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Language Education in the Digital Age: An International Perspective

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A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Language and Literacy Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 9561

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Cristina A. Huertas-Abril

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Guest Editor

Department of English and German Philologies, Faculty of Education, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: computer-assisted language learning; teacher training; teaching English as a foreign language; bilingual education

Dr. Francisco J. Palacios-Hidalgo

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Guest Editor

Department of Education, Faculty of Education, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: computer-assisted language learning; teacher training; teaching English as a foreign language; digital literacy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In a world where digital practices are becoming more ubiquitous, language education needs to be continuously adapted to new, changing scenarios. As a consequence, innovative digital practices are transforming 21^st-century language learning environments.

Essential to 21^st-century language education success is constant emphasis on learner needs and preferences, designed and implemented taking into account digital technology-driven language teaching and learning environments alongside teacher expertise, awareness, knowledge, and preparedness to deliver high-quality instruction using active methodologies and approaches.

In this light, the purposeful and selective use of digital learning tools in language education, including bilingual and plurilingual education, and the incorporation of appropriate active learning pedagogies are crucial to enhancing and supporting meaningful learning.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Language education
Bilingual education
Plurilingual education
Computer-assisted language learning
Technology-enhanced language learning
Second/foreign language teaching
Emergency remote language teaching
COVID-19 and language education
Innovative experiences and practices in language learning
Attitudes of children, adolescents, and adults to language education in the digital age
Initial training of language educators
Lifelong learning of language educators

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Cristina A. Huertas-Abril
Dr. Francisco J. Palacios-Hidalgo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

language education
bilingual education
plurilingual education
computer-assisted language learning
technology-enhanced language learning
second/foreign language teaching
emergency remote language teaching

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 581 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cognitive Strategies of Second Language Vocabulary Inferencing: An Eye Tracking Study

by Anna Izmalkova and Irina Blinnikova

Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14050490 - 03 May 2024

Viewed by 127

Abstract

In contextual vocabulary acquisition, second language learners address both morphological and contextual cues to infer the meanings of novel words. The study investigated cognitive strategies and their eye movement correlates in contextual vocabulary inferencing task. A sample of 30 healthy participants with normal or corrected to normal vision read an Intermediate-level text in English, aiming to define the meaning of 10 low-frequency words embedded in the text. Based on both unstructured and structured post-hoc reports, we attributed the inferencing process either to word-level processing, context-level processing, or discourse-level processing strategy. Eye movements were recorded on the target word and on the target word clause areas of interest. Inferencing success was associated with increased first fixation duration on the target word both for word- and context-level processing strategy, and increased dwell time on the target word clause for context-level processing strategy. Our findings emphasize the role of both morphological and contextual processing in vocabulary inferencing task. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Education in the Digital Age: An International Perspective)

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13 pages, 1924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Possibilities of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Language Learning (AIALL): Comparing Visions from the East and the West

by Cristina A. Huertas-Abril and Francisco Javier Palacios-Hidalgo

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121234 - 12 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1658

Abstract

Despite the benefits of artificial intelligence-assisted language learning (AIALL) for students and teachers, the scientific literature in this field remains relatively scarce, especially regarding the perceptions of language teachers. This paper aims to narrow this research gap by considering the potential cultural differences between in-service language teachers by comparing and contrasting the attitudes of language teachers located in different contexts (i.e., Eastern and Western countries) towards AIALL. Following a qualitative research approach and a descriptive, transversal, and correlational method, a six-question semi-structured interview was designed and administered to unveil the perceptions of six language teachers located both in Eastern (i.e., Vietnam, Iran, and Indonesia) and Western (i.e., Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom) countries. The findings show that the participants were positive about the potential of AIALL for teaching and learning languages, although they all showed a certain anxiety regardless of their context. Moreover, and although there were shared concerns, differences were found between Eastern and Western participants, especially concerning equitable access, balance between language skills, and ethical aspects. This study reveals that teacher training is essential to introduce AIALL in the classroom, and that practitioners need to rethink assessment to avoid plagiarism and cheating, but also to take advantage of AIALL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Education in the Digital Age: An International Perspective)

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23 pages, 453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Closing the Gap: Automated Distractor Generation in Japanese Language Testing

by Tim Andersson and Pablo Picazo-Sanchez

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121203 - 30 Nov 2023

Viewed by 889

Abstract

Recent advances in natural language processing have increased interest in automatic question generation, particularly in education (e.g., math, biology, law, medicine, and languages) due to its efficiency in assessing comprehension. Specifically, multiple-choice questions have become popular, especially in standardized language proficiency tests. However, manually creating high-quality tests is time-consuming and challenging. Distractor generation, a critical aspect of multiple-choice question creation, is often overlooked, yet it plays a crucial role in test quality. Generating appropriate distractors requires ensuring they are incorrect but related to the correct answer (semantically or contextually), are grammatically correct, and of similar length to the target word. While various languages have seen research in automatic distractor generation, Japanese has received limited attention. This paper addresses this gap by automatically generating cloze tests, including distractors, for Japanese language proficiency tests, evaluating the generated questions’ quality, difficulty, and preferred distractor types, and comparing them to human-made questions through automatic and manual evaluations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Education in the Digital Age: An International Perspective)

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11 pages, 260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Mobile Instant Messaging in English Language Teaching: The Case of South Korea

by Sun-Joo Chung and Lee Jin Choi

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020110 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3132

Abstract

While learning management systems and video conferencing platforms have become a pivotal means for implementing emergency remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the integration of mobile technologies into online teaching has been largely recommended in order to create an interactive educational environment. Focusing on the case of an English Language Program in South Korea, this study investigates the actual use of mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications as a learning aid in online language classrooms and how this was implemented in creating interactive language learning environments during the current outbreak. Based on a questionnaire survey collected from 979 students, it then compares students’ level of perceived satisfaction with their language learning and communication in online language classrooms between the group of students that used MIM during instruction and the group that did not. The discussion presented in this paper provides language educators, school administrators and policymakers at all levels with practical suggestions and ideas to consider, given that our daily communication has become highly dependent on and is increasingly mediated by mobile digital communication technologies and new media. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Education in the Digital Age: An International Perspective)

Other

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17 pages, 867 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Effectiveness of Subtitles in L2 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis Study

by Hind M. Alotaibi, Hassan Saleh Mahdi and Deema Alwathnani

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13030274 - 04 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2776

Abstract

The use of subtitles in language-learning environments has received considerable attention. Nevertheless, conclusive findings have yet to be reached regarding the effectiveness of integrating subtitles into L2 classrooms. This meta-analysis examined the overall effectiveness of subtitles to enhance learners’ L2. A total of 26 experimental studies conducted between 2010 and 2022 were analyzed to examine the performance of L2 classroom learners based on integrating subtitles as a teaching/learning tool, compared to learners who did not use subtitles. A meta-analysis investigated how effect sizes varied depending on L2 skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation), institutional level (school, university, and language institute), participants’ native language (L1), language proficiency, and implementation mode. The results indicated that integrating subtitles into L2 classrooms have a medium effect size (d = 0.69), and the effect sizes of different variables affecting the use of subtitles in language learning are reported. Several pedagogical implications are discussed in light of the findings, which can help promote the successful integration of subtitles in L2 classrooms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Education in the Digital Age: An International Perspective)

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