The purpose of this paper is to analyse how English and Polish FL learners in Taiwan perceive translanguaging and other bilingual practices implemented in university classrooms. Around 70% of the questionnaire respondents were positive about monolingual instruction, however, only 7% though it should prevail. More than 90% accepted the usage of more than one language in class. Among the main benefits of single-language instruction, efficiency of the learning process and promoting one’s listening and speaking skills were mentioned. Deeper understanding and easier self-expression were seen as the main benefits of the bilingual approach. Different in-class activities that should be carried out in the target/native language have also been listed. Generally, the participants preferred mixed-language instruction, although they were aware of the benefits of the monolingual approach. Thus, teachers may consider including more diversified techniques to answer to the varying needs of Taiwanese EFL and PFL learners.

Słowa kluczowe: Tajwan, kolektywizm, percepcja/postrzeganie, błąd w mówieniu, język angielski jako obcy, niepokój Streszczenie. Niniejszy artykuł poświęcony jest spostrzeżeniom tajwańskich studentów na temat błędów w mówieniu po angielsku. Celem badania jest dogłębniejsze zrozumienie przekonań towarzyszącym tej grupie uczących się i zmniejszenie bariery nieporozumień mogących pojawić się pomiędzy nimi a ich lektorami, w przypadku gdy ci reprezentują odmienne kręgi kulturowe. Sygnały niewerbalne wysyłane przez tajwańskich studentów, towarzyszące potknięciom językowym, bywają często mylnie interpretowane przez nauczycieli nieznających azjatyckiego podłoża kulturowego, zdominowanego przez światopogląd kolektywny. Tajwańczycy bywają postrzegani jako spokojni i nieśmiali, lecz, jak wykazuje analiza ich wypowiedzi, w rzeczywistości jedynie maskują niezwykle żywe uczucia wstydu i porażki, gdyż popełnienie błędu kojarzy się większości z nich z utratą twarzy i zagrożeniem ich pozycji w grupie. Myślą przewodnią tekstu jest umożliwienie lektorom zachodnich języków obcych lepszego wglądu w świat odczuć ich tajwańskich podopiecznych i zachęcenie do tworzenia na zajęciach atmosfery wzajemnego zrozumienia i zaufania.

Duolingo is one of the most popular applications used for learning foreign languages and, as such, has attracted attention of numerous scholars around the world. Majority of them, however, have focused on how the app supports English instruction. Not enough has been found about using it for mastering Polish by non-native speakers. What is more, a great deal of existing research is quantitative in character, which is why there is a growing demand for projects offering a deeper insight into the issue. The goal of this case study is to fill in this gap by providing a more detailed explanation of how Duolingo can be used for learning Polish in Taiwanese academic setting, as perceived by a female student majoring in Slavic languages whose mother tongue is Mandarin. The data obtained in a series of in-depth interviews enables a better understanding of how this highly motivated learner saw the product and its main features, with gamification, forum, and English-mediated instruction among them. Put briefly, Duolingo turned out to be useful as an addition to the regular course at school and the student demonstrated high engagement by using it almost every day. But still, more research is needed to better understand how to incorporate the app into an in-class instruction and to see what strategies of learning are efficient, so that the users can benefit even more.

The main purpose of this review is to present why and how social media can be applied in language teaching and learning, as seen from the point of view of practitioners. Vygotskian constructionism has provided the theoretical framework for the investigation. The wide availability of social media and their high penetration rate are seen as key advantages. The stress has been put on the fact that such platforms enable users to interact with others and acquire the target language in their own community of practice. The learning process, thus, gets enriched by both individual and collaborative dimensions. Negotiation of meaning, as well as the autonomy in creating one’s new identity and customizing the study content, become crucial aspects of the experience. Assuming accountability for one’s own learning results in increased intrinsic motivation to bridge the gap between the current level of knowledge and the desired proficiency level. Finally, certain features of social media that allow instructors to use them in class are discussed.

The study has been designed in order to answer the growing demand for systematic implementation of English language games into FL curriculum at the university level. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how Taiwan-based learners perceive the use of games in the classroom. The qualitative data has been obtained from in-depth interviews with three individuals majoring in EFL and Slavic languages. Among the main benefits of game-supported instruction, students mentioned breaking the routine and raising motivation, along with educational aspects related to introducing, reviewing, and testing the material. They also offered guidance for instructors who plan to deploy games in class. Their overall perception was very positive, which allows the conclusion that it is advisable to introduce games to a wider audience of Taiwanese students. If doing so really can raise motivation to master foreign languages and whether it will translate into measurable progress in Taiwanese students’ linguistic advancement is another issue worth future investigation.