Bilingualism and Second Language Learning through the Use of Social Robots: A Scoping Review

In this digital era, the use of technology has affected all sectors. In particular, recent studies have focused on how social robots can improve second language learning. In this study, we present a scoping review of the last ten years (from January 2012 to September 2022), where consider the articles that have argued the impact of using a social robot on second language learning. The SCOPUS electronic database was used, and data were collected in September 2022 from the database. A total of 227 articles were identified in the databases as relevant. Finally, after screening by inclusion and exclusion criteria, 46 articles were eligible for this scoping review. From the selected articles we observe that in the last ten years the “Robot-Assisted Language Learning (RALL)” topic increased exponentially in the last three years, while from 2012 to 2015 no studies have been identified. Most of the studies have used the NAO social robot, and the 80.95% consisted of quantitative studies, preferring in 94.65% of cases the direct interaction with the social robot. In 50% of the selected articles, the mother tongue of the sample of participants was not specified, while for the second language 56.52% provided for the learning of English with the support of a social robot. In conclusion, the increasing interest in this topic suggests that research on human-robot interaction could provide meaningful contributions to this field.