Seyed Iman Tofighi

A Systematic Review on Affordances, Uses, and Benefits of Google Docs in Learning and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language

Using cloud- and web-based tools is one of the most cutting-edge methods of teaching and learning languages. Although there have been a number of studies on this issue, lack of a systematic review focusing on the uses of Google Docs in English language teaching (ELT) as a foreign language was identified. With the aim to satisfy this need, the present study systematically reviewed 41 articles related to the affordances provided by Google Docs in ELT in a twelve-year period from 2010 to 2022 with the purpose of identifying the research trends, main themes, and findings of the selected literature based on data synthesis. Accordingly, four main findings were discovered: (a) the highest proportion of the studies adopted a practical approach regardless of discovering a firm theoretical framework; (b) most of the articles were qualitative and mixed method studies as well as reviews ranked second and third, respectively; (c) the highest number of studies focused on uses of Google Docs for collaborative writing and its influences; (d) a significant percentage of the articles did not possess a firm theoretical framework which is most likely attributed to the novelty of this area. The categories obtained from the findings of the selected literature indicated that the use of Google Docs has been conducive to students’ writing skills. The present study can assist educators and curriculum developers to utilize Google Docs in their practice. Finally, suggestions for future research based on the limitations of the present study are provided. Keywords: Collaborative Writing, Google Docs, Systematic Review