Improving students’ academic emotions in lectures in a foreign language with speech-enabled language translation technology

Some students are unable to fully comprehend lecture content delivered in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) because of their low linguistic competence. As a result, this negatively impacts students’ affective factors, e.g., academic emotions. In this study, speech-enabled language translation (SELT) technology was applied. It simultaneously translated lecture content from English into the native language of students, and translated texts were shown to students during lectures. This study investigated the effectiveness of a SELT application on perceived academic emotions of students attending lectures in EMI. We focused on academic emotions rather than actual emotions because the former are directly related to academic activities whereas the latter are linked to more general events. Thirty-three university students participated and perceived academic emotions were measured and compared. Interviews were also carried out to support the study’s findings. The level of perceived positive academic emotions was lower in the beginning but higher during and after the lectures. On the other hand, the level of perceived negative academic emotions was higher in the beginning but lowered during and after the lectures. The results suggest that SELT technology is beneficial for learning as it can improve students’ academic emotions in lectures in a foreign language. Therefore, educators and researchers may apply SELT technology to EMI lectures to facilitate academic emotions of students