This study focuses on evaluating and enhancing the user experience of Emely, a conversational agent aimed at improving language skills for second language learners, particularly those who want to increase their chances of securing employment in Sweden. Usability testing was conducted in two test rounds, with the first round providing design implications for the user interface in the second round. However, assessing the effectiveness of the interface improvements was challenging due to low Swedish proficiency among the test groups consisting of potential users of Emely. Although the study did not result in design implications for the user interface, important findings highlight the need to adapt conversational agents, like Emely, for users with low literacy levels and illiteracy, emphasizing the importance of inclusive design for effective language learning support.

Learners' motivation has a significant influence on French as a second language teaching and learning (Ryan & Deci, 2020; Flynn, 2018; Zhao, 2015; Gardner, 2001). Recently, there has been an issue of motivation to learn and teach French as a second language and much research on recruitment and retention issues in Canada and abroad (Smith et al. 2022; Masson et al. 2019; Gordon, 2017). Motivation can be impacted by positive and negative feelings related to minority language learning, which are often more about the speaker and the speech community learners belong to, than the language itself (Mahootian, 2020). Researchers have examined students' motivation and success in FSL learning especially in K-12 immersion context, but there has also been an increase in focusing on teachers' perspectives in recent times (Arnott, 2017). The aim of this paper is to examine the motivational orientation in teaching and learning French as a second language in a minority context. This qualitative study used semi-structured interview to investigate a group of adult learners' motivation in learning French as a second language. Specifically, this research examined teachers who studied French and maintained their motivation to continue to teach French as a second language in an Anglo-dominant context. A semi- structured interview allowed for a richly detailed understanding of teachers' account of their experiences and practices. The findings presented demonstrate the positive influence that parents, teachers, and relevant extracurricular experiences have on students' decision to continue their studies in FSL, as well as the transformations of the students' identity formation and investment which are enhanced through learning French as a second language, the bilingual environment which surrounds it, and students' activities. Recommendations are made to help encourage and promote the learning and teaching of FSL, develop the oral skills of learners and the provision of a better linguistic learning environment that fosters academic success.

Evaluation of Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) needs to be scrutinized according to the same standards of evaluation as other professional materials. Evaluation can be divided into two distinct, yet similar, categories: formal (following a prescribed evaluation model) and informal. The aim of this dissertation is two-fold. The first purpose is to benefit the field of CALL by situating CALL evaluation in the context of frameworks used formal evaluation. The second purpose is to discover informal evaluation practices of CALL practitioners. First, with regard to formal evaluation of CALL materials, practices and insights from the field of evaluation would help CALL researchers and practitioners to conduct systematic evaluations that report findings that other researchers and practitioners find useful. An evaluation framework is proposed that includes common evaluation tasks conducted by evaluators in the field of formal evaluation to produce a workflow model for designing and conducting evaluations in CALL. Second, regarding the informal evaluation of CALL materials, learning about the processes of teachers when evaluating CALL for classroom use will help direct developers of CALL materials, address user concerns, and may indirectly increase the quality of CALL materials. After looking at this two-fold question—formal and informal evaluation of CALL materials—we found that formal evaluation in CALL may benefit from the adoption of evaluation practices from formal evaluation literature. Regarding informal evaluation, we found that teachers consider pedagogy, accessibility, and authenticity when reviewing CALL resources and activities for consideration for use in the classroom. Based on this finding we provide implications for language program administrators, teacher trainers, CALL software developers, and language teachers.

The present study aimed to investigate the variations in students’ motivation and attitudes to learn English. Previous research has shown that attitudes and motivation among students enrolled in vocational study programs have difficulty with the academic subjects, work ethics, and an anti-study culture among them (Lindahl, 2015; Boström, 2013; Smagorinsky, 2010). The present study aimed to investigate the attitudes and motivation of students enrolled in vocational study programs through a questionnaire and semi-structured focus group interviews. The material was analyzed through the theoretical framework of Dörnyei’s (2005;2009) Motivational L2 self-system concepts: the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and the L2 learning experience. The study showed differences within the different vocational study programs, where the Agricultural Program was mainly motivated by the ought-to L2 self. The Building and Construction Programs were motivated by all three concepts, and the Equestrian and Veterinary Care Programs were motivated by the ideal L2 self. In other words, there was no consensus on what influenced the motivation and attitudes toward English. Therefore, the teachers should invest in relationships with their students to know what motivates them since there is a clear difference between the programs.

Underachievement in reading literacy for boys in secondary school seems to be a generalnorm in many countries around the world today. PISA’s studies highlight that Sweden also isone of countries that has big differences in between the genders in reading literacy; moreover,the results showed that almost every third boy is underperforming in reading literacy. A lot ofstudies have been made on this subject and the researchers have tried to find the source to theproblem. However, no one seems to have found the solution to the problem just yet.Therefore, we became interested in finding out how teachers can remedy boys’ lowerperformances in reading, in Swedish language classrooms. Through the use of a researchsynthesis and a pilot study, the question whether teachers can remedy boys’ underachievementin reading literacy is dealt by carefully analyzing articles, journals and books. The resultsrevealed four themes that may play a big part in increasing boys’ achievement in reading.These four themes are: motivation, teacher modeling, text interest and choices, and theimportance of time frame.Keywords: Gender differences, attitudes, underachievement, boys, motivation, literacy,reading, second language learning, PISA

The question whether peer feedback can contribute to language development in an English second language (L2) classroom in a Swedish context is investigated through the use of a research synthesis. The syllabus for English 5-7, the document detailing the skills that should be developed and the content of English L2 upper secondary education in Sweden, suggests that peer feedback is an important feature in English L2 learning. Results of the current study indicated that peer feedback could have beneficial effects for pupils’ writing and language development. These results were supported by sociocultural theory. Furthermore, some of the issues regarding peer feedback, for instance that pupils mistrust their peers’ ability to give comments, could be circumvented through training pupils to give and incorporate peer feedback. Despite the fact that results indicated that peer feedback could be a valuable learning tool, results cannot with any certainty be generalized to a Swedish upper secondary context due to the fact that the primary research was conducted mostly at a small scale of approximately twenty to forty pupils, that all research was at university level, and that most of the research pertained to Asian pupils.

The first article is a literature review that analyzed 32 articles on computer-assisted L2 Chinese learning in higher education from 2005-2021. Findings revealed current trends, such as mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) and the use of Web 2.0 technologies, and the importance of speaking as the most researched language skill. Most studies employed mixed methods and showed the positive effects of computer-assisted learning on L2 Chinese skills. Challenges identified included limited access to technology, technical difficulties, lack of time and support, and insufficient online/blended pedagogies and competencies. The second article used Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior to examine L2 Chinese instructors' intentions to teach through blended modalities and their perceptions of its challenges and benefits. We used a mixed survey methodology to collect data from 51 North American instructors. Findings showed that instructors' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influenced their intentions to adopt blended teaching. They identified some concerns about blended learning drawbacks, mixed perceptions of stakeholder approval and the need for institutional support, training, and resources. Despite challenges, they also provided valuable recommendations for effective blended learning strategies. The study highlights the importance of institutional support, technological expertise, and well-designed course structures for successful blended L2 Chinese courses, suggesting increased institutional support, comprehensive teacher training, professional communities, and further research on blended learning's impact on L2 Chinese education. The third article is a qualitative study that explored L2 Chinese language instructors' experiences with online and blended teaching methods in U.S. higher education after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from semi-structured interviews with seven participants revealed a shift towards student-centered approaches, prioritizing student needs, interests, and mental well-being. Instructors are adapting to new classroom dynamics, emphasizing professional development and effective use of technology. The debate over handwriting versus typing Chinese characters calls for further research on efficient teaching methods in online and blended learning. The study highlights the importance of adapting and refining pedagogical practices to serve students in a post-pandemic world better.

This study investigates linguistic metaphors used by Swedish learners of English in upper secondary school. The aim is to provide a measure of the amount and distribution of metaphor in learner English, with the secondary aim of evaluating the method. 24 essays at two different proficiency levels were analyzed using the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU), a method developed by Steen and his colleagues in 2010, which has since become a popular method for identifying metaphor. The findings are in accordance with previous research and indicate increased metaphor density with higher proficiency levels. The results also show that metaphor is not evenly distributed among word classes: the word classes prepositions and verbs were found to exhibit the highest proportions of metaphor, whereas e.g. adverbs exhibited very few metaphor-related words. MIPVU was found to be a reliable and useful method even for learner English, despite not being created for this purpose.

The purpose of this study was to research teachers' perceptions of the meaning of reading together with students in upper secondary school in the subject Swedish as a second language. The method used in this study was qualitative semi-structured interviews where eight teachers were included. The theoretical framework of the study consists of the sociocultural perspective of learning, Cummins' theories on second language learning, and Parans' theories about the teaching of literature. The study shows that there is no obvious structure of reading together, instead the results indicate that reading together is a highly spontaneous learning activity where different aspects such as choice of literature, group dynamic, or level of language development could affect the shared reading experience. The result also presents the impact of teachers' use of body language and how body language can be used as tool to support students' understanding of a text. Furthermore, the study shows that the foremost didactic possibilities with reading together were the high degree of scaffolding the activity enables and the joy of reading and feeling of fellowship that could emerge from the shared reading experience. The foremost didactic challenge the study presents was to find a book that suits every student, considering both their interest and their different levels of language development. Regarding teachers' perceptions on the meaning of using a second language perspective, it appears that it is not entirely clear what this means. However, it shows that teachers intend to take students' different backgrounds and experiences into account, but how this sometimes can have the opposite effect. Lastly, the conclusion of the study is that reading together is created by the readers and how they interact with the text, and how that creates space for an imaginative and spontaneous shared reading experience by exploratory reading. Keywords: body language, exploratory reading, fiction, reading together, second language learnin

The aim of the present study is to explore humour in English language education further by investigating three Swedish upper-secondary teachers’ experiences of and attitudes towards humour in an L2 language classroom, and what types of humour are used, if any, in these teachers’ lessons. The data is collected qualitatively through three observations and three interviews. The result shows that the three teachers’ attitudes towards humour are mainly positive. However, they also discuss the challenges that come with the uses of humour. During the observations, humour is seen in different contexts and teachers and students use different types of humour. From the interviews, the teachers’ experiences show that humour often affects the students positively. For instance, the students feel more relaxed and comfortable in the classroom, and they are happier, which might increase their motivation to learn a second language. In addition, one of the guidelines in the Swedish curriculum to teach English as a second language is to prepare the students to develop their ability, desire, and confidence to use their second language in different contexts and situations (Skolverket, 2011). The humorous context is one example of such different kinds of “situations” and “contexts,” where the students get to develop their ability to use the language.