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Self-directed professional development of Thai pre-service English teachers in rural Thailand: Adapting to limited resources and technology integration
No full textThis study explores how Thai pre-service English teachers (PSTs) engage in self-directed professional development (SDPD) during their rural teaching practicum, where resource constraints and technological limitations challenge traditional teacher preparation. Drawing on Garrison’s Self-Directed Learning model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, Morris and Rohs’s Digital SDL Framework, and a culturally sensitive reinterpretation of SDPD, the study employed a mixed-methods design. Data were collected from 49 PSTs through a structured questionnaire and from four purposively selected participants through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results indicated high SDPD engagement, with PSTs actively searching for teaching ideas, experimenting with techniques, and reflecting on their practice. However, much of this self-direction was relational, being supported by peer discussions, mentor guidance, and LINE-based collaboration networks. Qualitative findings further revealed challenges in adapting university-based lesson plans to rural, under-resourced classrooms, alongside struggles with classroom management and limited digital infrastructure. Digital tools and AI applications, such as ChatGPT and online resources, supported SDPD by enhancing lesson planning and creative approaches, though teachers noted concerns about information overload and an overreliance on algorithmic content. The study contributes a culturally contextualized understanding of SDPD as relational and socially mediated rather than purely individualistic, highlighting how Thai PSTs blend personal initiative with collective support. These insights have implications for teacher education policy and practice, emphasizing the need to prepare PSTs for rural realities through critical digital literacy training, authentic scenario-based methods, and a recognition of culturally relevant peer networks
Research on Voscreen in English language education: A systematic literature review and content analysis
No full textRecently, there has been a surge in adopting mobile-assisted learning technologies, particularly mobile language learning apps (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, and Memrise). Despite being a promising mobile tool, Voscreen has yet to receive due recognition from academics worldwide. Regional studies have not investigated this mobile app, leaving manifold gaps in the literature regarding its pedagogical affordances and drawbacks. To this end, combining systematic literature review and content analysis, this study intends to fill this literature gap. It aims to systematically review all publications (e.g., research articles, reviews, conference papers) on Voscreen in English until 2023. Adopting the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the study examined 12 publications systematically and content-wise. The study’s motivation is twofold: (i) to document the research on Voscreen in English language education contexts and identify its advantages and disadvantages and (ii) to guide future research by revealing the research gaps. The results indicate a regional concentration on the app’s impact on language learning, the prevalence of specific skills (e.g., listening and vocabulary), less methodological diversity, and several technical limitations. However, positive user attitudes and efficiency in aural and lexical improvement are also cited, underscoring the app’s importance. The article concludes the limitations of the review studies and directions for future research, highlighting the need for ongoing exploration and development in this field
The integration of generative artificial intelligence into digital multimodal composing in second language classrooms: a scoping review from the perspective of tasks
No full textWith the rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), integrating it into digital multimodal composing (DMC) has created innovative pedagogical opportunities for second language (L2) education. In the current research, the integration of GenAI into DMC, particularly how it facilitates task design and implementation in DMC, remains insufficiently explored. This scoping review investigates two questions. (1) In what forms is GenAI integrated into DMC tasks in L2 classrooms? (2) What specific pedagogical roles does GenAI perform in DMC task design and implementation? Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), 12 empirical studies were selected and analyzed. Three forms of GenAI-assisted DMC tasks were identified, and GenAI fulfilled five functional roles. The findings further suggest that the pedagogical functions of GenAI blur the conventional boundaries of the task phases, driving a shift towards more dynamic and functionally structured language tasks. The research redefines GenAI-assisted DMC tasks as dynamic instructional practices co-constructed by teachers, students, and GenAI. The study proposes a task design framework, namely role identification–interaction and forms–instruction design, and calls for future research to validate this framework and expand GenAI applications across diverse contexts and disciplines. This review claims that GenAI should be positioned not only as a tool but as an interactive agent in meaning-making in L2 DMC tasks
Exploring the relationship between growth mindset, self-efficacy, anxiety, and perceived learning performance in AI-enhanced language learning
No full textDespite the extensive studies of psychological states in computer or mobile assisted language learning, studies on learners’ growth mindset, self-efficacy, and anxiety in the AI learning setting are limited. The present study sets the goal of unveiling the relationship among growth mindset, self-efficacy, anxiety, and perceived learning performance in AI-enhanced language learning. By analyzing 437 valid questionnaire results, the overall finding suggested the mediating role of learning anxiety and growth mindset in influencing learners’ perceived performance in AI-enhanced language learning. The findings also showed a positive relationship among self-efficacy, growth mindset and their perceived learning performance. Based on the findings, the paper puts forward some practical suggestions to improve the use of AI for language education
Creating opportunities for cross-border interaction: Insights from a synchronous Japan-Taiwan virtual exchange
No full textIn recent years, virtual exchanges (VEs) have gained popularity due to their numerous benefits such as encouraging student autonomy and motivation, cross-border interaction, and intercultural learning experiences. This shift has been driven by increasing globalization, advances in communication technology, and travel restrictions during the pandemic. Despite the desire to conduct online exchanges, differring schedules, time zones, and institutional requirements do not always permit instructors to include them as part of their class activites. The Japan-Taiwan virtual exchange described in this article is an example of how a synchronous VE can be implemented effectively in a short time frame to offer students the opportunity to practice language skills and gain experience communicating internationally. This article briefly discusses the design and implementation of a short-term VE between students in Japan and Taiwan, highlighting the benefits and challenges faced. Following the description and discussion of the exchange, avenues for improvement are suggested
Student perspectives on AI use in language learning
No full textThe release of ChatGPT has placed AI firmly back in the CALL spotlight, with researchers and educators considering how the newest iterations of AI chatbots can best facilitate language learning. Many are also concerned about the ethical and pedagogical implications of these emergent technologies. One often-overlooked aspect in the CALL literature on AI is the perspectives of learners themselves. How and to what extent are they already using AI tools? What AI-based practices do they consider academically honest? How do they view the effects of using AI tools on their own language acquisition? This study investigates these questions by analysing the survey responses of 115 learners of English at a Japanese university. Results indicate that most learners had already used AI tools in their academic writing, with tools that provide automated feedback on grammar being the most frequently used. The learners report using AI tools primarily to improve the form of their L2 output, rather than to generate or structure ideas themselves. Moreover, most of the learners feel that the former approach is ethically acceptable, while the latter approach is dishonest. Overall, the learners expressed positive beliefs about the potential of AI tools to improve not only their academic output, but also to develop their L2 writing proficiency more broadly
A synthesis of research on L2 vocabulary learning through audiovisual input and on-screen text
No full textGiven the cognitive and pedagogical affordances of audiovisual materials and ongoing technological advancements, there is an increasing need to explore how they can be optimized for effective second language (L2) learning (Montero Perez, 2022). The multimodal nature of audiovisual input, particularly when enhanced with on-screen text, offers significant potential for developing multifaceted vocabulary knowledge. This narrative review synthesizes key theoretical frameworks, including Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer, 2021), Krashen’s Input Hypothesis (Krashen, 1982), Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978), and Bjork’s Desirable Difficulties (Bjork, 1994), alongside recent empirical findings. We examine the pedagogical potential of various types of on-screen text (e.g., L1 captions, L2 captions, and bilingual subtitles), identify gaps in the existing literature, discuss methodological challenges and highlight promising directions for future research. By doing so, this review seeks to deepen our understanding of how audiovisual input enhanced with on-screen text can support the development of complex L2 vocabulary knowledge in an increasingly digital learning landscape.
Electronic L1 and L2 glosses’ impact on vocabulary acquisition of Moroccan English as a foreign language learners
No full textWith the growing interest in integrating ICT in the EFL classroom, the present study investigates the impact of electronic first language (L1) translations and second language (L2) definitions glosses on incidental vocabulary learning and retention among Moroccan EFL learners. 172 first-year university students participated in this study. The participants were divided into three groups: a control group with no glosses (NGG), and two experimental groups namely L1 electronic gloss (EL1GG) and L2 electronic gloss group (EL2GG). During the eight-week treatment, participants had to read texts without glosses or glossed with target vocabulary items as well as complete reading comprehension questions and vocabulary tests. The results of one-way ANOVA revealed that gloss conditions significantly outperformed the no-gloss condition. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews provided more information about learners' perceptions and preferences regarding gloss language. The study also emphasizes the importance of considering individual learner differences and providing a choice of gloss type to cater for different learning styles and needs. Implications for researchers and EFL teachers are provided
A feel-good digital practice: Improving social emotional wellbeing through dialogue in Turkish tertiary context
No full textThe fundamental principle of positive psychology relies on the fact that becoming a happier person should be among the primary objectives of any educational activity. Adopting this basic tenet, this study aims to investigate whether a dialogic second language(L2) intervention on an interactive digital landscape can boost the social emotional wellbeing of young adult learners while helping them cope with the academic difficulties of acquiring a second language in the foundation year of an extremely competitive publicuniversity in Türkiye. An embedded experimental design was used to incorporate qualitative data within experimental research. Eighty-seven learners participated in this research and completed the Psychological Wellbeing Scale (Ryff & Keyes, 1995) both at the beginning and end of the 14-week study. The experimental group received a dialogic intervention involving the dialogic use of L2 in discussing critical and taboo social issues, conventionally avoided in mainstream English language teaching textbooks, conducted in internet-mediated dialogic space, namely, Google Classroom, in addition to regular L2 instruction. The dialogues were specially designed and revised according to the curricular requirements of the institution. To investigate learners’ emotional regulation and wellbeing, 10 digital classroom dialogues with emotional reactions of the participants were collected and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Analysis of wellbeing scale data indicates statistically meaningful differences between the groups in favor of the experimental group with a medium effect size. Qualitative findings show personal growth through discussing socially relevant and critical issues, building self-efficacy through increased practice in the target language, and building a more positive outlook through increased foreign language enjoyment (FLE), among other aspects relevant in positive psychology. Pedagogical implications are also discussed in the study.Keywords: dialogic education; second/foreign language acquisition; interactive digital landscape; dialogic intervention; positive psychology; emotional regulation; social emotional wellbein
Building writing self-efficacy in English language learners through interactive writing
No full textThis study investigates the effect of interactive writing strategies on the writing selfefficacy of EFL learners. Employing a quasi-experimental design, sixty participants were assigned to an experimental group engaging in interactive, collaborative writing activities and a control group receiving traditional instruction. The intervention lasted eight weeks, during which the experimental group participated in activities involving peer feedback, group drafting, and teacher guidance designed to foster engagement and support. The Writing Self-Efficacy Questionnaire was administered prior to and following the intervention to assess changes in learners’ confidence in their writing abilities. Results demonstrated a significant increase in self-efficacy levels among students who experienced interactive writing strategies compared to those in the control group. However, this study did not include direct measures of writing proficiency, limiting conclusions about skill development. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating structured, collaborative writing activities into EFL instruction to boost learners’ confidence and motivation. This research offers practical implications for language teachers, suggesting that interactive approaches can create a supportive classroom environment that enhances learners’ belief in their writing capabilities and encourages active engagement in the writing process