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The 23rd EUROCALL conference was held in Cyprus from the 24th to the 27th of August 2016. The theme of the conference this year was "CALL Communities and Culture." It offered a unique opportunity to hear from real-world CALL practitioners on how they practice CALL in their communities, and how the CALL culture has developed in local and global contexts. Short papers from the conference are presented in this volume: (1) The impact of EFL teachers' mediation in wiki-mediated collaborative writing activities on student-student collaboration (Maha Alghasab); (2) Towards the development of a comprehensive pedagogical framework for pronunciation training based on adaptive automatic speech recognition systems (Saandia Ali); (3) Digital literacy and sustainability--a field study in EFL teacher development (Christopher Allen and Jan Berggren); (4) Self-evaluation using iPads in EFL teaching practice (Christopher Allen, Stella K. Hadjistassou, and David Richardson); (5) Amateur online interculturalism in foreign language education (Antonie Alm); (6) Teaching Turkish in low tech contexts: opportunities and challenges (Katerina Antoniou, Evelyn Mbah, and Antigoni Parmaxi); (7) Learning Icelandic language and culture in virtual Reykjavic: starting to talk (Branislav Bédi, Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, Hannes Högni Vilhjálmsson, Hafdís Erla Helgadóttir, Stefán Ólafsson, and Elías Björgvinsson); (8) Investigating student choices in performing higher-level comprehension tasks using TED (Francesca Bianchi and Ivana Marenzi); (9) An evaluation of text-to-speech synthesizers in the foreign language classroom: learners' perceptions (Tiago Bione, Jennica Grimshaw, and Walcir Cardoso); (10) Quantifying CALL: significance, effect size and variation (Alex Boulton; (11) The contribution of CALL to advanced-level foreign/second language instruction (Jack Burston and Kelly Arispe); (12) Using instructional technology to integrate CEFR "can do" performance objectives into an advanced-level language course (Jack Burston, Androulla Athanasiou, and Maro Neophytou-Yiokari); (13) Exploiting behaviorist and communicative action-based methodologies in CALL applications for the teaching of pronunciation in French as a foreign language (Jack Burston, Olga Georgiadou, and Monique Monville-Burston); (14) Mobile assisted language learning of less commonly taught languages: learning in an incidental and situated way through an app (Cristiana Cervini, Olga Solovova, Annukka Jakkula, and Karolina Ruta); (15) Using object-based activities and an online inquiry platform to support learners' engagement with their heritage language and culture (Koula Charitonos, Marina Charalampidi, and Eileen Scanlon); (16) Urban explorations for language learning: a gamified approach to teaching Italian in a university context (Koula Charitonos, Luca Morini, Sylvester Arnab, Tiziana Cervi-Wilson, and Billy Brick); (17) Communicate to learn, learn to communicate: a study of engineering students' communication strategies in a mobile-based learning environment (Li Cheng and Zhihong Lu); (18) Using a dialogue system based on dialogue maps for computer assisted second language learning (Sung-Kwon Choi, Oh-Woog Kwon, Young-Kil Kim, and Yunkeun Lee); (19) Students' attitudes and motivation towards technology in a Turkish language classroom (Pelekani Chryso); (20) Vlogging: a new channel for language learning and intercultural exchanges (Christelle Combe and Tatiana Codreanu); (21) Japanese university students' self-assessment and digital literacy test results (Travis Cote and Brett Milliner); (22) Digital story (re)telling using graded readers and smartphones (Kazumichi Enokida); (23) HR4EU--a web portal for e-learning of Croatian (Matea Filko, Daša Farkaš, and Diana Hriberski); (24) Synchronous tandem language learning in a MOOC context: a study on task design and learner performance (Marta Fondo Garcia and Christine Appel); (25) What students think and what they actually do in a mobile assisted language learning context: new insights for self-directed language learning in higher education (Gustavo Garcia Botero and Frederik Questier); (26) An Audio-Lexicon Spanish-Nahuatl: using technology to promote and disseminate a native Mexican language (Rafael García-Mencía, Aurelio López-López, and Angélica Muñoz Meléndez; (27) The use of interactive whiteboards: enhancing the nature of teaching young language learners (Christina Nicole Giannikas); (28) A pre-mobility eTandem project for incoming international students at the University of Padua (Lisa Griggio and Edit Rózsavölgyi); (29) Can a "shouting" digital game help learners develop oral fluency in a second language? (Jennica Grimshaw, Walcir Cardoso, and David Waddington); (30) Feedback visualization in a grammar-based e-learning system for German: a preliminary user evaluation with the COMPASS system (Karin Harbusch and Annette Hausdörfer); (31) The multimodality of lexical explanation sequences during videoconferenced pedagogical interaction (Benjamin Holt); (32) Automatic dialogue scoring for a second language learning system (Jin-Xia Huang, Kyung-Soon Lee, Oh-Woog Kwon, and Young-Kil Kim); (33) Effects of task-based videoconferencing on speaking performance and overall proficiency (Atsushi Iino, Yukiko Yabuta, and Yoichi Nakamura); (34) Tellecollaborative games for youngsters: impact on motivation (Kristi Jauregi); (35) The Exercise: an Exercise generator tool for the SOURCe project (Kryni Kakoyianni-Doa, Eleni Tziafa, and Athanasios Naskos); (36) Students' perceptions of online apprenticeship projects at a university (Hisayo Kikuchi); (37) The effects of multimodality through storytelling using various movie clips (SoHee Kim); (38) Collaboration through blogging: the development of writing and speaking skills in ESP courses (Angela Kleanthous and Walcir Cardoso); (39) Cultivating a community of learners in a distance learning postgraduate course for language professionals (Angelos Konstantinidis and Cecilia Goria); (40) Task-oriented spoken dialog system for second-language learning (Oh-Woog Kwon, Young-Kil Kim, and Yunkeun Lee); (41) Promoting multilingual communicative competence through multimodal academic learning situations (Anna Kyppö and Teija Natri); (42) Teacher professional learning: developing with the aid of technology (Marianna Kyprianou and Eleni Nikiforou); (43) Quizlet: what the students think--a qualitative data analysis (Bruce Lander); (44) "Just facebook me": a study on the integration of Facebook into a German language curriculum (Vera Leier and Una Cunningham); (45) A survey on Chinese students' online English language learning experience through synchronous web conferencing classrooms (Chenxi Li); (46) Identifying and activating receptive vocabulary by an online vocabulary survey and an online writing task (Ivy Chuhui Lin and Goh Kawai); (47) Exploring learners' perceptions of the use of digital letter games for language learning: the case of Magic Word (Mathieu Loiseau, Cristiana Cervini, Andrea Ceccherelli, Monica Masperi, Paola Salomoni, Marco Roccetti, Antonella Valva, and Francesca Bianco); (48) Game of Words: prototype of a digital game focusing on oral production (and comprehension) through asynchronous interaction (Mathieu Loiseau, Racha Hallal, Pauline Ballot, and Ada Gazidedja); (49) PETALL in action: latest developments and future directions of the EU-funded Pan-European Task Activities for Language Learning (António Lopes); (50) Exploring EFL learners' lexical application in AWE-based writing (Zhihong Lu and Zhenxiao Li); (51) Mobile-assisted language learning and language learner autonomy (Paul A. Lyddon); (52) YELL/TELL: online community platform for teacher professional development (Ivana Marenzi, Maria Bortoluzzi, and Rishita Kalyani); (53) Leveraging automatic speech recognition errors to detect challenging speech segments in TED talks (Maryam Sadat Mirzaei, Kourosh Meshgi, and Tatsuya Kawahara); (54) Investigating the affective learning in a 3D virtual learning environment: the case study of the Chatterdale mystery (Judith Molka-Danielsen, Stella Hadjistassou, and Gerhilde Messl-Egghart); (55) Are commercial "personal robots" ready for language learning? Focus on second language speech (Souheila Moussalli and Walcir Cardoso); (56) The Digichaint interactive game as a virtual learning environment for Irish (Neasa Ni Chiaráin and Ailbhe Ní Chasaide); (57) Mingling students' cognitive abilities and learning strategies to transform CALL (Efi Nisiforou and Antigoni Parmaxi); (58) Taking English outside of the classroom through social networking: reflections on a two-year project (Louise Ohashi); (59) Does the usage of an online EFL workbook conform to Benford's law? (Mikolaj Olszewski, Kacper Lodzikowski, Jan Zwolinski, Rasil Warnakulasooriya, and Adam Black); (60) Implications on pedagogy as a result of adopted CALL practices (James W. Pagel and Stephen G. Lambacher); (61) Exploring the benefits and disadvantages of introducing synchronous to asynchronous online technologies to facilitate flexibility in learning (Salomi Papadima-Sophocleous and Fernando Loizides); (62) A CALL for evolving teacher education through 3D microteaching (Giouli Pappa and Salomi Papadima-Sophocleous); (63) Physicality and language learning (Jaeuk Park, Paul Seedhouse, Rob Comber, and Jieun Kiaer); (64) Designing strategies for an efficient language MOOC (Maria Perifanou); (65) Worldwide state of language MOOCs (Maria Perifanou); (66) A Spanish-Finnish telecollaboration: extending intercultural competence via videoconferencing (Pasi Puranen and Ruby Vurdien); (67) Developing oral interaction skills with a digital information gap activity game (Avery Rueb, Walcir Cardoso, and Jennica Grimshaw); (68) Using WebQuests as idea banks for fostering autonomy in online language courses (Shirin Sadaghian and S. Susan Marandi); (69) Integrating mobile technologies into very young second language learners' curriculum (Gulnara Sadykova, Gulnara Gimaletdinova, Liliia Khalitova, and Albina Kayumova); (70) Investigating commercially available technology for language learners in higher education within the high functioning disability spectrum (Georgia Savvidou and Fernando Loizides); (71) Learning languages in 3D worlds with Machinima (Christel Schneider); (72) What are more effective in English classrooms: textbooks or podcasts? (Jaime Selwood, Joe Lauer, and Kazumichi Enokida); (73) Mind the gap: task design and technology in novice language teachers' practice (Tom F. H. Smits, Margret Oberhofer, and Jozef Colpaert); (74) Language immersion in the self-study mode e-course (Olga Sobolev); (75) Aligning out-of-class material with curriculum: tagging grammar in a mobile music application (Ross Sundberg and Walcir Cardoso); (76) Meeting the technology standards for language teachers (Cornelia Tschichold); (77) Mobile-assisted language learning community and culture in French-speaking Belgium: the teachers' perspective (Julie Van de Vyver); (78) Classification of Swedish learner essays by CEFR levels (Elena Volodina, Ildikó Pilán, and David Alfter); (79) Mobile assisted language learning and mnemonic mapping--the loci method revisited (Ikumi Waragai, Marco Raindl, Tatsuya Ohta, and Kosuke Miyasaka); (80) CALL and less commonly taught languages--still a way to go (Monica Ward); (81) Demystifying pronunciation with animation (Monica Ward); (82) The effects of utilizing corpus resources to correct collocation errors in L2 writing--Students' performance, corpus use and perceptions (Yi-ju Wu); (83) A social constructionist approach to teaching and learning vocabulary for Italian for academic purposes (Eftychia Xerou, Salomi Papadima-Sophocleous, and Antigoni Parmaxi); (84) Flip-J: development of the system for flipped jigsaw supported language learning (Masanori Yamada, Yoshiko Goda, Kojiro Hata, Hideya Matsukawa, and Seisuke Yasunami); and (85) "Check your Smile", prototype of a collaborative LSP website for technical vocabulary (Nadia Yassine-Diab, Charlotte Alazard-Guiu, Mathieu Loiseau, Laurent Sorin, and Charlotte Orliac). An author index is included. (Individual papers contain references.)

The 25th European Association of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) conference was hosted by Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University of Southampton, in the United Kingdom, from the 23rd to the 26th of August 2017. The theme of the conference was "CALL in a climate of change." The theme encompassed the notion of how practice and research in CALL is responding to shifting global circumstances which impact education, including developments arising from economic, political, or environmental change. It cut across areas including considerations for teacher training, competitive educational models, open education, new models for blended learning, collaboration, mobile learning, creative and innovative pedagogy, data analytics, students' needs and sustainability--and crucially, it looked to the future with optimism. The programme was packed with over 200 sessions related to this topic, and it included a large number of workshops, pecha kucha, posters, and symposia. This volume offers a snapshot of this dynamic landscape and contains 60 of the papers presented. This volume reflects the wide variety of topics featured at the conference and the high quality of contributions. (Individual papers contain references.)

For the twenty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. This is Volume 2 of the 26th Annual Proceedings of Selected Papers On the Practice of Educational Communications and Technology presented at the National AECT Convention in Anaheim, CA. This volume contains papers dealing primarily with instruction and training issues. Papers dealing with research and development are contained in the companion volume (26th Annual, Volume 1) which also contains over 60 papers. The papers contained in this document represent some of the most current thinking in educational communications and technology. (Individual papers contain references, tables, and figures.) [For Volume 1, see ED496305. For Volume 1 of the 2002 proceedings, see ED496300. For Volume 2 of the 2002 proceedings, see ED496301.]

While previous studies have established the significance of CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) in language education, the extent to which CALL influences language teachers' well-being and their professional development has not yet been fully understood. This echoes Dörnyei's (2018) argument that although language teachers are the most important factors in learners' success, their contributions have not been considered sufficiently. As such, this short paper presents an ongoing mixed-methods project investigating Vietnamese and Japanese language teachers' well-being and the role of CALL in the ecology of language teaching at both personal and work levels using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological system framework. The primary method is the grounded theory analysis and preliminary results from Vietnamese teachers' semi-structured interviews which have shown the importance of CALL in language teachers' well-being's ecology. Also, the role of the community of practice has also emerged as an informal support in language teachers' ecological well-being system. [For the complete volume, "Intelligent CALL, Granular Systems and Learner Data: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2022 (30th, Reykjavik, Iceland, August 17-19, 2022)," see ED624779.]

The 22nd EUROCALL conference was held at the University of Padova from the 26th to the 29th of August 2015, the first time that EUROCALL has been held in Italy. The event was organized in collaboration with the University Language Centre and the support of the Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies. Over 300 delegates travelled from over 37 different countries to attend. The theme of the conference this year was Critical CALL, drawing inspiration from the work carried out in the broader field of Critical Applied Linguistics. The term "critical" has many possible interpretations, and as Pennycook (2001) outlines, has many concerns. It was from these that the conference theme was decided, in particular the notion that assumptions that lie at the basis of a field's praxis should be questioned, ideas that have become "naturalized" and are not called into question. Another concern of Critical Applied Linguistics is the relationship between the macro and the micro, an engagement with issues of power and inequality and an understanding of how classrooms and conversations are related to broader social, cultural and political relations. Over 200 presentations were delivered in 68 different sessions, both in English and Italian, on topics related specifically to the theme and also more general CALL topics. 94 of these were submitted as extended papers and appear in this volume of proceedings. An author index is included. (Individual papers contain references.)

This study aims to analyse the initial use of Digital Storytelling (DS) in primarily asynchronous classes in order to yield results and recommendations for future courses. All participants were students in elective English courses at a Japanese university in Spring, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the courses were redesigned and conducted remotely with the use of pre-recorded materials. Data were collected through a post-questionnaire. This short paper reports what was found from the data by analysing the questionnaire with CALL evaluation criteria developed by Jamieson, Chapelle, and Preiss (2005). From the post-questionnaire, it was revealed that the DS assignment was perceived positively to some extent in remote learning settings. However, it also highlighted the need for further in-depth technical and language support and interactive learning opportunities. [For the complete volume, "CALL and Professionalisation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2021 (29th, Online, August 26-27, 2021)," see ED616972.]

This study investigated the effects of using an online High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) program for university students whose first language is Japanese and who studied English as a foreign language. The target sounds were English fricatives, which many of the participants felt were challenging to distinguish and articulate. The training was conducted for five weeks; each week consisted of three HVPT sessions. The training process consisted of an initial explanation of how to articulate the sounds followed by a video that showed the physical articulative movements. The participants listened to stimuli sounds, produced the sounds after each stimulus, and completed an identification task. Based on pre and posttests, the perception performance of the participants improved significantly through the HVPT training. Regarding production, a positive effect was found for one phoneme, while no difference was found for the other. Questionnaire results were generally positive but indicated the need for explicit instruction for some of the fricatives that exhibited relatively lower successful production and perception rates. [For the complete volume, "CALL and Professionalisation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2021 (29th, Online, August 26-27, 2021)," see ED616972.]

Two university writing classes (N=49) in Japan completed three writing tasks that focused on marginalised communities utilising Google Drive and TEDxKyoto Talks as part of a writing portfolio assessment. Participants also completed a voluntary reflective survey. The reflective survey results indicated that students demonstrated an increased awareness of the communities discussed and a desire to undertake further similar exercises. Furthermore, the portfolio responses indicated that the students were capable of tackling complex topics effectively in the L2 writing classroom when combining TEDx Talks with Google Drive. This indicates that tasks which focus on issues of social importance utilising Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) inside the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing classroom can be both pedagogically and socially meaningful. [For the complete volume, "CALL for Widening Participation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2020 (28th, Online, August 20-21, 2020)," see ED610330.]

This article describes the development of a tense and aspect identifier, an online tool designed to help learners of English by harnessing a natural language processing pipeline to automatically classify verb groups into one of 12 grammatical tenses. Currently, there is no website or application that can automatically identify tense in context, and the tense and aspect identifier fills that niche. Learners can use the tool to see how grammatical tenses are used in context. Finite verb groups are automatically identified, and the relevant words in the verb group are highlighted and colorized according to the tense identified. The latest deployed system can identify tenses in simple, compound, and complex sentences. False positive results occur when there is ellipsis of auxiliary verbs or when the tagger assigns the incorrect part-of-speech tag. The user interface of the tense identifier is a web app created using the Flask framework and deployed from the Heroku platform. The tool can be used for inductive and deductive teaching approaches, or even to check for tense consistency in a thesis. [For the complete volume, "CALL for Widening Participation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2020 (28th, Online, August 20-21, 2020)," see ED610330.]

This study explored participation by Japanese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Computer Assisted Language Learning/Mobile Assisted Language Learning (CALL/MALL) vocabulary tasks through the lens of Complexity Theory (CT). CT, which studies how complex systems are influenced by changes in interconnected variables (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008), has been advocated as an approach that aligns well with Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and CALL research (Godwin-Jones, 2019). In this study, CT was applied to action research involving learners using smartphones to create game-based vocabulary quizzes. It aimed to understand how the context, personal attributes, and in-class interactions affected participation and learning outcomes. The results show the variability and nonlinearity of learners' language development, the importance of initial conditions, and the vital role of teacher input. It also demonstrated that there are various ways to successfully complete a task, so viewing tasks as dynamic systems may be a fruitful approach. [For the complete volume, "CALL for Widening Participation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2020 (28th, Online, August 20-21, 2020)," see ED610330.]

This article reports on an autoethnography by two authors who analysed the interrelationship of their experiences as foreign language learners, educators, and researchers. Both participant-researchers had taken advantage of the accessibility of online learning resources to learn new languages, had incorporated digital tools into their teaching practices, and had researched how technology could be used as a learning aid for students inside and outside the classroom. In this collaborative autoethnography, they turned the research lens upon themselves and each other to develop understandings of the way their experiences as language learners and researchers impacted upon their teacher cognition and teaching practices. [For the complete volume, "CALL for Widening Participation: Short Papers from EUROCALL 2020 (28th, Online, August 20-21, 2020)," see ED610330.]

Distance higher education for adults, media selection, and country profiles are considered in conference papers. Titles and authors are as follows: "Distance Education, Trends Worldwide" (Lord Perry of Walton); "Adults in Higher Education: Lowering the Barriers by Teaching and Learning at a Distance" (Hans G. Schutze); "Distance Education for Adults: Old and New Barriers for Participation" (Kjell Rubenson); "Distance Education for Adult Students: From Old to New Barriers for Participation?" (Ger van Enckevort); "Distance Education in OECD Member Countries"; "The Open University of the Netherlands"; "Background and Objectives" (Pierre Morin); "Basic Concepts" (Henk de Wolf); "The First Students" (G. van Enckevort); "The Open University of the United Kingdom" (Keith Harry); "The German Distance University: Its Main Features and Functions" (Jorn Bartels, Otto Peters); "The Instituto Portugues de Ensino a Distancia, Portugal" (Armando Rocha Trindade); "The Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Spain" (Doina Popa-Lisseanu); "Distance Education in Yugoslavia" (Ana Kranjc); "Towards a Contextual Rationale in Distance Higher Education: The Small Scale Cases of Australia and Sweden" (Urban Dahllof); "Adult Learning and the Consequences for the Selection of Media: The Japanese Approach" (Yoshiya Abe); "Technology-Based Distance Education for Adults in the United States of America" (Marilyn Kressel); "Distance Education, a Critical View from Canada" (Ian Morrison); "The Impact on Higher Education of New Information and Telecommunication Technologies" (Pamela Christoffel); "Selection of Media at the Dutch Open University" (G. van Enckevort, Freek Gastkemper)"; "Development of Computer-Based Learning Materials" (Jef Moonen); and "Computer Communication: A New Tool for Distance Education" (Norman D. Kurland). (SW)

This study examines the effectiveness of an automated translation chatbot used in online interactions which consequently could enhance second/foreign language (L2) competence. Based on the sociocultural perspectives of learning, such as communication to recognize the difference from others and to be involved in sense-making processes, this study examines the automated translation chatbot to translate L1 statements into L2 automatically during online interactions by hypothesizing that the chatbot provides a variety of L2 comprehensive input and lowers learners' anxiety to write their L2 posts, which will lead to successful L2 learning. To verify our hypothesis, quantitative and qualitative data was collected by the online interaction, essay writing tasks, and open-ended questionnaire before and after the interaction. The findings of this study will suggest that the efficient use of an online translation bot facilitates collaborative dialog and results in more successful L2 learning. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED590612.]

Digital storytelling is an educational practice which has attracted the attention of many experts. However, there has been little research on the disadvantages of digital storytelling assignments from the students' perspectives in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. Addressing difficulties or problems which are likely to occur in integrating digital storytelling in language learning would provide better insights for education in the future. Thus, this study aims to examine not only the advantages but also the disadvantages of introducing digital storytelling assignments in EFL education by focusing on learners' motivation. To achieve the aim of this study, data was obtained from questionnaire surveys in six courses entitled 'Information English' for students in Japan. Though most students were motivated for learning with digital storytelling assignments, there were also some students who were less motivated. The findings from students' comments revealed that it would be effective to provide specific instruction based on (1) proper guidance of effective narration, (2) the condition of having sufficient time to accomplish the assignment, (3) technical support, and (4) information ethics. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED590612.]

Problematic smartphone usage has been widely recognized (e.g. Al-Barashidi, Bouazza, & Jabur, 2015; Chóliz, 2012). However, few researchers have investigated the relationship between students' feelings towards their smartphones and their acceptance of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). This exploratory study of thirty-six Japanese high-school students sought to understand their overwhelming reluctance to use the popular language-learning application, Duolingo. Fewer than half of the students used the application, with several failing to even install it on their device. Small group interview discussions were conducted to clarify and gain insight into the participants' feelings and motivations about the use of their smartphones. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED590612.]

There has been interest in learner autonomy in the field of language education for many years but the role of the teacher remains uncertain. In Japan, where this research was conducted, it is not commonplace for comprehensive programs that foster autonomous learning to be integrated into formal English education, but some institutions and educators have taken steps in this direction. This study gives an overview of two different contexts in which teacher support for autonomous learning was woven into English education at Japanese universities; firstly, in a course that was dedicated to self-directed learning and secondly, in a speaking course that included a self-directed learning strand. Survey data that were collected from 50 students in these two contexts suggest that the support given in both course types was largely beneficial to learners, with similar outcomes in many areas but a noteworthy difference in the amount of time spent studying outside of class. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED590612.]

The aim of this research project was to examine the impact of chatbots as conversation partners. First and second year Japanese university students (n=120) from a private university in Southwest Japan were randomly assigned to either conduct a speaking task with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot or human partner. Preliminary analysis of the data suggests that student interest in interacting with the chatbot conversation partners decreased across the experiment period, whilst interest in performing identical tasks with their peers (human partners) remained relatively stable. The findings suggest that educators and administrators should be cautious about relying entirely on AI conversation partners as a substitute to human partners if they wish to stimulate and maintain student interest levels in conversation tasks. Furthermore, teachers should carefully consider students' language proficiency and communicative ability before designing and implementing speaking tasks that involve the use of AI conversation partners. Using chatbots as an extension of human-human conversation activity practice and not a replacement is recommended in order to maintain student interest and engagement across a language program. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED590612.]

This study investigated the effects of High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) on beginner level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Japanese learners' perceptions and productions of the English fricatives /f/, /v/ and /?/. With the use of the computer program 'English Accent Coach' (EAC, Thomson, 2017), two groups of participants were engaged in learning the sounds in a two-syllable environment: target consonant + vowels (CV) and target consonant + vowels + consonant (CVC). The perception training with EAC was conducted for five weeks between a pre-test and a post-test in perception and production. Production was measured in the form of recorded reading aloud and was evaluated by native English speakers and a Japanese teacher of English. The results indicated the advantageous effects of CVC environments on perception as well as on production. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

We developed a story creation platform that allows for collaborative content creation in a 3D environment by utilizing avatars, animations, objects, and backgrounds. Our story envisioning platform provides a shared virtual space that promotes collaborative interaction for story construction, involving a high degree of learner input and control. It allows the L2 learners to perform as actors and directors to create the story and supports offline or online collaboration (online chatting). Using state-of-the-art technologies, the system creates 3D stories from text to be presented in virtual reality. The learner can choose premade assets and input the story script for conversion into story elements and timelines. Experiments with 35 intermediate learners of English on the usability of the system and user engagement confirmed the system's effectiveness to promote learner collaboration, peer support, negotiation, opinion exchange, and critical thinking. Learners found the system to be a powerful tool to visualize their thoughts, and revise/expand their stories, according to questionnaire results. This system brings an interesting and intense language practice that encourages learners to actively participate in the learning process through collaboration. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

Although Extensive Reading (ER) has been shown to increase reading fluency and comprehension, such benefits are generally slow to appear. The present study investigated the possible contribution of ER to single-semester Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) reading gains. The participants were 497 first-year students from two annual cohorts at a tertiary institution in Japan. All took a preliminary TOEIC before enrolling in the online ER system "Xreading," which awarded them a word count for successfully completing a short quiz on each book they read for homework. Hierarchical linear regression analyses of end-of-semester ER words read and TOEIC reading scores showed a consistent positive relationship between the two. However, semester increases in the former were not reflected by proportional gains in the latter, a finding possibly explained by greater consistency in ER's implementation across course sections over time. In short, ER words read might in fact be a proxy for general compliance in homework completion rather than a direct cause of TOEIC reading score improvement. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

This paper presents the prototype of a foreign language learning space, based on the construction of an integrated formal/informal learning environment. Before the background of the continued innovation of information technology that places conventional learning styles and educational methods into new contexts based on new value-standards, environment models of foreign language learning constantly face the necessity to change. A structured environment for foreign language learning can be created only when the learning environment in the real space, which is constructed in many forms outside the classroom, constantly connects with the formal learning environment inside the classroom. This study assumes two axes of a learning environment--formal/informal and real/cyber space--and attempts to integrate them to create a circulating four-dimensional model. Integrating formal and informal environments connects real space, which depends on the physical location and situation, with cyber space, which does not. In this study, sentences written in a foreign language by language learners will be auto-collected and analyzed in cyber space, which plays a great role in students' daily lives. Thus, a 4D foreign language learning environment, which automatically delivers practical knowledge to the learner by a comprehensive analysis of formal and informal learning between real and cyber space, will be constructed. [For the complete volume, see ED578177.]

Language competence in various communicative activities in L2 largely depends on the learners' size of vocabulary. The target vocabulary of adult L2 learners should be between 2,000 high frequency words (a critical threshold) and 10,000 word families (for comprehension of university texts). For a TOEIC test, the threshold is estimated to be 3,000-4,000 words. The average English vocabulary size of most Japanese university students is significantly beyond these thresholds. Since incidental learning of English vocabulary in Japan is impossible due to the low exposure to the target language, vocabulary should be acquired through intentional learning. This paper reports on the outcomes of two different approaches to intentional vocabulary learning experienced in one Japanese university: using a Web-based vocabulary-learning tool "Word Engine" and non-electronic techniques of rote learning and memorization. During the period when independent vocabulary acquisition with "Word Engine" was included in course requirements, research revealed a significant improvement in mean scores in standardized TOEIC tests and course examinations for students of the equivalent cohorts, i.e. the same year of study and similar curriculum level and content, as well as general student satisfaction with the program and increased motivation towards independent deliberate vocabulary learning. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]

This paper illustrates the general idea of an on-going project for the development of a new blended e-learning package for the English as a foreign language (EFL) reading instruction in Japanese universities. The authors want to draw the attention of the readers to the Learning Management System (LMS) of the package and focus on the role a new e-learning system plays in actual face-to-face classrooms. Through an e-learning system, an EFL teacher can browse particular words, phrases or sentences where his/her students have learning difficulty on a real-time basis on the tablet screen. Grasping graphically particular parts the students need to be instructed, the teacher can determine the level of teaching in response to the students' demands. The system is designed to generate word/phrase lists for individual learners' further self-learning. These word/phrase lists, accompanied by additional information about learning records such as date, passage ID, reading ease score, type/token ratio and lexical density, may function as eligible e-portfolios for both teachers and learners. Instead of getting involved in the discussion on the technical details of the e-learning system itself, the authors show how the actual EFL reading instruction and learning can dynamically be designed through a newly-proposed system that provides opportunities to share pedagogical issues with people working on similar project. [For full proceedings, see ED565087.]

A longitudinal study conducted from April 2013 to January 2014 sought to ascertain whether a blended learning (BL) environment incorporating m-learning could help Japanese undergraduates improve their English language skills. In this paper, various emerging technologies (including Globalvoice English, ATR CALL Brix, the mobile learning-oriented TOEIC Practice Kit, Course Power), as well as online materials (MOOCs, TED Talks, top 10 most popular educational web tools) will be demonstrated. The study focuses on examining the use of emerging e-learning and m-learning technologies and activities, ranging from speech recognition to web-based learning both in and out of the classroom, in order to determine their effectiveness in improving the English proficiency of non-native learners. Pre- and post-training TOEIC scores revealed that the BL activities had a positive effect on the students' overall English proficiency. [For full proceedings, see ED565087.]

Okazaki and Nitta (2005) developed an e-learning program called PLIMA (your Personal LIstening Manager) which focuses on improving poor phonological analysis such as the inability to hear liaison or unstressed sounds. However, the fact remains that there are certain types of liaison sounds that learners do not catch, and some types they do. This means if we specify what type, in other words, what level of liaison sounds they cannot catch, that will help PLIMA offer more effective learning to learners who lack certain listening skills. To automatically determine the difficulty levels of the English audio materials, text evaluation techniques using lexical databases have been employed in many cases so far. However, automatic judging systems on the difficulty levels of the English audio materials themselves, not using lexical databases, are almost unseen. In this paper, we are going to propose a listening difficulty level determination system, to overcome such a challenging task. It applies a processing technique to extract the acoustic feature quantities that are employed in speech recognition engines. [For full proceedings, see ED565087.]

Fourteen conference papers on classroom techniques for second language teaching are presented, including: "Cooperative Learning at the Post-Secondary Level in Japan" (Steve McGuire, Patricia Thornton, David Kluge); "Shared Inquiry Fosters Critical Thinking Skills in EFL Students" (Carol Browning, Jerold Halvorsen, Denise Ahlquist); "Story Grammar: A Reading and Discussion Strategy" (Gregory Strong); "The Use of Japanese Literature in Reading Classes" (Sachiko Ikeda); "FL Reading and Multi-Media: Psycholinguistic Views" (Syuhei Kadota, Masao Tada, Yuko Shimizu, Shinji Kimura); "Vocabulary Building with Student-Selected Words" (Robin Nagano); "An Analysis of Particle Usage Ga-O Conversion" (in Japanese) (Takako Ishida); "Creating a Writing Environment for Real Beginners" (Joyce Roth); "Preparing Students To Write in Their Disciplines" (Thomas Orr); "Writing and Peer Feedback Tasks" (Guy Kellogg, L. Scott Rogstad); "Conversation Strategies, Timed Practice, and Noticing in Large Oral Communication Classes" (Tom Kenny); "Amaterasu and the Power of Dance in the Classroom" (David Bell); "The Process of Revising Tests and Creating Parallel Forms" (Alan Hunt, David Beglar); and "Continuous Assessment Facilitated by CAI" (Colin Painter). Individual papers contain references. (MSE)

This conference paper describes the use of integrated media-oriented instruction in a self-contained class at Yokohama Municipal Elementary School in Japan. Three students with mild disabilities, in grades 5 and 6, participated in the project. Integrated media (IM) is defined as the linkage of text, sound, video, graphics, and the computer in such a way that the user's access is nonlinear and virtually instantaneous. The hardware (including two Macintosh computers, a CD-ROM, a digital camera, a videorecorder, and a scanner) and the software (including HyperCard, assorted HyperCard stacks, and several software programs) were placed throughout the room to provide easy access. Students became comfortable using these tools at any time they felt it would enhance their learning. Using the IM resources, students constructed puzzles, made movies, constructed toys and machines, made a map of Japan, and completed other activities. The paper concludes that the teacher's approach to incorporating IM into the curriculum dictates its effectiveness. Teacher training needs to focus on programming, knowledge of equipment, learning theory that supports use of IM, and instructional design techniques that enhance IM. The need for parental involvement in the project is also emphasized. (Contains 20 references.) (JDD)

The purpose of this study was to explore how a Digital StoryTelling (DST) assignment affected and changed students' motivations for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in comparison with a StoryTelling (ST) assignment. A course entitled "Information English" was held for Japanese university students at a faculty of information and communications in the fall term of 2014. The study goal of the course was to acquire skills and knowledge to present ideas and messages effectively with the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and English. Students conducted ST tasks in the class as a midterm assignment, then created digital stories and peer-reviewed them as a final assignment. The impact of the DST assignment on students' motivations was analyzed by means of midterm and post-assessment questionnaires based on Keller's ARCS model (four categories of which are attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) and compared to data collected for the ST assignment. The findings showed that most students were more motivated for learning with the DST assignment than the ST assignment. [For the complete volume, see ED578177.]

The purpose of this paper is to describe the function of English articles in a functional-pragmatic perspective, to clarify how the functions of the articles are reflected in the discourse, and to give some pedagogical implications for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Deixis is a grammatical category involving reference to characteristics of the situation where an utterance takes place; also referred to as "indexicality." The use of English articles is deeply connected with the way cognition is acquired. Articles in English function as old and new information markers in certain contexts, with the definite article used for old information and the indefinite article used to introduce new information. A text-mapping system based on an analysis of cohesion is described that can serve as an important tool in teaching Japanese students the use of the definite article in English. Used in conjunction with a computer text editor, this system has the advantage of presenting cohesive relations in a highly visible way. (Contains 30 references.) (MDM)

This paper reports on the use of can-do statements (CDS) for the development of learning materials to prepare Japanese university students for the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). These learning materials have been made available on ATR CALL BRIX (http://www.atr-lt.jp/products/brix/index.html), a wwwbased courseware with a learning management system (LMS) which contains study logs, achievement rate reports on student-set goals, the identification of students' weak points, and advice on test-taking strategies. CDS, the specific behaviors that an examinee at a certain score level can be expected to be able to perform in English (Chauncey Group International, 2000) have been conventionally used as descriptors to explain test scores to educators and employers who use TOEIC scores to assess the English proficiency levels of students and prospective employees. Official CDS published for the TOEIC 600-score level, and the CDS, at comparable levels, for the Society for Testing English Proficiency test (STEP), and for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) were used to compile this study's CDS set. The CDS were given to 592 students as a self-report inventory immediately after they took a TOEIC test. The CDS were then used to develop TOEIC learning materials which were trialed in a TOEIC skill-building course for 22 students. According to comparisons of pre- and postcourse TOEIC scores, it was concluded that the use of CDS-based TOEIC learning tasks, which include advice on test-taking strategies, in a www-based course may help students improve their TOEIC scores. [For the complete volume, see ED574893.]

This report describes the processes, methods and results of using language software based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in a tertiary level institute in Japan in order to facilitate the learning of low ability learners of English. None of the learners were English majors, all were between the ages of 18 and 20, and the classes were compulsory. Approximately 100 learners were divided into four classes, A, B, C and D, in order of decreasing ability, according to their performance on a placement test. This research focuses on Classes C and D. Students in these classes were all at or below the CEFR's A1 level in their English ability. Online language software was first used in order to tackle factors which were considered by Lynch (2011) to be the cause of lower performance in students in Classes C and D, namely the lack of four factors: motivation, achievable goals, concentration ability and proper classroom management. In the first year, the lowest ability class, Class D, used online software designed to teach vocabulary at level A1 of the CEFR for 25 minutes out of a 90 minute session for a total of 15 sessions, while the higher level classes were taught using traditional methods. The software was used in such a way as to tackle the four factors for lower performance, mentioned above. It was found that Class D eventually performed as well as Class C (in terms of ability shown in a CEFR-based examination) after the 15 sessions. In the second year of the study (with new participants), Classes C and D both used the computer program yet Class D performed better in terms of the quantity and knowledge of vocabulary covered. The reasons for this are discussed in this paper with particular attention paid to difficult to control classroom circumstances. One significant difference between the classes was the achievement targets set by teachers, with the lowest ability class, Class D, having a target being only half of that set for the next higher class up, Class C. Despite this, the Class D average performance was significantly higher than that of Class C. We present our hypotheses for the above results in this paper, and it is hoped that it will be useful for other teachers of low ability language learners using CALL in the classroom. (Contains 1 table.)

An adaptive learning system is proposed that incorporates a Bayesian network to efficiently gauge learners' understanding at the course-unit level. Also, learners receive content that is adapted to their measured level of understanding. The system works on an iPad via the Edmodo platform. A field experiment using the system in an elementary school begins in September, 2014. In addition to the contents of this paper, reports on the field experiments and a demonstration will be given at the conference poster presentation. [For the full proceedings, see ED562096.]

Much has been gained over the years in various educational fields that have taken advantage of CALL. In many cases, CALL has facilitated learning and provided teachers and students access to materials and tools that would have remained out of reach were it not for technology. Nonetheless, there are still cases where a lack of funding or access to CALL tools prevents teachers and students from reaping the benefits of CALL. Furthermore, in countries inundated by technology, opportunities for students to create and collaborate using CALL may get lost amid the noise of the latest program, or the trendiest learning tools. The project described in this article involves students in a different way to use CALL for learning; it has them work together using technology, troubleshooting problems, and creating online news stories. This article describes a digital journalism simulation called JUEMUN Journalism. JUEMUN, the Japan English University Model United Nations, is an annual event that brings together students from around the globe to participate in a Model United Nations (MUN). A component of this event includes teams of journalists who cover the events at the MUN, and report on them in four formats: podcasts, video broadcasts, a written chronicle, and editorial cartoons. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]

Our research project focuses on learning strategies and motivation among academic procrastinators in computer assisted language learning (CALL) settings. In this study, we aim to compare them according to students' levels of English proficiency. One hundred and fourteen university students participated in this research project. Sixty-four students determined to be procrastinators were the focus of this research, and we analyzed their learning strategies and motivation based on their English proficiency (i.e. TOEIC-IP scores). The students were categorized into four groups: under-300s (n = 17), 400s (n = 22), 500s (n = 21), and over-600 (n = 4). The learning strategies and motivation of the students were collected with a researcher-created 5-point Likert questionnaire consisting of 33 items. The group differences were discriminately analyzed for each item of the questionnaire. The results showed that students who think that the amount to be learned is too large and those who tire easily may ultimately have inefficient and ineffective learning results. The research findings should be significant for teachers and researchers attempting to discriminate between active and passive procrastinators in order to predict their performance and match them with suitable learning supports. [For full proceedings, see ED565087.]