Intelligent CALL Systems for Writing Development

Technological innovation in supporting feedback on writing is well established in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) literature. Regarding writing development, research has found that intelligent CALL systems that respond instantly to learners' language can support their production of better-written texts. To investigate this claim further, this chapter presents a study on learner use of Write & Improve (W&I). The study, based on learner engagement with W&I and learner and teacher surveys and focus groups, demonstrates that learners find W&I to be engaging and motivating. Moreover, there is evidence of improvements in learner writing practices and written language proficiency. For teachers, W&I can render feedback more efficient, allowing them to focus on more complex aspects of learner texts, while spelling and syntactic accuracy are addressed by W&I. Issues also emerge in the use of W&I, which present problem areas for teachers and learners and which signal important future considerations for CALL research.

Teaching English Grammar in a Hybrid Academic ESL Course

This study investigates whether hybrid instruction can positively affect the development of learners' knowledge of English grammar and editing skills, as well as whether learners have positive perceptions of the hybrid design. The study was conducted in two sections of an English grammar and editing skills class. One section was designed as a hybrid course while the other was a traditional face-to-face (f2f) class. To determine the effectiveness of hybrid instruction, a quasi-experimental design with a pre- and posttest was used. To investigate learner perceptions of the hybrid design, learners were asked to complete a questionnaire and participate in a focus group. The results indicate that after the treatment there were negligible differences between the two groups in terms of their knowledge of English grammar and editing skills. The learners had positive perceptions of the hybrid design and offered some suggestions for improving course effectiveness.

Attaining Knowledge of Idiomatics in the Age of Corona and Beyond

This chapter investigates the affordances of technological processes and educational resources for attaining knowledge of idiomatics. It first explores the training practices language practitioners will need to foster a tech-driven pedagogy of the reconstructive nature of idiomatics understanding and production in English. Following a brief review of the most significant themes and concepts spanning the literature of idiomatics, the chapter then anchors its communication-of-information pedagogy in an online methodology of idiomatics teaching-and-learning. Said methodology facilitates and enhances idiomatic-figurative synergism in discursive and communicative contexts. Thereafter, the chapter highlights and examines the most critical implications in applying idiomatics resourcefully. Recommendations for idiomatics training-and-teaching are also suggested.

Accent Conversion in Computer-Assisted Pronunciation Training (CAPT)

This study investigated a computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) software that utilized automatic speech recognition (ASR) and accent conversion technology to improve pronunciation of second language learners. Such speech processing method is capable of addressing the typical shortcoming of ASR technology for L2 pronunciation training, which is providing meaningful corrective feedback. Thirty-six student participants were involved in the treatment group. For the treatment, they worked on a CAPT tool that utilized ASR and AC to provide the participants with corrective feedback. A comparison group was also used and consisted of 36 students but worked on a different type of CAPT tool. Two trained raters took part in rating each monologue completed for the pretest, posttest, and comparison data. Findings showed preliminary statistical significance in regards to improved pronunciation for the treatment group. Additional results also showed no statistical differences in the rater scores between the control group and the experimental posttest scores.

English for Specific Purposes in the Digital Age

The information revolution has enhanced the role of English as the lingua franca of global communication and has dramatically increased the demand for academic English courses which focus on discipline-specific knowledge. The present chapter examines the current state of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course at the University of Bucharest, Romania. Against the wider background provided by language education policies and digital initiatives within the European Union, the chapter presents how technology-integrated teaching methods have begun to shape both the content and the delivery format of the specialised English class and to renew the task-based framework on which the course is developed. If, not long ago, the traditional assessment was considered the only reliable way of testing students' knowledge, the initially forced adoption of e-assessment following the global health crisis has shown that it can be an efficient tool, covering a relevant evaluation of both receptive and productive skills.

Korean EFL College Students' Acceptance of Smartphone Applications for English Language Learning

Smartphones have deeply penetrated all aspects of our lives. The impact of smartphones has reached education and led to the development of countless language learning applications (apps). However, before merging this new technology with language education, it is critical to identify determinants affecting students' acceptance of smartphone apps for English language learning (SAELL). The purpose of this chapter is to investigate factors affecting the students' intention to use SAELL, and gender and academic major differences in acceptance of SAELL. A quantitative method was used to analyze data collected from 675 participants in Korea. The results indicated that perceived usefulness, perceived convenience, social influence, perceived enjoyment, and self-management of learning significantly affected the students' intention to use SAELL. Gender and academic major moderated the acceptance of SAELL. This chapter adds to the knowledge of how to use smartphones for language learning and provides useful insights on the acceptance of SAELL.

CALL in Service-Learning

Results from second language acquisition (SLA) research have shown that an L2 is best acquired when learners have opportunities to use L2 grammar and vocabulary in a manner that is meaningful and relevant to their lived lives. One promising approach to L2 instruction that appears to achieve this end is service-learning. As service-learning is an emerging field of study, there is a need for descriptions on how CALL-based technology can be implemented and evaluated in a service-learning classroom. The first part of this chapter describes service-learning and how CALL-based technology is used to achieve service and learning objectives and TESOL CALL standards. The second part of this chapter describes five CALL-based activities used by service-learning instructors to help their students meaningfully engage with each other and the content. The third part concludes the chapter by offering advice on how teachers could effectively implement CALL-based technology in service-learning classes.

Augmented Reality in Language and STEM Education

Rapid advancement in technology has altered language and STEM education, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Augmented reality (AR) has emerged as one of the latest technologies offering a new way to bridge virtual and real worlds, which can enhance both teaching and learning experience. Due to the widespread proliferation of digital technology, the implementation of AR on internet-based devices and mobile devices has become a growing trend in educational settings related to language and content-based instruction. There has been an increasing number of studies exploring the design, evaluation, and applications of AR for pedagogical purposes. This chapter aims to 1) delineate AR technology and its theoretical foundations, 2) review AR-pertinent literature regarding language and STEM education, 3) discuss the potentials as well as challenges of this innovative technology, and 4) propose practical applications for ESL/EFL teachers, educators, and practitioners alike.

Gaming the System

This chapter highlights the potential and practical application of CALL and specifically the use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for the language and identity socialization of transnational students. The authors focus on the educational trajectories of 1) children returnees and 2) international migrants who have lived and attended school in the U.S. and now have been uprooted to Mexico as a result of repatriation and/or deportation. The authors advocate creating blended affinity spaces at schools where youth can meet and play digital role-playing games. Game-ecology literacy development within these spaces is detailed through the sharing of game screen shots, blog posts, and the perspectives of transnational students that support this kind of learning within the EFL environment. The chapter concludes with a “call to action” and steps for educators to create such blended affinity spaces for gaming at schools.

Exploring Electronic Portfolio Assessment With Secondary Emergent Bi/Multilingual Students

This chapter explores the possibilities of electronic portfolio assessment for emergent bilingual or multilingual students in high school classrooms in the United States. In a three-year federally funded program designed to improve academic performance among culturally and linguistically diverse students at an urban high school in Honolulu, Hawaii, the author implemented electronic portfolio assessment (EPA) into academic English and heritage language classrooms in collaboration with curriculum and technology specialists. This chapter delineates how EPA was developed and implemented to enhance the academic and linguistic abilities of adolescent emergent bi/multilingual students while embracing their multifaceted and hybrid identities as heritage language speakers. It also presents both challenges and benefits that teachers and students experienced in the process of EPA. It concludes with suggestions for developing and implementing EPA for English language learners in similar contexts.