Gilbert Dizon
Kansai University
About
Gilbert Dizon is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies at Kansai University, Japan. His research focuses on computer-assisted language learning, with a particular interest in technology-mediated informal language learning and the use of AI in language education. His work has appeared in international journals such as Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, and Language Learning & Technology. He currently serves as an Associate Editor of The JALTCALL Journal and as an editorial board member of Computer Assisted Language Learning.Sessions
Presentation A research synthesis on the use of generative AI in non-English L2 settings more
Sat, Jun 13, 09:50-10:15 Asia/Tokyo
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has received considerable attention in second language (L2) research since the release of ChatGPT. A recent systematic review by Li et al. (2025) identified 144 peer-reviewed papers on GenAI in the L2 context within two years. While this review highlights the affordances and constraints of GenAI, most of the included studies focused on the L2 English context. Therefore, more research is needed to understand how learners of non-English languages perceive and experience GenAI in L2 learning settings. This presentation reports on a study that addresses this gap in the literature through a synthesis of GenAI studies on L2 learning in non-English contexts. Web of Science will be used to search for primary studies involving GenAI and the L2 learning of non-English languages between 2022 and 2026. Data will be reported following PRISMA guidelines. Titles, abstracts, and full texts will be screened using predefined inclusion criteria. Methodological features of the studies will be analyzed to identify trends. The findings from the included studies will be synthesized using thematic analysis to identify the benefits and challenges associated with the use of GenAI in the teaching and learning of non-English L2s. Implications of the study will also be discussed.
Presentation Positive Psychology–Based Custom GPT Coaching for English Learning and Well-Being: A Qualitative Pilot with Japanese University EFL Students more
Sat, Jun 13, 12:30-12:55 Asia/Tokyo
This qualitative pilot study examines a researcher-developed custom GPT, the “English & Well-Being Coach,” designed to extend positive psychology learning beyond class for Japanese university EFL students. Grounded in Seligman’s PERMA framework (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment), the coach prompts weekly reflection on one PERMA element and responds in CEFR A2–B1 English with brief, empathetic mentor-style guidance (validation, strengths-focused reframing, follow-up questions, and encouragement), ending with a short summary and targeted English feedback. The study aims to increase students’ everyday exposure to PERMA concepts for reframing school/life challenges while providing low-stakes opportunities for meaningful English self-expression. Over a five-week cycle (P–E–R–M–A), participants completed one coaching chat per week and provided transcripts of their conversations. Additional data include a pre-survey on prior AI use/expectations and a post-survey on perceived effectiveness and areas for improvement. The presentation reports students’ perceptions of coaching support, the role of PERMA prompts in shaping reflection, and the perceived usefulness of end-of-chat language feedback, with implications for future CALL research.
