What research is there on learning foreign languages online in K-12?

Following an established REL Northeast & Islands research protocol, we conducted a search for recent research on learning foreign languages online in K-12. The sources searched included ERIC and other federally funded databases and organizations, academic research databases, and general Internet search engines (For details, please see the methods section at the end of this memo.)

We have not evaluated the quality of references and the resources provided in this response and we offer them only for your reference. Because our search for references is based on the most commonly used resources of research, it is not comprehensive and other relevant references and resources may exist.

Research References

1. De Waard, I., Demeulenaere, K. (2017). The MOOC-CLIL Project: Using MOOCs to Increase Language, and Social and Online Learning Skills for 5th Grade K-12 Students. Research-publishing.net.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED574795
   From the abstract: “This study comprises the outcomes and methods of a one year project using Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) embedded in K-12 classes. The Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) of 42 students enrolled in three 5th grade classes were monitored. The students took the MOOCCLIL class for one year (2015- 2016) at the Guldensporencollege (GUSCO), a Belgian secondary school in Kortrijk. In this weekly, two-hour class, the 16-17 year old students were increasingly guided towards autonomously choosing and learning from MOOCs in a nonnative language. At the last phase of the project, the students were asked to autonomously choose and engage in a MOOC. The study used a three step approach to increase autonomous, online learning. Students could choose from French and English MOOCs, while their mother tongue is Flemish (Belgian Dutch). The project consisted of a practical teaching/learning approach rolled out by the teachers, and a research approach enabling a step-by-step evaluation of self-regulated learning. Findings include an increase of practical language use, confidence in planning autonomous learning, and increased social learning skills. [For the complete volume, "Beyond the Language Classroom: Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations," see ED574781.]”
2. Cheng, R. (2016). Reading Online in Foreign Languages: A Study of Strategy Use. International Review of Research in Open and Distribution Learning, 17(6) 164-182.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1122242
   From the abstract: “Scores of studies have established that when learning online, students must be equipped with different sets of strategies and skills than in a physical classroom setting (Anderson, 2003; Broadbent & Poon, 2015; Coiro, 2007; Leu et al., 2007; Michinov, Brunot, Le Bohec, Juhel, & Delaval, 2011; Salmon, 2013). The present study, by virtue of exploring foreign language learners' online reading experience, aimed to identify the reading strategies that learners would use when engaged in online reading activities in the target foreign languages. Thirty-two foreign language learners whose native language was English participated in the study. The Online Survey of Reading Strategies (OSORS) designed by Anderson (2003) was administered to investigate the following four research questions: (1) What are the strategies that language learners would or would not use when reading online in foreign languages? (2) Would foreign language learners use some of the online reading strategies more frequently than other strategies? (3) Would different levels of foreign language proficiencies influence language learners' use of the strategies? (4) What could foreign language teachers do in their instruction to help students acquire and broaden their repertoire of online reading strategies? Data analysis demonstrated the most and least frequently used strategies of the foreign language learners and uncovered a significant difference in the frequency of use among the strategies. However, there was no significant difference found between the use of online reading strategies and learners' foreign language proficiencies. Implications and suggestions for future research and practice were proposed accordingly.”
3. Qian, K., Bax, S. (2017). Beyond the Language Classroom: Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations. Research-publishing.net.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED574781
   From the abstract: “With the rise of the internet and new communication technologies, language learning has moved beyond the classroom walls. This volume presents a range of important studies on innovative ways for learning languages outside the classroom. Chapters discuss MOOCs in the UK, Belgium, China, and Italy for studying a range of languages, research on new apps, flipped classroom modes, and approaches to informal learning in a range of international settings. In these ways, the volume offers a significant contribution to understanding how learning beyond the language classroom will transform language education in the decades to come. The following chapters are presented here: (1) Introduction to "Beyond the language classroom: researching MOOCs and other innovations" (Kan, Qian, Stephen Bax); (2) Internationalization of higher education and the use of MOOCs to improve second language proficiency: the MOVE-ME project (Donatella Troncarelli and Andrea Villarini ); (3) Researching into a MOOC embedded flipped classroom model for college English Reading and Writing course (Zhang Xinying); (4) The MOOC-CLIL project: using MOOCs to increase language, and social and online learning skills for 5th grade K-12 students (Inge de Waard and Kathy Demeulenaere); (5) Dualism-based design of the Introductory Chinese MOOC "Kit de contact en langue chinoise" (Jue Wang-Szilas and Joël Bellassen); (6) The Move-Me project: reflecting on xMOOC and cMOOC structure and pedagogical implementation (Laura McLoughlin and Francesca Magnoni); (7) Integrating a MOOC into the postgraduate ELT curriculum: reflecting on students' beliefs with a MOOC blend (Marina Orsini-Jones, Barbara Conde Gafaro, and Shooq Altamimi); (8) MOOCs for language learning--opportunities and challenges: the case of the Open University Italian Beginners' MOOCs (Anna Motzo and Anna Proudfoot); (9) An exploration of the use of mobile applications to support the learning of Chinese characters employed by students of Chinese as a foreign language (Amanda Mason and Zhang Wenxin); (10) English at your fingertips: learning initiatives for rural areas (Lilit Bekaryan, Zaruhi Soghomonyan, and Arusyak Harutyunyan); (11) The language exchange programme: plugging the gap in formal learning (Tita Beaven, Mara Fuertes Gutiérrez, and Anna Motzo); and (12) Informal learning activities for learners of English and for learners of Dutch (Anne Van Marsenille). Individual chapters provide references. [Funding provided by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.]”
4. Xiaobin, L., Wei, Z., Huiwen, Z., Lijun, J. (2014). Chinese EFL Teachers’ Application of E-Educology of Foreign Languages: An Investigation Based on TPACK Framework. Teaching English with Technology, 14(1) 47-75.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1143477
   From the abstract: “For the past few years, TPACK has become a hot issue in the research fields of teacher education, integration of Information Technology (IT) and curricula as well as teacher knowledge. Besides, more and more concerns have been on TPACK of teachers in different subjects. Based on the TPACK Theory, the author uses questionnaires and interviews to investigate practical application status of Educology of Foreign Languages among English teachers involved in National English Teachers Training Project. The author also offers strategies and suggestions for trainings on Educology of Foreign Languages. The results show that the practical application of English teachers stays pessimistic in that teachers are far from the criterion required in terms of TPACK.”
5. Krajcso, Z., Frimmel, U. (2017). Retrieving Online Language Learning Resources: Classification and Quality. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(1), 11-22.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1124611
   From the abstract: “Foreign language teachers and learners use digital repositories frequently to find appropriate activities for their teaching and learning activities. The question is: How can content providers support them in finding exactly what they need and in retrieving high quality resources? This question has been discussed in the literature and in the context of research projects. The answers are a taxonomy of searching mechanism and quality criteria of online resources from the methodologic point of view. Correspondingly, this paper introduces a classification of online resources according to the four skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening/watching) and two language use types (grammar, vocabulary), representing the changing paradigm of foreign language teaching and learning. Further the paper identifies quality criteria for designing online learning materials with regard to content, methodology, technic and design. Finally, the findings are illustrated by an example of a learning scenario.”

Additional Organizations to Consult

Center For Advanced Research On Language Acquisition, http://carla.umn.edu/technology/tlo/
From the website: “The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) is one of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Language Resource Centers, whose role is to improve the nation's capacity to teach and learn foreign languages.”

National Federal Language Resource Centers (NFLRC), http://www.nflrc.org/
From the website: “In 1990, the Department of Education established the first Language Resource Centers (LRCs) at U.S. universities in response to the growing national need for expertise and competence in foreign languages. Now, twenty-five years later, Title VI of the Higher Education Act supports sixteen LRCs, creating a national network of resources to promote and improve the teaching and learning of foreign languages.

LRCs create language learning and teaching materials, offer professional development opportunities for language instructors, and conduct and disseminate research on foreign language learning. All LRCs engage in efforts that enable U.S. citizens to better work, serve, and lead.”

Methods

Keywords and Search Strings

The following keywords and search strings were used to search the reference databases and other sources:

Teaching foreign language online

Research on Teaching Foreign Languages Online, K-12 Education

Learning Foreign Languages Online, K-12 Education

Online Foreign Language Learning K-12 Programs

Databases and Resources

We searched ERIC for relevant resources. ERIC is a free online library of over 1.6 million citations of education research sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences. Additionally, we searched Google Scholar.

Reference Search and Selection Criteria

When we were searching and reviewing resources, we considered the following criteria:

Date of the publication: References and resources published for last 15 years, from 2002 to present, were included in the search and review.

Search Priorities of Reference Sources: Search priority is given to study reports, briefs, and other documents that are published and/or reviewed by IES and other federal or federally funded organizations, academic databases, including WWC, ERIC, and NCEE.

Methodology: Following methodological priorities/considerations were given in the review and selection of the references: (a) study types – randomized control trials, quasi experiments, surveys, descriptive data analyses, literature reviews, policy briefs, etc., generally in this order; (b) target population, samples (representativeness of the target population, sample size, volunteered or randomly selected, etc.), study duration, etc.; (c) limitations, generalizability of the findings and conclusions, etc.