scholarly journals From First Life to Second Life: Evaluating task-based language learning in a new environment / De la vie réelle à la vie virtuelle: évaluation de l'apprentissage des langues basé sur les tâches dans un nouvel environnement

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Jung Jee
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Prise De Décision ◽  
Intermediate Students ◽  
Voice Chat ◽  
Langue Seconde ◽  
Task Types ◽  
The Voice

Second Life is an avatar-based 3D virtual world that has recently received attention from educators and researchers in various fields to explore its pedagogical benefits. Considering the increasing implementation of technologies broadly in much instruction, this study investigated how different task types affect ESL students’ use of Second Life environment, and factors that determine success or failure of a task completion. Enrolled in a university ESL program, 34 high- and low-intermediate students participated, and they were asked to use the voice-chat function and communication features of avatars as they participated in three task types: Jigsaw, Decision-making, and Discussion tasks, representing the continuum of communicative tasks by Pica, Kanagy, and Falodun (1993). Emerging phenomena from the data described how the different levels’ of ESL students used Second Life environment in different task types, focusing on avatar use, telepresence, and affordances, and critical factors that led success or failure of task completion. « Second Life » est un univers virtuel en 3D basé sur des avatars qui a récemment retenu l'attention des éducateurs et des chercheurs de divers domaines, désireux d’explorer les avantages pédagogiques de ce jeu. Étant donné l’application croissante des technologies en éducation, cette étude a examiné la manière dont différents types de tâches affectent l’utilisation de l’environnement « Second Life » chez les étudiants d’anglais langue seconde (ALS), et les facteurs déterminant le succès ou l'échec dans l’exécution d’une tâche. 34 étudiants universitaires inscrits dans des programmes intermédiaires d’ALS de niveaux différents ont été invités à utiliser les fonctions de conversation orale (chat vocal) et de communication des avatars alors qu’ils participaient à trois types de tâches: casse-tête, prise de décision, et tâches de discussion, correspondant à l’éventail des tâches communicatives de Pica, Kanagy et Falodun (1993). Les données montrent de façon provisoire comment les d’étudiants d'ALS de différents niveaux ont utilisé l’environnement « Second Life » dans des types variés de tâches, en mettant l'accent sur l'utilisation des avatars, la téléprésence et les affordances, et révèlent les facteurs cruciaux qui ont conduit au succès ou à l'échec dans l'exécution des tâches.  

Task dependency effects of collaboration in learners’ corpus consultation: An exploratory case study

ReCALL ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeyoung Cho
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Nonverbal Behaviors ◽  
Procedural Task ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Task Types ◽  
Verbal And Nonverbal Behaviors

AbstractCollaborative learning has attracted attention as pedagogic mediation to assist learners’ corpus consultation, but some studies have pointed to negative aspects of collaboration. Based on the two sides of collaboration in language learning, this study presents a qualitative investigation of different effects of collaboration depending on task types used in learners’ corpus consultation. This study examined two types of tasks: a conceptual task, which tested students’ competence to draw a generalizable conclusion through a meaning-making process of corpus consultation; and a procedural task, which asked students to complete problem-solving activities strategically through corpus analysis. Two groups of three students were given the same tasks of corpus consultation but asked to complete the tasks either collaboratively or individually. The students’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors during the task completion, pre-and post-interviews, and the instructor’s observation notes were the main sources of data for analysis. The results of this study showed that collaboration has significantly different effects depending on the task types of corpus consultation. The collaborative group (CG) outperformed the individual group (IG) in the conceptual corpus consultation task, but the procedural task was more efficiently completed by the IG than the CG. The underperformance of the CG in the procedural task seemed to be partly attributable to the role of established intersubjectivity and the power inequality in the CG. Despite some limitations, the findings of this study reveal task-dependent effects of collaboration in corpus consultation and suggest practical implications for more effective and pedagogically beneficial use of learners’ corpus consultation in second language (L2) instruction.

scholarly journals How Well do General-Skills ESL Textbooks Address Pronunciation?

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey M. Derwing ◽  
Lori G. Diepenbroek ◽  
Jennifer A. Foote
Keyword(s):  
Nous Avons ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
Textbook Series ◽  
General Skills ◽  
Langue Seconde ◽  
Task Types ◽  
L2 Pronunciation

Many instructors are reluctant to teach pronunciation in adult ESL classrooms, often because of lack of formal training. However, significant numbers of ESL students want pronunciation instruction. Although stand-alone pronunciation courses for second-language (L2) learners exist, many students cannot gain access to them. One approach to meeting the needs of both instructors and students is for general-skills L2 textbooks to include pronunciation activities. We examined 12 ESL general-skills textbook series (48 texts in total) and six accompanying teachers’ manuals to determine to what extent these popular books include pro- nunciation activities and how consistent the texts are across individual series. We also recorded which aspects of L2 pronunciation are the focus of the lessons. Task types were examined in a subset of five series. We found striking variability in the concentration of pronunciation activities both across and within series. Similarly, whereas some textbooks used several task types, others relied heavily on a limited range. Furthermore, some texts offered little in terms of explicit ex- planations. In some instances teachers’ manuals provided instructors with guid- ance; others included little more than repeated admonitions to remind the students to monitor their L2 pronunciation. The implications for teachers of general ESL courses are discussed.Plusieurs enseignants hésitent à enseigner la prononciation aux adultes dans les cours d’ALS, souvent parce qu’ils manquent de formation formelle. Toutefois, un nombre considérable d’apprenants en ALS voudraient qu’on enseigne la pronon- ciation. Même si les cours autonomes de prononciation pour les apprenants d’une langue seconde existent, plusieurs étudiants n’y ont pas accès. Une démarche qui répondrait tant aux besoins des enseignants que ceux des étudiants consisterait à intégrer des activités de prononciation dans les manuels L2 évoquant des com- pétences générales. Nous avons examiné 12 séries de manuels de compétences générales en ALS (48 volumes en tout) et six manuels pour enseignants dans le but de déterminer dans quelle mesure ces manuels bien répandus Incluent des activités de prononciation et pour évaluer la cohérence interne de chaque série. Nous avons également noté quels aspects de la prononciation en langue seconde on évoquait dans les leçons. Dans un sous-ensemble de cinq séries, nous avons porté notre attention sur les types de tâches présentées. Nous avons trouvé une variabilité frappante dans les activités de prononciation, tant au sein d’une même série que d’une série à l’autre. De même, alors que certains manuels présentent plusieurs types de tâches, d’autres en offrent qu’une gamme limitée. De plus, cer- tains manuels incluent peu d’explications explicites. Dans certains cas, les manuels pour enseignants offraient un certain encadrement; d’autres se con- tentaient d’adresser des admonitions aux enseignants pour qu’ils rappellent aux étudiants de surveiller leur prononciation en langue seconde. Nous discutons des retombées pour les enseignants de cours généraux d’ALS.

scholarly journals A Practical Experience on the Amazon Alexa Integration in Smart Offices

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Răzvan Bogdan ◽  
Alin Tatu ◽  
Mihaela Marcella Crisan-Vida ◽  
Mircea Popa ◽  
Lăcrămioara Stoicu-Tivadar
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Test Cases ◽  
Business World ◽  
Office Environment ◽  
The Voice

Smart offices are dynamically evolving spaces meant to enhance employees’ efficiency, but also to create a healthy and proactive working environment. In a competitive business world, the challenge of providing a balance between the efficiency and wellbeing of employees may be supported with new technologies. This paper presents the work undertaken to build the architecture needed to integrate voice assistants into smart offices in order to support employees in their daily activities, like ambient control, attendance system and reporting, but also interacting with project management services used for planning, issue tracking, and reporting. Our research tries to understand what are the most accepted tasks to be performed with the help of voice assistants in a smart office environment, by analyzing the system based on task completion and sentiment analysis. For the experimental setup, different test cases were developed in order to interact with the office environment formed by specific devices, as well as with the project management tool tasks. The obtained results demonstrated that the interaction with the voice assistant is reasonable, especially for easy and moderate utterances.

The Effects of Language Barriers and Time Constraints on Online Learning Performance: An Eye-Tracking Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 001872082110109
Author(s):  
Auður Anna Jónsdóttir ◽  
Ziho Kang ◽  
Tianchen Sun ◽  
Saptarshi Mandal ◽  
Ji-Eun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Time Constraints ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Task Completion Time ◽  
Eye Fixation

Objective The goal of this study is to model the effect of language use and time pressure on English as a first language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL) students by measuring their eye movements in an on-screen, self-directed learning environment. Background Online learning is becoming integrated into learners’ daily lives due to the flexibility in scheduling and location that it offers. However, in many cases, the online learners often have no interaction with one another or their instructors, making it difficult to determine how the learners are reading the materials and whether they are learning effectively. Furthermore, online learning may pose challenges to those who face language barriers or are under time pressure. Method The effects of two factors, language use (EFL vs. ESL) and time constraints (high vs. low time pressure), were investigated during the presentation of online materials. The effects were analyzed based on eye movement measures (eye fixation rate—the total number of eye fixations divided by the task duration and gaze entropy) and behavioral measures (correct rate and task completion time). Results The results show that the ESL students had higher eye fixation rates and longer task completion times than the EFL students. Moreover, high time pressure resulted in high fixation rates, short task completion time, low correct rates, and high gaze entropy. Conclusion and Application The results suggest the possibility of using unobtrusive eye movement measures to develop ways to better assist those who struggle with learning in the online environment.

Motivation and the Support of Significant Others across Language Learning Contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-141
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Noels ◽  
Shelley Adrian-Taylor ◽  
Kristie Saumure ◽  
Joshua W. Katz
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Informative Feedback ◽  
Heritage Students

According to Self-Determination Theory, intrinsic and self-determined extrinsic motivation are maintained to the extent that learners feel that engagement in an activity is a personally meaningful choice, that the task can be performed competently, and that they share a social bond with significant others in the learning context. These perceptions are enhanced when significant others act or communicate in a way that encourages learner autonomy, provides informative feedback on how to improve task competency, and establishes a sense of connection with the learner. The present study used a focused essay technique to examine how the learning context impacts learners’ motivation and the kinds of support (or lack thereof) received from different people. Heritage (n = 34), modern (n = 34), and English-as-asecond-language (ESL; n = 36) learners described their reasons for language learning, and reported how teachers, family members, peers, and members of the language community encouraged or discouraged their engagement in language learning. The results indicated that heritage students are more included to learn the language because it is integral to their sense of self than the two other groups, whereas ESL students are generally more regulated by external contingencies. Although there were some commonalities, different people supported learners’ motivation in different ways depending upon the learning context. The results point to the importance of the language learning context for understanding students’ motivation and how others can support them.

scholarly journals The Application of Virtual Simulations Using Second Life in a Foreign Language Classroom

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tecnam Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual Simulation ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Virtual Simulations

<p><em>The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of virtual simulation-based language learning in a foreign language class in Korea. Total 35 1st-year university students in Korea participated in this research to figure out the effect of simulations. A virtual English learning community, ‘Cypris Chat’ in Second Life was selected as a learning tool. For the data collection, a survey questionnaire was distributed and analyzed quantitatively. The result shows that the majority of the students had a positive attitude toward using a virtual simulation in English learning and had better understanding in learning English by experiencing an authentic practice. The first section of this paper provides a general overview of simulations in educational settings through an insightful literature review of the current research in the area. The review includes a comprehensive outlook on simulations, an example of successful classroom integration and some of the considerations researchers have found for their implementation. The latter section addresses the research method, results and conclusions.</em></p>

scholarly journals The Griefer and the Stalker: Disruptive Actors in a Second Life Educational Community

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Paul Lafayette DuQuette
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
English Language ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Linden Lab’s Second Life (SL) is well-known for its hands-off approach to user conflict-resolution. Although users are given tools to mute and block individual accounts as well as ban undesirable avatars from user-owned land, that does not prevent determined, malicious users from disrupting communities and harassing individuals. This case study focuses on two such malicious users exemplary of two specific types of malevolent virtual world actors: in-world griefers and online stalkers. As part of a decade-long ethnographic research project within the Cypris Chat English language learning community in SL, this paper utilizes data gleaned from notes on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and first-hand encounters. It categorizes the disparate strategies these individuals have used over the years in their attempts to disrupt group cohesion, sow distrust between students and teachers, humiliate individuals, and foment an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. It then reviews the methods community members used to defend themselves from such attacks and analyzes the efficacy of these strategies. This study builds on our understanding of harassment in virtual worlds and acts as a cautionary tale for future virtual world educators and community leaders considering the development of their own online classes and groups.

The Meeting Point of Second Life® and Web 2.0

2014 ◽  
pp. 689-707
Author(s):  
Ya-Chun Shih
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Creative Writers ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Descriptive Writing

Researchers and practitioners endeavoring to incorporate Second Life® (SL) and Web 2.0 into language classrooms promise greater practical value from computer-assisted language learning (CALL). This chapter provides an innovative approach to blog writing, exploring SL as an immersive experience that stimulates follow-up description, imagination, and writing creativity. Drawing on experiences in 2009 and 2010 in linking SL and Web 2.0 applications to inspire the writing of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) graduate students, this chapter describes the characteristics of descriptive writing and presents the process of learning and writing of these students in cooperation with their peers in order to discover within themselves the motivation to be creative writers.

Collaborative Learning in Virtual English Class

2013 ◽  
pp. 343-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Li ◽  
Dora Wong ◽  
Dean A. F. Gui ◽  
Gigi Au Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
English Class ◽  
Survey System ◽  
Collaborative Language

This chapter demonstrates how Second Life (SL) is used to enhance collaborative language learning on a virtual campus of a Hong Kong university. The case study reports on the learning experience of a number of undergraduate students as they navigated through a virtual task in an existing course: English for Technical and Web-Based Writing. Student avatars assessed each other’s work and shared learning experiences and comments via SL-enabled tools such as voting bars and note cards. To determine if this practice was more effective as a learning tool than a traditional classroom or two-dimensional discussion on the Internet, the students’ feedback on SL was collected through the university’s online survey system (i-Feedback), camera recorded focus group discussion and audio recorded tutor feedback. The findings suggest that different tasks in a virtual learning environment may stimulate students’ interest in their learning process, even though the technical complexities might frustrate them. The possibilities, shortcomings, and technical challenges of cultivating a community of collaborative language learning are also discussed.

Usability and Affordances for Teaching and Learning in Second Life

2012 ◽  
pp. 1307-1322
Author(s):  
Trevor Barker
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Science Students ◽  
The University ◽  
3D Virtual Environments

This chapter presents a summary of research undertaken at the University of Hertfordshire into the usability and affordances of three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments (VE) used in teaching and learning. Our earlier experimental work identified important variables related to individual differences and how these affected task completion, learning, and attitude to the environment. More recently the results of these laboratory-based empirical studies have been applied to teaching and learning in the Second Life virtual world. The results of two studies are presented with undergraduate Computer Science students. In the first study the affordances of the Second Life environment for project group working and teaching was evaluated. In the second study small groups of learners developed real world games and modified these for play in Second Life. Based on experiences from these studies, a set of recommendations related to the use of 3D virtual environments in teaching and learning is presented.

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