Technology-enhanced language learning in English language education: Performance analysis, core publications, and emerging trends

Abstract

As technology use has become the norm in education, this bibliometric analysis of technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) aims to reveal its current state-of-the-art and emerging trends. Analysis of 1,816 publications (1,745 articles and 71 reviews) from Web of Science demonstrated growing interests in the field and core publications in the field. Bibliographic coupling identified eight research fronts, with a particular emphasis on the established flipped learning (FL) pedagogy and expanding influence of mobile assisted language learning (MALL) and digital game-based learning (DGBL). These approaches are at the forefront in shaping English language skill acquisition, especially in writing, with the rise of technology multimodality and informal digital learning as nascent yet significant areas for future research. Anchored in the bioecological model, the research highlights the integral role of student outcomes across various competencies influenced by systemic factors. The study stresses the necessity for education stakeholders to blend technology with pedagogical strategies, a need further accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s major contribution lies in its comprehensive synthesis of TELL’s current landscape and for both future research and education endeavours in the field of English TELL.