Exploring EFL learners’ acceptance and cognitive absorption at VR-Based language learning: A survey and experimental study

Communicative language use largely entails regular patterns consisting of pre-constructed phrases or sequences. These sequences have been examined by many researchers to find the situation-based formulas which may help L2 learners follow a possibly more target-like speaking system. This study, therefore, explored two categories of formulaic expressions including speech formulas and situation-bound utterances used by EFL learners. The randomly selective participants included 30 intermediate and 30 advanced learners, who performed a total number of 120 role-play tasks focused on the situations which required the use of thanking, requesting, offering, and apology speech acts. Audio-recorded data from role-plays were transcribed and analyzed based on existing lists of speech formulas. Results showed that the participants produced more than 102 types of formulaic sequences that could be called “a list of pragmatic routines for thanking, requesting, offering, and apologizing speech acts in the EFL context”. This list includes 44 and 58 speech formulas and situation-bound utterances, respectively. Results further indicated that advanced language learners used more diverse situation-bound utterances in terms of its internal and contextual complexity than their counterparts in the intermediate group due to expert judgments. Because these formulas can increase coherence in speaking, and enhance effective and natural communication, their instruction could be part of the language teaching curriculum.

This study was to investigate the impact of language experience and academic level on the perceived needs of Iranian undergraduate EFL learners. Two groups of Iranian TEFL female students (freshmen and senior) were compared regarding their preferences, perceived needs and perceptions of different activity types about language learning. To collect data, Sihong's (2007) needs analysis questionnaire for English language needs was utilized. Thirty two freshman and twenty nine senior MA students with the age range of 25-35 were considered as the subject of this study. They were asked to fill out the questionnaire through email and they were given the confidence that the collected data would remain anonymous. Results revealed that there was a significant difference between freshman and senior EFL learners in their preferences, needs and opinions about various types of activities, and various aspects of language education. The findings also revealed that freshmen students required more practice in grammar and pronunciation than vocabulary for them. The most difficult components of language were pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar respectively; however, the senior students reported that vocabulary and grammar were the most difficult component of language skill and pronunciation was the least one.

This preliminary study is motivated by the role of pragmatic markers in both spoken and written communication, which reflects speaking fluency. It employs Beeching’s (2016) matched-guise methodology, utilizing online forms to engage participants from two different locations. The primary aim of this study is to investigate EFL learners’ preferences for using pragmatic markers in their utterances. To gather data, Google Forms were distributed to universities students in two different locations. A total of 39 participants completed the questionnaire, among them were 17 respondents from Central Java, 1 from Bali, 1 from West Java, and 20 from West Kalimantan. Notably, 21 participants identified English as their second language, while 18 reported it as their third language. Upon analysis, the data indicated that participants perceived utterances containing the pragmatic markers "well," "I mean," and "sort of" as embodying polite, direct, and friendly attitudes. While “like” tends to contribute to a sense of indirectness in communication, the utterances featuring "you know" and "just" had no significant impact on the directness of the statements. Future researchers should investigate the broader categories and contextual variations of these markers that were potentially overlooked in the current study.

The Merdeka Belajar–Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program has accelerated digital transformation in Indonesian education, shifting learning from teacher-centered to student-centered approaches supported by emerging technologies. This study investigates how individual characteristics (personal innovativeness and playfulness) and environmental characteristics (compatibility and familiarity), together with media richness, influence cognitive absorption in vocational high school students using e-learning systems. It also examines how cognitive absorption affects belief construction, reflected in perceived usefulness and ease of use of the system. Data from 222 students were analyzed using independent sample t-tests and Partial Least Squares (PLS). Results show that media richness and environmental characteristics enhance cognitive absorption, while familiarity has no significant effect in low-media environments. Higher cognitive absorption strengthens students’ beliefs in the e-learning system. These findings suggest that integrating media-rich processes can improve learning engagement and support belief formation in e-learning adoption.

The study provides an examination of the use of mobile applications in English language learning among EFL learners. It explores the advantages, challenges, and limitations of mobile learning applications and their effectiveness in improving language skills. The research method used to conduct the study is a review of related literature for various studies conducted on the research topic. The study is also planned to examine the effectiveness of using mobile applications for English language learning by EFL learners. Also, the best practices for integrating mobile applications into EFL classrooms and provide insights into future possibilities for mobile language learning. It is hoped that the current attempt helps enrich the previous literature in the field of Mobile Assisted Language Learning with theoretical information related to the use of Mobile learning applications in learning the English language in an EFL context

This study investigates the effect of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and DeLone and McLean information system success model (IS success model) on facets of system use for digital library systems. These facets include lean measures (e.g. frequency, duration, and intensity) and rich measures of system use (e.g. deep structure use and cognitive absorption use). The study overcomes the general description for some constructs, for instance facilitating conditions and quality, and assesses the effects of sub-constructs on system use facets, such as smart and traditional facilitating conditions. Data was collected through a cross-sectional survey in three universities. Component-based structural equation modeling software was used to analyze the data and assess the research model. The findings indicate that there is variance and consistency in the antecedents that influence the facets of system use. The lean measure was predicted by performance expectancy, traditional facilitating conditions, system quality, and behavioral intention, while the rich measure, particularly deep structure use, was influenced by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, traditional facilitating conditions, system quality, and behavioral intention. Furthermore, cognitive absorption use, a rich measure, was impacted by performance expectancy, service quality, system quality, and intention. This study provides a theoretical contribution and practical implications relevant to academics and practitioners in areas related to digital library systems.

Purpose of the study: To determine whether there is an increase in junior high school students' absorption of physics subjects after participating in remedial learning. Methodology: This type of research is classroom action research. Junior high school students as subjects subjected to action in this study. The sampling technique in this study used purposive sampling. The instruments used in this study were diagnostic tests, final tests, observation guidelines. The collected data were analyzed using quantitative analysis. Main Findings: The application of remedial learning has been able to help students increase their cognitive absorption from one cycle to the next. Novelty/Originality of this study: The novelty of this research is that teachers can find out one of the learning methods to increase students' absorption and add insight into learning strategies.

This study examined the attitudes toward online learning of EFL students by applying technology acceptance model (TAM) constructs along with the characteristics of the online learning system and the experience of online learning as external independent variables. The study used a quantitative approach. The researchers collected data by administering a questionnaire using Microsoft’s online form to the tertiary students who were studying for their Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) in the English Language and Literature Department at Al-Balqa Applied University – Jordan. . One hundred eighty-five students out of 602 responded to the questionnaire. The researchers used SPSS and Structural Equational Modeling (SEM – Smart PLS) to analyze the data. Among the findings, the characteristics of an online learning system significantly affected perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), attitudes, and the behavioral intentions (BIs) of EFL learners. In contrast, EFL learners’ PEOU negatively affected their attitudes towards online learning and BIs. Finally, the attitudes of students who studied online for four semesters or more were negative compared to those who took less than four semesters online. These findings could be attributed to the supposedly temporary and rapid shift to online learning due to Covid-19 lockdown measures. This study is significant because it develops an understanding of tertiary EFL attitudes towards online learning. It also reflects on their behavioral intentions to utilize online learning after the pandemic. The researchers believe that this is the first study to examine EFL learners’ attitudes and BIs on using online learning during/after the pandemic in Jordan using TAM.

Recognising the scarcity of cross-cultural studies on informal digital learning of English (IDLE), this study explored the contributions of EFL learners from China and Iran investing in informal English learning out-of-class on their foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language boredom (FLB), and willingness to communicate (WTC). This study surveyed 626 Chinese and Iranian EFL learners. The results of structural equation modelling unveiled that learners’ IDLE participation significantly predicted their FLE and FLB in the Iranian EFL context. In the Chinese EFL setting, students’ IDLE engagement had a significant impact on FLB, but not on FLE. EFL learners’ FLE mediated the relationship between IDLE and WTC in the Iranian EFL context. However, EFL learners’ boredom did not play a mediating role in the relationship between IDLE and WTC in Iranian and Chinese EFL contexts. EFL learners’ IDLE participation positively and significantly influenced WTC in both contexts. In addition, the finding emphasised the importance of cross-cultural variations in EFL learners’ emotions and digital language learning. This study offers pedagogical implications. It emphasises the importance of encouraging Chinese and Iranian students to engage in IDLE activities, promoting their communication in English, and enhancing their positive emotional experiences through technology.

The aim of this study was to know the effectiveness of pedagogical code switching (CS) and learner’s language attitude on EFL learner’s learning outcomes. This study was carried out at State Junior High School 23 of Malang, East Java. A quasi experimental design was used in this study. To this end, 68 students of 230 were randomly selected. The instruments used in this study were English tasks which required the students to answer in English and language attitude scale. The findings of this study revealed that (1) there was a significant difference between the students who were given pedagogical CS and those who were not given pedagogical CS on EFL learner’s learning outcomes (P=.001<.05), (2) there was a significant correlation between language attitude and EFL learner’s learning outcomes (r=.253; P=.038<.05), and (3) there was an interaction between pedagogical CS student’s language attitude on EFL learner’s learning outcomes (F=2.76; P=.027<.05). And determinant coefficient showed that 17.5% contributed to the EFL learner’s learning outcomes.

The extant studies have attested to the effects of media experiences in shaping destination image and influencing the behavioral intentions of potential tourists. However, limited works have focused on the impact of holistic experiences during the interaction with destination-related short-form videos on potential tourists’ negative emotional responses and post-COVID travel intention. This study aims to elucidate how cognitive absorption affects tourists’ travel anxiety and post-pandemic travel intention in different travel settings (domestic versus international). The comparative results show that users’ cognitive absorption when interacting with destination-related short-form videos can effectively influence the behavioral intentions of potential tourists. The result also identified that travel anxiety significantly contributes to higher post-COVID travel intention. This study expands cognitive absorption research in the contexts of tourism and short-form videos, offers an angle for future studies to positively interpret tourists’ travel anxiety, and provides tourism practitioners with suggestions on the tourism industry's recovery in the post-COVID era.

Computer-based learning has gained popularity in recent years, providing learners greater flexibility and freedom. However, these learning environments do not consider the learner’s mental state in real-time, resulting in less optimized learning experiences. This research aimed to explore the effect on the learning experience of a novel EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that adjusts the speed of information presentation in real-time during a learning task according to the learner’s cognitive load. We also explored how motivation moderated these effects. In accordance with three experimental groups (non-adaptive, adaptive, and adaptive with motivation), participants performed a calibration task (n-back), followed by a memory-based learning task concerning astrological constellations. Learning gains were assessed based on performance on the learning task. Self-perceived mental workload, cognitive absorption and satisfaction were assessed using a post-test questionnaire. Between-group analyses using Mann–Whitney tests suggested that combining BCI and motivational factors led to more significant learning gains and an improved learning experience. No significant difference existed between the BCI without motivational factor and regular non-adaptive interface for overall learning gains, self-perceived mental workload, and cognitive absorption. However, participants who undertook the experiment with an imposed learning pace reported higher overall satisfaction with their learning experience and a higher level of temporal stress. Our findings suggest BCI’s potential applicability and feasibility in improving memorization-based learning experiences. Further work should seek to optimize the BCI adaptive index and explore generalizability to other learning contexts.

This paper aimed at examining the Iranian EFL teachers and learners’ preferences for two types of direct oral corrective feedback, including explicit correction and metalinguistic clues, and two types of indirect oral corrective feedback, including recast and repetition. The participants included 39 teachers and 84 EFL learners, selected through purposive sampling. A scenario-based questionnaire was constructed based on Lyster and Ranta’s (1997) typology of corrective feedback (CF) for the purpose of collecting data on the teachers and learners’ preferences for the type of CF. Feedback scenarios were extracted from the literature on CF. The questionnaire was distributed to the participants by one of the researchers. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted in order to triangulate the data gathered through the questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that the EFL teachers and learners preferred direct CF more than indirect CF. The results also revealed significant differences among EFL teachers with differing levels of teaching experience (i.e., low, moderate and high). The present study drew attention to the fact that direct types of CF were preferred over others in EFL context. This study has implications for EFL teachers, learners, and material developers.

This study investigates the self-perceived effectiveness of a nested EFL learning model designed to create an affordance-rich learning ecology to help EFL learners realize the co-evolution of vocabulary knowledge and communicative competence. Adopting an action research approach, this study examined the predicament college students encountered under the CLT paradigm in the Chinese context, and the learning difficulties were identified. A nested EFL learning model was designed to address the issue by creating an effective learning environment in which micro, meso and exo systems interacted with each other to provide multi-mode usage events for the EFL learners’ language development. Quantitative data was collected from two online surveys (N=91) and analyzed with IBM SPSS 26, and qualitative data was elicited from students’ reflective accounts. The results revealed that the model positively affected students' language development regarding their vocabulary acquisition, listening and speaking proficiency. Other benefits derived from the learning experience outside the classroom, represented by an innovative WeCo (We Connect) reports project based on WeChat, are reflected in students’ growing self-confidence as EFL learners and their awakening consciousness to learn English by using the language. Some constructive suggestions were proposed to improve the model. The design in this study provides a solution to the learning difficulties perplexing most EFL learners. It sheds light on how teacher-guided self-regulated English learning beyond the classroom can be augmented by modern technologies to develop communicative competence accompanied by the growth of productive vocabulary knowledge.

Dyslexia research in China is crucial because of limited awareness, lack of tools, and insufficient support. These issues seriously hinder students' academic success. To address this gap, this study examines how history-related short videos on social media platforms influence the learning behavior of students with dyslexia. This study introduces dyslexia as a moderating variable within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework for the first time, addressing a significant gap in understanding how learning differences influence technology adoption in educational contexts. History poses special challenges for learners with dyslexia because it requires extensive reading and complex texts. Short videos may offer a more accessible and engaging alternative. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 university students in Hebei province, China using a self-administered questionnaire. Several scales were used in the survey: Quality of Content (CQ), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Behavioral Intention (BI), Dyslexia Scale, and Learning Behavior (LB). Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were performed. A P value of <0.05 was considered significant. The results show positive correlations among key variables. Content quality was positively correlated with perceived usefulness (r=0.369), perceived ease of use (r=0.329), and behavioral intention (r=0.203), all p<0.01. Ease of use is also associated with usefulness (r=0.323), and usefulness with intention (r=0.249). Learning intention further predicts behavior (r=0.359). However, the direct link between ease of use and behavioral intention is not significant (p=0.17). Dyslexia significantly moderates the relationship between PEOU and PU (p<0.001). However, it does not significantly affect the relationships between (1) PEOU and BI or (2) PU and BI, though these effects approach marginal significance. Students with dyslexia show different levels of learning intention depending on content quality, ease of use, and usefulness. Dyslexia significantly moderates some of these relationships. The findings suggest that history-related short videos can be effective educational tools, especially when they emphasize usability and usefulness.