The recent dynamic turn in second language acquisition research has called for an investigation in learner agency by taking its complex dynamic nature into account. Informed by complex dynamic systems theory (CDST), this study investigated the agency of learners in a complex educational context where mainstream schooling and private tutoring…

Background: Student engagement has been conceptualised and operationalised in various learning environments. However, there is currently a lack of established scales to measure student engagement in synchronous online learning. One possible reason is the existence of the conceptual and structural ambiguity regarding student engagement. Objective:…

This study shows how a facilitator gives directive-instructions to create interactional spaces for second language (L2) learning in an online setting by investigating interactions in a video-mediated extensive reading (ER) book club. Taking a multimodal conversation analysis approach, the study observes the facilitator's changing practices of…

Arabic grammar textbooks often contain complex and detailed explanations that can make them challenging for students to master and understand. The utilization of technology can now help resolve this issue through web-based infographic innovations. Infographics are a method of presenting information that is easy and quick to comprehend, which suits…

Despite the importance of spatiality in language learning and teaching environments, empirical research in this line is still lacking. Here, we adopt a spatial ontology perspective to examine how seven English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learners and three teachers perceived and experienced three language learning environments. Set in a higher…

Short stories and e-learning are two effective tools for EFL learning and teaching due to their potential to promote language, communication, cultural understanding, and thinking skills and to facilitate enjoyable, interesting, and encouraging learning. Yet, studies exploring students' experience in using literature and EFL e-learning environments…

Artificial intelligence-mediated informal digital learning of English (AI-IDLE) might strengthen second language (L2) learners' motivational self-concept (e.g., the ideal L2 self) and enhance their foreign language enjoyment (FLE) by enabling them to build confidence, engagement, and willingness to practice their English skills in a self-directed,…

Language teachers increasingly make use of digital platforms to find students, upload teaching material, give lessons, and promote themselves. This article examines the accounts of two popular English teachers from China on the social media platform Douyin and explores similarities and differences in the two teachers' self-branding strategies. We…

Technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs) have provided language learners with various opportunities to promote their self-sufficient learning outside the classroom lately. Thus, language learners are no longer passive recipients of language; in contrast, they are autonomous learners who apply self-regulated learning strategies through the…

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) applications (apps) can provide users with personalized learning content to meet their learning needs. Besides, from the learner perspective, the apps can be regarded as 'social' individuals, like anthropomorphic instructors who offer social support to help them with language learning. However, the current…

Read-aloud stories can improve reading comprehension through exposure to literature beyond one's current reading level, leading to increased independent reading among users. In an era of online learning, online platforms offer opportunities for learners to engage with authentic language materials and provide interactive learning experiences.…

Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) is the result of the affordances of technology that allow learning to take place in unstructured learning contexts. However, how IDLE facilitates students' English language learning remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the strategies English as a foreign language (EFL) students employ to learn…

Purpose: The use of three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVWs) is increasingly becoming a common practice in language education to provide digital learning environments for second-language (L2) communicative classes. This study aimed to identify the key factors underlying communication in 3DVWs that can improve the communication skills of L2…

In the wake of network technology and with the flourishing development of online learning, online presence is beginning to be conceptualized as a pivotal determinant affecting students' cognitive and learning behaviors in the online landscapes. However, how online presence influences students' technology-enhanced language learning experience…

Background: Boredom has recently attracted increasing attention in second (L2) or foreign language learning (EFL), but little is known about how this feeling affects student and teacher engagement in virtual English learning. The present study aims to determine the arbitrary factors and strategies for managing boredom in virtual learning. Method:…