Volume 4, Issue 2

Learners with different cognitive styles (here, field dependence vs. field independence ) may learn second language vocabulary differently in different vocabulary learning settings. Although cognitive style has been widely studied in second language research, little is known about how field dependence/independence affects learners’ vocabulary acquisition in a mobile-assisted learning setting. One approach to solve this problem is to investigate the possible effect(s) of field dependence/independence on learners’ short-term vocabulary recall in a mobile-assisted vocabulary acquisition setting (here, Memrise ). To investigate such effect(s), this study adopted a pretest-posttest design involving 147 intermediate-level learners of English as a second language. Using the Group Embedded Figures Test, participants were divided into two groups: field dependent and field independent learners. For 4 weeks, both groups practiced and reinforced a set of English vocabulary, selected from the Vocabulary Level Test, through Memrise flashcards. Our findings reveal a post-intervention improvement among both field-dependent and field-independent learners, but with field-independent learners slightly outperforming their counterparts in the short-term recall of the vocabulary. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

With advances in mobile technology, mobile devices have been widely applied in language learning. English newspaper reading apps are emerging language learning tools for Chinese English majors. However, little has been published on reading in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) environments. Studies of English newspaper reading are limited to the classroom environment. To explore English newspaper reading in MALL, this study analysed the features of English newspaper reading apps, usage patterns, and users’ language learning strategies by adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods. This research found that (1) apps incorporating multimedia technology mainly provide vocabulary instruction. Most English majors prefer English newspaper reading apps with explanations; (2) Learners tend to use WeChat as the main reading platform instead of utilising apps in combination; and (3) The most frequently used strategies by English majors are affective strategies, while the least frequently used strategies are social strategies, although most English newspaper reading apps support collaborative learning. The study is expected to inspire the design of English newspaper reading apps and the reform of the English newspaper reading course.

In the rapidly expanding domain of online learning, investigating the effectiveness of technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TBLT) in improving English as a Foreign Language (EFL) oral production becomes paramount. Therefore, the present study was conducted over two months to examine how EFL learners’ oral production, measured by complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF), changed throughout technology-mediated TBLT instructions. This study also examined how the relationships among CAF aspects evolved. A cohort of 38 EFL learners underwent a series of oral tasks at the beginning and end of the study period, and repeated measures and correlation analyses were employed to analyse the data. The findings showed significant improvement in EFL learners’ speech rate and accuracy of their utterances after two months. Moreover, the data indicated that fluency features were intricately connected with other CAF dimensions, whereas accuracy, lexical diversity, and syntactic complexity exhibited independent development. The identification of long-term relationships among certain CAF aspects provided valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of EFL speech production. The results of this study have significant implications for both research and practice within the domain of technology-mediated TBLT.

Due to advances in technology, conversational agents are emerging as intelligent spoken dialogue systems that simulate natural conversation with human beings. A growing body of literature has investigated the potential of conversational agents in enhancing language learning across multiple contexts. In this paper, a broad scoping review examining the current literature on conversational agents and language learning was conducted. This review mapped APA PsycINFO, ERIC and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses databases, which yielded 23 papers for further analysis. Our examination of these papers suggests that there are three main ways in which conversational agents are used for language learning. This review discusses these three approaches and points to directions that require further research to fully exploit the potential of conversational agents in language learning.

Although online education dissolves boundaries by providing “anywhere and anytime” teaching and learning opportunities, ethical concerns and challenges still exist. Interpreting training is preferably achieved in a face-to-face setting, as it concentrates on individual practice within an authentic interpreting environment for skill development rather than mere knowledge acquisition. This study examines ethical challenges and concerns in online interpreting training, including equality of learning outcomes, emotional support, privacy and audio/video data protection, and misconduct behaviours. Based on the observation of such ethical concerns, possible solutions for addressing such issues in the context of online interpreting training are explored. We suggest developing professional interpreting learning platforms and software, adopting virtual reality technology, compiling a multimodal corpus, and establishing a virtual community to achieve better learning outcomes.

Among a growing body of mobile-assisted-language-learning (MALL) studies, vocabulary application (app) studies have comprised an unprecedented proportion. However, there has been insufficient discussion about the fundamental language learning theories and pedagogies underlying app design. This study aims to fill this gap by conceptualising and theorising the design of English vocabulary learning apps with a focused analysis of their task features with relation to vocabulary learning strategies (VLS), language learning theories and pedagogies. Four Chinese–English vocabulary learning apps were purposively sampled. The results show that the design of the four evaluated apps incorporates principles from four distinct language learning theories: behaviourism, input-based emergentism, sociocultural theory and information and cognitive processing theories. The four apps’ tasks and user interfaces were analysed to generate codes for task classification. These task-related codes were further classified under the categories of Schmitt’s VLS taxonomy and under pedagogical categories based on the definitions of pedagogies and VLS codes and the intended classroom practice. Vocabulary pedagogies were further linked with theories to shed light on the theoretical foundations for the apps’ use of learning tasks and VLS as well as on the pedagogical prospects of vocabulary learning apps.

This technological tool review aims to provide a brief overview of EAP Talk , an artificial intelligence (AI) English speech assessment platform, outlining its various evaluation features, highlighting the advantages of each function, illustrating its potential for academic English teaching and proposing critical evaluations and suggestions for its upgradeable components. More importantly, this review strives to offer a user guide of experimental tools for related empirical research and explores its feasibility for lessening teacher workload and promoting independent learning among students in the age of AI.