iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

📢 New open-access from GRAL: Mora-Plaza, Aliaga-Garcia, Mora & Ortega on training L2 English learners to hear the /æ/–/ʌ/ vowel contrast. Stronger auditory attention = faster, more accurate gains. 📖 doi.org/10.1111/lang...

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

📢 New from Helena Roquet (GRAL) & colleagues: how teachers interpret CEFR-aligned descriptors for science language skills in CLIL classrooms. Language & Science teachers often disagree on what counts as "good" student writing. 📖 doi.org/10.1515/appl...

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

New from Roger Gilabert & colleagues: TaskGen, a web tool that helps teachers design and share language-learning tasks (pre-task → task → post-task, with NLP support). Study combines teacher interviews + usage data. 📖 doi.org/10.1075/task...

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Matthew Pattemore @matthewpattemore.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The book with my new chapter is out - Video Games as Language Learning Contexts. Here's a discount code until 30 September - grab a cheap ebook copy!

30 percent discount coupon on the book Context Matters in SLA from the Multilingual Matters website with the code CMSLA30 until September 30 2026

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

New from GRAL: Finger-Bou & Muñoz (2026) on how children perceive gender roles in Charlie and Lola. Older kids showed more awareness of gender equality — and were more likely to challenge stereotypes than reinforce them. Read the article here: doi.org/10.21001/sin...

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Serrano, R., & Pellicer-Sánchez, A. (2026). The impact of practice conditions on vocabulary learning and processing: A closer look at difficulties arising from spacing and context variability. Applied Psycholinguistics, 46, e52. doi.org/10.1017/S014... #GRAL #SLA #Psycholinguistics #L2Vocabulary

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Key Findings (3/3): 🔹 Immediate gains were significantly higher in the less demanding massed condition, though these gains decayed more sharply over time So what? Spacing & variation strategies must be balanced against real-time cognitive capacity to avoid processing overloads during reading tasks

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Key Findings (2/3) 🔹Spaced & contextually varied conditions elicited significantly longer/more frequent eye fixations, indexing heightened online processing demands 🔹Increased cognitive load did not function as a desirable difficulty; it failed to facilitate superior immediate recall or recognition

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Methodology: 92 bilingual EFL learners tracked via eye-glance telemetry as they read texts containing 20 pseudowords (6 exposures total). Conditions contrasted massed (same text, single session) vs. spaced/varied (3 different texts over 3 weekly sessions).

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

New Research: Spacing & Context Variability in L2 Vocabulary Learning 👁️📊 Raquel Serrano (UB) & Ana Pellicer-Sánchez (UCL) examine how practice distribution and contextual variation affect incidental vocabulary acquisition during L2 reading. doi.org/10.1017/S014... 🧵🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

3/3🔹 Vowel reduction ratios emerged as stronger predictors of ratings than traditional durational variability metrics. Pedagogical Implications: Highlights value of explicitly targeting speech rhythm and vowel reduction in instructed SLA to enhance global comprehensibility. doi.org/10.1075/jslp...

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Key Findings: 1/3🔹 Rhythm and fluency measures did not consistently correlate, pointing to partially independent underlying constructs. 2/3🔹 Both dimensions independently predicted native listeners' ratings of comprehensibility and fluency.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Methodology: Analyzed spontaneous speech from 82 advanced Spanish–Catalan bilingual learners of English. Extracted temporal rhythm measures (durational variability & vowel reduction) and fluency metrics (speed, breakdown, repair), rated by L1 English listeners.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Speech Rhythm & Utterance Fluency in L2 English 🗣️📊 How do objective acoustic metrics map onto subjective listener perceptions? A new GRAL study (2025) unpacks the independent contributions of rhythm and fluency. 🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Learners engage in IDLE through platforms like Discord, moving from passive exposure to active real time communication and using English for hours daily. Digital tools like chat and dictionaries support this process. A great example of research growing from a master’s thesis 🚀👏

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

We’re happy to share a new article by Emily Flagg and GRAL member Carmen Muñoz, based on Emily’s MA thesis 🎓 📚 English Language Online Communities: Usage of Synchronous Chat Servers in Informal Digital Learning of English (2025) 🔗https://doi.org/10.14434/li.v23.40787 🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

A vital call for authenticity and precision in vocabulary acquisition research. 🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2025.100288 #GRAL #SLA #L2Vocabulary #ResearchMethods #AVInput #AppliedLinguistics

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

🔹 Construct Validity: Current measures risk missing vocabulary knowledge encoded via imagery. 🔹 Theoretical Framework: Draws on Transfer-Appropriate Processing and Dual Coding Theory to advocate for multimodal assessment.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Addressing Input-Test Incongruence in AV Research 📺 Does relying on written tests bias results in favor of captioned viewing? A new report from GRAL (2025) argues that unimodal testing overlooks the essential visual channel of audiovisual input. Three key arguments below:🧵🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Highlights: 🔹 Link between self-assessment and awareness of L2 segmental/prosodic features. 🔹 Review of global dimensions: comprehensibility vs. accentedness. 🔹 Evidence-based practices: benchmarking, peer assessment, and reflection journals. 🔹 Impact of affective, and cognitive individual factors.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

How does self-monitoring influence L2 development? In a new contribution to The Handbook of Second Language Listening (🧵& Levis, Eds.), Ingrid Mora-Plaza & Mireia Ortega (2025) review the state of the field.🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

🥳🥳🥳Matthew Pattemore successfully defended his PhD "Automated digital corrective feedback in game-based language learning games" last Monday. Dr. Elsa Tragant presided the committee, which included Dr. Jonathon Reinhardt from Uni of Arizona & Dr. Kay Berkling from the Cooperative State Uni, Germany.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Task design isn't just about following a manual—it's about opening up to new, interdisciplinary ways of creating meaningful learning experiences. 🔗 Read the full chapter here: doi.org/10.1075/tblt... #GRAL #TBLT #TaskDesign #SLA #LanguageTeaching #EducationInnovation #AppliedLinguistics 🧵🧵🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

A "Bottom-Up" Future: Moving toward a more collaborative process that involves teachers and teacher communities. New Frontiers: Looking at fields like Learning Design and Human-Machine Interaction to spark innovation in #TBLT. 🧵🧵🧵 🔗 Read the full chapter here: doi.org/10.1075/tblt...

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Key Takeaways: The "Disconnect": Addressing why research findings don't always reach the classroom. Needs Analysis: Why understanding the learner’s specific goals is a partial solution to design hurdles. 🔗 Read the full chapter here: doi.org/10.1075/tblt... 🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Task Design: Serious Business for the 21st Century How do we bridge the gap between complex research and the tasks teachers actually use in class? Roger Gilabert explores the evolution of task design and where it’s headed next. 🔗 Read the full chapter here: doi.org/10.1075/tblt... 🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Vocabulary size remains a central factor in language learning, yet developing large vocabularies in foreign language contexts continues to be challenging, with considerable variation among learners. Congratulations to the author! 👏

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

📚 A new entry by GRAL member Imma Miralpeix has been published in the The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics! 📖 Read the entry: doi.org/10.1002/9781... #AppliedLinguistics #VocabularyLearning #SecondLanguageAcquisition #GRAL #UB

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

A super insightful contribution for anyone interested in TBLT, teacher education, and digital resources. 🔗https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251376529

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Their study digs into how primary school teachers design TBLT tasks using a digital tool, revealing 18 micro-stages of task design, teachers’ reasoning processes, and how they integrate linguistic features and Focus on Form.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Another GRAL publication! Huge congratulations to Vera Trager and Roger Gilabert for their article in Language Teaching Research 👏 #GRAL #AppliedLinguistics #TBLT #TaskDesign #EdTech #EFL #TeacherTraining

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

✨ GRAL chapters on captions & vocabulary (primary learners), pronunciation via TV series, and comedy writing after extensive viewing. Congrats to all authors! 🎉

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

📚 We are excited to share the publication of Audiovisual Input in Foreign Language Learning, edited by GRAL members Anastasia Pattemore & Ferran Gesa, bringing together recent empirical research on how original-version audiovisual materials support foreign language learning. #GRAL #SLA

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

🔗 Read the full study: doi.org/10.1016/j.sy... (First published November 2025) From all of us at GRAL, we wish you a productive and stress-free week ahead! ☕️✨ #GRAL #SLA #Aptitude #VocabularyLearning #LanguageResearch #AppliedLinguistics #YoungLearners #Bilingualism

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

2. 🔹Flashcards vs. Wordlists: Whether students used visual associations or verbal ones, their aptitude scores helped explain their progress. 3.🔹This research helps us better understand individual differences in the classroom and how to measure the potential for language growth from a young age. 🧵🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Three Key Findings: LLAMA_B Works: The LLAMA_B test proved to be an effective tool for measuring aptitude in children this age. 1.🔹Aptitude vs. Knowledge: Both aptitude (LLAMA_B) and existing vocabulary size were significant predictors of how well students learned new words.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Can we predict how well kids learn new words? 🧠📝 As we continue sharing our 2025 highlights, we’re diving into the world of aptitude in young learners. Carmen Muñoz and Ariane Ruiz de Apodaca examined 95 students aged 10–12 to see what best predicts their success in learning new vocabulary. 🧵🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

The Verdict: Games are powerful tools for reaching "unengaged" learners, especially when paired with materials that bridge the gap between play and study. 🔗 Read the full paper: doi.org/10.1093/elt/... #GRAL #GameBasedLearning #SLA #AppliedLinguistics #EdTech #L2Learning

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

3️⃣key insights: 1.Engagement Boost:Games successfully engaged students who were otherwise disinterested in traditional classwork 2.Dual Paths:Increased game use was driven by either successful language performance or positive attitudes but rarely both at once 🔗 full paper: doi.org/10.1093/elt/...

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

New Release Alert Gaming for Literacy: Fun vs. Effectiveness? 🎮📝 Does enjoying a game actually lead to better learning? Matthew Pattemore and Roger Gilabert investigated 125 young EFL learners playing literacy minigames to find out. 🔗full paper: doi.org/10.1093/elt/... thread🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

👀 Key findings: ▪️ Comprehension improves over time, but not linearly ▪️ Comprehension may be episode-dependent ▪️ Captions significantly enhance comprehension ▪️ Learners with larger vocabularies consistently achieve higher comprehension ▪️ Lexical coverage alone does not fully explain comprehension

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

✨ New year, new look: same GRAL! ✨ We hope you all had a wonderful break 💜 We’re kicking things off with the first article of the year👇 🔍 Does comprehension of L2 television programs improve through regular classroom viewing? ✍️ Geòrgia Pujadas & Stuart Webb (2025) 🧵🧵

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Our PhD researchers also explained the stage they are currently at and discussed their prospects for 2026. We wish you all a well-deserved holiday break. May it be full of good rest, inspiration, and time to disconnect. We’ll be back in January with a new look and exciting updates. Stay tuned!

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

🎄✨ Happy holidays from GRAL! ✨🎄 Last Friday we held our last GRAL meeting of the year, where we shared updates on our ongoing projects in Second Language Acquisition, covering areas such as task-based learning (TaskGen app), CLIL, reading, phonetics and audiovisual input.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

🎇 Flashback to a year ago when Dr. Sal Consoli from @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social came to @ub.edu to give a speech entitled "Reflexivity as Social Practice: Humanizing Applied Linguistics" to professors, MA students, and PhD students of @gralbcn.bsky.social 👏

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

👥 Currently, GRAL, made up of 17 members and 5 fellows, coordinates four funded research projects in the areas of tasks, audiovisual input, multimodal reading and pronunciation. 🔗 Take a look at GRAL's website for more information here: ubgral.wordpress.com

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

📍 The group began in 1995 with the Barcelona Age Factor (BAF) Project. 📄 Over the years, GRAL, led by Professor Carme Muñoz, has played a leading role in research on foreign language learning with nearly a thousand publications and 85 theses read.

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GRAL Research Group @gralbcn.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

🎉 The GRAL Research Group celebrates 30 years! 📅 On September 26th, the Language Acquisition Research Group (GRAL) of @ub.edu celebrated its thirtieth anniversary together with former members and closest collaborators.

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