Synchronous Computer-mediated Communication Research Articles

Synchronous computer-mediated recasts, auditory processing, and categorical perception of VOT in stops: evidence from L2 Mandarin of Indonesian learners

ABSTRACT Purpose This study investigated the benefits of synchronous computer-mediated recasts for Indonesian-speaking learners in improving the categorical perception of voice onset time (VOT) in Mandarin stops. It also examined how individual differences in auditory processing predicted these benefits. Methodology Using an interventional design with pre- and posttests, 64 beginning Indonesian learners of second language (L2) Mandarin participated in a 17-week synchronous computer-mediated communication course. Half of the participants received one-on-one recasts for their nontarget-like utterances of Mandarin stops (/ph/-/p/, /th/-/t/, /kh/-/k/), while the other half served as the control group and received no such feedback. Classical categorical perception tests on a VOT continuum from Mandarin /ph/ to /p/ were administered through identification and discrimination tasks before, immediately after, and four weeks post-treatment. Auditory processing tests were also conducted to measure participants’ ability to encode spectral and temporal sound details. Findings Results showed that the recast group exhibited more pronounced improvement in VOT categorization, with significantly narrower boundary width and better between-category discrimination in both posttests compared to the control group. Regression analysis confirmed that individual differences in auditory processing significantly predicted the benefits of recasts. Originality/value These findings suggest that optimal, profile-matched instruction in a synchronous computer-mediated communication context can maximize L2 speech learning, aiding educators and researchers in setting evidence-based expectations and goals.

Effects of Task Complexity on Chinese EFL Learners’ Language Production in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

The pervasive use of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in second language (L2) learning has generated increasing interest among researchers in integrating SCMC with task-based language teaching (TBLT). This study examined the effects of task complexity on Chinese EFL learners’ language production in SCMC modality to develop optimal tasks that facilitate the learning of English in SCMC environments. Eighty-four intermediate Chinese EFL learners completed two interactive tasks (simple and complex) in dyads via text-based or video-based SCMC. Their English productions were transcribed and coded in terms of syntactic complexity, lexical complexity and accuracy for statistical analyses. The results indicated that increasing task complexity elicited significantly lower syntactic complexity in text-based SCMC, but without significant effects on syntactic complexity in video-based SCMC. Significantly higher lexical complexity and unaffected accuracy were observed in both SCMC modes as a result of an increase in task complexity. Regarding SCMC modality, text-based SCMC resulted in significantly lower syntactic complexity, but significantly higher lexical complexity and accuracy than video-based SCMC.

Exploring the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices of oral corrective feedback in synchronous computer-mediated communication

Exploring the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices of oral corrective feedback in synchronous computer-mediated communication

Educational Teacher-Student Communication During Emergency Remote Education

With the advent of synchronous computer-mediated communication technology, online educational communication is enabled by various apps, online platforms, and social networking sites that have been incorporated into the daily routine of teachers and students. The pandemic gave rise to an increase in virtual educational communication. However, in recent years, there has been a strong concern about the potential of virtual learning environments to serve the communication needs of students. Given that communication is ranked among the most noticeable in terms of the relationship between the learner and the teacher, the primary aim of the research is to explore whether online learning has an effect on communication between instructors and students in a negative way through the lens of recent research. The authors sought to understand the basic components of educational communication and their characteristics. The paper is a narrative literature review utilizing secondary research sources. We offer the following component structure: transmitter/receiver (communicators), channel, message, context, sound, assessment and evaluation, and feedback. The study found that the quality of the educational online communication depends on multiple factors: readiness of the communicators for active interaction; the level of training in using technology; diversified learning; and technology application; adaptation of teaching style to the online environment; obeying the principles of interaction: maxims of quality, quantity, relevance and manner; comprehensive assessment and evaluation mechanisms and a solid understanding of the educational communication process; ongoing feedback; emotional, community support and collaborative learning atmosphere; learning atmosphere.

Forty-two years of computer-assisted language learning research: A scientometric study of hotspot research and trending issues

AbstractFor years, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has thrived as an interdisciplinary subfield, linking applied linguistics and educational technology. Despite its significance and a number of syntheses, CALL research has not yet undergone a comprehensive scientometric synthesis. This study synthesizes CALL research over a period of 42 years by employing a scientometric analysis of sources and document co-citation analyses. Scopus was used to retrieve original articles with a timespan limit from 1980 to 2021. Our records identified 4,631 articles representing CALL-based research, which were published in 63 peer-reviewed journals and collectively contained 186,589 references. The findings indicate that CALL research is supported by robust theoretical frameworks, grounded in socio-cultural and second language acquisition theories. Our research findings have revealed several significant clusters of interest within the realm of CALL, with a pronounced focus on writing among CALL scholars. Additionally, the study identified emerging research areas such as mobile-assisted language learning, synchronous computer-mediated communication, and data-driven learning in CALL literature. Notably, “CALL-core” journals exhibited high productivity, with Language Learning & Technology, Computer Assisted Language Learning, and Computers & Education standing out as top-ranked journals in terms of the Hirsch index (h-index) and co-citation. Suggestions for future research are outlined in the conclusion.

Synchronous computer-mediated communication and task-based learning in the EFL classroom

Synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) offers second/foreign language (L2/FL) learners’ interactional environments that are unique to face-to-face (F2F) communication. Such modes have the potential to facilitate better learning outcomes under certain conditions. The aim of this study was to compare the capacity of two online modes – text chat and voice chat – to promote uptake of targeted vocabulary in an English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom setting. Three distinct tasks (opinion exchange, dictogloss, problem-solving task) were used to measure the effectiveness of both modes to facilitate immediate and delayed uptake compared to F2F communication. The study investigated: (1) how task design and communication mode affected EFL uptake; (2) the effect time allocation had; and (3) the degree to which task perceptions differed depending on communication mode. The effectiveness of the three modes and tasks was measured using a series of pre-tests and post-tests. Post-questionnaires and interviews were also conducted to gain insight into the participants’ perceptions of the tasks. The investigation revealed both similarities and differences in the way SCMC and F2F communication affected learner uptake and demonstrated that certain task design features, such as input, time allocation, and goal orientation, can play a role in the effectiveness of text chat and voice chat to promote uptake in the EFL classroom.

Review of effective methods of teaching a foreign language to university students in the framework of online distance learning: international experience

The research goal is to analyze the existing and most frequently used methods and competency-based approaches to distance learning of a foreign language. The tasks are formulated to achieve the goal. They involve classifying the methods of foreign language teaching based on the competency approach and identifying the effective methods. The methodological basis of this research includes methods of analyzing the practical experience of foreign language teaching based on a competency-based approach, synthesis of national and international experience, comparison of national models of the language environment, and generalization of sociological data. As a result of the conducted research, it has been revealed that among various methods, approaches related to information and communication technologies [ICT] are utilized most often. We believe that when teachers conduct courses using synchronous computer-mediated communication [SCMC] tools or platforms, students should be given opportunities to express their opinions. Most teachers recognize the creation of instructional videos as the most effective. According to the students, this type of activity also has the greatest learning effect and stimulates creativity. The scientific novelty of the research is the study of foreign language teaching methods based on a competency-based approach within the framework of online distance learning and the relationship of all interested parties, in other words, teachers, students, and educational institutions.

Synchronous and asynchronous online collaborative writing: A study on Chinese language learners

AbstractDespite the solid evidence that online collaborative writing (CW) tasks benefit language learning, little is known about whether the computer‐mediated communication (CMC) modality may impact the potential of online CW tasks in foreign language classrooms. This study examined the effect of task modality on the utility of CW tasks in language classrooms. Fourteen Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners completed Google Docs‐based CW tasks in two modalities: A synchronous CMC modality entailing video‐chatting in Zoom and an asynchronous CMC modality where learners interacted in Google Docs with delayed time. Through analyzing multiple data sources (i.e., peer interaction, written products, editing logs, interviews), we found that, while CMC modality did not impact writing performance, CFL learners had more language learning opportunities and more positive learning experiences in the synchronous mode than in the asynchronous one. The findings revealed multiple challenges that require attention when implementing asynchronous CW tasks in teaching.

Communication Technology and Teacher-Student Relationship in the Tertiary ESL Classroom During the Pandemic: A Case Study.

The study aims to present the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating communication technology (CT), namely synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) (e.g., Zoom Video Communications), computer-mediated communication (CMC) (e.g., WhatsApp), and social networking sites (SNS) (e.g., Instagram) into the tertiary classroom based on the honest account of four English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers during the pandemic. The authors intend to explore the efficacy of SCMC in lowering language anxiety and in fostering closer teacher-student relationship as suggested by the previous literature (Abraham in Comput Assist Lang Learn 21:199-226, 2008; Aristika and Juandi in Emerg Sci J 5:443-456, 2021; Darhower in Synchronous computer-mediated communication in the intermediate foreign language class: a sociocultural case study, University of Pittsburgh, 2000; Hagenauer and Volet in Oxf Rev Educ 40:370-388, 2014). Qualitative data collected from the authors' teaching reflections over a 13-week period were analyzed from a third-person perspective. The above collaborative autoethnography (CAE) approach was adopted in face of the then difficulties in data collection given factors such as social-distancing during the pandemic. The authors selected and agreed on the key observations, feelings, and anecdotes worth-examining in their first-time online teaching experience at informal group interviews facilitated by SCMC. It was identified by the authors that learners' text-based production in the target language increased possibly due to the novelty of online learning platforms, lower affective variables, and a closer teacher-student relationship fostered by teachers' increased self-disclosure and the reduced formality in communication technology. Despite the above potential benefits of CT in ESL, challenges, such as an increasingly blurred teacher-student professional distance, students' increased code-mixed production in their L1 and L2, and the resultant 'teacher burnout' due to the obscured concept of standard office hours, were observed. The incorporation of CT into English Language Teaching (ELT) is desirable for its potential benefits in the affective domain of both teachers and students. However, it is recommended that teachers should establish guidelines in the use of CMC and SNSs both inside and outside class to avoid boundary and privacy issues as well as deviation from the initial lesson objectives.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication in Language Learning Using VOSviewer and CitNetExplorer

Synchronous computer-mediated communication in the online language classroom has gained growing attention in the wake of the worldwide epidemic. Nevertheless, only a few researchers have studied it through bibliometric analyses. This study aimed to retrospect the previous development and figure out the role of intercultural competence, social presence, and corrective feedback in synchronous computer-mediated communication-based language learning. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to analyze previous studies (n = 1292) by VOSviewer and CitNetExplorer. The findings revealed prolific authors, sources, organizations, and regions in tables, which indicated that scholars in this field were mainly located in the USA and China. With a rising research tendency, several heated topics were also presented with VOSviewer. The findings also signified that intercultural competence, social presence, and corrective feedback all played an important role in synchronous computer-mediated communication-based language learning and they were interdependent. Implications for future studies were also discussed.

The effects of feedback timing on L2 development in written SCMC

Numerous studies have delved into the effects of interactional corrective feedback provided in the oral or written mode in the CALL environment (e.g.video-conferencing or text-based chat). Although previous research shows that several factors influence its effectiveness, a research area that merits more attention is the role of feedback timing operationalized as immediate or delayed intervention. The current study explores the role of timing when recasts, a corrective feedback technique, are provided in an unfocused, incidental manner addressing semantic and morphosyntactic features as they arise during written synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC). Fifty-eight young learners of English (M = 12.75 years old, SD = 1.2) were assigned to one of two experimental conditions that differed as to whether they received immediate recasts while performing a communicative task or delayed recasts after completing a task. The results show that delayed recasts led to greater L2 gains than immediate ones in the immediate postinteraction test especially when addressing semantic features; however, no difference was found between the two conditions two weeks after the intervention in the delayed postinteraction test.

The influence of a group of Chinese EFL teachers’ beliefs on lesson planning with video-based synchronous computer-mediated communication: A qualitative multiple case study

In recent years, Video-based Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (VSCMC) has been applied in EFL education for young Chinese learners. VSCMC teaching, as distinctive from face-to-face teaching, brings numerous planning challenges for teachers using technology. Research has shown that teacher beliefs significantly affect lesson planning for technology integration. However, teacher beliefs towards VSCMC specifically have been insufficiently studied in the field of EFL education for young learners. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how teacher beliefs influence lesson planning regarding VSCMC teaching. Semi structured interviews were conducted with six Chinese teachers of young EFL learners. The results indicated that participants had transitional pedagogical beliefs, strong self-efficacy beliefs, and a complex set of value beliefs towards VSCMC teaching. Accordingly, these beliefs motivated them to teach in VSCMC settings in particular ways and influenced their lesson planning processes in terms of determining learning objectives, designing course content, and choosing teaching methods.

Synchronous computer-mediated communication in pronunciation teaching: A survey study

Remote learning has been in the spotlight since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, notably boosting the development of distance learning in the last two years; as universities were obliged to close worldwide and lecturers had to teach online during lockdown, the use of Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (SCMC) started to prevail. Pronunciation instruction was not an exception. Indeed, in-person lectures had used technology to support face-to-face (F2F) education by using videos and articles in class. However, educators had to adapt rapidly to teach through video-based platforms. Although much investigation has been conducted on Computer-Assisted Pronunciation Training (CAPT), and researchers currently show more and more interest in the use of new technologies within the pronunciation classroom, little research has been done regarding the teaching methodologies applied in teacher-guided online pronunciation instruction.

Pre-task planning effects on learner engagement in face-to-face and synchronous computer-mediated communication

This study investigates the effects of pre-task planning on English as a second language (ESL) learners’ engagement in oral tasks in the face-to-face real-time communication (FTF) and synchronous video-based computer-mediated communication (SvCMC) modes. A total of 36 ESL learners performed two decision-making tasks (with versus without pre-task planning) in dyads in the FTF or the SvCMC mode. Their oral discourse of tasks was analysed via seven indicators in terms of behavioral, cognitive and social engagement. Their emotional engagement was captured via an interview immediately after the task performance. As the results showed, pre-task planning did not significantly affect the learners’ behavioral, cognitive and social engagement in either the FTF or the SvCMC condition. In SvCMC, more negotiations on content were produced when there was no planning time, but such a difference was not observed among the FTF learners. Mixed affective responses were reported on pre-task planning and the two task modalities. The findings yield pedagogical implications for second language (L2) teaching in the face-to-face and online contexts.

Anxiety No More: The EFL Students Voice On the Use FTF VS SCMC toward Their Speaking Anxiety

In this era, many researchers already conduct research on using CMC in the education field. Several researchers have explored using SCMC (audio and text) and ACMC to know the benefits for students' skills in a foreign language. However, this study explores using SCMC (audio and video) to know the students' perception of their speaking anxiety. The present qualitative study examines the students' voices using FTF or SCMC toward their speaking anxiety. This study aims to know the students' voices related to their speaking anxiety in English under two conditions: Face to face and Synchronous computer-mediated communication. These voices were presented by five students of English language education who were interviewed about using FTF and SCMC. The result shows that the participants prefer to use SCMC to reduce anxiety while they speak English. An analysis of data from the interview explicates that two themes were related to EFL students' speaking anxiety, including (1) fear of making mistakes and (2) feeling under pressure. The interview results also stated the advantages and disadvantages of both environments (FTF and SCMC). This study implies that SCMC can increase students' confidence in speaking English. Therefore, this paper suggests that teachers should provide a supportive environment and support their students in practicing speaking in English using SCMC.

An exploratory study of English-language learners’ text chat interaction in synchronous computer-mediated communication: functions and change over time

The use of text chat in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) could help remedy the widely reported lack of active involvement in online language learning. However, the nuances and complexities of learners’ text-chat actions warrant further examination. This exploratory study used observational data collected from 40 students in a graduate-level Academic English course at eight time points across a semester to analyze the functions of text-chat interaction in an SCMC setting and to capture how their text chat changed over time. This led to the identification of five functions of text-chat interaction (i.e. cognition, metacognition, socio-affect, organization, and technology), suggesting that cognitively meaningful learning occurred immediately through such interaction. Over time, there was a decline in the quantity of text-chat interactions. In addition, the patterns of chat between students and the teacher were somewhat different from those observed among students. In the former case, text quantity diminished, especially in the category of cognition; but in the latter, students engaged in more text chat with their peers to show affect, cognitive agreement, and disagreement over time. The study’s findings regarding the complex dynamics of an authentic process in SCMC language classrooms have considerable practical value in facilitating interaction in similar language-learning contexts.

Effectiveness of explicit and implicit corrective feedback in a video-based SCMC environment

The facilitative role of corrective feedback (CF) in second language (L2) acquisition has been attested in numerous empirical studies. However, despite the increasing popularity of video-supported tools in language education, few studies have examined the effectiveness of CF delivered through video chat. To address this gap, the current study investigated the effect of explicit and implicit corrective feedback (CF) on the acquisition of third person singular –s in a video-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) environment. Fifty-six Chinese learners of English were recruited and randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: explicit CF, implicit CF, and control. They completed two interactive tasks over two treatment sessions during which CF was delivered through video chat to the two treatment groups. The effect of CF treatment was assessed by an untimed grammaticality judgement task and an oral elicited imitation task at the time of pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest. The results indicated that the two treatment groups outperformed the control group on both assessment tasks and that there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. These results point to the benefits of CF in video-based SCMC and challenge the superiority of explicit CF over implicit CF.

Impact of extracurricular synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication between students and teachers on digital reading performance: Evidence from 53 countries/regions.

This study compared the effects of extracurricular synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (ASCMC) between students and teachers on students’ digital reading performance at different frequencies. 392,269 samples from 53 countries/regions that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 were collected. Multilevel regression analysis showed that SCMC negatively influenced digital reading performance across countries/regions. As the frequency decreased, the negative effect of SCMC diminished. In contrast, ASCMC at a moderately low frequency could facilitate digital reading performance in some countries/regions; however, as frequency increased, the positive effect became negative. These results showed that synchronicity played a role in predicting students’ digital reading performance. This study also explored the mediating effect of metacognition with Nelson and Naren’s metacognitive control-monitoring model. A multilevel mediation analysis proved that the effects of SCMC and ASCMC on digital reading performance were mediated by students’ metacognition of assessing credibility. Practical implications and suggestions for students’ self-paced learning were discussed with the purpose of promoting the effective use of extracurricular CMC between students and teachers and improving students’ digital reading achievement in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Peer interaction and attention to form in web-based synchronous and asynchronous L2 collaborative writing

Previous studies on web-based collaborative writing have shown that task modality impacts peer interaction patterns and attention to form. However, these studies have primarily focused on contrasting a face-to-face oral condition with a text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) environment. Few studies have compared peer interaction patterns and attention to form between text-based SCMC and text-based asynchronous computer-mediated communication (ACMC), the two common modes of computer-mediated communication. This study aimed at filling this research gap. Participants were 22 EFL learners who worked in self-selected pairs to complete two L2 collaborative writing tasks, one through text-based SCMC and the other text-based ACMC, using Google Docs. Patterns of interaction for each pair within each task mode were identified. Attention to form was measured through language-related episodes (LREs). Quality of attention to form was assessed via learners’ LRE engagement levels. The results show that task modality affected the occurrence but it did not affect the focus and outcome of LREs. Task modality, however, impacted peer interaction patterns and quality of attention to form, with more collaborative pair dynamics and elaborate LRE engagement being generated in text-based SCMC tasks.

Student Engagement and Language Learning: What, Why, and How?

Student Engagement and Language Learning: What, Why, and How?