Gamification in second language acquisition research is a popular topic, but there are few empirical comparative studies in the literature. This quasi-experimental mixed-approach study enrolled 77 Japanese university EFL learners to enable a comparison between two digital vocabulary flashcard learning software conditions carefully designed by the…

Despite the increasing awareness of digital games' potential for language learning, only a handful of studies focus on their integration into classrooms. Informed by bridging activities, this mixed methods case study recruited six students to engage in instructed gameplay in class and game-related activities after class. Both qualitative and…

As emerging technologies rapidly evolve, language teachers in the 21st century face an increasing challenge in determining how to integrate them into their language classrooms. The existing literature emphasises that a crucial element for successful technology integration is for teachers to hold sufficient proficiency in technology and adopt…

Digital game-based language learning (DGBLL) is a field that promotes language learning by combining game entertainment and mechanics inducive to learning. Researchers have proposed evidence of various language-learning benefits, yet downsides persist, such as negative stigmas, a lack of participation of non-gamers, and potential adverse…

The use of three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVWs) in language education has been widely acknowledged in the field, and researchers have expressed a growing interest in their proliferation in second language (L2) learning and instruction. In order to improve the Thai-speaking abilities of learners of Thai as a foreign language (TFL) in three…

Computer-mediated form of language learning provides the opportunity to engage in meaningful and authentic interaction in the target language. Through interaction and collaboration, learners are said to develop a sense of autonomy (Little, 2001). Studies from the literature show that Japanese learners do not lack the capacity for self-directed…

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, universities in Japan had been slow to transition from paper-based to digital methods and materials. In addition, the most applicable theories for teaching and learning languages with digital technologies had not been considered deeply by many university teachers, and their beliefs about these theories had not been…

The various possibilities that social media offers to language learners and teachers have long been recognized by researchers within the field of language instruction, and many studies have been carried out in an attempt to address and unpack its potential contributions. This paper aims to review such research on the use of mainstream social media…

This study investigated the effects of using an online High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) program for university students whose first language is Japanese and who studied English as a foreign language. The target sounds were English fricatives, which many of the participants felt were challenging to distinguish and articulate. The training…

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (2011) started the 'Foreign Language Activities' in fifth grade based on the new Courses of Study in April of 2011. The ministry has considered beginning this course in third grade and the 'English Course' in 5th grade in order to improve students' reading, writing,…

Computer-mediated learning initiatives have recently increased due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Implications are thus created for self-regulation, learning and achievement as computer-mediated learners face unique motivational and metacognitive demands. The current research uses a serial mediation approach to test the effect of goal…

This study investigated the relationship between a metaphor-based approach to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) and involvement of the brain's right hemisphere. Specifically, it examined learners' understanding of three levels of sureness associated with different expressions in English -- those that are "certain,"…

Previous research comparing communicative to non-communicative computer-mediated tasks requiring output production found an advantage in L2 vocabulary learning efficiency in favor of the communicative task (Hughes, 2023). The present study analyzes the chat data from Hughes (2023) to determine what features of interaction may have contributed to…

Web-based writing tools, which allow multiple writers to share and edit the same document, have attracted significant attention as computer-assisted language learning tools in the past decade. However, how L2 writers contribute to the shared document as a social action for interacting with other cowriters remains underexplored in L2 research.…

The study is the second in a series of mixed-methods studies on the integration of The Sims 4, a life-simulation game, into language classrooms. In this study, the researcher explores the effect of game-based language learning (GBLL) on students' English communicative competence from three aspects, interaction, fluency and content, in a Japanese…