DEVELOPING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ENGLISH READING AND LISTENING SKILLS THROUGH ONLINE LANGUAGE LEARNING

Author(s):  
Julia Chen ◽  
Juliana Chau ◽  
Grace Lim ◽  
Voyce Li
Author(s):  
Julia Chen ◽  
Juliana Chau ◽  
Grace Lim ◽  
Voyce Li

The panoply of technological applications in diverse educational contexts signals a necessity for continued inquiry into online language learning (OLL), especially in relation to its impact on different learner populations whose perception and acceptance of OLL can vary across settings. This pilot study involved over 200 Chinese students in a Hong Kong university and examined their OLL experience with respect to online activities that provided reading and listening skills practice. Results of the study suggest the easy availability of internet resources can greatly amplify students’ OLL experience, while raising four challenges in the areas of online materials development, student motivation, pedagogy-technology interface, and intercultural communicative competence.  Possible ways of tackling such challenges are outlined. The article concludes with a view that successful OLL needs to be predicated on a tripartite framework of hardware, software and humanware.   Key words: Online language learning. Technology-enhanced language learning. English reading and listening skills.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-54
Author(s):  
JULIA CHEN ◽  
JULIANA CHAU ◽  
GRACE LIM ◽  
VOYCE LI

The range of technological applications in different educational contexts makes it necessary for continued inquiry into online language learning (OLL), especially in relation to its impact on different learner populations whose perception and acceptance of OLL can vary across settings. This pilot study involved 66 Chinese students in a Hong Kong university and examined their OLL experience in online reading and listening activities. Results of the study suggest the easy availability of internet resources can greatly enhance students’ OLL experience, while raising four challenges in the areas of online materials development, student motivation, pedagogy-technology interface, and intercultural communicative competence. Possible ways of tackling such challenges are outlined. The article concludes with a view that successful OLL needs to be predicated on a tripartite framework of hardware, software and humanware.


2011 ◽  
pp. 97-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Bündgens-Kosten

Progress in language learning can be framed as the development of skills in four domains: reading, speaking, writing, and listening. While material to improve reading and listening skills is fairly easy to find, practicing productive skills outside the formal classroom can be more difficult. Computer-based trainings attempt to incorporate elements of language production – but often with limited success (Schlickau, 2009). Theoretically, language learners can just join online communities in their target language: forums, chats, etc. exist on nearly every imaginable topic. For beginners and intermediate level learners however, such a step can be intimidating. They might wish to practice their written English, French, Japanese or Tagalog, but may not feel ready to ‘mingle among the natives’ online. Language learning communities can serve as a stepping stone for these learners. They offer protected environments where learners can interact in the target language, but under the tacit understanding that they do not need to reach a specific language level to be accepted as valued members of the community.


e-mentor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 26-35
Author(s):  
Olena Davydenko ◽  

The emergence of podcasts in an English foreign language (EFL) setting is seen as a helpful aid to foreign language learning. Using podcasts might help improve language learning efficiency. This research addresses how podcasts can be an alternative means of improving English listening comprehension for university students. The study was carried out at Nizhyn Gogol State University, Ukraine, using quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data. To collect the data, research tools such as a questionnaire, initial and final testing, and observation were used. The procedure was introduced for a group of first-year students and implemented for six weeks. Special BBC Learning English podcast activities were designed and offered to the students. The main stages have been specified in the process of developing students’ listening skills. In the pre-listening stage, students do preparation activities to prepare for the podcast using their background knowledge. The while-listening stage is aimed at listening for gist, listening for details, making inferences, and summarizing. In the post-listening stage, the listeners are taken beyond the podcast content and set tasks which contribute to integrating other language skills. Samples of activities which correspond to these three stages are provided. A balanced approach to choosing top-down or bottom-up processing within the stages improves the process of forming competencies in listening of first-year students. Hence, based on the positive results of this study, BBC Learning English podcasts with meaningful, appropriate, and interesting activities attract the students’ attention, increase their motivation, and improve their listening comprehension.


Author(s):  
Dr. Neeta Sharma

Abstract Communication is a process of sharing information through speech, writing, gestures or symbols between two or more people. The focus of the present paper is oral communication and the language under consideration is English. The teacher should adopt a student centered approach. The learners should be encouraged to do things in the class which result in developing their communication skills. The trainer has to focus on both the linguistic and paralinguistic features of the communication process while enhancing learners’ communication skills. These features involve the effective use of words, forming grammatically intelligible sentences and an appropriate use of voice and intonation. The teacher should encourage and train his students to use positive body language while listening and speaking. In order to hone the communication skills of the learners, it is very important to make the learners comfortable with the language they have to communicate in. Shedding their inhibitions is also one of the pivotal areas of concerns. This paper explores different techniques that could be useful while training students in communication skills. Communication is a process of sharing information through speech, writing, gestures or symbols between two or more people. The focus of the present paper is oral communication and the language under consideration is English. The major elements of a communication process are sender, receiver, message and feedback. Effective communication is a two way process. It involves both expressive (speaking) skills and receptive (listening) skills. It entails receiver’s understanding of the message sent by the sender and his feedback to the sender. Listening plays a very important role in the language learning process. It is the most primary of the four basic skills of any language i.e. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Listening paves way for speaking. One can never be a good speaker if one is not a good listener. An effective communicator is first a good listener and then a good speaker. According to Tickoo ( 2003 ), ‘Good listening skills not only lay the foundations of good speech, but they grow best through effective communication’.


Author(s):  
Esmira Mehdiyev ◽  
Celal Teyyar Uğurlu ◽  
Gonca Usta

This study aims to determine the university students’ level of motivation in terms of different variables. A study group of this research has been designed through one of the non-random sampling methods, Using appropriate sampling, 606 students from Faculty of Education of C.U. have been involved in this study. Motivation scale in English Language Learning developed by Mehdiyev,Usta,Uğurlu (2015) was used as an instrument of data collection. T-test and one - way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to resolve problems of this research. As a result of the research the motivation level of university students hasn’t been revealed significantly different regarding to the gender variable. However, considering the t-test results of motivation scale dimensions, confidence, attitude and personal use, significant difference is seen in favour of women in personal use dimension. The level of language learning motivation of female students is higher than men’s regarding to personal use dimension. However, men’s and women’s views don’t differ significantly in attitude and confidence dimensions. University students don’t present significant differences in terms of birth place, parent’s education level, total motivation scores and confident, attitude and personal dimensions. Students’ motivation levels are seen not to be influenced by the places such as village, provision or city where they have spent the most of their lifetime. At the same time the findings revealed that parental status variable in terms of primary, secondary and university graduates has no effects on students’ motivation.


Author(s):  
Vaiva Grabauskienė ◽  
Vaiva Schoroškienė

The article explores possibilities of integrating mathematics and language learning. The language of mathematics differs remarkably from everyday speech, which may cause some difficulties not only for primary students, but also for pre-service teachers. One of the methods to resolve this issue is integrating mathematics and language learning. This method also develops university students’ skills to apply didactic and subject knowledge. The article examines skills of pre-service teachers that are revealed in their fictional stories on a chosen mathematical subject. The analysis of mathematical fiction demonstrates that subject integration emphasizes students’ abilities to distinguish essential aspects of the chosen mathematical phenomenon, as well as how students are able to apply and explain concepts, and to adjust to age-specific target audience.


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