scholarly journals FOSTERING 21st CENTURY SKILLS USING THE ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM IN AN ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE COURSE

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (Number 1) ◽  
pp. 219-240
Author(s):  
Mazura Jamalai@Jamali ◽  
Pramela Krish
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
21St Century ◽  
21St Century Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Discussion Forum ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Online Discussion Forum

Purpose – This study was initiated to explore students’ utilisation of the online discussionforum (ODF) via the university Learning Management System to assist English for Specific Purpose (ESP) students to execute and construct their final group task project, namely the Company Profile (CP). Methodology – A case study guided by Socio constructivism theory and Partnership of the 21st Century Learning Framework was employed. A total of 26 undergraduate students participated voluntarily in the ODF. The group project was carried out virtually among group members in three online sessions. Prior to the project, students were briefed by the instructor and questions were posted to students via the portal in stages to carry out the discussion online. Besides the online postings in the platform, students reflected on their online learning experiences in their reflective journals and took part in the interviews. The findings were qualitatively analysed and reported. Findings – The findings indicated that students value the learning experience and perceived the virtual setting as beneficial in assisting English language learning, as well as fostering the 21st century skills. The data from the online postings, reflective journals and interviews were grouped into several themes which provided significant aspects of their positive inclination in using ODF for their language learning facilitation and fostering of skills. The positive insight and impact on how the ODF assisted the students’ English language learning were realised in students’ Linguistic Attainment. Meanwhile, the idea of Flexibility Trait, Reference for Documentation, Confidence Increase and Attentiveness Provision were identified as influential factors on the students’ optimistic views on the usage of ODF. The students value the learning experience and also view the online environment as an inclusive venue to develop critical thinking, leadership, discipline, time management, and digital skills. Overall, this study revealed that practice in the virtual environment using ODF should be implemented in the English classroom with the belief that such mode of learning would contribute to the development language and enhancement of important skills for their future. Significance: The ODF platform demonstrated the potential for convenience, flexibility, and linguistic advancement amongst students for discussing and sharing knowledge relative to their CP construction and its execution. The non-threatening learning and the conducive atmosphere of their group discussion experience also supported active participation, in which passive participants had more opportunities to express their opinions confidently. Keywords: Online discussion forum; English for Specific Purpose; language learning experience, 21st Century Skills.

Podcasting Technology for Student Engagement and English Language Learning in the Japanese Context

2021 ◽  
pp. 245-265
Author(s):  
Martin Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
21St Century ◽  
21St Century Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
English Language Skills

Students are now expected to be able to develop the skills to use 21st century skills more than ever before, and to use them in English. However, the average university EFL student in Japan has limited English language skills or access to ICT in their education. Podcasting technology, relatively unknown in Japan, appears to offer great potential for improvements in the kinds of skills that will be in demand as students graduate into the workplace. This chapter examines the educational current situation in Japan and describes three different studies on the use of podcasts with university students.

Podcasts and English-Language Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-35
Author(s):  
Yuping Mao ◽  
Martin Guardado ◽  
Kevin R. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Nontraditional Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Community Services ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Educational Settings ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Non Profit

There are three ways to use podcasts in education: accessing podcasts created by others, teacher-created podcasts, and student-created podcasts. This chapter focuses on the use of teacher-created and student-created podcasts in an English as a second language (ESL) class. Existing literature on the use of podcasts in learning primarily focuses on formal educational settings, while nontraditional students in freely available language programs provided by non-profit organizations (NPOs) remain unexplored. Thus, the authors examine how podcasting enhances immigrants' English language learning experience in an ESL course offered by an NPO that provides community services to immigrants in Canada. This chapter addresses pedagogical and organizational affordances and challenges of using podcasts in language learning and provides recommendations for their implementation in NPOs.

scholarly journals ACTS OF AGENCY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Saazai Mat Saad ◽  
Hamidah Yamat ◽  
Hanisa Mohd. Sidek ◽  
Hazleena Baharun ◽  
Muzhafar Mohd. Idrus
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
English Language Learning

Language Learning in the 21st Century

2022 ◽  
pp. 802-820
Author(s):  
Debbita Ai Lin Tan ◽  
Bee Choo Lee ◽  
Malini Ganapathy ◽  
Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
21St Century ◽  
English Language ◽  
Interactive Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Remedial English ◽  
High Internal Consistency

Kahoot! is a gaming system designed for interactive learning and can be utilised for students of all ages. The present study involved two groups of Malaysian ESL students (n = 57) enrolled in a remedial English proficiency course in a public university. All 57 participants were exposed to weekly Kahoot! sessions over a period of one semester; the sessions covered various English language learning components including vocabulary and reading comprehension, but focused largely on grammar. At the end of the semester, the participants completed a 34-item questionnaire comprising closed- and open-ended items. The questionnaire was tested for reliability with returned values indicating high internal consistency, thus making the instrument a reliable option for use in future studies. The study's findings indicate that the students found Kahoot! to be beneficial in terms of: 1) inducing motivation, and 2) fostering and reinforcing learning. The students were also of the opinion that Kahoot! would be useful for foreign language learning (for instance, Spanish and French).

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