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Given the massive use of social media during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, EFL teachers could take advantage of this and bring intercultural encounters in the EFL classroom through virtual exchanges. The chapter aims to present a pedagogical proposal for virtual exchange practices in EFL courses at university level. First, it will start with an overview of the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) approach. Then, it will bring upfront the main areas of investigation related to telecollaboration and virtual exchange practices. Finally, this chapter will provide a versatile EFL pedagogical proposal, easily adaptable to any particular virtual exchange project to match specific curriculum needs. This proposal is based on real practice and grounded theory of how this approach and the digital tools can be maximized in the current EFL teaching context, highlighting the need of integrating e-learning environments in the regular EFL classroom, either taught in online or face-to-face modality.

This paper investigates the efficiency of text messaging as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructional tool to enhance learner autonomy and perception at the Islamic Azad University-South Tehran Branch, Iran. The study considers seventy-four learners to participate in the study after the administration of an Oxford Placement Test to measure their proficiency level. Participants are randomly assigned in experimental and control groups, including 37 participants each. A questionnaire is used as a pretest and posttest to measure learners` autonomy. Participants from the experimental group use text messaging (the treatment) to receive instructions, whereas those from the control group receive traditional classroom instructions in a face-to-face channel. A semi-structured interview is also used to collect date on experimental group participants` perception in using MALL in classrooms. The results reveal remarkable differences between the experimental and control groups’ means on their learner autonomy scores. However, the impact of the independent samples t-test has shown that there is no statistically meaningful gender difference among the learners regarding their autonomy scores. The findings based on the semi-structured interview showed complimentary views on MALL. The current study is beneficial since its outcomes could be relevant for EFL curriculum developers and English language teachers in the use of mobile learning and text messaging in the English classroom. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.11. 11

The pedagogical use of subtitled and captioned material in the foreign language classroom is upheld by various theories which reveal the cognitive processing activated when students are exposed to multimedia and subtitled audiovisual materials. The three theories that will be considered here are Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) and Cognitive Affective Theory of Learning with Media (CATLM). The main purpose of the paper is to illustrate the internal mechanisms triggered in learners when various sensorial channels (visual, auditory and textual) coincide simultaneously on screen and how this may affect their cognitive engagement and motivation while learning a foreign language. Additionally, two empirical studies will be presented in the second part of the article in order to provide evidence of the benefits of using subtitled audiovisual materials in the English Foreign Language (EFL) classroom in higher education. The results show that both interlingual (L1) and intralingual (L2) subtitles prove to have a facilitating role in informal and colloquial language learning in this context.

This experimental study seeks to explore informal and conversational speech, such as slang, phrasal verbs and colloquial expressions through the use of subtitled TV series (interlingual and intralingual) amongst learners in higher education. Thus, 40 Spanish/Catalan, Dutch, German, Russian, Romanian and Moldavian second year university undergraduates, studying a BA in English in the province of Catalonia (Spain) with an A2 to C1 proficiency level of CEFR, were randomly assigned either to interlingual mode (English sound + Spanish subtitles) or to intralingual mode (English sound + English subtitles). They were exposed to a total of 13 subtitled episodes from the American series ‘Friends’ over a period of 7 weeks. A multiple choice and open questions pre-test and a post-test were administered in order to analyse the effect of the two types of subtitles upon informal vocabulary learning and film comprehension. Results indicated that learners performed better under the EE (intralingual) than under the ES (interlingual) mode. No significant interaction has been found between the intervention and the post-test scores, therefore, the difference in scores between the two conditions of subtitles is not dependent on students’ prior proficiency level. The obtained results support the use of subtitled audiovisual aids in foreign language classroom teaching, being in line with the principles outlined by the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Theory of Cognitive Load.

Un estudi quasi-experimental inicial va buscar explorar si els materials audiovisuals subtitulats amb la L1 o amb la L2 són més rendibles per a l'aprenentatge del llenguatge informal i col•loquial de l'anglès com llengua estrangera. Per a dur a terme l’experiment, 49 participants van ser dividits aleatòriament en dos grups; un dels quals va rebre el material subtitulat en anglès i l’altre en espanyol. El nivel de comprensió auditiva i coneixement de vocabulari informal van ser avaluades abans i després de veure episodis subtitulats (en L1 i L2) de la sèrie Friends durant 7 setmanes. Un segon estudi va mesurar la retenció a curt termini de vocabulari col•loquial, després d'haver vist els episodis subtitulat al llarg de 7 setmanes (13 episodis en total). Les anàlisis revelen que a curt termini no hi ha prevalença d'una condició de subtítols sobre l'altra. El tercer estudi explora la retenció del llenguatge col•loquial i informal dels estudiants després d'haver estat exposats 14 setmanes a episodis subtítols de Friends. Els resultats mostren la tendència de millora del grup, però també mostren una gran variació entre els resultats individuals. El quart estudi va avaluar la producció oral d'expressions col•loquials dels subjectes, així com la fluïdesa en la parla, l'espontaneïtat, la capacitat d'improvisar i de tenir una conversa natural. Això indica altes correlacions entre les puntuacions dels alumnes del tercer estudi i de les seves produccions orals en el quart estudi. Per tant, els estudiants que van obtenir una puntuació alta en la prova final són capaços d'expressar-se usant les expressions col•loquials en tasques orals ., Esta investigación analiza si el uso de materiales audiovisuales subtitulados con la lengua materna (L1) o la lengua extranjera (L2) mejora el aprendizaje de lenguaje informal y coloquial y fomenta la destreza oral. En un estudio cuasi-experimental inicial buscó explorar si los materiales audiovisuales subtitulados con la L1 o con la L2 son más eficientes para el aprendizaje del lenguaje informal y coloquial del inglés como lengua extranjera. Para ello, 49 participantes fueron divididos aleatoriamente en dos grupos: en uno se les administró el material subtitulado en inglés y al otro en español. El nivel de comprensión auditiva y conocimiento previo de vocabulario informal fue analizado antes y después de ver episodios subtitulados en las dos lenguas de la serie Friends durante 7 semanas. En un segundo estudio midió la retención a corto plazo de vocabulario coloquial después de haber visto los episodio subtitulados a lo largo de 7 semanas (13 episodios en total). Los análisis revelan que a corto plazo no hay prevalencia de una condición de subtítulos sobre la otra. El tercer estudio explora la retención del lenguaje coloquial e informal de los estudiantes después de exponerlos durante 14 semanas a episodios subtítulos en lengua Inglesa (L2) de Friends. Los resultados muestran la tendencia a mejorar del grupo en general, pero también muestran una gran variación entre los resultados individuales. El cuarto estudio evaluó la producción oral de expresiones coloquiales, así como su fluidez en el habla, la espontaneidad, la capacidad de improvisación y de tener una conversación natural. Los resultados nos revelan una alta correlación entre las puntuaciones de los alumnos del tercer estudio y de sus producciones orales en el cuarto estudio. Esto indica, por lo tanto, que los estudiantes que obtuvieron una puntuación alta en la prueba final son capaces de expresarse usando las expresiones coloquiales aprendidas., This research investigates the extent to which the use of subtitled and captioned audiovisual materials enhance informal and colloquial language learning and foster oral production. An initial quasi-experimental study sought to explore whether the L1/standard subtitled or L2/captioned audiovisuals are more profitable for EFL informal and colloquial language learning and recall. 49 participants were randomly divided into two subtitle groups: English sound + Spanish subtitles and English sound + English subtitles. Participants' lexical comprehension and recall were tested before and after they were exposed to subtitled episodes from the TV series Friends over a long-term period of 7 weeks. The data analyses reveal that the English subtitles benefit the acquisition of colloquial lexical items more than Spanish subtitles. A second study measured learners' short-term retention of colloquial and idiomatic vocabulary after they watched each subtitled/captioned episode from the sitcom Friends along the 7-week period (13 episodes in total). The results show that students' scores tended to increase in both subtitle groups, however there is no prevalence of one subtitle condition over the other. Study 3 explores students' retention of colloquial and informal language after a 14-week exposure time to captioned episodes from Friends. The analyses reveal the group tendency of increasing significantly their scores after being exposed to captioned television series, but also a big variance among learners' individual scores, as low- and high-level students responded differently to the treatment. Study 4 evaluated participants' oral production of informal and colloquial expressions in role-play activities and their speech fluency, spontaneity, ability to improvise well and sound naturally. High correlations are found between learners' scores from Study 3 and their oral productions from Study 4, hence students who scored high in their post- test will be able to express themselves using the colloquial expressions and informal lexical items in the oral task.