AbstractA growing number of studies in second language acquisition have investigated the
pedagogical effectiveness of hybrid learning curricula, where traditional face-toface
instruction is supplemented by technology-mediated learning. Less attention, however, has been devoted to fully online curricula, where learners work independently
with interactive technology such as e-tutors. Increasingly, though, academic
institutions are including online learning as a critical component of their
strategic plans. Many provosts and deans are already asking language program
directors to make complex and unprecedented logistical decisions to implement
online curricula, and to the extent possible, these decisions should be informed
by the results of empirical research. This chapter provides a synthesis of existing
research on online second language learning with e-tutors, with a focus on
grammar. This synthesis is geared around three central questions. The whether
question addresses whether e-tutors can facilitate second language grammar development
per se and compared with other instructional technologies; the why
question addresses why e-tutors can be pedagogically effective on the basis of
second language acquisition theories; and the which question addresses which
specific e-tutor features promote the highest grammar learning outcomes, thus
contributing a more precise picture of what an ideal e-tutor should look like. The
chapter closes with a set of recommendations for further research.
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