Support Language Learning Research Articles

Lexical Density in English Textbook of Junior High School

This study aims to examine lexical density in reading texts in English textbooks “English for Nusantara” for junior high schoolstudents using critical discourse analysis. The study used a qualitative approach with a content analysis research design. In this study, critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to investigate the meanings contained in the text in order to provide an understanding of how the reading text conveys deeper meanings and influences the reader's perceptions, as well as providing insight into the broader implications of language use in educational contexts. This research found the high lexical density of 11.5 it was indicated a greater concentration of meaningful content, which often correlates with increased complexity and richness of vocabulary. By revealing a high lexical density, the educators can foster critical thinking, cultural awareness, and a deeper connection to students' heritage. This research advocates for a more thoughtful and contextually aware approach to curriculum design, ensuring that reading materials effectively support language learning and literacy development while fostering a strong connection to students' heritage and identity.

Innovative Strategies for Learning English during Wartime in Ukraine: Focusing on Students’ Motivation and Preferences

This article examines the innovative strategies implemented for developing English language learning in Ukraine during wartime. The study’s international significance lies in examining language learning in a conflict zone, contributing to a global understanding of how education adapts to crisis. The study focuses on understanding and addressing students’ motivations, preferences, and habits in this unique context. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative analysis of survey responses with qualitative insights to understand students’ perspectives. The survey, conducted among first-year students in five Ukrainian universities, identified four key aspects crucial to understanding the dynamics of language education amidst adversity: types of English language learning activities, setting language learning goals, preference for learning environments, learning modalities, and self-study habits. Each aspect provides valuable insights into students’ approaches, challenges, and motivations in their language learning journey. The findings of this study reveal a strong preference for media-based and interactive learning methods among students in Ukraine during wartime. This preference underscores the effectiveness of engaging in activities like watching movies in English and practising conversation with native speakers. The study also highlights a balanced approach to goal-setting, with a significant focus on both short-term milestones and long-term aspirations. It emphasises the importance of flexible learning environments and adaptive educational strategies in supporting language learning during challenging circumstances. Recommendations include leveraging technology, promoting goal-setting skills, and fostering supportive learning environments to enhance English language education in similar contexts.

Responding to the needs of refugee learners in schools in Wales during the pandemic

ABSTRACT This research investigated how schools and staff in Wales were able to respond to the needs of refugee learners and their families during COVID-19 school lockdowns. Interviews were conducted with a purposive sample (n = 12) of educators working with refugee learners in primary and secondary schools across Wales, including headteachers, class teachers, English as an Additional Language (EAL) specialists, and bilingual teaching assistants. The findings suggest that most refugee learners were able to take advantage of alternative teaching arrangements for vulnerable learners during these periods and were supported to develop digital skills and use online resources. Refugee families were, however, at increased risk of social isolation, and often had fewer resources to facilitate home schooling. Staff requested specific training and improved communication links to more fully understand the cultural backgrounds and additional needs of refugee learners. Schools also need a coherent strategy and budget allocation to provide adequate support for on-going language learning and acquisition of basic skills, which might include the development of alternative curricula and qualifications for refugee learners, where appropriate.

Lesson From Pedagogical Translation: Translation as a Learning Strategy in English Education Program

This study examined the function of translation as a pedagogical instrument in English language education programs, highlighting its possible advantages and drawbacks as a learning technique. This study used a qualitative approach to gain data through documentation and interviews with EFL learners at the university. The findings indicate that translation can significantly aid language acquisition when employed in conjunction with communicative approaches, particularly by improving vocabulary acquisition, grammatical comprehension, and cultural awareness among learners. Equilibrating translation with alternative interactive language learning methods is crucial to prevent overreliance on the first language (L1), which could impede natural language processing in the target language (L2). It can be concluded that Translation, when combined with communicative methods, greatly supports language learning by boosting vocabulary, grammar, and cultural understanding.

The Effect of the Mobile Application on Students’ Achievement, Readiness and Technology Acceptance

The purpose of this study is to develop a mobile learning application for teaching vocabulary learning in order to support English as a foreign language education and to test its effectiveness. In this study, carried out in two phases, the multi-phase mixed method, which allows using qualitative and quantitative methods, was used. In the first phase (Phase 1), a Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) application was developed. At this phase, the study group consists of 14 students who have previously taken English courses in web-supported learning environments at a university. In accordance with the ADDIE model, a needs analysis was carried out first, the application was developed in the light of the results and in line with the opinions of the field experts, and the application was finalized with pilot studies. In the second phase of the study (Phase 2), the effectiveness of the mobile learning application was tested. For this purpose, the effects of MALL application on students' academic achievement, technology acceptance and technological readiness were examined. For this study, an experimental study lasting four weeks was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. In the experimental study, whose study group consisted of 61 students taking English courses at the same university; as pre-test and post-test, achievement tests and scales were administered to the experimental and control groups. According to the data obtained from the study, it was found that the mobile assisted language learning environment is more effective than the web supported learning environment in terms of students’ academic achievement; however, no significant difference was observed on students' acceptance levels and readiness. As a result of the research, it is recommended that MALL applications should be used to support language learning. Additionally, it is thought that this study can be a guide for researchers who want to conduct studies for developing mobile-assisted language learning applications.

Artificial Intelligence in Academic Writing: A Literature Review

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology in education. This review focused on the intersection of AI tools and academic writing, addressing challenges such as plagiarism, language barriers, and feedback processes. The problem statement revolved around the increasing integration of AI in academic contexts, which offered opportunities for improved student learning but raised concerns over ethical issues such as plagiarism and over-dependence on AI-generated content. The purpose of this review was to critically review highly cited studies on the use of AI in academic writing, identifying AI tools and key findings. Research questions guiding this review included: 1) Which highly cited studies related to AI and academic writing, published since 2020, were identified as relevant? 2) Which AI had been utilised for academic writing? and 3) What findings had been reported in these previous studies? Methodologically, the review employed keyword searches in Google and Scopus databases to identify highly cited, open-access articles published since 2020. This resulted in the selection of 11 studies that spanned various AI tools in academic writing. Findings indicated that ChatGPT was the most frequently used AI tool, employed for tasks such as academic text generation, plagiarism detection, and language learning support. The review also highlighted ethical concerns, particularly regarding plagiarism, content accuracy, and the risk of over-reliance on AI. The implications were both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, this review demonstrated AI’s expanding influence in educational theory, especially in scaffolding learning for non-native English speakers. Practically, AI tools offered personalised feedback and enhance writing outcomes, though educators must implement these tools responsibly to prevent over-reliance. In conclusion, while AI tools showed great promise in improving academic writing, future research should address ethical concerns, enhance the accuracy of AI-generated content, and develop frameworks that balance AI assistance with the promotion of critical thinking skills.

Construction of a Japanese Language Learning Support System that Enables Word Accent Learning

Construction of a Japanese Language Learning Support System that Enables Word Accent Learning

A topic map based learning management system to facilitate meaningful grammar learning: the case of Japanese grammar learning

This study investigates the effect of studying with topic maps provided by a self-developed language learning support system on (a) learning perception, (b) learning achievement and (c) variation in learning attitude and motivation, from the perspective of prior learning attitude, motivation and learning style. An analysis was conducted on the learning data of 90 participants for examining pre-test and post-test scores, learning perception, learning style indicators, attitude and motivation rankings before and after the study of target Japanese grammar content with the support of the system. The findings suggest that learners with high attitude/motivation perceived greater development of the habit of “learning from the comparison of related knowledge” and felt more satisfied with the learning situation in the system environment. Furthermore, the learners' attitude towards Japanese grammar learning and their motivation toward Japanese language learning were significantly stronger after the learning activity. It is also observed that (a) learner attitude towards Japanese grammar after studying with the system only had a positive correlation to prior attitudes; and (b) learner motivation towards Japanese language after studying with the system correlated highly with prior motivation and perception of development of the habit of “learning from the comparison of related knowledge.” Finally, from a learning style perspective, the analysis result suggests that “Global learners” expressed a stronger feeling about the usefulness of the comparison function of the system and their increment in motivation after using the system was higher than for “Sequential learners.” Moreover, between learning style indicators in the Sequential/Global dimension and level of learner expertise in the reported mental load scale, a significant interaction effect was found.

Enhancing technological sustainability in academia: leveraging ChatGPT for teaching, learning and evaluation

Purpose This study aims to investigate the evolving role and impact of ChatGPT in higher education. It seeks to understand the applications, benefits and challenges associated with ChatGPT, focusing on its potential to enhance teaching, learning and assessment while addressing ethical considerations in the educational context. Design/methodology/approach Using a comprehensive literature review approach, this study systematically examined 29 existing studies and scholarly works related to ChatGPT in higher education. Synthesizing these findings offers a multifaceted view of the subject, encompassing applications, advantages, limitations and ethical implications. Findings The study indicates that ChatGPT can have a significant impact on personalized learning, lesson planning, providing feedback, creating study materials, generating quizzes and exam questions, supporting language learning, offering virtual teaching assistance, tutoring and fostering critical thinking. However, it also sheds light on the ethical issues and challenges associated with its use, including privacy and data protection, transparency and alignment with educational principles. Practical implications This study underscores the practical applications of ChatGPT in higher education, offering insights that can significantly enhance teaching, learning and assessment practices. By leveraging ChatGPT, institutions can personalize learning experiences and provide tailored feedback and streamlined assessment processes, thereby improving student engagement and understanding. In addition, the integration of ChatGPT as a virtual teaching assistant can enhance teaching effectiveness and efficiency by supporting classroom activities, providing additional resources and answering students’ questions in real-time. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in its comprehensive exploration of ChatGPT’s applications in higher education, offering a balanced perspective on opportunities and ethical considerations. By providing valuable insights, it equips educators and institutions with a deeper understanding of the ChatGPT’s potential and challenges in the educational landscape.

Enhancing Metalinguistic Awareness Through Microlearning: A Comparative Analysis of Catalan Acquisition Between Multilingual French and English Learners

Knowing that previously learned languages may influence and support language learning among multilingual learners, equipping educators with diverse tools and resources empowers them to make more informed decisions in facilitating language learning. This holds particular significance in the case of minority languages like Catalan, where resource availability tends to be more restricted. This paper presents the findings of a project aimed at identifying the specific needs of multilingual B1 learners of Catalan. Using a comprehensive five-way classification system, the study compares the written productions of multilingual learners from different linguistic backgrounds (English and French L1 learners of Catalan). Analyses revealed a similar pattern regarding the nature of the errors, with incorrect word selections at the lexical-semantic, syntactic, and orthographic levels being the most frequent. Both groups differ significantly in terms of the distribution of errors; however, they did not differ when the analyses were conducted by error types. In both cases, the most frequent error was the lexical-semantic misselections, with false analogies and incomplete applications of rules explaining the errors. These findings led to the creation of just-in-time microlearning capsules tailored to address these issues. The microlearning capsules were designed to enhance students' metalinguistic awareness. Students' and teachers' perceptions of the tool were also assessed, and both groups predominantly viewed interlinguistic information as beneficial to language learning. This project highlights how microlearning, tailored to frequent errors, can bolster multilingual learners' acquisition and provides promising tools for language teaching.

Sign language recognition using convolutional neural network

: Sign language detection plays a vital role in enhancing accessibility, communication, and inclusion for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is an essential tool that facilitates smooth communication in various environments, such as schools, workplaces, healthcare settings, and daily interactions. By accurately identifying and interpreting sign language gestures, this technology helps bridge communication barriers between sign language users and those unfamiliar with it, ensuring equal access to information and services. In education, this technology supports language learning, literacy, and academic achievement for deaf students. In healthcare, reliable sign language detection ensures that medical information and consultations are conveyed clearly, improving care quality for deaf patients. In the workplace, it promotes inclusivity by enabling effective communication between deaf employees, their colleagues, and clients, fostering equal opportunities and professional growth. Additionally, during emergencies, this technology can save lives by facilitating swift and precise communication between emergency responders and deaf individuals. When incorporated into assistive technologies, sign language detection enables deaf individuals to independently handle everyday tasks, such as accessing digital content, using smart devices, and engaging in online interactions.

ChatGPT in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Study of the Literature. Friend or Foe?

This paper presents a qualitative, high-quality State-of-the-Art (SotA) extended literature review on integrating ChatGPT, an advanced and contemporary natural language processing model, a sophisticated AI-powered chatbot that OpenAI developed in higher education. Snyder (2019, p.1) emphasised that "a literature review as a research method is more relevant than ever”. According to Barry et al (2022, p. 663), "the fundamental purpose of SotA literature review is to create a 3-part argument about the state of knowledge for a specific phenomenon: This is where we are now. This is how we got here. This is where we could go next”. This 3-part argument will underpin this study. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to transform various sectors, including education, integrating AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to enhance teaching and learning has become a topic of significant interest. This study explores the diverse applications of ChatGPT in higher education, including pedagogical practices, student engagement, intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning, language learning support, academic research, feedback, grading, and administrative support. Additionally, it identifies the challenges and ethical concerns this technology poses, focusing on bias, privacy, data security, reliability, accountability, accuracy and the balance between human interaction and artificial intelligence. Analysing the literature on ChatGPT’s role in higher education presents future directions for implementing it in higher education settings, ushering in an era of exciting possibilities. The research concludes that higher education institutions should provide clear and transparent guidelines for their staff and students on using ChatGPT responsibly for academic purposes to mitigate any ethical concerns.

Teacher gestures bridge meaning: Unpacking teacher gesture in storybook read alouds to support vocabulary

Teacher gesturing is an effective strategy for promoting vocabulary learning during book reading in early childhood settings. While studies find significant variation in teachers’ use of gesture, existing studies have not explored within-teacher and across-book differences in gesturing, reducing the ability to better understand how teachers and books drive gesturing to support language learning. To address this gap, this study investigated the gestures of nine teachers across 108 observations of the same 12 books to understand factors that explain teachers’ frequency of gesturing and the ways in which teachers gesture. Using mixed methods, we estimated multilevel models and descriptive statisics to examine whether books and teacher characteristics explained teachers’ frequency of engaging in representational and iconic gestures and employed multimodal content analysis and a grounded theory approach to better understand how and why certain books elicit more of these gestures across teachers. Study findings show greater within teacher variability in frequency of gesturing as a function of book, a positive association between teacher expertise and frequency of representational gesturing, and that teachers gestured to create emotive, conceptual, and animation bridges to connect the text and illustration to support student understanding of the language in picture books. Results showed that the content of the text also explained teacher gesturing, and thus that gesturing is not solely a teacher trait, but also reflects qualities of the text. Gesture research and practice should continue to consider text selection as critical to promoting this pedagogical strategy.

Executive functioning and nonverbal cognitive factors associated with response to technology-assisted language intervention

ObjectiveTo explore potential differences in the relationship between executive function (EF) skills and language development when integrating augmentative and alternative communication technology into speech-language therapy for deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) children. MethodRandomized trial data were analysed to investigate this relationship among children who participated in a Technology-Assisted Language Intervention (TALI) compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Language samples were assessed for pre-post-intervention changes, including mean length of utterance in morphemes (MLU), mean turn length (MTL), and number of different words spoken (NDW). EF skills were measured with standardized parent-report assessment. ResultsThirty-seven DHH children were included (TALI n = 19 and TAU n = 18). Results of regression models indicated that higher EF skills were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with improvements in MLU, MTL, and NDW among children who received TAU. No significant associations between EF skills and any of the measures (MLU, MTL, NDW) were seen in children who received TALI. ConclusionThese results suggest that TALI may offer language learning support, particularly for DHH children with EF difficulties. Future research should investigate the direct relationship between EF measurements and language outcomes in TALI recipients. Establishing baseline EF measurements in DHH children could inform personalized strategies within language interventions and therapy.

Language Learning Strategies of Maritime Students

Language learning strategies for maritime students might differ depending on their individual requirements and programs. In this premise, this study aimed to determine the extent of Language Learning Strategies by Maritime Students in a private school in a highly urbanized city in the central Philippines during the first semester of the School Year 2023-2024 as the basis for the language mastery program. The data needed for this descriptive research framework, coupled with statistical analysis to investigate the language learning strategies, was collected from 438 first-year maritime students using a standardized questionnaire. The results indicate that most parents hold graduate-level education, influencing academic environments. Most students are enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation, with a balanced distribution of private and public school backgrounds. The study examines language learning strategies used by maritime students, finding moderate utilization in both direct and indirect dimensions. The study highlights the importance of tailored language learning support in marine education, enhancing language learning practices and promoting practical communication skills for professional endeavors. Moreover, it reveals notable language learning strategy employment variations among BSMT and BSMarE students. BSMT students showed slightly higher engagement in metacognitive aspects, while BSMarE students showed moderate engagement in affective and social strategies. The overall mean suggests areas for improvement in language learning behaviors. The study compares language learning strategies among maritime students and reveals significant differences based on a program of study. Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation students show higher engagement; in contrast, BSMarE students show no significant difference. The findings suggest tailoring specific language learning strategies to enhance students’ proficiency and academic success. Specialized support programs tailored to academic specializations and collaborative efforts among language teachers and faculty across programs are essential to enhancing language learning in maritime education. Keywords: Education, language learning, maritime, strategies, private school, central Philippines

Current Insights on Using Social Robots to Support Second Language (L2) International Students in Higher Education

New digital technologies such as social robots are embodied computers with human-like features and conversational capabilities that can socially interact with people. Social robots have been used in education as a learning tool to support second language learning. This essay discusses current research literature that has explored how social robots could be utilized to support second language (L2) international students studying at English-speaking universities. Insights into the potential application and limitations of using social robots to support L2 students outside their home countries to promote their social and academic well-being will also be discussed. Based on a synthesis of current and relevant research gathered from the literature, the affordances of using social robots for L2 students included learning L2 through human-robot interactions, enhanced motivation, and engagement in their learning environments. However, the limitations of the use of this technology included attitudes towards robot-assisted learning (e.g., unfamiliarity with learning with a social robot) and the novelty effect of social robots. Further research is needed to deepen our understanding of not only the role of social robots for supporting language learning, but also how they could aid L2 students in their successful transition to a foreign university, culture, and social context.

Inclusion in the learning game: Applying considerations from cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, and SLA to language learning activity and materials design

Considering the need for pedagogically effective learning activities and materials to support language learning, particularly within teacher-led instruction, it is curious that at present there is no overarching, research-based framework available to educators to draw from when designing and implementing such activities and materials. To address this gap, the authors of this paper have drawn from a host of relevant research pertaining to cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, and second language acquisition to establish a framework for designing and implementing activities and learning materials capable of facilitating enhanced language learning outcomes within an inclusive classroom. Incorporating ten key considerations – attention and focus, desirable difficulty, depth of processing, deliberate practice, novelty and surprise, wakeful rest, visible learning, meaningful feedback, affective engagement, and strategic choice and use – this versatile framework not only provides teachers with necessary knowledge for designing language learning activities and materials in an engaging and efficacious manner but may also embolden them to do so.

A longitudinal study of enjoyment and group-level emotion regulation in online collaborative English language learning

This study investigates the dynamic connection between two emotional constructs, enjoyment and group-level emotion regulation (co- and socially-shared regulation), during one 21-week semester of online collaborative English language learning. The study involved 268 Chinese undergraduate English-major students who completed a series of English writing tasks in 88 online groups of three or four members. During their online collaboration, participants were invited to complete the enjoyment scale and the emotion regulation scale at three separate times at seven-week intervals. When analyzing the data, a latent growth curve (LGC) modeling approach was employed to examine the intercepts and slopes of participants’ scaled responses to questions regarding enjoyment, co-regulation, and socially-shared regulation and to analyze the covariance between them. The findings reveal that participants’ levels of enjoyment and group-level emotion regulation were generally high at the initial stage of their online collaboration and continued to increase toward the end of the semester. Furthermore, an increase in the level of their enjoyment was significantly and positively associated with an increase in the levels of both their co- and socially-shared regulation, with the relationship with socially-shared regulation during online collaborative learning being stronger. These findings will enable language teachers to develop strategies for supporting language learners’ emotion regulation in online contexts.

Developing and evaluating an immersive augmented reality application for children with developmental communication disability: InterPlay for language learning

Purpose This study aimed to examine the views of professionals working with children with developmental communication disability (e.g. associated with developmental disability, autism, developmental language disorder) on the features underlying effective augmented reality (AR) applications for language learning and education; and design, build, and evaluate a prototype AR application (InterPlay) to support language learning for children with developmental communication disability. Method A three-stage design methodology was used to (a) identify opportunities for AR to support children with developmental communication disability; (b) create a prototype application to provide an identified support; and (c) evaluate the features of AR that may afford the best support, using the InterPlay prototype as a foundation for discussion. Result Expert reference focus groups identified support opportunities and key design considerations, informing development of a prototype AR application, InterPlay. Evaluation identified a further four key themes: (a) designing an accessible reality, (b) integrating physical and virtual realities, (c) barriers to access and usability, and (d) contrasting new and existing technology. Conclusion Findings highlighted the need for careful consideration in the design and implementation stages of AR development to ensure AR applications are accessible and beneficial for children with developmental communication disability.

Utilising AI-powered Chatbots for Learning Endangered Nigerian Languages and Considerations for Their Development

Younger generations in Nigeria increasingly use English over their native languages, leading to a decline in indigenous language use in public and professional settings and risking language loss. Consequently, this study explores the potential of AI-powered chatbots in aiding the learning of endangered Nigerian languages. The objectives are to determine how chatbots can support language learning, identify the essential functionalities required for effective learning, and outline design considerations to address the specific challenges faced by these languages. The research employs a qualitative approach, using secondary data from existing literature on language revitalisation, AI chatbots, and Nigerian languages. The analysis reveals that AI chatbots can significantly enhance language learning through features such as handling tonal distinctions and syntactic operations present or allowed in the languages, providing feedback, and engaging learners. Practical design considerations for developers include integrating these functionalities to create effective language-learning tools. These findings suggest that integrating AI technology into language preservation efforts can offer an innovative solution to revitalise endangered Nigerian languages and ensure their continued use among future generations.