Volume 27 Number 1, 2023

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/104519

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 28

Charting Thai university students' group translation on Google Docs through DocuViz
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-12-19) Kitjaroonchai, Nakhon; Loo, Daron Benjamin; Kitjaroonchai, Tantip
This study sets out to investigate Thai university students' group translation of Thai texts into English in a synchronous setting. Four groups, consisting of three or four members, were involved in this study. This study examined two Thai texts translated into English, one containing tourism information and the other a crime news report. Students were given 40 minutes to translate on Google Docs, and their group translation styles were charted out through DocuViz, a visualization tool that uses color coding and number of contributions to illustrate group work. Average contributions, along with the color-coded texts, were analyzed to determine the group work styles. The study found that most groups were cooperative in their real-time translation work, in that group members worked on particular segments, with one dominant writer either editing others' contributions or translating the most. This study suggests that translation instructors consider expanding and redefining the implementation of translation tasks done in groups.
Conceptualizing a mobile-assisted learning environment featuring funds of knowledge for English learners’ narrative writing development
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-12-11) Chen, Yan; Mayall, Hayley J.; Smith, Thomas J.; York, Cindy S.
The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study is to investigate a group of middle-school aged Latinx English learners (ELs) in a rural town in the Midwestern United States and to facilitate their narrative writing development via a mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) environment from a funds of knowledge perspective. In particular, we first explored the existing funds of knowledge sources drawing from the ELs’ lived experience and cultural practice through a multimethodological approach over a span of three months. We conceptualized the explored funds of knowledge sources into ELs’ narrative writing practice through the integration of mobile-based writing tools (MBWTs). Second, we employed a multiple pre-and post- non-experimental design for the ELs to complete two non- funds of knowledge and three funds of knowledge-featured narrative writing activities over ten weeks using Google Docs as an MBWT. Results showed a statistically significant positive learning effect of funds of knowledge as an intervention for developing the ELs’ literacy skills in narrative writing within a collaborative MALL environment.
Modality and task complexity effects on second language production in CMC
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-11-13) Adams, Rebecca; Nik Mohd Alwi, Nik Aloesnita; Masrom, Umi Kalsom Binti
Two decades of research on computer-mediated communication (CMC) in language learning settings has shown that integrating technology and communication leads to distinct benefits for language learning, including positive impacts on motivation, anxiety, and engagement in second language communication (Sauro, 2011). However, the majority of this research has been conducted among learners communicating via text while real-world language users are increasingly likely to communicate online in audio and video modes (Peterson, 2010). Audio and video CMC has been shown to lead to more participation (Rossell-Águilar, 2013), different uses of communication strategies (Hung & Higgins, 2016), more focus on form (Bueno-Alastuey, 2010), and higher motivation (Gleason & Suvorov, 2012; Wehner et al., 2011) among second language (L2) learners. Little is known, however, about learner language production in different CMC modalities, which influences how CMC can be integrated into teaching. The current study focuses on L2 learners’ production during communicative tasks in text and video CMC. Two versions of the task were created by manipulating the task complexity variable task structure (Robinson, 2011). Production data were analyzed using measures of syntactic and lexical complexity, linguistic accuracy, and quantity of language produced. The results suggest that complexity and modality both impact the lexical complexity of language production, and that modality also affects the quantity of language produced.
The application of chatbot as an L2 writing practice tool
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-11-06) Kwon, Suh Keong; Shin, Dongkwang; Lee, Yongsang
This study investigates the effect of chatbot-based writing practices on second language learners’ writing performance and perceptions of using the chatbot in L2 writing practices. A total of 75 Korean elementary school students were randomly allocated to two groups. While the control group received traditional teacher-led writing instruction, the experimental group used a chatbot for individual writing practices for 15 weeks. The chatbot was developed using Google’s Dialogflow machine-learning AI platform by encoding expressions from an elementary school English textbook. A pretest was carried out prior to the experiment to examine the initial writing performance, and a posttest was carried out 15 weeks later with a different writing topic. The participants in the experimental group also responded to a short survey to report their perceptions and opinions about the chatbot. The results showed that the two groups generally showed a similar writing proficiency in the pretest scores, but the experimental group performed significantly better in the posttest than the control group, suggesting that the chatbot-based writing practice had a facilitating effect on their test performance. The participants of the experimental group also found the chatbot useful in improving their language skills and made them feel comfortable when learning a foreign language.
Learning of L2 Japanese through video games
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-30) Shintaku, Kayo
In Japanese-as-a-foreign language (JFL) education, the impacts of Japanese entertainment media such as digital games have been noted as a motivator for JFL learners. Although outside-of-class literacy exposure from these digital games has been recognized due to their popularity, the specifics of how digital games affect JFL digital literacies and how they interplay with JFL learners’ motivations have not yet been fully explored. Thus, this study investigated the literacies around game fandoms for JFL learners in a Japanese language program (n = 191) and the self-directed and group-based learning activities of a game focus group (n = 6) with two commercial games. The findings demonstrated JFL learners’ literacy exposure through Japanese games and revealed JFL learners’ unique issues with kanji, furigana, and honorifics. Additionally, digital games in Japanese have roles in supporting JFL learners’ motivations (a) visually as achievement milestones (i.e., progress markers) within game content and (b) as goals that JFL learners set for accessing and playing target game titles both as gamers and as JFL learners. Moreover, the study highlights the importance for higher education to connect in-class and non-formal learning and to support L2 learners with 21st century skills.
Review of SMART CALL: Personalization, contextualization, & socialization
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-30) Susanto, Andrias; Sonsaat-Hegelheimer, Sinem
Review of Conversation analytic language teacher education in digital spaces
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-30) Fedder Williams, Hannah; Tadic, Nadja
Using eye-tracking as a tool to develop lexical knowledge
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-23) Révész, Andrea; Stainer, Matthew; Jung, Jookyoung; Lee, Minjin; Michel, Marije
Eye-tracking is primarily used as a tool to capture attentional processes in second language (L2) research. However, it is feasible to design visual displays that can react to and interact with eye-movements in technology-mediated contexts. We explored whether gaze-contingency can foster L2 development by drawing attention to novel words reactively during reading. In particular, we investigated whether the acquisition of lexis can be facilitated by interactive glosses, that is, making glosses visually salient when triggered by fixations on a target word. We found that interactive, gaze-contingent glosses led to more and longer fixations at target words and glosses but did not lead to superior performance in recognition scores. We observed, however, an interaction between interactivity and form recognition, with more gloss fixations being associated with better performance under the interactive, but with worse outcomes in the non-interactive, condition. We attributed this difference to distinct motivations for viewing glosses in the groups.
Visual saliency in captioned digital videos and learning of English collocations: An eye-tracking study
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-10-16) Choi, Sungmook
This study explored how visual input enhancement impacts caption-reading behaviors, the acquisition of English collocations, and the recall of onscreen captions. The participants comprised 53 Korean undergraduate students at a high-intermediate level of English proficiency. They were assigned to either a baseline or an enhancement group. The baseline group viewed a digital video with unenhanced captions, whereas the enhancement group watched the same video with enhanced captions (i.e., captions including yellow-colored collocations). The eye movements of the participants were measured using an eye tracker. Thereafter, they completed a collocation test and a caption recall test. The results showed that the baseline and enhancement groups did not vary in their caption-reading behaviors. Conversely, the enhancement group significantly outperformed the baseline group on the collocation test. In the caption recall test, the enhancement group recalled significantly more target collocations than the baseline group, whereas the two groups did not differ in recalling unenhanced captions. Finally, correlational analyses revealed nonsignificant correlations between attention to target collocations and collocation test scores in both groups. This evidence suggests that enhanced video captions may be an effective means of stimulating collocational competence that is not at the expense of second language learners’ ability to learn video content.
Learning processes in interactive CALL systems: Linking automatic feedback, system logs, and learning outcomes
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-09-25) Hui, Bronson; Rudzewitz, Björn; Meurers, Detmar
Interactive digital tools increasingly used for language learning can provide detailed system logs (e.g., number of attempts, responses submitted), and thereby a window into the user’s learning processes. To date, SLA researchers have made little use of such data to understand the relationships between learning conditions, processes, and outcomes. To fill this gap, we analyzed and interpreted detailed logs from an ICALL system used in a randomized controlled field study where 205 German learners of English in secondary school received either general or specific corrective feedback on grammar exercises. In addition to explicit pre-/post-test results, we derived 19 learning process variables from the system log. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three latent factors underlying these process variables: effort, accuracy focus, and time on task. Accuracy focus and finish time (a process variable that did not load well on any factors) significantly predicted pre-/post-test gain scores with a medium effect size. We then clustered learners based on their process patterns and found that the specific feedback group tended to demonstrate particular learning processes and that these patterns moderate the advantage of specific feedback. We discuss the implications of analyzing system logs for SLA, CALL, and education researchers and call for more collaboration.
Motivation in computer-assisted pronunciation training: Online and face-to-face environments
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-09-18) Martin, Ines A.
This study investigated how learners’ motivation to improve their pronunciation (i.e., pronunciation-focused motivation) influences their L2 pronunciation achievements. This relationship was explored separately in an online (n = 28) and a face-to-face (F2F) (n = 49) learning environment with beginner learners of German. In the online learning environment, learners were divided into two groups: a group that received computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) over the course of the semester and a group that did not receive targeted pronunciation training. In the F2F learning environment, learners were divided into three groups: a group that received CAPT assigned as homework, a group that received teacher-led, in-class pronunciation training, and a group that did not receive pronunciation training. Pronunciation gains were assessed by means of native speaker ratings of learners’ comprehensibility and accentedness at the beginning and end of the semester. Pronunciation-focused motivation was measured with a 12-question survey administered at the beginning of the semester. Results from both learning environments showed a relationship between motivation and pronunciation achievement, but only among the groups that had received pronunciation training. Findings further suggested that motivation had a larger influence on gains in accentedness than in comprehensibility. Pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.
Student use and instructor beliefs: Machine translation in language education
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-09-11) Hellmich, Emily A.; Vinall, Kimberly
The use of machine translation (MT) tools remains controversial among language instructors, with limited integration into classroom practices. While much of the existing research into MT and language education has explored instructor perceptions, less is known about how students actually use MT or how student use compares to instructor beliefs and expectations. In response to this gap, the current article explores how students use MT while writing and how this use compares to instructor perceptions via two studies: a computer-tracking study of how 49 second semester-level language learners (French, Spanish) use MT and a qualitative survey of 165 US-based second language educators’ beliefs about MT. Findings highlight important areas of alignment (e.g., MT input at word level) and divergence (e.g., MT output analysis strategies) between student use and instructor perceptions as well as layered tensions in what mediates student use of MT tools. The article concludes with calls for more research on student use and an outline for how to approach MT tools in language education in ways that support existing student practices.
The use of lexical complexity for assessing difficulty in instructional videos
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-09-04) Alghamdi, Emad A; Gruba, Paul; Masrai, Ahmed; Velloso, Eduardo
Although measures of lexical complexity are well established for printed texts, there is currently no equivalent work for videos. This study, therefore, aims to investigate whether existing lexical complexity measures can be extended to predict second language (L2) learners’ judgment of video difficulty. Using a corpus of 320 instructional videos, regression models were developed for explaining and predicting difficulty using indices of lexical sophistication, density, and diversity. Results of the study confirm key dimensions of lexical complexity in estimates of video difficulty. In particular, lexical frequency indices accounted for the largest variance in the assessment of video difficulty (R2 = .45). We conclude with implications for CALL and suggest areas of further research.
Second language learners’ post-editing strategies for machine translation errors
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-08-21) Shin, Dongkawang; Chon, Yuah V.
Considering noticeable improvements in the accuracy of Google Translate recently, the aim of this study was to examine second language (L2) learners’ ability to use post-editing (PE) strategies when applying AI tools such as the neural machine translator (MT) to solve their lexical and grammatical problems during L2 writing. This study examined 57 students’ MT output and post-edited (PEd) texts to analyze MT errors and the PE strategies that L2 learners employed to express target meaning. The MT errors occurred from mistranslation, missing words, ungrammaticality, and extra words. To modify the MT sentences, the learners employed PE strategies such as deletion, paraphrase, and grammar correction. Successfulness of PE was gauged by comparing sentence adequacy scores of the MT output and PEd texts. The results of the study highlight that L2 proficiency influences the learners’ ability to deploy appropriate PE strategies. The taxonomy of MT errors and PE strategies provides a model for understanding the competence required as part of the new writing ability in the AI era. Implications are discussed as to how L2 learners are required to be trained in using MT by detecting MT errors and deploying appropriate PE strategies.
Applying educational data mining to explore individual experiences in digital games
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-08-07) Poole, Frederick J.; Clarke-Midura, Jody
Research involving digital games and language learning is rapidly growing. One advantage of using digital games to support language learning is the ability to collect data on students learning in real time. In this study, we use educational data mining methods to explore the relationship between in-game data and elementary students’ Chinese language learning. Thirty-six students in the sixth grade played a digital game for eight 25-minute sessions as part of their Chinese Dual Language Immersion classroom instruction. We used classification and regression tree analyses and cluster analyses to explore how in- game indicators, such as battles, time spent reading a text, and the use of an in-game glossing tool are associated with language learning and change in affect. The results indicate that time on task and use of the glossing tool were the most important variables in determining language learning gains. We also identified four subgroups of gameplay styles. While there were no significant differences in learning or affective factors based on the subgroups, these gameplay styles allow for a more individualized approach to analyzing learning within digital environments
Willingness to communicate and oral communicative performance through asynchronous video discussions
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-07-24) Jaramillo Cherrez, Nadia; Nadolny, Larysa
Speaking in a foreign/second language is a challenge for many learners, even when they have linguistic knowledge. Drawing on González-Lloret and Ortega’s (2014) framework for technology-mediated tasks and MacIntyre’s (2007) framework for willingness to communicate in a second language, this mixed- methods study investigated the impact of asynchronous video discussion tasks on learners' willingness to communicate and oral communicative performance. Two groups of intermediate learners of Spanish participated in the study, (a) a video discussion Flip group (the experimental group) (FG, n = 28), and (b) a control group (CG, n = 24). Measures included a pre-post survey, speaking quizzes, a final oral presentation, and semi-structured interviews. Results showed that the video discussion tasks facilitated the increase of FG students’ willingness to communicate and oral communicative performance, and their frequency and confidence in using Spanish. The qualitative findings revealed FG students' positive but challenging experiences in the tasks. Implications for practice and further research are provided.
Learning pronunciation through television series
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-07-10) Scheffler, Paweł; Baranowska, Karolina
While there is ample research on the effect of exposure to foreign language (FL) video materials on developing vocabulary knowledge and listening skills, research on the impact of watching videos on acquiring pronunciation skills, especially in terms of both perception and production, is still in its infancy. This study investigates the effect of viewing an English language video in different subtitling conditions (L1, L2, and no subtitles) on learners’ recognition of the correct pronunciation of words and on learners’ ability to produce words intelligibly. The relationship between recognition, intelligibility, and comprehension of the video material is also examined. In the study, 54 Polish intermediate learners of English were divided into three experimental groups based on the subtitling condition. They completed pre-tests and post-tests on recognition and production of words, as well as a comprehension test. The results show that watching the video, either with or without subtitles, significantly improved the recognition of how words are pronounced. As for gains in production, L1 subtitles turned out to be the least effective; however, they led to highest comprehension. These results have practical implications for teachers’ use of video material in pronunciation work in the classroom.
Game-based instruction of pragmatics: Learning request-making through perlocutionary effects
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-06-26) Taguchi, Naoko
Using the single-group pre-posttest design, this exploratory study examined whether L2 learners of English can learn a speech act by experiencing perlocutionary effects of the act as feedback (observing their interlocutor’s reactions to their choice of speech act expressions). Sixty undergraduate English learners at a university in China played a digital game, developed at the researcher’s institution, involving 10 hypothetical request-making interactions that took place on a university campus. For each interaction, participants read a brief scenario description and watched a video that depicts that scenario. After watching the video, they were presented with four options of request-making expressions and asked to select the most desirable expression directed to the speaker in each video. Each option was linked to specific reactions depicted by speakers in the videos (perlocutionary effects). After choosing a response, participants were shown a reaction video designed to give feedback on the appropriateness of their selected response. Recognition and production tests were used for pre, post, and delayed posttests to assess participants’ knowledge of targeted request-making forms. Results revealed a significant gain from the pre to immediate post-test in both modalities, but the gain was not retained at the delayed post-test. The effect of game-based instruction appeared larger in the production (Cohen’s d = 0.83) than in the recognition test (d = 0.45). Participants’ game performance significantly correlated with their test scores.
Review of Identity, multilingualism and CALL: Responding to new global realities
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-06-15) Chen, Yue; Kristin Rock
Negotiations for meaning in the context of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2023-05-29) Jabbari, Nasser; Eslami, Zohreh R.
This study investigated negotiations for meaning as conditions for second language (L2) learning in the context of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft (WoW) (Blizzard Entertainment, 2004). Varonis and Gass’s (1985) and Smith’s (2003a) models were used to identify negotiation episodes during on-task and off-task talks among the participants while playing WoW. The participants were six non-native (NNS) and one native English speaker (NS). The NNSs were divided into two teams of three: Team 1 (T1) pre-intermediate and Team 2 (T2) upper-intermediate. The NS played the game with both teams. The study lasted for six months and resulted in 59.96 hours of recorded audio and nine hours of screen-recorded gaming sessions. Negotiation patterns were compared across the L2 proficiency levels and three different types of dyads. The results revealed that (a) T1 encountered more communication breakdowns, but T2 engaged in more negotiations, (b) T1 engaged in more complex negotiations, (c) breakdowns and negotiations occurred more during off-task talk, and (d) breakdowns were triggered more by the NS’s utterances in T1 and by NNSs’ utterances in T2. The results also showed the participants’ abundant L2 use to undertake authentically contextualized game-driven tasks, meticulous involvement in bi- and multi-lateral negotiations, and creative strategies to resolve incomprehension.

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