea were divided into two experimental groups: a chatbot group and a worksheet group. The two groups practiced the target dialogues in self-directed activities with different tools, i.e., chatbots versus worksheets, and evaluated the quality of the chatbot- or worksheet-based self-directed activities in a questionnaire. In addition, their improvements in conversation skills and self-directedness were measured by a discourse completion task and another questionnaire in pre- and posttests. Results showed that the chatbot activities were evaluated to be better than the worksheet activities, especially in terms of entertainment. We also found that the chatbot group showed greater improvements both in conversation skills and self-directedness than the worksheet group. Based on these findings and qualitative analyses of dialogue records, implications for using AI chatbots in the self-directed learning of English are discussed.Item Teacher role in synchronous oral interaction: Young learner telecollaboration(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-11-18) Wigham, Ciara R.; Whyte, ShonaThe potential of synchronous technology-mediated oral interaction for second language (L2) acquisition by young learners interests researchers and classroom teachers alike. Research highlights the utility of live telecollaborative exchange for motivating learners, but also underlines the challenges teachers face in supporting young beginners in interaction tasks. However, few studies focus on actual learning opportunities created in telecollaborative task-based language teaching (TBLT) and on the role of teachers in creating such opportunities. This paper presents two case studies on synchronous telecollaboration in primary schools (7-10 year olds, A1 CEFR level). Interaction data from small-group telecollaborative interactions is examined using multimodal (inter)action analysis (MIA, Norris, 2019) to investigate how teachers’ choices with respect to task implementation affect opportunities for learner autonomy, the outcome of particular tasks, and learners’ L2 usage. Analysis highlights how co-verbal actions are used to manage different interactional spaces and reveal learners’ active roles, and how teacher presence/absence can affect task outcome and influence opportunities for either focus on form or spontaneous L2 production. Our discussion shows that synchronous interaction can drive language learning with young learners, not only motivation and participation, and focuses on implications for further research combining MIA with TBLT.Item Enhancing pre-service EFL teachers’ TPACK through chatbot-integrated lesson planning projects(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-11-04) Lee, Seongyong; Jeon, JaehoThe growing interest in AI chatbots for language learning has highlighted their potential value in educational technology, particularly in teacher training for professional development (PD). This exploratory study extended this discussion by exploring how chatbot-integrated lesson planning modules supported pre-service teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Two types of qualitative data, including teaching artifacts (e.g., lesson plans and chatbot tasks) and self-reports (e.g., interviews and reflection papers), were collected from twenty-one pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who participated in five TPACK training modules over sixteen weeks: (a) TPACK comprehension, (b) chatbot-design training, (c) lesson planning, (d) micro-teaching, and (e) TPACK reflection. Data analysis involved two TPACK assessment methods: (a) TPACK levels demonstrated in lesson plans and the associations of chatbot-integrated lesson plans with TPACK levels; (b) thematic analysis of self-reports for the perceived affordances of the TPACK training. The findings indicate that chatbot-integrated lesson plans demonstrated the participants’ TPACK resulting from the training activities. They reported that the training modules had afforded their TPACK in diverse aspects of using chatbots in lesson development despite some constraints. This study provided insights into how to utilize chatbot-integrated lesson study for pre-service language teachers’ TPACK.Item Comparing individual vs. collaborative processing of ChatGPT-generated feedback: Effects on L2 writing task improvement and learning(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-10-21) Yan, DaThis research examined the effects of collaborative processing of ChatGPT-generated feedback on second language (L2) writing development. The sample for the seven-week experiment consisted of 117 sophomore EFL learners and six teachers from a Chinese university. The students were divided into four groups: the control group processed ChatGPT feedback individually, while the experimental groups processed it with teacher, peer, or combined teacher-and-peer collaboration. Employing a mixed design, L2 writing task improvement (measured as the gain scores from draft writing to final products for the three during-intervention writing tasks) and learning (measured as performance for a post-intervention, and similar new writing task) of the four groups were assessed and analyzed. The findings revealed that the learners who individually processed feedback registered the most significant task improvements, whereas learners processing feedback with teacher collaboration progressed the most for subsequent learning processes. The study has pedagogical implications for the construction of a more inclusive ecology to support effective uses of latest technology in L2 classrooms.Item Augmented reality technology in language learning: A meta-analysis(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-10-07) Wu, Juan; Jiang, Huiting; Chen, Shiya; Yu-Ju LanRecently, augmented reality (AR) technologies have been widely used in language learning. Although many studies have identified the multiple benefits and affordances of AR technology in language learning, very few meta-analyses have been conducted on AR in this field to understand its effectiveness in language learning. To this end, this meta-analysis included 35 articles with 2171 participants published between 2010 and 2023. Based on the PICO framework (population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes), linguistic gains and affective gains are taken as outcome variables to investigate the application effects of AR on students’ language learning performance as well as the effects of educational levels, types of AR display devices, specific language skills, intervention duration, and other moderating variables. The results show that AR has the potential to enhance linguistic gains (Hedges’ g = 0.734, CI [0.537-0.932], p < 0.001) and that AR-based learning material is beneficial for increasing affective gains, such as motivation, attitudes and self-efficacy (Hedges’ g = 0.692, CI [0.491,0.893], p < 0.001). The research indicates that AR technology has great potential to improve language learning and provides suggestions for further research and practice on the use of AR-assisted language learning.Item The effectiveness of Duolingo in developing receptive and productive language knowledge and proficiency(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-23) Smith, Bryan; Jiang, Xiangying; Peters, RyanThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Duolingo's Spanish course for English speakers over a three-month period for independent learners (n=48). We examined learning outcomes in general proficiency, reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. We also explored the relationship between learner usage, experience factors, and self-reported experiences using the app. After about 27 hours of study, participants significantly improved in all receptive and productive ability measures, supporting the notion that language learning apps can enhance a range of language skills. Session completion, accuracy rate, and positive user experience were linked to this observed growth.Item Language learning through game-mediated activities: Analysis of learners’ multimodal participation(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-09-09) Gao, YuchanSecond language learning is a multimodal phenomenon and thus investigating the multimodal aspects of learners’ language learning has become a promising area for research (Guichon & McLornan, 2008; Hardison & Pennington, 2021). Traditionally, language learners’ interactions during classroom activities are often understood by analyzing text-based data, which is not sufficient to paint the full picture of learners’ multimodal participation (Helm & Dooly, 2017). Thus, examining learners’ multimodal participation during classroom activities (i.e., gestures, facial expressions, head movement) has become a need to better paint the picture of students’ learning processes. By adopting a multimodal (inter)action analysis, the present study sought to explore participants’ multimodal participation during a game-mediated project that consisted of playing a video game and completing a series of wraparound activities. Focusing on a small group of English language learners and one teacher, this multiple-case exploratory study provided detailed descriptions of how they participated in game-mediated activities as well as communicated with one another. Findings suggested participants using multimodal elements to help enhance their communication by explaining the meaning and pronunciation of words, and providing additional information to their communication, even when the spoken language was not being used. Implications for both research and practice were discussed as well.Item The impact of technology-enhanced language learning environments on second language learners’ willingness to communicate: A systematic review of empirical studies from 2012 to 2023(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2024-08-26) Huang, Huan; Li, Michael; Yu-Ju LanFocusing on empirical studies from 2012 to 2023, this systematic review investigates how Technology-enhanced Language Learning Environments (TELLEs) enhance Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in second language (L2) learners. The review identifies key findings demonstrating how the strategic use of TELLEs positively influences learners’ WTC through situational, affective, linguistic, and cognitive factors. Situational factors include enriched interactions with content, interlocutors, and teachers, significantly enhancing WTC. Key affective variables, such as self-confidence, L2 anxiety, and enjoyment, are crucial in shaping learners’ WTC. Additionally, TELLEs support the expansion of learners’ linguistic skills and reduce cognitive load, thereby facilitating WTC. Despite its benefits, challenges such as technical issues, distractions from the novelty of TELLEs, and privacy concerns remain barriers. The review advocates for thoughtful integration of TELLEs, aligning with well-defined pedagogical goals and a nuanced understanding of learners’ diverse needs and preferences. Future research should extend beyond English, aiming for a more inclusive and diversified focus to better understand WTC globally.