Today's trend of teaching has changed quite significantly. After conducting online teaching, innovations in teaching are mushrooming. One such innovation explored in this study is the use of a mobile application as a classroom intervention tool in a TOEFL preparation class. The objectives of this study were to investigate students' performance…

This study aimed to compare item characteristics and response time between stimulus conditions in computer-delivered listening tests. Listening materials had three variants: regular videos, frame-by-frame videos, and only audios without visuals. Participants were 228 Japanese high school students who were requested to complete one of nine…

This paper highlights as issues of concern the rapid changes in technology and the tendency to report on partial validation efforts where the work is not identified as forming part of a larger validation project. With close human supervision emerging technologies can have a significant and positive impact on language testing. While technology…

With the ability to provide feedback and assistance, humanoid educational robots have been proven effective in assisting students to overcome learning challenges and enhancing individual learning outcomes. However, the strength of humanoid robots in promoting social and emotional skills has not been well investigated. Socially supportive behaviour…

Purpose: Oral language skills provide a critical foundation for formal education and especially for the development of children's literacy (reading and spelling) skills. It is therefore important for teachers to be able to assess children's language skills, especially if they are concerned about their learning. We report the development and…

Research shows that targeted interventions for language comprehension and production benefit the development of English language proficiency and literacy skills of English Learner (EL) students. Despite this, many ELs in the United States do not receive such academic support, as few programs are designed to address the needs of ELs. Educational…

Previous research on online features embedded in language assessments have been limited to the use of dictionary or spell/grammar check. Few have examined the role of accessibility features in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) English learner (EL) context in the U.S. This study examined how K-12 EL educators perceive and instruct online…

Speaking in a foreign/second language is a challenge for many learners, even when they have linguistic knowledge. Drawing on González-Lloret and Ortega's (2014) framework for technology-mediated tasks and MacIntyre's (2007) framework for willingness to communicate in a second language, this mixed methods study investigated the impact of…

Background: English proficiency is extremely important for future careers, particularly in aviation education and training. However, the current regulated school framework includes an insufficient two-hour per week. This study investigates the effectiveness of an extracurricular program, "Fun Language Club," in improving English…

Responding to the challenge of delivering valid assessments during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly not easy. However, the efforts will undoubtedly lead to developments in the field of language assessment. This special issue closes with a brief summary of the commentaries it contains and raises some unanswered…

Automated writing evaluation (AWE) is an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered educational technology designed to assist writing instruction and improve students' writing proficiency. The present study adopted a quasi-experimental design using the inverse probability of treatment weighting method to explore the long-term effects of an AWE system…

This study aims to compare asynchronous distance learning and blended learning in a context in which English is taught as a foreign language; the focal points of the comparison are learner autonomy, motivation and academic success. In this context, asynchronous distance learning refers to an English learning process provided through online videos…

The study aimed to design a technological authentic task-based program to enhance EFL secondary stage students' language use. The design of the present study was based on the one-group, mixed research design. Participants of the study were a class of 1st year, secondary stage students (n=30) in Al-Khansaa' governmental secondary school for girls,…

The outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide in 2020 has posed tremendous challenges to higher education globally. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is among the many areas affected by the pandemic. The unexpected transition to online teaching has increased challenges for improving and/or retaining students' language proficiency. WeChat, a…

In foreign language instruction, students are often exposed to computer-mediated testing in international exams and language courses; however, regular classrooms are not equipped with computer labs to offer a lesson coherent with that testing procedure. To fill this gap, mobile-assisted language learning emerges as a portable option for…