scholarly journals Next Generation Mobile Learning: Leveraging Message Design Considerations for Learning and Accessibility

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-144
Author(s):  
Eunice Ofori ◽  
Barbara B. Lockee

Online machine translation (OMT) tools are not exclusively designed for language learners; however, these tools are popular among them. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Turkish speaking EFL learners and instructors in a university English program regarding the use of OMT tools. Two online questionnaires were administered to 462 Turkish-speaking learners and 34 instructors. The results revealed that 94% of the learner participants reported using OMT tools for their language learning studies. The learners predominantly used these tools for single-word or phrase translations. Reading and writing assignments were the main areas where the learners most frequently referenced to OMT tools. The learner participants thought the accuracy of the tools was not high, and the ethicality of using them depended on how they were used. Three-quarters of the instructor participants reported using OMT tools, and their judgements concerning the accuracy of these tools were more positive than the learners’. The results also revealed a mismatch between learners’ and instructors’ perceptions and attitudes regarding OMT tools in foreign language learning. Accordingly, the instructors often overestimated how much learners use OMT tools, while learners underestimated the instructors’ interest in them. These findings suggest policies should be developed within language learning institutions to guide students’ use of OMT tools, as well as improve the mutual understanding between students and teachers in terms of their ethicality.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 103-122
Author(s):  
Murat Ata ◽  
Emre Debreli

Online machine translation (OMT) tools are not exclusively designed for language learners; however, these tools are popular among them. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Turkish speaking EFL learners and instructors in a university English program regarding the use of OMT tools. Two online questionnaires were administered to 462 Turkish-speaking learners and 34 instructors. The results revealed that 94% of the learner participants reported using OMT tools for their language learning studies. The learners predominantly used these tools for single-word or phrase translations. Reading and writing assignments were the main areas where the learners most frequently referenced to OMT tools. The learner participants thought the accuracy of the tools was not high, and the ethicality of using them depended on how they were used. Three-quarters of the instructor participants reported using OMT tools, and their judgements concerning the accuracy of these tools were more positive than the learners’. The results also revealed a mismatch between learners’ and instructors’ perceptions and attitudes regarding OMT tools in foreign language learning. Accordingly, the instructors often overestimated how much learners use OMT tools, while learners underestimated the instructors’ interest in them. These findings suggest policies should be developed within language learning institutions to guide students’ use of OMT tools, as well as improve the mutual understanding between students and teachers in terms of their ethicality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Hui-Hua Chiang

Researchers have long supported the use of dictation as a test for language learners (Fountain & Nation, 2000), and dictation has been used as a test for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). With the advantages of productive learning and reinforcing short-term memory, dictation is a commonly used technique to develop language skills, and it can be considered to be an assessment of foreign language learning (Kazazoğlu, 2013). However, the previous research has not fully explored how technology, such as text-to-speech (TTS), can be used in EFL classrooms. To address this issue, the researcher explored the use of traditional teacher-led dictation (TLD) and TTS dictation to compare the vocabulary performance of EFL learners. Forty-two college students participated in the study. The results indicated a significant difference between TTS and TLD on the participants’ vocabulary performance. Additionally, there was a correlation between the scores with TTS and TLD: the students who performed better with TLD also obtained higher grades with TTS. Based on the results, future studies and pedagogical suggestions are presented.


2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Elahi Shirvan ◽  
Nahid Talebzadeh

Abstract Foreign language learning anxiety has been the target of many studies in the field of applied linguistics, but, with the dynamics turn in the field, attempts have been recently made to uncover the dynamics of anxiety English as a foreign language (EFL) learners go through, especially within the moments of their conversational interactions. Within these interactions, dynamics of anxiety might emerge in different patterns under the influence of the status of the participants’ interlocutors and their familiarity with them. This study explores the dynamics of EFL learners’ anxiety while interacting with different interlocutors from an idiodynamic perspective. The participants of this case study were two female freshman students, taking a speaking and listening university course, who were interviewed by four interlocutors with different status and level of familiarity. Following an idiodynamic method, they self-rated their anxiety fluctuations under the influence of each interlocutor throughout each conversation followed by stimulated recall interviews regarding the explanations of the changes in their anxiety during the conversations. The results showed both change and stability in the participants’ anxiety under the influence of the interlocutors’ familiarity with the participants and their status as well their verbal and nonverbal feedback. The explanation of these changes based on the main properties of complex dynamic system theory is discussed.


Author(s):  
Naiyi Xie Fincham ◽  
Guofang Li

This chapter reported on the construction and development of the metacognitive knowledge (MCK) about web-based distance language learning of two adult English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in China. Drawing upon theories and research in metacognition, self-regulated second/foreign language learning, and distance language learning, the authors investigated adult Chinese EFL learners' knowledge about themselves as online distance language learners, the nature and demands of online distance English learning, and how to best approach their learning in this program. They identified changes in these learners' MCK over the 16 week semester and discussed how a number of contextual factors, including the pre-determined learning structure, teacher-led instructional sessions, and peer interaction opportunities, were significant in shaping and influencing learners' adjustments and revisions of their MCK about online distance language learning. Findings from this study have important implications for the design and implementation of web-based distance language programs for adult learners.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mashadi Said

Abstract: Unacceptable Collocations by Learners of Indonesian as a ForeignLanguage and the Implication in Language Learning. Foreign language learners’ability to collocate words that are natural and acceptable in the target language isimportant in foreign language learning; however, it is notoriously difficult forforeign language learners and sometimes makes them frustrated. This studyattempts to describe the negative transfer of English collocations into Indonesiancollocations made by learners of Indonesian as a foreign language in their writingassignments. This study employed a qualitative descriptive method. The data werecollected from 36 writing assignments by 12 learners whose mother tongue isEnglish. They were trainee teachers with experience in teaching Indonesian inAustralia. The finding shows that there are 176 unnatural Indonesian collocations,some of which are negative transfers of learners’ mother tongue. This suggests thatdirect teaching of collocations should be given special emphasis in teachingIndonesian as a foreign language.Keywords: collocation, lexical collocation, grammatical collocation, languagelearning


Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Denise M. Osborne ◽  
Miquel Simonet

Fifty-six Portuguese speakers born and raised in Brazil produced Portuguese words beginning in one of four plosives, /p b k ɡ/. Twenty-eight of them were monolinguals (controls), and the rest were learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The learners were also asked to produce English words beginning with one of four plosives, /p b k ɡ/. We measured the plosives’ voice onset times (VOT) to address the following research questions: Do foreign-language learners, whose exposure to native English oral input is necessarily limited, form new sound categories specific to their additional language? Does engaging in the learning of a foreign language affect the phonetics of one’s native language? The EFL learners were found to differ from the controls in their production of Portuguese voiced (but not voiceless) plosives—prevoicing was longer in learner speech. The learners displayed different VOT targets for voiced (but not voiceless) consonants as a function of the language they were speaking—prevoicing was longer in Portuguese. In EFL learners’ productions, English sounds appear to be fundamentally modeled on phonologically similar native sounds, but some phonetic development (or reorganization) is found. Phonetic development induced by foreign-language learning may lead to a minor reconfiguration of the phonetics of native language sounds. EFL learners may find it challenging to learn the pronunciation patterns of English, likely due to the reduced access to native oral input.


Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 228-235
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moore ◽  
Phil Murphy ◽  
Luann Pascucci ◽  
Scott Sustenance

This paper reports on an ongoing study into the affordances of free online machine translation for students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at the tertiary level in Japan. The researchers are currently collecting data from a questionnaire, task performance, and interviews with 10-15 EFL learners in an English Language Institute in a university in Japan. The paper provides some background on the changing role of translation in language learning theory and pedagogy, before focusing literature related to technical developments in machine translation technology, and its application to foreign language learning. An overview of the research methodology is provided, along with some insights into potential findings. Findings will be presented in subsequent publications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-199
Author(s):  
Mahrus Asʾad ◽  
Ahmad Bukhori Muslim ◽  
Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady

Abstract Similar to other theistic texts, the Qurʾan has some figurative languages which require deep thought for good comprehension. However, how these rhetorical imageries can inspire the development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) and religious tolerance among language learners, two necessary skills in the information-laden era, is still less known. This study explores how the Qurʾan’s figurative languages serve as an inspiring basis to develop Bloom’s revised taxonomy of analyzing and evaluating thinking skills in foreign language learning. Document analysis shows that many verses in Sura (Chapter) Joseph and other five chapters contain some simile, personification, and metaphor in recounting past prophetical and scientific events humans need to learn for life. Incorporated into learning materials, these figurative languages require the foreign language learners to use their skills of sensing, imagining, and making logical reasoning to discern the real meanings. The discussion of Sura Joseph in the Qurʾan which recounts some prophets of Abraham’s descendants can also increase religious tolerance among young followers of Abrahamic religions. The study recommends some strategies on how language teachers base their teaching and learning practices on these religious scriptures to develop students’ critical thinking and create a more harmonious global citizenship.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Made Frida Yulia

Due to the minimum language exposure that EFL learners have, one recommended way to promote interest in foreign language reading is through Extensive Reading. This kind of reading has gained popularity over the years, ever since it was introduced to the realm of foreign language learning. Extensive Reading has been shown to bring a lot of benefits for L2 learners in many respects, and, consequently, it has been implemented in a variety of contexts. This paper aims at revisiting Extensive Reading along with its pertaining principles. In addition, it attempts to scrutinize a number of recent studies conducted in the area of Extensive Reading to discover current trends and possible areas which are open for further exploration. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Muzakki Bashori

The integration of computer in the service of FL (Foreign Language) learning is expected to be inevitable in the future. It is seemingly due to (a) its considerable affordances for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, (b) the characteristics of today�s learners as the Generation Z (Gonz�lez-Lloret & Ortega, 2014), and (c) the widespread use of the internet in the 21st century. This situation then leads to transforming CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) into WFLL (Web-Facilitated Language Learning) as an alternative paradigm for EFL teachers and learners. Furthermore, TBLT (Task-Based Language Teaching) is likely to serve as a pedagogical framework in designing the Web for the purpose of FL learning. The present study was therefore mainly aimed at (a) developing a particularly teacher-designed learning website, namely I Love Indonesia, and (b) investigating high school learners of English in Indonesia with different attitudes towards CALL (positive/moderate/negative) in correlation with how they perceive WFLL (agree/disagree) and perform web-based activities. Descriptive Statistics, IF Function in Excel, Correlation Analysis, and Independent-samples t-test were employed in the study. Finally, the findings of the study showed that (a) the website seems to benefit EFL learners in some certain aspects, and (b) positive attitude learners are likely to perceive more positively (agree) than moderate and negative attitude learners (disagree) on the use of the website for the purpose of language learning. A greater number of learners over a longer period of time should be taken into account when conducting further studies on the effectiveness of the website for EFL learners in order to be able to shed some light on learners� language development.�Keyword: attitude, perception, task-based language teaching, web-facilitated language learning


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