Original Article
Eduweb, 2026, abril-junio, v.20, n.2. ISSN: 1856-7576
Doi: https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2026.20.02.6
Digital tools in foreign language teaching: opportunities and challenges
Dmytro Marieiev
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Chair of Foreign Languages and Teaching Methods, Academic and Research Institute of Philology and History, Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University, Hlukhiv, Ukraine.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6282-8052
Liubov Terletska
Senior Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Methodology Department, Faculty of Pedagogical Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, Kyiv, Ukraine.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3690-5691
Anna Boiko
PhD in Pedagogy, Senior Researcher, Department of Out-of-School Education, Institute of Problems on Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0371-5058
Olha Hvozdyak
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Professor of the Department of German Philology, Faculty of Foreign Philology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5760-576X
Lidiia Aizikova
Lecturer of the Department of Germanic Philology, Philological Faculty, Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, Mykolaiv, Ukraine.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3409-5063
Cómo citar:
Marieiev, D., Terletska, L., Boiko, A., Hvozdyak, O., & Aizikova, L. (2026). Digital tools in foreign language teaching: opportunities and challenges. Revista Eduweb, 20(2), 91-103. https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2026.20.02.6
Recibido: 13/03/26 Aceptado: 01/05/26
Resumen
El propósito del artículo propuesto fue analizar el impacto del uso sistemático de herramientas digitales en los resultados del aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. El estudio se realizó con un diseño cuasiexperimental, utilizando pretest y postest para los grupos control y experimental. Participaron 200 estudiantes que cursaban una lengua extranjera como parte de un curso obligatorio. Se utilizaron estadísticas descriptivas, análisis de correlación, ANCOVA y regresión lineal múltiple para analizar los datos. Los resultados del estudio mostraron un impacto positivo de las herramientas digitales en el nivel de preparación de los estudiantes en lenguas extranjeras tras controlar el nivel inicial de conocimientos. Se encontró que la intensidad del uso de herramientas digitales y el nivel de autorregulación del aprendizaje se convirtieron en factores clave para el aumento de los resultados de aprendizaje. La motivación desempeñó un papel de apoyo. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que la eficacia de las herramientas digitales estuvo determinada por el diseño pedagógico del aprendizaje y la interacción activa de los estudiantes con el entorno digital. Las conclusiones enfatizan la justificación de la viabilidad del uso sistemático y metódicamente equilibrado de las herramientas digitales en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras.
Palabras clave: autorregulación del aprendizaje, cuasi-experimento, enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras, herramientas digitales, resultados del aprendizaje.
Abstract
The purpose of the proposed article was to analyze the impact of the systematic use of digital tools on the results of learning a foreign language. The study was conducted in a quasi-experimental design using pretest–posttest for the control and experimental groups. 200 students who studied a foreign language as part of a mandatory course participated in the experiment. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. The results of the study showed a positive impact of digital tools on the level of foreign language preparation of students after controlling for the initial level of knowledge. It was found that the intensity of use of digital tools and the level of self-regulation of learning became key factors for increasing learning outcomes. Motivation played a supporting role. The results obtained showed that the effectiveness of digital tools was determined by the pedagogical design of learning and the active interaction of students with the digital environment. The conclusions emphasize the justification of the feasibility of the systematic and methodically balanced use of digital tools in teaching foreign languages.
Keywords: digital tools, foreign language teaching, learning outcomes, quasi-experiment, self-regulation of learning.
Introduction
The rapid digitalization of education, which has significantly accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian aggression against Ukraine, and global changes in labor markets, has caused fundamental changes in the teaching of foreign languages. The latest digital tools (such as online platforms, learning management systems, mobile applications, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality) have been successfully integrated into the educational process. Thanks to their use, new models of interaction between teachers, students, and educational content have been formed. For the understanding of modern education, such technologies have opened up significant opportunities for personalizing learning, developing student autonomy, authentic language practice, and building intercultural competence.
Modern researchers have shown that digital tools usually have a positive impact on the formation of motivation in higher education students, the formation of better speech activity, and the development of the necessary reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills (Torres Martín et al., 2021; Zou et al., 2020). Digital capabilities are also relevant for the development of academic mobility and readiness for lifelong learning (Kern et al., 2022). At the same time, the empirical results obtained were quite heterogeneous. In particular, along with the declared advantages, problems were recorded (Kulichenko et al., 2018; Okoye et al., 2022). For example, a significant challenge was the superficial use of technologies, overload with digital resources, the growth of cognitive fatigue, unequal access to digital infrastructure, etc (Graeske & Sjöberg, 2021). Finally, the lack of methodological recommendations (since digital technologies developed extremely dynamically) also made itself felt. In the context of the crisis of digital transformation, the ability of learners to self-regulate has become particularly important. The transition to autonomous and technologically mediated forms of learning required learners to independently manage their learning activities, including planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own results. It is self-regulation that has made it possible to reduce the negative effects of cognitive overload, support motivation, and ensure effective learning in a digital environment.
Despite the significant increase in the number of scientific publications, modern researchers focused on the description of individual digital tools, a certain generalization of positive practices (Hossain, 2024). However, the lack of a systematic analysis of pedagogical, organizational and psychological-didactic limitations of the use of modern technologies was a research gap. Despite the significant increase in the number of scientific publications, modern research has mainly focused on the issues of individual digital tools or the generalization of positive practices in their use. Such fragmentation did not allow for the full consideration of the interaction of pedagogical, organizational and psychological factors that determined the effectiveness of digital learning. In this context, a systemic approach was more productive, as it allowed considering digital tools as elements of a holistic didactic system where technologies, participants in the educational process and educational content interact.
The purpose of the proposed article was a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and problems of using digital tools in teaching foreign languages in higher education institutions. The study was aimed at identifying the pedagogical potential of digital technologies, finding key barriers that did not allow for the effective integration of such opportunities into the educational process.
The scientific novelty of the article consisted in the systematization of digital tools taking into account their didactic functions, as well as in the identification of problem areas that affect the quality of foreign language learning in the university environment.
Literature Review
In recent years, digital tools have become an important component of foreign language teaching in higher education institutions, especially in distance and blended learning environments. In the scientific literature, digital tools are usually understood to include the use of online platforms, mobile applications, video communication services, digital resources for students’ independent work, as well as online assessment and feedback tools. Researchers emphasize that the integration of such tools changes the organization of the educational process, the forms of interaction between the teacher and students, and the nature of work with educational material (Alexander et al., 2023; Castañeda-Trujillo & Jaime Osorio, 2021).
In most modern studies, scientists have emphasized the positive impact of digital tools on language teaching (Crompton et al., 2024). Such tools have significantly expanded access to authentic language resources, contributed to the formation of regular language practice, and made it possible to study outside the classroom (Boichenko et al., 2023). Special attention was paid to mobile applications that supported the development of vocabulary, grammar and reading skills in a format convenient for students (Karataş et al., 2024). The researchers also noted that digital tools were able to increase the motivation and engagement of students (Kukulska-Hulme, 2021). This was especially true when these tools were combined with the use of gamification elements and self-monitoring of learning progress.
The researchers also concluded that the positive effect of digital tools was not automatic. Many studies emphasized the fact that the mere fact of using technology did not guarantee an increase in the quality of foreign language learning (Law, 2024; Aliyeva et al., 2023). Often, digital tools were used fragmentarily or only performed an auxiliary function, that is, they were not integrated into a holistic methodological system (Turchyn et al., 2023). In such circumstances, they could not change the pedagogical logic of learning, but recreated traditional approaches in electronic format.
Such problems are particularly evident in research conducted in Mexico, Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, and the Philippines (Ancheta, 2025; Castaño-Roldán & Correa, 2021). In these contexts, the effectiveness of using tsifr tools is significantly limited by a combination of structural and pedagogical factors. First, limited access to stable internet connections and digital devices has created quite unequal learning conditions and limited students’ participation in online activities. Second, insufficient training of teachers in digital pedagogy has led to superficial use of technologies without integrating them into a holistic didactic design. Third, insufficient institutional support has led to the lack of agreed standards for the implementation of digital learning. As a result, digital tools have often reproduced traditional learning models in an electronic format, without providing qualitative pedagogical changes. This demonstrated the dependence of the effectiveness of digitalization on both the availability of technologies and the broader educational environment in which they were applied. These studies concluded that foreign language teaching was based on a rapid adaptation to online formats (Dooly, 2023). The main challenges were the organization of speech interaction, the control of learning activities and the support of student motivation.
In addition to technical and organizational barriers, researchers also analyzed the problems of overloading students with digital resources (Godwin-Jones, 2021; González & Ferreiro, 2024). In particular, an excessive number of platforms, tasks and online activities could lead to fatigue, decreased oncentration and superficial assimilation of the material. This was especially relevant for the development of productive language skills (speaking and writing), which required high-quality feedback and thoughtful pedagogical support.
The analysis of the scientific literature also showed that most researchers focused on describing the experience of using digital tools or on studying the attitudes of students and teachers towards technology (Bohomaz et al., 2023; Slamet, 2024). In contrast, significantly fewer works were devoted to the real impact of digital tools on learning outcomes or combined quantitative and qualitative data. In addition, in many publications the concept of “digital tools” is used quite generally, without a clear distinction between their didactic functions (Rintaningrum, 2023; Selfa-Sastre et al., 2022).
Therefore, despite a significant number of studies, a number of gaps in previous research have been identified. The conditions under which digital tools really contribute to the development of foreign language competence have not been sufficiently studied, the role of pedagogical design, digital competence of teachers and institutional support has been established. This has led to the need for further research aimed at a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and problems of using digital tools in teaching foreign languages.
Methodology
Design and general logic
The study was conducted in a quasi-experimental format using a pretest–posttest design in the control and experimental groups. The aim was to assess the impact of the targeted use of digital tools on the results of foreign language learning and related psychological and pedagogical indicators (engagement, motivation, self-regulation).
Participants
The study involved 200 students studying a foreign language as part of a compulsory education course. All participants had approximately the same initial level of foreign language proficiency, which was checked using an entrance language test (pretest) before the start of the experiment. The sample was formed according to the cluster principle based on established academic groups, which determined the quasi-experimental nature of the study. According to the organization of the educational process, the students were divided into an experimental (EG, n = 100) and a control group (CG, n = 100). This division provided grounds for further correlation and regression analyses.
Therefore, the sample included students who regularly attended classes and participated in all stages of the study. Indicators of participants with incomplete data or with a low level of involvement (attendance of less than 75% of classes) were excluded from the final analysis. All participants provided informed consent to participate in the study. Accordingly, data collection and processing were carried out in compliance with the ethical principles of anonymity and confidentiality. All participants had the right to refuse to participate in the experiments at any time. To reduce the influence of possible extraneous factors, the previous level of educational training, as well as the basic educational characteristics of the participants, were taken into account in the statistical analysis. In order to ensure group equivalence, a preliminary analysis of the pretest results was conducted, which revealed no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups. This made it possible to correctly compare the results of the experimental and control groups, increasing the internal validity of the study.
Educational intervention (digital tools)
The intervention lasted 10 weeks and was integrated into the standard curriculum without increasing the classroom load. In the experimental group, the training focused on the use of a “digital package”, which combined the use of LMS platforms (posting materials, deadlines, assessment rubrics, organizing independent work), mobile/web tools for vocabulary and repetition (spaced practice), formative assessment services (short online tests, instant feedback), tools for oral/written production (short mini-answers, peer feedback, finalizing drafts). In the control group, the mastery of similar educational material took place with the same amount of hours, using educational and methodological materials. However, the work took place primarily in the traditional model (auditorium exercises and basic homework), without the systematic and mandatory use of a digital package.
Measurement tools and procedure
Data collection was carried out twice: before the intervention (pretest) and after completion (posttest). First of all, to determine the learning outcomes in a foreign language (the main outcome), a standardized or unified test (with parallel forms) was used - to determine the key components of foreign language competence. The main indicator was the increase in the result (posttest - pretest) or the posttest score with the pretest control in the statistical model.
A standardized test, modeled after international TOEFL/IELTS exams and adapted for the study, was used to determine the level of foreign language proficiency. The test consisted of reading, writing, listening, and speaking tasks and was validated by a group of experts in the field of foreign language teaching.
Psychological and pedagogical variables (secondary outcomes) were then used. As a result, learning motivation, involvement, and self-regulation of learning were assessed using short validated scales (Likert format). The reliability of the scales was checked by Cronbach's α coefficients. Digital tool usage indicators (EG only) were measured by recording log data (frequency of entries, tasks completed, number of test attempts, volume of activities), which were then used as quantitative predictors in correlation and regression analyses.
At the first stage, all participants filled out an informed consent and took a pretest (language test and questionnaires). Then, for 10 weeks, the intervention was applied: EG worked with a digital package, CG – in a standard format. At the final stage, all participants took a posttest using a similar procedure (See Table 1).