Gamification is a methodological strategy that uses "game design elements in non-game contexts" (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, and Nacke 2011). The purpose of gamification is to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems. This chapter describes examples of Spanish content gamifications that integrate different game…

Robin (n.d.) defines digital storytelling as "the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories", stressing that "they all revolve around the idea of combining the art of telling stories with a variety of multimedia, including graphics, audio, video, and Web publishing" (n.p.). While engaging in digital storytelling,…

Creative writing can be both an effective and attractive English learning activity at university departments where students speak English as a Second Language (ESL). Language skill courses might not be always effective enough in improving learners' communicative skills and motivating them to learn, particularly when adopting old style…

Self-Directed Learning (SDL) has been the focus of attention on the part of scholars for at least four decades. However, it is with the advent of technology and the possibilities offered by the Internet that researchers and practitioners have begun to look more closely at what students do autonomously to support their own learning outside of the…

Language classrooms are complex systems, but theory often simplifies these processes making researching effectiveness difficult. Assemblage theory -- a theory of complexity in the social sciences -- allows us to examine complexity in the language classroom. In this paper, I present an account of the language classroom that captures the complexity,…

This paper explores how floor programmable robotics can be used during play to promote language development. This paper describes a two-day pilot in two early years classrooms and presents data collected on children's perception of the Irish language and using robotics. A sample of 48 children (age range six to seven years) took part in a robotics…

Embodied Learning (EL) is now an emerging teaching paradigm that takes into consideration the impact of bodily movements into the learning process. This paradigm, in combination with movement-based technologies, provides strategies and methods for delivering a more engaged and interactive lesson. Following previous empirical evidence, this study…

The aim of this paper is to look at the impact of recent reforms to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and Advanced Subsidiary (AS) curriculum in the UK, which included the teaching of literature in the language classroom in an attempt to make the study of languages more attractive and to better prepare students for university.…

This study explores the pedagogical use of "Astronautes Français Langue Seconde (Astronautes FLS)", a cooperative digital game, in second/foreign language (L2) French teaching. It has two goals: (1) to introduce "Astronautes FLS" and its conceptualization, and (2) to report the results of a feasibility study in which we…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a mobile User-Generated-Content (m-UGC) tool on enhancing primary students' vocabulary learning motivation and learning outcomes. A total of 40 primary students in Hong Kong participated in this study. The results showed using the m-UGC tool could increase primary students' learning…

This study explores the perceptions of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners and teachers on using tablets in their language classrooms, focusing on the device's four inherent affordances: learnability, usability, motivation, and willingness to use the technology. Adopting a quantitative and qualitative approach for data collection and…

Crowdsourcing not only opens new perspectives within the general concept of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), but also raises questions about ethics, motivation, and fair contribution. Technology offers platforms such as Duolingo, Bussu, and Babbel for learning languages with active contribution of the learners. Such applications reach…

With the recent developing trend of redefining 'culture' across disciplines in intercultural and foreign language education (Corbett, 2003; Shaules, 2007; Spencer-Oatey & Franklin, 2010), it is widely agreed that culture requires a broader definition to improve the teaching and learning of it. Wilkinson (2012) suggests "a redefinition of…

This study investigates the effectiveness of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) speaker as a device used for interactions in a foreign language (L2), and a tracking eye installed on the speaker to reduce L2 anxiety. L2 anxiety is an urgent issue since the anxiety derived from a fear of being judged, being negatively evaluated, or being rejected by…

Interacting with peers can be difficult for some students, due to their personality as well as to their learning styles. This paper shows how the Task-Based Approach (TBA) can be implemented and how digital resources can be used in language teaching and learning to enhance the students' experience and foster autonomy. To do so, I describe tasks I…