Looking at human communication from the perspective of semiotics extends our view beyond verbal language to consider other sign systems and meaning-making resources. Those include gestures, body language, images, and sounds. From this perspective, the communicative process expands from individual mental processes of verbalizing to include features…

Despite the growing body of research regarding the effectiveness of MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) technologies on foreign language (FL) learners' speaking skill development, a comprehensively quantitative meta-analysis regarding the effect sizes of these studies is still lacking. To solve the problem, this study reported results based…

The theorization of how multimodal learning intersects with online teaching environments has emerged as a key research area in relationship to the creation of opportunities for L2 online interaction. However, there are few studies which have examined how cross-cultural dyads harness and orchestrate semiotic resources across mobile technologies…

Based on a study of the digital literacy practices of immigrant Filipino students in Vancouver, this paper focuses on how learners with unequal access to resources engage with different tools to locate information and find opportunities for language learning online. Data was collected through interviews and observations of participants as they…

Evidence is accumulating that a major shift is underway in the ways that second language (L2) development is taking place. Increasingly, especially among young people, that process is occurring outside of institutional settings, predominately through the use of online networks and media. That phenomenon has been particularly noticed for learners…

The advance of educational technologies and digital devices have made computer-assisted language learning (CALL) an active interdisciplinary field with increasing research potential and topic diversity. Questions like "what topics and technologies attract the interest of the CALL community?," "how have these topics and technologies…

This article introduces the structure and content of an online learning platform called "SMART Teacher Lab" (STL, henceforth) implemented at the authors' university since 2014. "STL" is an online platform specifically built for the professional development of pre- and in-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers,…

The road to second language competence is a long and arduous one, and much of its effort involves learning to recognize and use vocabulary. Fortunately, anytime-anywhere learning with smart phones and smart apps offer a means to lessen the burden and make vocabulary learning more efficient. Accordingly, this study investigated 134 students across…

The iPhone turns 10 years old in 2017. For the occasion, Apple is rumored to be adding significant new features for the model to be released this year. Whatever those may be, they are not likely to have the same impact that the release of the original iPhone had 10 years ago. That event led to a radical new vision for the design and capability of…

Despite the growing interest in investigating the pedagogical application of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) systems, studies on the process of AWE-supported writing are still scant. Adopting activity theory as the framework, this qualitative study aims to examine how students incorporated AWE feedback into their writing in an English as a…

In the 20th anniversary issue of this journal, Reinders and White (2016) describe the relationship between computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and autonomy as having become "both more complex and more promising" (p. 143). This is, they assert, in large part due to the rise of informal language learning online, with an accompanying…

Activities that promote fluency development or the automatization of speech are often ignored in second language classes because they do not teach new things; instead, they focus on speeding up language use (Nation & Newton, 2008). Anxiety also decreases chances for fluency development, as learners are less willing to produce output (Gregersen…

Culture, as the fifth language skill, enables learners to develop into multilingually and multiculturally aware global citizens. The traditional Chinese architecture is as old as Chinese civilization. The wisdom, stories, and cultural elements behind traditional Chinese construction is a valued aspect of Chinese culture. This article introduces a…

With today's rapid developments in digital technologies, technical obsolescence can occur much faster than in the past. Who would have predicted five years ago that Adobe's Flash would have seen the rapid decline it has experienced as a development environment? Using open, internationally accepted standards for materials development is…

Numerous researchers in education recognize that vocabulary is essential in foreign language learning. However, students often encounter vocabulary that is difficult to remember. Providing effective vocabulary learning strategies is therefore more valuable than teaching students a large amount of vocabulary. The purpose of this study was to…