WORLD EDUCATION CONNECT MULTIDISCIPLINARY E-PUBLICATION
Vol. V Issue IX (September 2025)
International Circulation
This is an open-access, peer-reviewed, and refereed international publication in online & printed versions that features research papers, abstracts, theses, dissertations, and journals. It is registered to the ISSN National Center of the Philippines, and ISSN International Center, the Global Index for Continuing Resources with ISSN (Online) 2799-0842 and ISSN (Print) 2799-130X.
World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. V, Issue IX (September 2025), pp.34-36
Jocelyn Cruz Mendoza
UPHSD, Metro Manila
Abstract
This article synthesizes recent evidence on the effectiveness and challenges of integrating technology‑based strategies in English language teaching (ELT). Drawing on a rapid narrative review of peer‑reviewed studies (2021–2025) and a recent master’s thesis that examined implementation barriers and enablers in a secondary‑school setting, we identify four recurring findings. First, technology‑facilitated personalization yields medium gains in achievement, though impacts on learner perceptions are smaller. Second, virtual reality (VR) produces medium effects on linguistic and affective outcomes, with non‑immersive setups sometimes outperforming immersive ones. Third, AI chatbots—including large‑language‑model (LLM) tools—can improve vocabulary learning and provide scalable feedback, but reliability, ethics, and assessment integrity remain concerns. Finally, persistent challenges include uneven infrastructure, limited teacher digital competence, and policy alignment. We propose a practical integration roadmap centered on purposeful task design, teacher professional development, and equity safeguards. The review concludes that technology can enhance ELT when anchored to clear learning goals and supported by continuous capacity building and institutional support.
Introduction
Digital tools are now embedded in many ELT classrooms, promising individualized pathways, richer input, and timely feedback. Meta‑analytic evidence indicates that technology‑facilitated personalized learning improves achievement (medium effect size), although benefits for attitudes and perceptions are smaller and moderated by the type of software and pedagogy used. VR, meanwhile, has shown medium effects on both linguistic and affective gains, with design choices (e.g., device type) shaping outcomes. In parallel, AI chatbots are accelerating support for study help and personalization, but also raise questions about accuracy, privacy, and fair assessment.
At the implementation level, work conducted in a 2025 master’s thesis highlights the everyday barriers ELT teachers and students face: infrastructure gaps, uneven digital literacy, and limited institutional supports—factors that can blunt otherwise promising tools.
This paper synthesizes recent findings to address a practical question for ELT stakeholders: under what conditions do technology‑based strategies add value, and how can common obstacles be mitigated?
Methods
We conducted a rapid narrative synthesis of peer‑reviewed scholarship published between 2021 and 2025, prioritizing high‑leverage evidence (meta‑analyses, systematic reviews, and experimental studies) on (a) technology‑facilitated personalization, (b) VR for language learning, and (c) AI chatbots, including LLM‑based tools. We complemented these sources with a 2025 master’s thesis that documents real‑world implementation challenges and recommendations in a secondary‑school context. Eligibility criteria included relevance to ELT, report of learning or affective outcomes, and methodological clarity. Rather than aggregate effect sizes across diverse designs, we organized convergent findings thematically and translated them into actionable implications for classroom practice and policy. (Because this is a narrative synthesis, we do not present a PRISMA flow diagram.)
Results
Recent research shows that technology‑integrated language learning yields generally positive—but context‑dependent—effects. In personalized learning, a meta‑analysis of 34 studies reported a medium gain in achievement and a small gain in learner perceptions. Moderator analyses indicated that both instructional methods and software shaped outcomes, stressing the importance of aligning tools with pedagogy. Evidence for virtual reality (VR) is likewise encouraging. A meta‑analysis of 21 studies (N=1,144) found medium effects on linguistic outcomes (g≈0.66) and affective outcomes (g≈0.57). Non‑immersive VR (e.g., desktop) sometimes outperformed head‑mounted displays, likely because reduced cognitive load frees attention for language. These results suggest lower‑cost, easier‑to‑deploy configurations can be both effective and practical. Studies on AI chatbots, including large language models, reveal promise and caution. Reviews cite on‑demand help, personalization, and skills practice, alongside concerns about accuracy, ethics, privacy, and assessment integrity requiring guardrails. Complementing this, an experiment with 52 L2 learners found that an LLM‑based chatbot improved receptive and productive vocabulary, with retention gains on delayed tests. Implementation context remains decisive. Practice‑level evidence from a 2025 thesis converged on three friction points: infrastructure and access, teacher capacity, and policy coherence. Targeted PD, equity measures, clear goals, and staged adoption were recommended to turn promise into durable gains.
Discussion
Recent studies show that technology is most useful when it is driven by instruction instead of tools. Three implications follow.
Prioritize fit‑for‑purpose design. Personalized platforms and VR should be matched to specific ELT objectives (e.g., VR for speaking confidence and situated vocabulary; personalization for differentiated reading tasks). Non‑immersive or hybrid setups can reduce cost and cognitive load while preserving benefits.
Integrate AI with clear guardrails. LLM chatbots can scaffold vocabulary growth and provide rapid feedback, but must be paired with accuracy checks, transparent data practices, and assessment designs that value process (drafts, oral defenses) as much as products.
Invest in teacher capacity and equity. Without routine, practice‑embedded professional development—and policies ensuring device/Internet access and on‑demand tech support—benefits attenuate. Implementation research underscores the need for institutional backing (time, training, and guidance) to convert tools into sustained learning gains.
Limitations. This synthesis favors breadth over exhaustiveness and centers on studies with accessible methodological details; local factors (curriculum, language policy, and resource levels) will shape transferability. Future work should examine long‑term outcomes and cost‑effectiveness, especially in low‑resource contexts.
References (2021–2025)
Chen, B., Wang, Y., & Wang, L. (2022). The effects of virtual reality‑assisted language learning: A meta‑analysis. Sustainability, 14(6), 3147.
Labadze, L., Grigolia, M., & Machaidze, L. (2023). Role of AI chatbots in education: Systematic literature review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20, 56.
Mendoza, J. C. (2025). Effectiveness and challenges in integrating technology‑based strategies in English language teaching: Basis for intervention plan (Master’s thesis, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, Las Piñas City, Philippines).
Zhang, Z., & Huang, X. (2024). The impact of chatbots based on large language models on second language vocabulary acquisition. Heliyon, 10(3), e25370.
Zheng, L., Long, M., Zhong, L., & Gyasi, J. F. (2022). The effectiveness of technology‑facilitated personalized learning on learning achievements and learning perceptions: A meta‑analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 27, 11807–11830.
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17083524
