Category: CALL

Computer Assisted Language Learning at the crossroads of AI and new ecologies for language education

Invited talk : 16th EdukCircle International Convention on Education Studies. The Philippines. May 11, 2024.

Abstract

Language learning has become extremely diverse and complex since the outbreak of the Internet in the late 1990s and mobile technology in the 2010s. The role of computers has transitioned from tutors and assistants to facilitators of communication and, more recently, to key players in digital literacies, new ecologies of digital learning (Gee & Hayes, 2011) and emerging sites for language learning (Godwin-Jones, 2021, 2023). These new ecologies and sites have disrupted traditional instructed approaches to the use of technology for language learning. The sites include, among others, AI chatbots (Kohnke et al., 2023), general AI-driven web services, and augmented reality (AR). These new digital ecologies support self-initiated learning, informal and non-formal learning (Conole & Pérez-Paredes, 2017), as well as digital literacies (Kern, 2021), favouring a usage-driven and user-centered L2 pedagogy (Pérez-Paredes & Zhang, 2022). Research has not, unfortunaltely, paid enough attention to these areas (Choubsaz, Jalilifar & Boulton, 2024). In this talk I survey some of the latest trends in technology-enhanced language education, paying special attention to the use of emerging learning sites and ecologies in formal instruction.

Some references

Conole, G. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2017). Adult language learning in informal settings and the role of mobile learning. In Yu, S., Ally, M., & Tsinakos, A. (Eds.). Mobile and ubiquitous learning. An international handbook. New York: Springer, pp.45-58.

Choubsaz, Y., Jalilifar, A., & Boulton, A. (2024). A longitudinal analysis of highly cited papers in four CALL journals. ReCALL, 36(1), 40–57. doi:10.1017/S0958344023000137

Gee, J., and Hayes, E. (2011). Language and learning in the digital age. London: Routledge.

Gillespie, J. (2020). CALL research: Where are we now?, ReCALL, 32(2): 127-144.

Godwin-Jones, R. (2011). Mobile Apps for language learning,  Language Learning & Technology,15: 2-11.

Godwin-Jones, R. (2021). Evolving technologies for language learning, Language Learning & Technology, 25(3): 6–26.

Godwin-Jones, R. (2023). Emerging spaces for language learning: AI bots, ambient intelligence, and the metaverse, Language Learning & Technology, 27(2): 6-27.

Kern, R. (2021). Twenty-five years of digital literacies in CALL. Language Learning & Technology, 25(3), 132–150.

Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. L., & Zou, D. (2023). ChatGPT for language teaching and learning. Relc Journal, 54(2), 537-550.

Pérez-Paredes, P. and Zhang, D., (2022). Mobile assisted language learning: Scope, praxis and theory, Porta Linguarum, IV: 11-25. DOI:10.30827/portalin.vi.21424

Stockwell, G. (2010). Using mobile phones for vocabulary activities: examining the effect of the platform, Language Learning & Technology, 14(2): 95-110.

Stockwell, G. (2022). Mobile-assisted language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

New publication: An investigation of Chinese EFL learners’ acceptance of mobile dictionaries in English language learning

Zhang,D., Hennessy, S. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2023) An investigation of Chinese EFL learners’ acceptance of mobile dictionaries in English language learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, DOI: 10.1080/09588221.2023.2189915

Abstract

Although many studies have explored the role of dictionaries in English language learning, few have investigated mobile dictionaries (MDs) from learners’ perspectives. This study aimed to explore Chinese EFL learners’ acceptance of three types of MDs: monolingual, bilingualised and bilingual. A total of 125 participants used mobile dictionaries in various English learning contexts, especially in reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. Adapted from the Technology Acceptance Model and the mobile technology evaluation framework, the questionnaire in this study addressed three key themes: (1) perceived ease of use, (2) perceived usefulness, and (3) behavioural intention to use.

Analysis shows that the bilingualised MD group reported the most positive perceptions, especially compared to the bilingual MD group. A total of 101 participants participated in semi-structured group interviews to further explore the reasons underlying their perceptions. Several factors impacting learner acceptance, from the micro to the macro level, are proposed and discussed. As an interdisciplinary study, this research fills theoretical and empirical gaps in investigating mobile-assisted language learning. It offers application designers and language teachers insights into learners’ acceptance of MDs. Moreover, it provides recommendations concerning making MDs more personalised, attractive and effective.

Some interesting new research on corpora, technology and language learning

Curry, N. (2022). On Corpus-Based Contrastive Linguistics and Language Pedagogy: Reimagining Applications for Contemporary English Language Teaching. In: McCallum, L. (eds) English Language Teaching. English Language Teaching: Theory, Research and Pedagogy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2152-0_14

Li, L. X. (2022). Meta-Analytical Approach to the Impact of Corpus-Driven Teaching on Foreign Language Acquisition. Mobile Information Systems, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5049312

Ng, C.H., Cheung, Y.L. (2022). Teaching and Learning English in the European Union: A Research Review. In: McCallum, L. (eds) English Language Teaching. English Language Teaching: Theory, Research and Pedagogy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2152-0_2

Nishigaki, C., Akasegawa, S., & Oghigian, K.(2022). Development of an Online DDL Tool for Secondary School Learners. 千葉大学教育学部研究紀要, 70, 289-297. https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120471/S13482084-70-P289.pdf

Tafazoli, D. (2022). English Language Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Computer-Assisted Language Learning: SWOT Analysis in Spain. In: McCallum, L. (eds) English Language Teaching. English Language Teaching: Theory, Research and Pedagogy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2152-0_16

Yasaman Iravi & Ali Malmir (2022) The effect of lexical tools and applications on L2 vocabulary learning: a case of English academic core words, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, DOI: 10.1080/17501229.2022.2102638

An equitable CALL / SLA interface

faceless schoolchildren watching video on cellphone during break in classroom
Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com

From Ortega, L. (2017) New CALL-SLA Research Interfaces for the 21st Century: Towards Equitable Multilingualism. Calico Journal, 34.3, 285–316.

The majority of the world is multilingual, but inequitably multilingual, and much of the world is also technologized, but inequitably so. Thus, researchers in the fields of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and second language acquisition (SLA) would profit from considering multilingualism and social justice when envisioning new CALL-SLA interfaces for the future. 

I remain convinced that “in the ultimate analysis, it is not the methods or the epistemologies [or the theories] that justify the legitimacy and quality of human research, but the moral-political purposes that guide sustained research efforts” (Ortega, 2005, p. 438). The need to incorporate ethics and axiology in the study of language learning seems all the more acute in our present world, where human solidarity and respect for human diversity, including linguistic diversity, is under siege, creating serious vulnerabilities for the goal of multilingualism and the lives of many multilinguals. Echoingbut also widening Chun’s (2016) call for an ecological CALL in the post-2000s era, the overarching question that I have submitted to orient CALL–SLA research interfaces for the 21st century is: What technologies, teaching paradigms, views of language, and principal uses of computers can nurture multilingualism and digital literacies for all, not just for the privileged?

Aprendizaje de lenguas mediante dispositivos móviles: alcance, praxis y teoría

Conferencia plenaria, 25 de noviembre 2020,; XXI Congreso SEDLL Multimodalidad y nuevos entornos de aprendizaje en la enseñanza de las lenguas y las literaturas.

3 case studies

Pérez-Paredes, P., Ordoñana Guillamón, C., Van de Vyver, J., Meurice, A., Aguado Jiménez, P., Conole, G., & Sánchez Hernández, P. (2019). Mobile data-driven language learning: Affordances and learners’ perception. System, 84, 145–159.

Zhang, D., & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2019). Chinese postgraduate EFL learners’ self-directed use of mobile English learning resources. Computer Assisted Language Learning.  

Zhang, D. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2020). Exploring Chinese EFL teachers’ perceptions of Augmented Reality (AR) in English language learning. In Miller, L. & Wu, G. (eds) Language Learning with Technology: theories, principles and practices. Springer.

Keynote abstract

Mobile assisted language learning (MALL) has become one the most popular keywords in computer assisted language learning (CALL) research over the last twenty years. While MALL enthusiasts have glossed its many affordances, the use of MALL in instructed classroom settings presents challenges of their own (Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008; Conole & Pérez-Paredes, 2017; Pérez-Paredes, Ordoñana Guillamón, & Aguado Jiménez, 2018) that, I argue, have not been successfully defined in CALL research and classroom settings.

Traxler (2009) has noted that mobile learning is uniquely placed to support learning that is personalized, authentic, and situated. However, some relevant studies have thrown cold water on these expectations (Golonka, E. et al., 2014; Grgurović, Chapelle & Shelley, 2013). In this plenary, I will discuss different conceptualizations of MALL that emphasize areas of language learning that are anchored on different theories of language learning. I will use three case studies that have used different research methodologies, namely survey and mixed methods, across different contexts, countries and types of learning. I will discuss the self-directed uses of MALL (Zhang  & Pérez-Paredes, 2019), the design and use of apps to promote the acquisition of frequency-related declarative knowledge (Pérez-Paredes et al., 2019)  and the impact of new technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) on language classrooms  (Zhang  & Pérez-Paredes, 2020). Ultimately, I will discuss a conceptual framework that situates MALL more critically in the context of existing and future practices of instructed (Foster, 2019; Kaminski, 2019) and self-directed (Trinder, 2017) language learning. Keywords: MALL, language learning, self-directed language learning, second language learning theory

References

Conole, G. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2017). Adult language learning in informal settings and the role of mobile learning. Mobile and ubiquitous learning. An international handbook. New York: Springer, pp.45-58.

Foster, I. (2019) The future of language learning. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 32,3, 261-269,

Golonka, E. et al. (2014). Technologies for foreign language learning: a review of technology types and their effectiveness”. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 27.1, 70-105.

Grgurović, M. Chapelle, C.  & Shelley, M.  (2013). A meta-analysis of effectiveness studies on computer technology-supported language learning. ReCALL, 25, pp 165-198.

Kaminski, A. (2019). Young learners’ engagement with multimodal texts. ELT Journal, 73(2), 175–185.

Kukulska-Hulme, A. & Shield, L. (2008). An overview of mobile assisted language learning: From content delivery to supported collaboration and interaction. ReCALL, 20, pp 271-289.

Pérez-Paredes, P., Ordoñana Guillamón, C., & Aguado Jiménez, P. (2018). Language teachers’ perceptions on the use of OER language processing technologies in MALL. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 31(5-6), 522-545.

Pérez-Paredes, P., Ordoñana Guillamón, C., Van de Vyver, J., Meurice, A., Aguado Jiménez, P., Conole, G., & Sánchez Hernández, P. (2019). Mobile data-driven language learning: Affordances and learners’ perception. System, 84, 145–159.

Zhang, D., & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2019). Chinese postgraduate EFL learners’ self-directed use of mobile English learning resources. Computer Assisted Language Learning.  

Zhang, D. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2020). Exploring Chinese EFL teachers’ perceptions of Augmented Reality (AR) in English language learning. In Miller, L. & Wu, G. (eds) Language Learning with Technology: theories, principles and practices. Springer.

TELL-OP products and reports available here.

Traxler, J. (2009). Current state of mobile learning. In Ally, M. (ed.) Mobile learning: Transforming the delivery of education and training. Athabasca University Press, 9-24.

Traxler, J. (2018). Learning with Mobiles in the Digital Age. Pedagogika, Special Monothematic Issue: Education Futures for the Digital Age: Theory and Practice

Traxler, J.; Timothy, R.; Kukulska-Hulme, A. & Barcena, E. (2019). Paradoxical paradigm proposals – Learning languages in mobile societies. Argentinian Journal of Applied Linguistics (AJAL), 7(2) pp. 89–109.

Trinder, R. (2017). Informal and deliberate learning with new technologies. ELT Journal, 71(4), 401–412.

Wegerif, R. (2007). Dialogic education and technology: Expanding the space of learning (Vol. 7). Springer Science & Business Media.

#CFP Symposium on Learning Analytics in Language Learning & Teaching

From the EUROCALL mail-list

:::::::::::::

Symposium on Learning Analytics in Language Learning and Teaching – Call for Papers

Arising from participation in the EU-funded VITAL project (http://project-vital.eu/) the University of Central Lancashire is hosting a one-day symposium on Learning Analytics in Language Learning and Teaching on 17th July 2017 in Preston. The keynote speakers include Professor Jozef Colpaert (University of Antwerp, Belgium) and Professor Bart Rienties (Open University, UK)

 Abstract submission guidelines

Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and submitted as a word attachment to the conference email address (mthomas4@uclan.ac.uk). The submission email should contain the participant’s name, affiliation and biography (50 to 100 words). The deadline is 22nd May April 2017. All submissions will be blind peer-reviewed. Accepted abstracts will be allotted 20 minutes for presentations.

Further information on the symposium is available here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/learning-analytics-in-language-learning-and-teaching-tickets-33850975178

 

Key dates

Abstract submission: 22nd May 2017

Notification to presenters: 5th June 2017

Conference: 17th July 2017

Publication guidelines

Presenters will also be invited to submit their papers for publication in a special edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of Second Language Teaching and Research.

Conference Address

Scholars Suite, School of Language and Global Studies, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE.

 Participant Registration

Please register as a conference participant by following the link below. This event is free and light refreshments will be provided:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/learning-analytics-in-language-learning-and-teaching-tickets-33850975178 

The VITAL project has been funded with support from the European Commission (Project number: 2015-BE02-KA203-012317).