Motivated by the rapid development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education and the needs of language learners during the COVID-19 pandemic, an AI-enabled English language learning (AIELL) system featuring authentic and ubiquitous learning for the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar in English as a second language (L2) was developed. The aim of this study was to present the developmental process and methods used to design, develop, evaluate, and validate the AIELL system and to distil key design features for English learning in authentic contexts. There were 20 participants in the tests, with three interviewees in the study. Mixed research methods were employed to analyse the data, including a demonstration test, a usability test, and an interview. The quantitative and qualitative data collected and analysed affirmed the validity and usability of the design and helped identify areas for further improvements to the desired features. This study informs the integration of AI into facilitating language teaching and learning guided by the mobile learning principle.

This paper focuses on the design and evaluation of the computer-assisted vocabulary learning (CAVL) software WUFUN. It draws on the current research findings of vocabulary acquisition and CALL, aiming to help Chinese university students to improve their learning of English vocabulary, particularly that with which they experience most difficulty. It is argued that vocabulary should be learned explicitly as well as implicitly; learners need to be trained to become good learners, e.g., by being instructed in useful learning strategies, to enable them to learn vocabulary more efficiently and effectively. A design model of CALL efficacy is constructed to ensure the quality of vocabulary learning in CALL programs; it is employed in the design of the software WUFUN. Finally, the preliminary results of the software evaluation are reported and discussed.

This study tests the hypothesis that the posterior cerebellum is involved in social cognition by identifying and automatizing sequences of social actions.

This study investigated how one type of learner-generated information and content, i.e. inter-group peer online feedback, provided on a wiki writing assignment for an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, could contribute to student L2 writing. Using a mixed method approach, more than 1000 entries of online peer comments were collected, coded, analysed and compared with more than 400 comments provided by the course teacher, as shown in the marked final writing. Correlation and chi-square tests were employed to measure the relationship between the tabulated frequency of comments and essay scores. In addition, an online survey was carried out to collect student perspectives. The results show that (1) peers try to be friendly, supportive and avoid face threatening when providing online feedback in an open learning environment; (2) peer critical comments can predict well the final score received from the course teacher; (3) peer feedback focuses more on content/meaning rather than form (language) issues in EAP settings; (4) peer feedback contributes to EAP writing in various ways, both tangibly and affectively. It is suggested that more caution and thinking should be involved in designing the wiki learning environment judiciously by considering a number of factors that can prompt peers to provide appropriate and useful inter-group comments to help other groups improve their writing and L2 learning.

The development of corpus-based language pedagogy (CBLP) is a complex and intriguing process that pertains to how corpus technology is directly applied to classroom teaching. Using a case study approach, this study investigated how two experienced university English teachers integrated corpus technology in authentic classroom teaching. Data sources included CBLP lesson materials, pre-interviews, lesson observations, and post-interviews. Our study detailed the process of how both teachers designed and implemented their CBLP teaching activities to address their student needs. The results indicate that the CBLP development draws on five components of teacher knowledge and practice: 1) knowledge of English language; 2) knowledge of corpus technology; 3) pedagogical knowledge; 4) contextual knowledge; and 5) learning and practice. Teacher learning and practice are integral and key to their CBLP development. Although the paths taken by each teacher shared some similarities and differences, both led to a relatively high level of CBLP growth after considerable learning and practice. Moreover, while one teacher developed the CBLP primarily from a strong knowledge of corpus technology, the other drew on solid pedagogical knowledge. A series of factors under each of the five components were also examined in relation to their influence on teacher paths to CBLP development. Based on the findings, several practical implications are provided to facilitate the process of developing CBLP for language teachers.