The use of virtual learning communities has shown great potential for language education. Research suggests that video-conferencing technology can assist teachers in creating such communities for second-language teaching. Gather.Town is a gamified, video-conferencing platform that revolutionizes the traditional static video-conferencing experience…

Developing intercultural sensitivity in the current multicultural world is an essential, but challenging requirement. This necessity is significant in EFL classes where learners are expected to gain intercultural skills to communicate more efficiently in culturally diverse contexts. Grounded in Bennett's (Bennett, International Journal of…

In response to the new policy of English department, the internship program has been shifted to virtual programmes. As part of this initiative, the university has collaborated with other educational sectors to offer a virtual English as a Foreign Language (EFL) internship programme aimed at training individuals as EFL teachers. The aim of the…

Unfamiliarity and uncertainty can be disorienting, but when provided space to collectively navigate such challenges, opportunities arise for novel ways of engaging, collaborating, and navigating in our varied communities--including those in higher education. This article builds on previous students-as-partners (SaP) research by describing a…

This study aims to adapt and extend the DeLone and McLean Information System (IS) success model in the context of an online English as a Foreign Language (EFL) higher education foundation program. The objective is to enhance teaching, learning, and knowledge-sharing experiences within a virtual community of practice (vCoP). The research involved…

The field of autonomous language learning in second language acquisition has experienced significant growth since its introduction by Holec in the 1980s. Several studies have explored how to promote learning autonomy in various spaces, including online learning environments. However, research related to autonomous language learning in online…

This paper describes the use of screencast feedback to enhance teaching presence and weekly self-reflection surveys to enhance social presence among students and build a community of learners. These approaches were found to diminish the feeling of isolation in online learning environments. Further findings indicated that this multimodal approach…

The Community of Inquiry model (CoI) is a guiding framework for blended learning and online learning and it has been implemented in diverse disciplines. However, the research on how EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers can promote students' engagement in online discussions through the CoI framework is very limited. This mixed-method study…

In this paper we provide an evaluative description and report of the various aspects of teaching and learning Greek as a heritage and/or foreign language in the Northern Territory of Australia. Initially, we focus on the importance of the formation of dynamic learning communities through interdisciplinary collaboration. The main purpose of Charles…

The rapid transition to online teaching because of the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic exclaimed all the educators on finding the most efficient ways to teach in the presence of all rampant limitations caused in both social and academic lives. Facebook, as one of the favorite social networks, having hundreds of millions of users,…

This paper presents a framework forteaching English in synchronous computer-mediated environments. This research shows the components of the framework, how it materializes in the teachers' pedagogical practices, and in the students' perceptions of lessons designed using the framework. The sources of data for this investigation are a questionnaire…

Academic writing in higher education involves acculturation of discourse characterised by new and unfamiliar social, cultural and academic conventions which remain a huge challenge for instructors and students worldwide. This study aimed at investigating the use of Blackboard Collaborated-Based Instruction to improve academic writing skills of…

This article reports on the implementation of online project-based language learning in a non-formal educational context. Project-based learning may enable additional out-of-class language practice and digital technologies can support this activity, but little is known about whether learners will participate. Twenty-one tertiary learners from…

This study explored how the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum, an informal online language learning community in China, functioned to support its members to improve their English writing proficiency. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model was used as the theoretical framework to explore the existence of teaching presence, cognitive…

This paper introduces a blended learning context that creates a community of practice. This community of practice presents a combination of face-to-face facilitated learning, e-learning, and self-study. A set of in-class and online linguistic activities was used in the implementation of this experiment to investigate the efficacy of performing…