The notion that digital games can be effectively employed as tools for learning and teaching has steadily been gaining traction among educational theorists and researchers, with numerous empirical studies pointing to the potential benefits of games for skill and knowledge development. However, a solid understanding of learners' attitudes and…

As teachers and students have abruptly shifted from traditional classroom-based learning to online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to evaluate the attitudes of learners towards remote foreign language learning, particularly among Japanese students who often have little to no experience with the learning method. Therefore, the…

To understand in-service language teachers' intrinsic barriers to technology integration in higher education contexts, this in-depth study investigated four teachers teaching Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) at a private university in Japan. The researcher trained the four teachers with varied digital literacy how to create and utilise online…

This study explores the role of an online pre-sessional program in preparing students to matriculate into an English-medium bachelor's program at a Japanese university. The study covers two program sessions, the first of which consisted primarily of international students, and the second comprised mainly of graduates of Japanese high schools. To…

Since 2010, both universities in which the authors teach have integrated pc-based e-learning or mobile learning programs into several English courses. Students' online performances are evaluated and used in determining the grades for each course. The data accumulated over the years indicates both changing and unchanged e-learning habits among…

This study aims to measure student cognitive and metacognitive perceptions regarding computer use in university. This study addresses three key questions: (1) how does the model fit the key construct of metacognitive and self-efficacy beliefs; (2) to what degree do independent variables predict dependent factor outcomes; and (3) how can…

The ubiquity of smartphones and the growing popularity of smart speakers have given rise to cloud-based, intelligent personal assistants (IPAs), such as Siri and Google Assistant. However, little is known about the use of IPAs for Autonomous Second Language Learning (ASLL). Thus, the aims of this study were twofold: to assess Japanese English as a…

Receiving adequate pronunciation feedback is an ongoing challenge for L2 learners. Although instructors are the most important source of corrective pronunciation feedback (Szpyra, 2014; Timson, 2007), L2 learners can also benefit from peer pronunciation feedback (Lord, 2008; Kim & Yoon, 2014; Roccamo, 2015). This paper examines Japanese…

The use of computers as an educational tool has become very popular in the context of language teaching and learning. Research into computer mediated communication (CMC) in a Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) learning and teaching context can take advantage of various pedagogical possibilities, just as in the English classroom. This study…

The present study compared the efficacy of computer-mediated peer corrective feedback (CF) among two groups of high-proficiency (n=11) and low-proficiency (n=19) postsecondary Japanese EFL students. They completed a 10-week process writing composition, during which the students were given explicit instruction in metalinguistic peer CF. They then…

This practical paper discusses the effect of explicit instruction to raise Japanese EFL learners' pragmatic awareness using online discourse completion tasks. The five-part tasks developed by the authors use American TV drama scenes depicting particular speech acts and include explicit instruction in these speech acts. 46 Japanese EFL college…

In universities throughout Japan, English language learners are required to stand in front of their peers and make a presentation with the aid of software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. This type of public speaking activity can often be an anxiety-inducing, glorified reading or memorization exercise of text-heavy slides that fails to meet the…

Educational digital games are often presented at Technology in Language Education conferences. The games are entertaining and are backed by research detailing how games can improve the learning experience through active critical learning, learner interaction, competition, challenge, and high learner motivation. The authors, inspired by such…

There is a rich body of literature that details the effects of automated writing evaluation (AWE) on second language (L2) students. However, these studies mostly focus on the impact that automated feedback has on writing performance, i.e. that is, there is a dearth of research on its influence on affective factors. Hence, this study was conducted…

This study explores, describes and analyzes the utilization of smartphone apps by four Japanese university students to support learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Findings indicate that intermediate language learners use apps to access content and communicate on SNS and are not keen on studying discrete language parts. Participants…