Learners’ perceptions of a web-enhanced learning environment

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 81-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Strambi

This article presents the results of a longitudinal study on the perceptions of a Web-enhanced learning environment by a group of beginning-level students of Italian. A Website was specially designed and implemented as a complement to the existing syllabus, in order to enhance interactivity, variety, and authenticity of materials and tasks, as well as flexibility and learner control. The aim of the study is to ascertain whether the introduction of computing technology can promote learners’ positive attitudes, as suggested in much of the current literature on Computer-Assisted Language Learning. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from a variety of sources confirm that the introduction of computing technology can contribute to learners’ positive perceptions of the opportunities offered by their learning environment. However, a few drawbacks are also identified which suggest that the introduction of Web-enhanced learning in itself cannot be expected to promote and sustain learners’ positive attitudes and motivation in the long term, and that more research is needed to explore effective ways of using Web-based materials, particularly at introductory levels of competence in the target language.

2002 ◽  
pp. 3-6
Author(s):  
Magdolna Feketéné Silye ◽  
Troy B. Wiwczaroski

Over the past few decades, a fairly large literature examining the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has been developed. The findings indicate that language learners have generally positive attitudes toward using computers in the classroom. Less is known, however, about the more specific areas of computers in language testing. The purpose of this article is to examine recent developments in language testing that directly involve computer use. After a brief overview of computer-based testing (CBT) in general, web-based testing (WBT) is defined and certain issues reviewed.


ReCALL ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Rui Li

Abstract This study aims to synthesize research trends of blended language learning studies over the past two decades, from 2000 to 2019. Data were collected from the Web of Science, and a total of 60 SSCI-indexed journal articles were retrieved for bibliometric synthesis. Drawing on the revised technology-based learning model, participants, learning strategies, research methods, research foci, adopted technologies, and application effectiveness, advantages, and challenges were addressed. The findings demonstrated that publications were increasing rapidly, and that most articles were published in computer-assisted language learning, educational technology, and applied linguistic journals. The most common target language was English as a foreign language, and the most common learners were college students. In most studies, technologies were mainly used for the purposes of practice or exercises. Mixed, quantitative, and qualitative methods were frequently adopted, with a particular eye on the experiment design, questionnaires, and other specific methods in the second decade. Productive language skills, along with autonomy, satisfaction, and motivation, were major research foci. Language management systems and computer and web-based applications were frequently adopted technologies. Findings of application effectiveness, advantages, and challenges were summarized.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Riam K. Almaqrn ◽  
Abdulrahman M. Alshabeb

The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of Saudi students of English towards proper pronunciation, and podcasts as a facilitator of proper pronunciation. It will discover the importance given to correct pronunciation, as well as gauging learners’ attitudes towards the possibility of introducing podcasts as a new language input tool for facilitating improvements in pronunciation. To achieve this, the previous literature in this area is reviewed, followed by presenting the results and analysing the data from an attitudinal questionnaire distributed amongst 23 Level 3 Saudi EFL learners from the department of English at Imam University. The questionnaire is divided into two parts- one concerning proper pronunciation, and the other podcasts. The data analysis shows that the participants, in spite of the low rate of improvement in their pronunciation, have positive attitudes towards the proper pronunciation of English. This outcome is compatible with previous studies` results, which assert that having a positive attitude towards a particular language and its speakers can improve pronunciation. The students were presented with a total of five podcasts related to their speaking and listening textbook for use over an eight week period, and at the end of this time they were requested to complete the questionnaire. The findings support the usefulness of examining learners` attitudes towards new Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications before using them in a practical way. The results show a high rate of acceptance of podcasts and that, overall, the students have positive attitudes towards them.


Author(s):  
Masoumeh Hasani

In this chapter the attitude of mothers to the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in their children's language learning was investigated. 118 Iranian mothers were selected based on convenient sampling. Their attitude towards CALL was assessed by a 12-item questionnaire. The result of data analysis revealed that generally mothers have roughly positive attitudes towards CALL. Significant differences were reported when mothers with higher education were compared with those mothers who did not have university degrees. However, gender, age, and mother's profession did not have any role in their attitudes towards CALL.


Author(s):  
Hongmei Wang ◽  
Hui Yuan ◽  
Shanshan Zhang

Since the turn of the 21st century, many Chinese higher institutions followed the trends of Web-based Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) in College English instruction. After one decade's development, the effectiveness of this west-originated approach remains to be investigated. This chapter analyses two cases from two Chinese higher institutions, examining to what extent Web-based computer-assisted language learning is integrated into College English teaching and how the instructors and students adapt to it. The findings in the two cases show that lack of training for both faculty and students, technological defects of online systems, hybrid levels of students' English proficiency within one class have presented great challenges to the implementation of the new mode of instruction. While defining these obstacles, the second case, in particular, explored ways to address some of these challenges by the innovative use of internet technology.


1999 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 502-503
Author(s):  
Carol A. Chapelle

The papers in Language learning through social computing introduce the classroom practices and philosophical underpinnings of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), which builds on collaborative approaches to L2 teaching and learning. The majority of the essays address general issues in collaborative learning through CALL, describing the authors' experience and reflections on L2 activities designed to engage learners in interesting discussions and projects, many of which rely on target language materials from the Internet.


2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-123

05–206Chan, Tun-Pei & Hsien-Chin Liou (National Tsing Hua U, Taiwan, China), Effects of web-based concordancing instruction on EFL students' learning of verb–noun collocations. Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) (London, UK) 18.3 (2005), 231–251.05–207Chang, Mei-Mei (National Pingtung U of Science and Technology, Taiwan, China), Applying self-regulated learning strategies in a web-based instruction – an investigation of motivation perception. Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) (London, UK) 18.3 (2005), 217–230.05–208Coleman, James A. (The Open U, UK; [email protected]), CALL from the margins: effective dissemination of CALL research and good practices. ReCALL (Cambridge, UK) 17.1 (2005), 18–31.05–209Eslami-Rasekh, Zohreh (Texas A and M U, USA; [email protected]), Raising the pragmatic awareness of language learners. ELT Journal (Oxford, UK) 59.3 (2005), 199–208.05–210Foley, J. (SEAMEO RELC, Singapore; [email protected]), English in…Thailand. RELC Journal (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) 36.2 (2005), 223–234.05–211Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana (ISLA, Lisbon, Portugal; [email protected]), Pedagogical uses of monolingual and parallel concordances. ELT Journal (Oxford, UK) 59.3 (2005), 189–198.05–212Hansson, Thomas (U of Southern Denmark, Denmark), English as a second language on a virtual platform – tradition and innovation in a new medium. Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) (London, UK) 18.1/2 (2005), 63–79.05–213Hu, Guangwei (Nanyang Technological U, Singapore), Using peer review with Chinese ESL student writers. Language Teaching Research (London, UK) 9.3 (2005), 321–342.05–214Jung, Udo O. H. (Bonn, Germany; [email protected]), CALL: past, present and future – a bibliometric approach. ReCALL (Cambridge, UK) 17.1 (2005), 4–17.05–215Kaltenböck, Gunther & Barbara Mehlmauer-Larcher (U of Vienna, Austria; [email protected]), Computer corpora and the language classroom: on the potential and limitations of computer corpora in language teaching. ReCALL (UK) 17.1 (2005), 65–84.05–216Lasagabaster, David & Juan M. Sierra (U del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Spain), Error correction: students' versus teachers' perceptions. Language Awareness (Clevedon, UK) 14.2/3 (2005), 112–128.05–217Liu, Gi-Zen (National Cheng Kung U, Taiwan, China; [email protected]), The trend and challenge for teaching EFL at Taiwanese universities. RELC Journal (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) 36.2 (2005), 211–221.05–218Lundy, Garvey F. (Pennsylvania U, USA; [email protected]), School resistance in American high schools: the role of race and gender in oppositional culture theory. Evaluation & Research in Education (Clevedon, UK) 17.1 (2003), 6–30.05–219Nemtchinova, Ekaterina (Seattle Pacific U, USA; [email protected]), Host teachers' evaluations of non-native-English-speaking teacher trainees: a perspective from the classroom. TESOL Quarterly (Alexandria, VA, USA) 39.2, 235–262.05–220Nickerson, Catherine, Marinel Gerritsen & Frank v. Meurs (Radboud U, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; [email protected]), Raising student awareness of the use of English for specific business purposes in the European context: a staff–student project. English for Specific Purposes (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 24.3 (2005), 333–345.05–221Palfreyman, David (Zayed U, Dubai, UAE), Othering in an English Language Program. TESOL Quarterly (Alexandria, VA, USA) 39.2, 211–234.05–222Sonck, Gerda (U Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium), Language of instruction and instructed languages in Mauritius. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Clevedon, UK) 26.1 (2005), 37–51.05–223Svalberg, Agneta M. L. (U of Leicester, UK), Consciousness-raising activities in some Lebanese English language classrooms: teacher perceptions and learner engagement. Language Awareness (Clevedon, UK) 14.2/3 (2005), 170–193.05–224Wegerif, Rupert (Southampton U, UK; [email protected]), Reason and creativity in classroom dialogues. Language and Education (Clevedon, UK) 19.3 (2005), 223–237.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 14-32
Author(s):  
Sabrina Priego ◽  
Meei-Ling Liaw

Previous literature in the area of computer assisted language learning in Second/Foreign Language (L2/FL) education has highlighted the benefits of using virtual environments for learning the target language and culture (e.g. Blyth, 2018; Lloyd, Rogerson, & Stead, 2017; Shih, 2015). In addition, a number of researchers have demonstrated that one of the important attributes of virtual environments for language learning is the affordances of physical and social presence (e.g. Cho, Yim, & Paik, 2015; McKerlich, Riis, Anderson, & Eastman, 2011; Peterson, 2011; Wang, Lawless-Reljic, Davies, & Callaghan, 2011). However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the affordances of virtual environments from the makers’ point of view. In this present study, 22 Canadian pre-service teachers used a 360 degree camera and Virtual Reality (VR) software to construct VR environments that were used as cultural virtual tours. They then invited 24 Taiwanese students to interact with them in their created immersive environments. Analyses of the pre-service teachers’ final written reflections showed that most of them reported that they experienced a sense of physical and social presence in their self-created VR environments and that they enjoyed participating in the VR project. However, various factors, such as the design of the task, technical difficulties with the VR equipment, and limits of the social VR network were also found to have negatively influenced their satisfaction with the VR experience. Findings from this study might inform other L2/FL teachers who design VR environments and integrate social VR in their classes. Suggestions for future research are also provided.


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