Research on extensive reading (ER) has quite consistently highlighted its impact on second/foreign language learning. However, it remains unclear what the exact components of ER are that make it profitable. In practice, there appears to be variation in the application of key elements of ER, and programs vary in the kinds of additions they make to…

The Production-oriented Approach (POA) is an emerging language teaching method tailored to the characteristics of Chinese learners, but the existing experimental studies have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, this study employs a comprehensive meta-analysis to assess the overall effectiveness of POA on students' English language skills, and…

This systematic review addressed the following question: Which are the relations between L1 and/or L2 foundational and upper-level language skills, cognitive skills, high-order cognitive and self-regulation factors and L2-English reading comprehension skills in 11-to-19 year EFL secondary school students with different L1 language profiles?…

The growing diversity among test takers in second or foreign language (L2) assessments makes the importance of fairness front and center. This systematic review aimed to examine how fairness in L2 assessments was evaluated through differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. A total of 83 articles from 27 journals were included in a systematic…

Digital games are increasingly used in education to boost engagement and reduce stress. Digital game-based learning (DGBL) has improved the learning experience. However, further investigation is needed to determine the specific impact of commercially available, off-the-shelf (COTS) video games on English language skills. This study provides a…

Blended learning, integrating traditional and online instruction, has emerged as a significant approach to enhancing English proficiency (listening, speaking, reading, writing) among non-native university students. This study conducted a PRISMA 2020-guided systematic review of 52 articles (2020-2024) from Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and…

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has acted as a significant driver for the adoption of online educational practices, including instruction and assessment. Given the urgent need for an alternative to traditional assessment methods during the pandemic, various studies have explored this topic across different contexts to evaluate the impact,…

This study conducts a systematic review of artificial intelligence in English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning in China from 2015 to 2024 based on 56 articles selected from Scopus, ScienceDirect, ERIC, and CNKI databases, highlighting emerging trends, unresolved gaps, and possible avenues for future research. The findings reveal that AI…

This state-of-the-art paper reviews studies employing role-playing as an instructional technique in English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language contexts. Through a systematic review of 32 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000-2023, the paper highlights the potential of role-playing to facilitate experiential learning and…

The main target of language training is to help students acquire proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Each language skill is complementary to the other in nature. As one of these skills, writing is based on narration. Through writing studies, the level of progression of the listening, speaking, and reading skills of the…

The emergence of newer educational technologies provides opportunities for computer-assisted language learning practitioners and software developers to capitalize on the affordances for the second language (L2) learning purposes. This article explored and brought together the reported affordances and challenges of virtual reality to teach the L2…

Despite the growing body of research on foreign language reading anxiety, there is still a dearth of comprehensive meta-analysis regarding the effect sizes of these studies. To fill the gap, this study meta-analyzed the overall average correlation between foreign language reading anxiety and its correlates among 9785 participants: two…

Research on newcomers' language and literacy (L&L) skills has expanded recently in response to the growth of this population. To inform teachers and researchers, this paper reviewed 41 empirical studies (2010-2022) on high-school newcomers' L&L. Most studies used qualitative methods, working with few participants for short time periods.…

This systematic review aims to explore how task complexity and task sequencing affect the complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) of second language performance. Through an analysis of studies conducted between 2012 and 2021, this review investigates the characteristics of the studies, operationalisation of task complexity, measurements of CAF,…

While internationally there is long-standing research activity on the effectiveness of language contacts (especially in the form of mobility stays) at tertiary level and a number of literature syntheses on this field have been published, research projects at the primary and secondary level are still comparatively rare and the results are often not…