Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis of effectiveness studies on dialogue-based CALL, based on 17 studies and $k = 100$ individual effect sizes. We use Morris and DeShon’s (2002) formulas to compute comparable effect sizes across designs, and analyse them through a multilevel random-effects model. Results confirm that dialogue-based CALL practice has a significant medium effect size on L2 proficiency development ($d = 0.59$). Extensive moderator analyses on several learning outcomes of different types and features of dialogue-based CALL (type of interaction, modality, agent embodiment, etc.) confirm the effectiveness of form-focused and goal-oriented systems, system-guided interactions, corrective feedback provision, and gamification features. Significant effects for lower proficiency learners, and on vocabulary, morphosyntax, holistic proficiency and accuracy are established.

Dialogue-based computer-assisted language learning systems allow a learner to practice meaningfully an L2 with an automated agent, whether through an oral (spoken dialogue systems) or written interface (chatbots) (Bibauw, François, & Desmet, 2015).

Dialogue-based CALL systems allow a learner to practice meaningfully an L2 with an automated agent, through an oral (spoken dialogue …

Abstract of the research methods and results Dialogue-based computer-assisted language learning (CALL) systems allow a learner to practice meaningfully a foreign language (L2) with an automated agent, whether through an oral (spoken dialogue systems) or written interface (chatbots) (Bibauw, François, & Desmet, 2015).

Dialogue-based computer-assisted language learning (CALL) systems allow a learner to practice meaningfully a foreign language (L2) with …