Interactional competence (IC) is crucial for L2 learners to communicate effectively across diverse contexts (Roever [2022], Teaching and testing second language pragmatics and interaction: A practical guide). However, providing opportunities to practice interactive oral skills is time and resource intensive, and assessing IC is challenging due to…

Few studies have considered the micro-analysis of written laughter in the digital world in its sequential context (beyond frequency and distribution). The present study fills this gap by examining "transcribed" laughter "[Chinese symbols omitted](haha)" in Chinese conversations on WeChat from a conversation analytic…

In an increasingly interconnected world, understanding how language shapes communication culture among students is paramount. This study aimed to investigate the formation of communication culture through language use in various socio-cultural contexts among Kazakh and Kyrgyz university students. The research employed a survey methodology to…

Increasingly prevalent use of technologies such as instant messaging and online chat has transformed our traditional ways of learning and teaching pragmatics. This study presents an example of such transformation by demonstrating how computer-mediated communication (CMC) may be employed as a tool to provide second language (L2) learners…

The overarching goal of this design-based research was to explore WhatsApp's potential for facilitating and supporting speaking and pronunciation instruction in an EFL large-class speaking course. More specifically, this paper explored the perceived learning outcomes of WhatsApp-supported pedagogy in large English-speaking classes. Ninety-nine…

This study reports on the linguistic and sociocultural affordances available to multilinguals through their engagement in a social learning space at a Community of Practices (CoPs). Despite the existence of studies on CoP in language learning contexts, however, little work has been conducted on the affordances of a multilingual learning community,…

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…

Despite the recent growth of mobile instant messenger (MIM), research into the correlation between English learners' learning gains, learning engagement, and how this engagement helps develop authentic relationships remains underexplored. This mixed-method study involved 222 college English learners to investigate their engagement in team-based…

Willingness to Communicate (WTC) plays a crucial role in developing students' speaking proficiency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. This study investigates whether students' in-class WTC can be enhanced through an AI-supported program and explores their perceptions of using the AI for future academic speaking development. A…

This study aimed to evaluate the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving the persuasive communication skills of online Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. In particular, this study investigated the influence of personalization through AI using the Google Gemini platform on conventional and online instructional…

Living in the 21st century means living in an era that is increasingly globalising where cross-cultural communication is essential; thus, students should be given opportunities to cultivate their Intercultural Communicative Competences (ICC). This paper reports on Phase 3 of ClerKing, a Franco-Jamaican telecollaborative project, which involved…

Meaning-making in a new era increasingly defined by digital communication is a complicated ensemble of both verbal and non-verbal modes. Following this trend of conveying information multimodally, digital memes have become a new and viral way to communicate and make meaning. Memeing, as a multimodal and social practice, may hold potential for…

This study introduced an app, called Smart UEnglish, for helping EFL conversation practices in authentic contexts. These conversation practices were categorized into 'designed talk' and 'free talk', based on the content of an English textbook and authentic ambient environment that includes such things as transportation, weather and scenic…

The study of participation from a socio-interactional perspective relates to the exploration of the interactional practices displayed by interactants and the close examination of the multimodal resources they employ. Here we observe the language choices made by 2 teachers and 10 students who participate in a "WhatsApp" chat over the…

Affordance refers to the opportunity available to a learning activity. Taking affordance as a theoretical and analytical construct, this exploratory study investigates learners' attitudes and the opportunities WeChat may provide for Chinese cultural knowledge (CCK) learning. The aim is to find out the potential new affordances and compare learners…