{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T21:06:14Z","timestamp":1778274374498,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,13]],"date-time":"2024-02-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707782400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Digital"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aspires to contribute some initial results to the growing area of research regarding technology potential in the field of early foreign language literacy. An experiment was conducted to examine very young learners\u2019 alphabet and vocabulary learning and retention in an early foreign language (FL) learning context when implementing augmented reality (AR) applications, while very young learners\u2019 motivation was also assessed. A pilot intervention was implemented in a state school in northern Greece. The participants (n = 26) were primary school first-graders (5.5\u20136 years old) and were assigned into two groups, experimental (13) and control (13). To examine the effects of the intervention, this current study employed two instruments: (a) a pre-test\u2013post-test model to assess young learners\u2019 alphabet and vocabulary learning during three phases and (b) a questionnaire to assess their motivation during the learning process. The findings of this study reveal that both groups displayed significant improvements in FL alphabet and vocabulary learning; however, there are statistical differences in favor of the experimental group regarding long-term alphabet and vocabulary learning and retention. Furthermore, qualitative results regarding children\u2019s perceptions of the technology used indicate that AR was highly appealing and motivating to participating students.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/digital4010010","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,14]],"date-time":"2024-02-14T09:30:18Z","timestamp":1707903018000},"page":"195-214","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["The Effects of Augmented Reality on Very Young Learners\u2019 Motivation and Learning of the Alphabet and Vocabulary"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Eleni","family":"Korosidou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Primary Education, University of Western Macedonia, 53100 Florina, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"666","article-title":"Mobile Technology in the Classroom: What Drives Student-Lecturer Interactions?","volume":"34","author":"Gan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. 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