What’s new in language teaching – September 2026
We present a selection of interesting research and initiatives regarding language learning and teaching, published in September 2026. This month, much attention was paid to artificial intelligence, developing speaking and vocabulary, and why different students may need different ways of learning.
The review covers publications available up to September 22, 2026.
Does talking to AI really feel like talking to a human?
Applications using artificial intelligence increasingly allow practicing speaking in a foreign language. Researchers, however, checked what such a conversation looks like in practice. It turned out that when a misunderstanding occurred, the Speak app often simply continued the conversation instead of asking for clarification, explaining the problem, or helping to solve it.
The authors therefore point out that talking to AI can be very useful for practicing speaking, but it does not always resemble a real conversation between people.
Source: Jiyoung Lee, Yujong Park, Conversation by design: repair and interactional competence in L2 talk with an AI speaking application, Applied Linguistics, September 15, 2026.
AI handles text well, but still makes grammar mistakes
Can a large language model be treated as a flawless language expert? Scientists tested this on the example of tasks similar to those that appear in exams in Spanish as a foreign language.
The models coped very well with reading comprehension and meaning, but clearly worse with grammar. This is an important reminder that AI answers are worth checking, especially when they are to serve as a model of linguistic correctness.
Source: Marina Mayor-Rocher et al., Evaluating large language models with tests of Spanish as a foreign language: pass or fail?, Applied Linguistics, September 10, 2026.
Repeating the same task can be very beneficial
Does doing the same task multiple times make sense? A study of 104 English learners shows that it does.
The participants told the same story several times. With each subsequent attempt, their statements became better structured, and the connections between events — more readable. Repeating a task after receiving feedback does not have to be a boring “doing the same thing again”. It can be an effective way to develop speaking and to formulate statements better and better.
Source: Jie Qin, Dilin Liu, Jonathon Ryan, Task repetition and orientation in L2 oral narratives: a communication/content/function-focused analysis, Applied Linguistics, September 15, 2026.
Vocabulary is of great importance
A study of 218 French learners shows how important it is to know basic, frequently used vocabulary.
People who knew more of these words understood both written texts and spoken statements better. Especially at the beginning of learning, a solid resource of the most frequently used words can therefore be of great importance. This is a seemingly obvious conclusion, but the study shows that systematic work on vocabulary remains one of the foundations of effective language learning.
Source: Amber Dudley, Emma Marsden, Dimensions of Lexical Mastery and Their Relationships with Listening and Reading Proficiency Among Beginner-to-Low-Intermediate Learners of French, Language Learning, September 7, 2026.
Not everyone learns the same way
A study of children aged 8 to 13 reminds us that the way of learning a language can depend not only on the level of language proficiency, but also on age and individual cognitive abilities.
The researchers checked how children react to the explicit explanation of language rules. It turned out that the effects varied depending on age and the way individual students’ memory worked. The conclusion is simple: the same method does not have to be equally effective for everyone. In language teaching, it is therefore worth leaving room for different ways of working and learning.
Source: Wensi Zhang, Padraic Monaghan, Patrick Rebuschat, Individual differences in children’s response to explicit instruction: effects of age and memory ability, Applied Linguistics, September 18, 2026.
Language learning is not just speaking, listening, reading, and writing
The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe is developing the RELANG program, which helps to better link curricula and exams with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
During the September work, attention was drawn not only to traditional language skills, but also to learner autonomy, the use of several languages, and mediation, which means, for example, helping others understand information, conveying content in one’s own words, or mediating between people who do not speak the same language.
This shows that modern language teaching increasingly treats language not only as a set of words and rules, but above all as a tool for action and communication with others.
Source: European Centre for Modern Languages, Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the CEFR (RELANG), September 2026.
What is worth remembering?
September research shows that in language learning, new technologies do not replace good teaching. Artificial intelligence can be very helpful, but it works best when we use it consciously and check its answers.
At the same time, researchers remind us of things known for a long time: it is worth developing vocabulary regularly, returning to the same tasks, improving one’s own statements, and remembering that different people learn in different ways.