The development of second language critical thinking in a virtual language learning environment: A process-oriented mixed-method study

Oct 15, 2026

This article presents a process-oriented mixed-method study examining how second language (L2) critical thinking (CT) skills emerge in collaborative discourse produced by five college-level French students within a virtual language learning environment (VLLE), Cinet Second Life. CT levels are elicited through episodes of L2 negotiation and co-construction of meaning, and the study evaluates students’ perceptions of the VLLE’s impact on CT development. Grounded in sociocultural theory and ecological perspective, it addresses methodological rationale for mixed methods in CALL.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Research motivation and paradigm shift

Research questions and embedded mixed methods design

Theoretical framework

Sociocultural theory (SCT)

Ecological perspective in SLA

calico journal (online) issn 2056–9017 Article The development of second language critical thinking in a virtual language learning environment: A process-oriented mixed-method study Aurore Mroz Abstract This article presents a process-oriented mixed-method study, focusing on the emergence of second language (L2) critical thinking (CT) skills in the collaborative discourse produced by a focal group of five college-level students of French working ina virtual language learning environment (the VLLE Cinet Second Life). Levels of CT ability were elicited through episodes of L2 negotiation and co-construction of meaning. The study also examines the perception by students of the impact of the VLLE on the emergence of their L2 CT skills. Motivated by the need advocated in recent CALL research for a shift in paradigm and in method to alleviate the limitations inherent to quantitative studies, the study was situated at the juncture of sociocultural theory and ecological perspective, and this article focuses on the theoretical rationale behind the selection of a mixedmethod methodology. Keywords: Ecological perspective; L2 critical thinking; L2 negotiation of meaning; Mixed methods research; Sociocultural theory; Virtual learning environments Affiliation The University of Illinois, United States. [email: apmroz@illinois.edu](email: apmroz@illinois.edu) calico journal vol 32.3 2015 528–553 doi : 10.1558/cj.v32i3.26386 ©2015, equinox publishing Aurore Mroz 529 Introduction In their meta-analyses on research in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Felix (2005a; 2005b; 2008) and Zhao (2005) noted an excess in quantitative studies, pervasively focusing on learning outcomes and with somewhat equivocal conclusions. In their study of Virtual Language Learning Environments (VLLEs), Feldon and Kafai (2008) cautioned that ‘without qualitative inquiry to provide context for server-generated statistics, key aspects of the interactions are lost and attempts to make claims about patterns of interaction would lead to invalid conclusions’ (p. 577) . Increasingly aware of the limitations of quantitative approaches to CALL, researchers have called for a ‘shift in paradigm as well as in method’ (Chapelle, 2005, pp. 56–57), accounting for the holistic and messy process of second language (L2) learning in the specific complexity of innovative computer-mediated contexts (Blake, 2008; Meskill, 2005; Saarenkunnas, Kuure, & Taalas, 2003; Schulze, 2001) . This article will present an exploratory, process-oriented, mixed-method study situated at the juncture of sociocultural theory (SCT) and ecological perspective. It will examine the emergence of L2 critical thinking (CT) skills in the discourse produced by a group of five college-level students of French working collaboratively in a VLLE. We will contend that L2 CT can be traced by examining instances ofL2 negotiation and co-construction of meaning, asa reliable object of study providing ‘a bird’s eye view of student interactions and critical thinking processes’ (Jeong, 2003: 28) . Redefined as a result of the shift in paradigm reflected in this study, L2 negotiation and co-construction of meaning were hypothesized as being: The subjective and alternatively collective and individual process by which learners produce and exchange discourse and meaning in an L2 that is affected, negotiated, arbitrated, and reconstructed as a result of opportunistic dissonances in social interactions, in individual perceptions, and in the surrounding environment. (adapted from Jeong, 2003: 28) This article will focus on the rationale behind the selection of a mixedmethod research methodology, while addressing two research questions: • (RQ1) What does the nature of the discursive patterns produced by the students in the focal group indicate about their L2 CT process? • (RQ2) How do the students perceive the impact of the VLLE on their experience ofthe L2 CT process? We will present a

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study investigates how L2 critical thinking skills emerge through collaborative discourse in a virtual language learning environment, using a process-oriented mixed-method approach.

How are L2 critical thinking skills identified in the research?

The study elicits CT ability through episodes of L2 negotiation and co-construction of meaning observed in students’ discourse.

What two research questions guide the article?

RQ1 asks what discursive patterns in the focal group indicate about the students’ L2 CT process. RQ2 examines how students perceive the VLLE’s impact on their L2 CT experience.

Oct 15, 2026

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