How does emoji feedback affect the learning effectiveness of EFL learners? Neuroscientific insights for CALL research

Abstract

It is well known that teachers’ feedback plays an important role in students’ learning, as it enhances learners’ cognitive development; yet there has been little research on how positive feedback given in the form of emojis works in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) courses. In this study, an experiment was designed to clarify how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ emotions are affected when such feedback is presented (no feedback vs. supraliminal feedback vs. subliminal feedback) and to examine how the feedback correlates with their learning effectiveness. A within-subject experiment with 33 participants was designed and administered to examine three proposed research hypotheses. Participants’ frontal asymmetry alpha (FAA) and their recollection of the learning contents were used as the index of their emotional valence and learning effectiveness. The results revealed that positive feedback given in the form of emojis generated a positive/approach emotion when it was shown subliminally. Furthermore, a significant relationship was seen between EFL learners’ positive emotion and their learning effectiveness; such a finding was supported by the significant relationship between the modes of emoji presentation and the participants’ learning effectiveness. This study’s originality and value lies in the innovative research method that was adopted and the interesting findings that it yielded. The limitations of this study such as research design and sampling are reported. The study also has practical and theoretical implications for practitioners and scholars of CALL for praxis and future research.

Keywords:

• Computer-assisted language learning (CALL)
• frontal asymmetry alpha (FAA)
• emotion
• positive feedback through emoji
• digital communication

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest has been reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

Notes on contributors

Yen-Jung Chen

Yen-Jung Chen received the B.S. degree in special education and the M.S. degree in hospitality education. Currently, she is a PhD student at the Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-Sen University. Her research interests focus on vocational education and teaching knowledge, and recently she is centering on the exploration of educational neuroscience and neuromarketing.

Liwei Hsu

Liwei Hsu is a professor of Graduate Institute of Hospitality at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Taiwan. Professor Hsu earned his doctorate in education at the University of southern California, Los Angeles, USA. His research interests focus on CALL, TELL as well as the application of ICT in hospitality education. He has published articles in many peer-review journals including Computer Assisted Language Learning and Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. Professor Hsu also serves as a member of SIG for applied language education under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.

Shao-wei Lu

Shao-Wei Lu received the B.S. degree in physics and the M.S. degree from the Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan. He is currently a PhD student at Biomedical Engineering Institute from National Yang Ming University, Taiwan. He’s major in brain computer interface and medical device development.