Gi-Zen Liu

Background: Augmented reality (AR) emerges as a technology with considerable promise and substantial potential for pedagogical integration within language education contexts. However, there remains a scarcity of review studies exploring the best practices and principles for oral communication facilitation based on robust theoretical models or research‐proven theories.Objectives: This paper aims to explore the major constituents for achieving the successful outcomes of AR‐assisted oral communication, grounded in the theory‐based design model, and formulate theoretical guidelines to enhance the best practice facilitation process.Methods: Starting from 255 sources, 25 studies from the ISI Web of Science were selected through rigorous screening processes based on the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. Furthermore, the researchers adopted qualitative content analysis and complementary quantitative descriptive analysis for data synthesis in accordance with four key variables of the established model.Results and Conclusions: The results showed that the guided learner‐directed learning approach supported by constructionists and reflective learning mechanisms was identified as an effective pedagogical design. Additionally, educational practitioners could employ hybrid learning strategies, including situated, collaborative, self‐regulated and game‐based learning strategies, to facilitate effective verbal communication. Finally, besides augmenting location‐based content and facilitating contextual information and discussion, AR designers were advised to integrate personalised features such as self‐monitoring and evaluating and learner manipulation of virtual objects into system development to promote learners' locus of control and embodied cognition.

Background: The impact of digital gamified language learning on language achievement has been corroborated in the literature; however, its impact on language achievement, especially in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context needs further investigation. In addition, the related literature has not sufficiently confirmed the impact of digital gamified language learning on some psychological domains of EFL learning.Objectives: This study, therefore, employed a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods approach to explore the effects of digital gamified language learning using a mobile application (app) affordances on EFL learners' language achievement, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and ideal second language (L2) self.Methods: To this end, 36 EFL learners were randomly divided into two groups; one group was randomly assigned to the digital class, including 19 EFL learners, and the other group was assigned to the non‐digital class, consisting of 17 EFL learners. The digital learners did the digital gamified language learning activities individually and interactively and received peer and instructor feedback, whilst the non‐digital learners did the same language learning activities in printed format and received peer and instructor feedback. A language achievement test, the FLE scale, and the ideal L2 self‐scale were used to collect the quantitative data and an individual semi‐structured interview was carried out to gather the qualitative data.Results and Conclusions: One‐way ANCOVA, used to analyse the quantitative data, revealed that the digital and non‐digital classes improved the EFL learners' language achievement, FLE, and ideal L2 self; however, the digital learners outperformed their non‐digital counterparts in all the measures. Thematic analysis, utilised to analyse the qualitative data, uncovered some themes about the digital learners' positive and negative attitudes and perceptions towards the digital gamified language learning activities, clarifying the quantitative findings.Implications: Pedagogical implications are discussed.

With the rise of augmented reality (AR) and context-aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL), pedagogical designers in computer assisted language learning are increasingly developing authentic English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learning environments. However, there has been little research regarding the development of evidence-based principles for English for tourism purposes (ETP) through AR-based CAUL. The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary analysis of the design principles and develop a learning model based on a rigorous four-phase Design-Based Research procedure. The researchers first developed a location-based AR application for ETP and formulated the first set of design principles. This application was further tested and refined in an iterative process, with data collected from three different sources. The data collection methods included an online questionnaire, onsite observations, and semi-structured expert interviews. All the data was triangulated and analyzed, and a team of experts evaluated the design principles. Results showed that the technical affordances of mobile AR devices should form the basis for the design. The application needs to seamlessly provide multimodal scenery-based AR learning supports to fulfill individual needs in blended learning contexts. Furthermore, a user-friendly interface with personalized functions and a portfolio recording the learning progress needs to be included. Multimodal authentic ETP dialogs and terminology are also necessary in order to build students’ ETP speaking competence. Moreover, the learning material should be compatible with the main theories which drive language learning in CAUL. In light of the findings, a learning model was established to guide AR-based ETP learning and serve as template for future studies in other ESP fields.

Background: Given the advancement of mobile and sensing technology, the incorporation of augmented reality (AR) in context‐aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) has offered significant benefits to oral communication development in foreign language learning. Although a great number of studies have been dedicated in this field, only a little research was conducted to formulate a facilitation framework aligning with established learning theories or pedagogies.Objectives: This review thereby examined the facilitation tenets conducive to the best practice of AR‐based CAUL projects for oral communication enhancement and further established a AR‐guided CAUL framework.Methods: The researchers systematically reviewed 17 related empirical AR studies from Web of Science from 2000 to 2021 and synthesized the results with focused second language acquisition theories.Results and Conclusions: Three practical tenets were identified, including facilitating learner‐centred pedagogies with personal and contextual learning supports, incorporating constructivist learning design, and encouraging collaborative learning and higher‐order cognitive skills. Furthermore, in accordance with the synthesized results, a facilitation framework combining situated learning, learning‐by‐doing, and social constructivist design was developed to engage students in a learning, applying, and reflecting process in formal and informal learning contexts.Major Takeaways: For the best practice of oral communication through AR, this review study offers practical facilitation tenets and theoretical framework which are in alignment with research‐proven theories. It is expected that the framework could provide frontline educational practitioners with guidance to foster students' learning outcomes and interactions.

Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has recently attracted the researchers’ attention in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context; however, insufficient studies seem to have examined the role of online programmes in enhancing EFL learners’ ICC. The current study, therefore, employed a mixed-methods approach to explore EFL learners’ intercultural communicative effectiveness (ICE), a subcomponent of ICC, through telecollaborative language learning. Two intact classes, studying at a language institute, were selected as the participants of the study and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (henceforth referred to as the telecollaborative group) with 22 learners and a control group (henceforth referred to as the face-to-face group) with 20 learners. The learners in the telecollaborative group communicated with both native and non-native speakers of English by the means of online a/synchronous communication via Tandem, a language learning application, whilst the learners in the face-to-face group were taught intercultural issues during class time. The required quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an intercultural communication effectiveness scale and an individual semi-structured interview. One-way ANCOVA, applied to analyse the quantitative data, demonstrated that the EFL learners’ ICE and its six subscales of behavioural flexibility, interaction relaxation, interactant respect, message skills, identity maintenance, and interaction management were developed in both groups after sharing intercultural background with foreign speakers of English worldwide and with their classmates during class time. Thematic analysis, utilised to analyse the qualitative data, uncovered some themes and categories indicating the learners’ positive attitudes and perceptions towards the telecollaborative language learning activities. Practical implications are discussed next.

Background: Although conventional writing procedures are still the dominant instructional procedures in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, instructors are still struggling with time limitations to improve EFL students writing skills properly. Additionally, EFL students are not engaged in the writing process since they lack the required information about the writing tasks.Objectives: The present study, therefore, applied a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods approach to explore the impact of a flipped writing classroom on EFL students' writing skills (i.e. writing content, writing organization, and language use) and writing motivation on the one hand and possibly recommend a better instructional procedure for students' writing skills and writing motivation in EFL context on the other hand.Methods: To this aim, two intact classes were selected as the participants of the study. The two classes were randomly assigned to a flipped classroom with 27 EFL students and a non‐flipped classroom with 24 EFL students. The non‐flipped classroom was instructed through conventional writing instruction over 16 sessions whereas the flipped classroom was taught with the same content in a flipped writing mode in 10 sessions. Two timed writing tasks, a writing motivation scale, and an individual semi‐structured interview were used to gather the required data.Results and Conclusions: The findings indicated that the flipped writing classroom outperformed the non‐flipped writing classroom in improving the EFL students' writing performance, writing organization, language use, and writing motivation; however, no significant differences were found between the two groups' writing content. Moreover, the data analysis from the individual semi‐structured interview indicated that the flipped students had positive attitudes and perceptions towards the flipped writing classroom which further supported the quantitative findings.Implications: Practical implications for collaborative writing instruction using video clips and other electronic materials are suggested.

Background: The transition from teacher‐centred towards student‐centred approaches in English language teaching, accompanied by developments in educational technology, has attracted researchers' attention to reverse teaching or flipped class. The related literature asserts that this mode of instruction might influence instructors' and students' participation in the class.Objectives: To shed more light on the role of flipped class in affecting language learning strategies and skills, this study applied a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods approach to explore the impact of flipped class on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills.Methods: Forty‐six intermediate EFL learners with an age range of 21–27, studying at a private language institute, were randomly divided into two groups of 23 learners. The two groups were randomly assigned to a flipped class, which received writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills through video clips before the class time, and a non‐flipped class, which received writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills in a conventional way during the class time.Results and Conclusions: The results revealed that both flipped and non‐flipped classes improved the EFL learners' writing metacognitive strategies, writing performance, writing content, and writing organisation. Furthermore, one‐way ANCOVA analyses indicated that the flipped class outperformed the non‐flipped class in writing metacognitive strategies, writing performance, writing content, and writing organisation. Thematic analyses, which were used to help analyse individual semi‐structured interviews, uncovered a number of categories and themes, signifying the flipped learners' positive perceptions towards the flipped class, such as enhancing motivation, self‐confidence, and writing collaboration.Implications: Pedagogical implications were discussed for flipping writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills.

The field of language education has experienced a rise in using virtual reality (VR) to support interactive, contextualized, and collaborative language learning in recent years. The current study investigates the effects of auditory, visual, and textual input on speaking and writing in English for Tourism Purposes (ETP) through immersive, scenery-based virtual reality (SBVR) dyadic learning. Adopting a framework on ETP sociocultural, linguistic, and formulaic competence, the researchers designed relevant learning content using audios, images, and verbatim onscreen text on EduVenture VR to create an interactive, simulated tour. Thirty-eight English as a foreign language undergraduates participated in this single-group quasi-experiment. Various data sources included speaking and writing pre-, post- and delayed post-tests, a post-intervention survey, and reflections about the VR learning experience. The study reported significant speaking gains in language accuracy, destination promotion, knowledge retention, and replication of ETP language, as well as significant writing improvement in using sophisticated vocabulary, knowledge retention, and replication of ETP language. The study concludes that SBVR warrants positive impact on improving productive ETP skills. Possible factors, limitations, and pedagogical implications for using scenery-based VR in dyadic learning for ETP are discussed. Finally, the study suggests future research directions to combine technology-enhanced language learning theories with multimodal input and material design supported by immersive VR to enhance language production for specific purposes.

Background: Augmented reality (AR) has been incorporated in context‐aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) designs to guide learners but few of the designs adopt specific learning theories. Furthermore, there are no CAUL design models that align learning theories to CAUL effectiveness. In addition, CAUL review papers have not documented CAUL developments since AR technology has become normalized.Objectives: A phenomenological research method with expert design input was adopted to build theoretically informed CAUL design models and provide guidelines for AR‐driven CAUL.Methods: The researchers reviewed 38 empirical AR studies in education from 2016 to 2019 in seven high‐impact journals of educational technology using a taxonomy based on CAUL learning theories. Seven domain experts reviewed the findings and provided insights into current developments, patterns of variables, and the proposed AR‐guided CAUL model. The expert feedback was used to refine the CAUL models.Results and conclusions: Research into humanity‐related subjects are growing due to the features of AR, and the majority of studies were in primary education as AR corresponds well with lower‐level cognitive learning tasks. Many AR functions cooccurred with situated learning theory, inquiry‐based learning theory, and collaborative learning theory. A macro‐design model and three micro‐design models of AR‐guided CAUL with specific learning theories was proposed.Major takeaways: This study offers a set of AR‐guided CAUL design models aligned with established learning theories. The variables in the CAUL studies are linked with learning theories to clearly show how AR guides learning. The models can guide instructors to meet their students' needs.

With the advancement of mobile technology, mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) has significant potential regarding its practical applications and benefits in foreign language learning. Nevertheless, little research was conducted to examine factors regarding the facilitation of oral communication through MALL based on established theories or models. The purpose of this review is to investigate the main constituents conducive to the intended outcomes based on an adapted model from Beatty (2010) and further provide guidelines for enthusiastic stakeholders in the field. Twenty-eight empirical studies were collected and categorized according to four key variables of the design model and analyzed qualitatively, with the key findings identified as follows. Due to the technical affordance of mobile technology, it is found that a student-centered self-regulated learning context is created, where students construct knowledge through self-instruction, self-evaluation, and self-correction. Furthermore, a speaking strategy-driven collaborative-based learning design enhances students’ oral proficiency through strong social connections, interactions, and communication. Finally, given the pedagogical design and practices, high-level cognitive thinking is thereby promoted, with promising affective learning outcomes. In light of the findings, guidelines for educational practitioners, learners, and system designers are provided for pedagogical and practical application in the future.