Language Education and Technology Journal

Language Students’ Views on Using Generative AI for Language Learning Purposes in Higher Education

Ana Niño — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This study examines undergraduate language students’ perspectives on the use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, in UK higher education, focusing on their educational value and integration into language learning. Prompted by the rapid rise of generative AI since late 2022, the research is grounded in theoretical discussions on its pedagogical potential and conducted through a survey of 97 students at the University of Manchester. The study explores how frequently students use these tools, for what purposes, and their attitudes toward AI’s role in learning and assessment. Results show that while many students recognise benefits such as instant feedback, personalised learning, and support with translation, grammar, and conversation practice, a significant number have not adopted AI tools in their study routines. Concerns about misinformation, ethical risks, and bias in AI-generated content were common, underscoring the need for critical engagement and responsible use. Additionally, most respondents reported a lack of institutional guidance, highlighting a gap in support that universities could address through structured initiatives like introductory modules and ethical frameworks. These findings reveal both the promise and the challenges of integrating generative AI into language education, calling for thoughtful strategies to ensure its effective and ethical use.

Heritage Language Attrition Among Second-Generation Immigrant Turks Residing in Austria and Germany

Coşkun Laçin Sancar, Emirhan Gencer — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0300

This study investigated how heritage language attrition was maintained in agglutinative languages and in which areas it affected the second-generation immigrant Turks residing in Austria and Germany. Although extensive research has examined language attrition in immigrant communities, research remains scarce on how heritage-language maintenance is managed by second-generation immigrants and on the degree to which they value preserving their native tongue for cultural and identity reasons. Given Turkish’s agglutinative framework, where meaning is encoded via long bound-morpheme sequences, this language seems particularly susceptible to attrition, as speakers often simplify morphological complexity Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this research with 37 participants. An online questionnaire assessed first-language use frequency across contexts, perceived declines in speaking, reading, writing, and listening, and comfort levels in Turkish versus German; semi-structured interviews elaborated on these experiences; and a custom-scored C-test measured inflectional proficiency. Three phenomena/results pertaining to language attrition were observed: necessary input for maintaining the heritage language primarily comes from home and family environments rather than educational facilities, reading and writing were affected from language erosion more than speaking and listening, and second generation immigrants put a great deal of attention on maintaining their heritage in the name of their culture and identity. Consequently, implementations for educational practices were given to enhance the durability of the heritage language. This study revealed that, due to the agglutinative nature of Turkish, inflectional suffixes might be the most vulnerable target for language attrition. Analysis of C-test scores collected via an online survey revealed that plural, locative, and dative case markings in reading tasks are especially vulnerable to heritage‐language attrition, whereas nominative and person case markings remain comparatively resilient. These findings highlight the importance of sustained input, tailored teaching strategies, and community engagement in preserving Turkish heritage competencies among second-generation immigrants.

The Impact of Game-Based Learning on Listening and Speaking Anxiety in Young EFL Learners

Sude Gündüz, Enisa Mede — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This study explores the impact of Game-Based Learning (GBL) on young learners’ listening and speaking anxiety in English lessons. The study was carried out in a private primary school in Istanbul with forty-six third-grade students using a mixed-method, quasi experimental design. The control group got non-game-based instruction, whereas the experimental group participated in a five-week intervention that incorporated game-based activities into regular classes. Data were collected using pre- and post-tests for listening and speaking anxiety, as well as focus group interviews and teacher diaries. The quantitative analyses reported no statistically significant differences in anxiety levels across the groups. However, the qualitative data revealed that the experimental group was more engaged, confident, and willing to participate in classroom speaking and listening tasks. These findings revealed that game-based learning can promote active participation and emotional readiness in young learners, even without noticeable anxiety reductions.

A Correlational Study of Critical Thinking and Its Relationship with AI Tool Use for Writing

Andrew Schenck, Caiyun Zhang, Sharon Graham — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0300

Little is known about how Critical Thinking (CT) is related to AI tool use for writing. More research is needed to help educators understand how cognitive training should be used in conjunction with AI-assisted learning practices to complement the writing process. Due to the need for further research, empirical data was collected from 650 Chinese university students via two surveys. The first survey elicited information about knowledge and support for CT, while the second gathered information about AI tool use for different writing tasks (brainstorming, resource collection, outlining, drafting, revising and editing). Results from each survey were analyzed separately and then compared using the Spearman rho formula. Learners who thought that CT was unnecessary or perceived weaknesses in their own ability to use CT tended to use AI for drafting papers. These learners relied on AI to write their essay drafts, suggesting decreased cognitive effort. In contrast, learners who thought that CT was important tended to use AI only for outlining and revision. Findings appear to suggest that learners with different levels of CT knowledge or ability need specialized training. Cultivation of effective CT skills and AI-assisted learning practices may require a targeted approach at each stage of the writing process, which is based upon individual learner needs.

Review of Handbook of Research in Online Learning: Insights and Advances

Yanhui Chen — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0300

This review examines The Handbook of Research in Online Learning, a comprehensive volume addressing post-pandemic and AI-driven transformations in online education. It highlights the handbook’s integration of evidence-based pedagogical approaches, interdisciplinary insights, and practical applications across diverse educational contexts. Special attention is given to learner-centered design, digital literacy, AI integration, and equity considerations. While the handbook offers valuable frameworks for educators and researchers, its geographic bias and limited coverage of administrative aspects and emerging technologies like generative AI are noted. The handbook remains an essential resource for advancing innovation in online language teaching and learning.

Mapping the Multimodal Ecology of Video-Based Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition: A Systematic Review with Pedagogical Insights

Samet Çağrı Kızkapan — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0300

This study presents a PRISMA-guided systematic review synthesizing empirical research on video-based incidental English vocabulary learning in second and foreign language contexts. Using the Web of Science Core Collection as the sole database, 743 records were initially retrieved, with 103 studies retained following title–abstract screening, full-text eligibility assessment, and application of predefined inclusion criteria. The review aimed to move beyond modality comparisons by mapping the multimodal ecology through which vocabulary learning unfolds in audiovisual environments. Specifically, it examined how video-based multimodality has been theorized, which cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes mediate lexical uptake and retention, how incidental vocabulary learning has been operationalized and measured, and what pedagogical principles emerge from the accumulated evidence. The synthesis indicates that vocabulary gains from video viewing are not attributable to modality per se but to the interaction of three mechanism families: dual-channel representational enrichment, cognitive load calibration, and attention- and engagement-driven processes such as noticing, self-regulation, repetition, and task-induced elaboration. The review further demonstrates that conclusions in this domain are strongly shaped by methodological choices, particularly outcome constructs and testing timing, with recognition-based measures privileging noticing effects and delayed or productive measures foregrounding consolidation processes. Pedagogical implications highlight the need for purpose-driven captioning and glossing configurations, calibrated multimodal density, and designs that support learner control and repeated exposure. Overall, the study advances a process-oriented framework for understanding and designing video-based vocabulary learning environments.