The EuroCALL Review

An Evaluative Review of Mondly: A Mobile Language Learning Application

Musa Nushi, Nazila Fattahi, Faramarz Ebn-Abbasi — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Mobile-Assisted Language Learning is a thriving research area in the field of Second Language Acquisition. Hand-held devices such as smartphones are increasingly and widely being used for second language teaching and learning purposes nowadays. With the great variety of language learning applications entering a competitive market comes a need for studies to evaluate these applications critically so that teachers and learners can choose wisely. The present study aims to evaluate a language learning application called Mondly through a framework proposed by Reinders and Pegrum (2016). The evaluation was carried out by six experienced English language instructors. The results indicate that although the app suffers from a number of weak points, it can be particularly beneficial for beginner second language learners.

Z American English: A Mobile Language Learning App

Aisha Ahmed Ali Hadi Al-maamari — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Z American English is an application that works as a personal instructor for L1 speakers of Arabic who wish to learn English as it takes them on a fun learning trip that starts from the absolute beginner's level until they gain proficiency in English and acquire other abilities. It offers a comprehensive approach to language acquisition, with lessons created by an experienced teacher, Ibrahim Adel. The app is highly accessible, free, and compatible with both iOS and Android devices. One of its notable strengths is its clear learning path, suitable for learners of all levels. The addition of video content and interactive quizzes makes learning enjoyable and effective. Additionally, the premium "Activities Icon" subscription offers extra features. The inclusion of chat rooms fosters learner interaction, enhancing the educational experience. Overall, Z American English is a valuable resource for learners of English, providing a structured and engaging path to language mastery.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Curricular Framework for Online Language Courses

Mayu Miyamoto, Jeff Peterson, Atsushi Fukada — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led to a spike in courses originally designed for in-class instruction being delivered online. As the pandemic wanes many courses will return to in-class instruction while other programs will look to develop post-pandemic long-term online courses, indicating a clear need for an effective curriculum for online foreign language classes. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a newly developed curricular framework for online language courses at university level. Primarily, this framework is designed to foster oral proficiency. The technology used to implement the framework was also developed specifically to facilitate speaking practice. We have used the framework at Purdue University to develop a curriculum for Japanese online courses Levels 1–4 (i.e., semesters 1–4). Japanese Level 1 is used in this article to illustrate the features and effectiveness of the framework. The framework has three major components: asynchronous self-learning modules, weekly small-group synchronous sessions, and performance-based assessments. Each component involves a pedagogical innovation, a technological innovation, or both. This study’s main research question was, “Do students in an online course designed using the new framework develop a degree of oral proficiency comparable to that of students in a classroom?” An oral test administered at the end of the course showed that the online students performed comparably to their classroom counterparts on question and answer and picture description tasks and outperformed them on an elicited imitation task. The results of a questionnaire also indicated participants’ positive perceptions of the technology used and the online course itself. These findings serve as further evidence for the effectiveness of the proposed curricular framework.

The Teacher's Role in Robot-assisted Language Learning and its Impact on Classroom Ecology

Minna Maijala, Maarit Mutta — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In recent years, social robots have emerged as a new teaching aid in foreign language (FL) classrooms. Interaction in FL classrooms usually takes place between teachers and learners or among learners. However, this constellation of interactions changes when a robot enters the classroom. The robot’s role in the classroom has been studied previously, however, in this article we examine how initial encounters between a social robot and learners occur, focusing on the teacher’s role during these encounters. Additionally, we examine how children seek help or assurance from their teacher when interacting with the robot. Research data consists of video recorded in FL classrooms in primary schools in Finland in 2019. The primary school learners (N = 22) who participated in this study ranged in age from 10 to 13 years. The results show that during the robot-assisted language learning (RALL) interaction, the teacher had several roles: she validated children’s contributions, guided or mediated the discussion, encouraged the children to speak with the robot, and provided technical support. The results also suggest that the teacher’s role in RALL classrooms, while not necessarily central, is essential to ensure smooth interactions between the robot and learners.

Social Justice Education as an Intercultural Experience for Foreign Students in the United States

Ellen Yeh, Yonty Friesem — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Many language learners struggle with unequal access and lack of opportunities for active participation in meaningful discussions in and outside of the classroom. In this study, 15 international college students engaged in critical media literacy discussion over a myriad of social justice topics through the lens of intercultural understanding and acceptance. Participants analyzed the content and recorded video reflection on an online video discussion platform, Flipgrid as they answer the five critical media literacy questions. These critical questions foster discussions of intercultural interpretation online and in class discussions as students expressed their perceptions of social justice issues. This project drew on the theory of intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997) integrating social justice into language curriculum in two ways: by exposing students to important issues, and by helping students claim their voice in the discussion. Results of students’ video reflections and face-to-face discussions show the trajectory and growth of students’ progress in intercultural awareness. The findings offer guidelines for language educators to incorporate issues of social justice by using engaging platforms and media literacy practices.

Blogging in EFL: a Writing Project using ICT

Nicolás Montalbán-Martínez, Aránzazu García-Pinar, Isabel Tello-Fons — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Blogging has become very popular in different educational fields, including second language teaching. This article arises from the need to research the impact that the implementation of blogging has on the acquisition of certain language competences. The main objective of the study was to research the impact of the use of blogging on the development of writing skills in the foreign language (L2). Students, divided into four groups, were asked to write a number of descriptive essays in which they could reflect both on the theoretical and practical contents seen in class. Using statistical tools such as Coh-Metrix to establish the errors that Spanish engineering undergraduates make when writing in English, the metrics of their texts were compared to the metrics resulting from a set of reference texts. Findings revealed that the use of blogging was positive in the four different groups. The high correlation between the grades awarded to students' essays by the teachers and those given by the Coh-Metrix tool showed its effectiveness in the study of the linguistic and discursive indices of the English texts produced by students.

Editorial

Ana Gimeno Sanz — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Editorial The EuroCALL Review Vol. 30, No.2