Situated and Scenario-Based English Learning: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Situated and scenario-based English learning has gained increasing attention under Education 4.0, as English learners are expected to use language in meaningful, interactive, and context-rich situations. However, existing studies remain scattered across role-play, simulation, mobile learning, virtual environments, pragmatics, and task-based instruction. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 211 Scopus-indexed publications on situated and scenario-based English learning published between 1982 and 2026. Using performance analysis and science mapping, the study examines publication trends, citation impact, major sources, influential works, leading contributors, co-cited references, and harmonised keyword patterns. The findings show that the field has shifted from scattered early contributions to rapid recent growth, although citation influence remains uneven. The intellectual foundation is mainly built on two knowledge bases: interlanguage pragmatics and communicative competence, and situated, sociocultural, and task-based learning. The harmonised keyword analysis further identifies EFL, role-play, situated learning, interlanguage pragmatics, mobile learning, learner autonomy, and teacher education as major themes, with augmented reality, immersive virtual reality, learning systems, and technology-enhanced contextual learning emerging as newer directions. By mapping the field’s development, knowledge structure, and thematic evolution, this study helps researchers identify underexplored directions and supports curriculum designers and English teachers in developing context-rich, role-based, and technology-enhanced English learning activities.