Chinese voices in portuguese: call needs for the oral skills learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-64
Author(s):  
Adelina Castelo
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Recognition System ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Skills Learning ◽  
Oral Skills

This study aims at identifying which CALL (Computer-assisted Language Learning) materials should be made available to the Chinese learners of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PFL) for them to improve their oral skills in a more autonomous way. Adopting an approach of needs analysis and clients’ views inquiry, it is based on an online questionnaire completed by 418 Chinese volunteer participants who were learners of PFL. The participants’ perceptions about (a) their own difficulties in pronunciation and oral understanding and (b) the CALL materials needed to address these oral skills were analysed in three ways: as a whole; according to the participants’ proficiency level in PFL; according to their geographical region. The results allowed to reflect on the relevance of using these inquiries and to propose a prioritisation list for the creation of new CALL materials, list that gives special importance to the tasks perceived as the most difficult by the participants (distinction of voicing, liquids and vowel height, understanding of text and word) and to the CALL types of materials considered the most needed (word recognition system, recorded rhymes, poems, tongue twisters, songs or texts with written transcription). 

TEACHERS’ COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) LITERACY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN SPAIN AND IRAN

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18
Author(s):  
Dara Tafazoli ◽  
María-Elena Gómez-Parra ◽  
Cristina A. Huertas-Abril
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
One Way Anova ◽  
Significant Attention

The application of technology in teacher education has received significant attention recently. It would be, somehow, impossible to deny the necessity of integrating technology in language education. The deficiency and illiteracy in delivering technology-based practices into instruction are assumed as key challenges of teachers in 21st-century education. This study aimed to explore the current level of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) literacy of language teachers in Iran and Spain. Moreover, the relationships between CALL literacy and their nationality are investigated. The study was based on a sample of 318 language teachers in Iran and Spain. Data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire. To make a sound decision, the researchers agreed to utilize the Delphi method so that appropriate experts were chosen in order to ensure a valid study. In the data analysis phase, descriptive, t-test, and one-way ANOVA analyses were performed to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that there is no difference between the participants’ CALL literacy of language teachers in terms of their nationality. Finally, pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research are presented.

Affordances and challenges of teaching language skills by virtual reality: A systematic review (2010–2020)

2021 ◽  
pp. 204275302110365
Author(s):  
Akbar Bahari
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Educational Technologies ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Software Developers ◽  
Teaching Language ◽  
Skills Learning ◽  
Listening And Speaking

The emergence of newer educational technologies provides opportunities for computer-assisted language learning practitioners and software developers to capitalize on the affordances for the second language (L2) learning purposes. This article explored and brought together the reported affordances and challenges of virtual reality to teach the L2 receptive and productive skills by reviewing seventy-five peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 to 2020. The results revealed an imbalanced trend of research on language skills learning by virtual reality tools and affordances in favor of listening and speaking skills compared to reading and writing skills. The obtained data were tabularized in terms of language skills. The results were visualized by hierarchical database formats. Pedagogical implications of the study inform teachers about affordances available to teach L2 skills in educational virtual reality environments toward a more digitally enhanced L2 pedagogy. Theoretical implications of the study inform researchers about the challenges that need to be addressed.

scholarly journals Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Activities and the Students’ English Oral Proficiency

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-314
Author(s):  
Zaida K. Ulangkaya
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

The study aimed to determine the impact of Computer Assisted Language Learning Activities to the oral English Proficiency of JEEP 1 students. The students' pre and post mean scores were compared to determine the significant improvement in their oral English proficiency. This research made used of the experimental research design with pre and post-test design with 58 randomly selected students from different year levels who were enrolled at Mindanao State University- Maguindanao and currently taking the subject JEEP 1 of the S.Y. 2014-2015. The instrument used covered four specific areas as Sentence Reading, Reading and Pronunciation, Comprehension and Structure, and Sentence Repetition. The following are the summary of the findings: 1. Before the CALL Activities in JEEP 1, the students’ oral English proficiency is lower elementary as indicated by the mean of 0.60; After engaging to the CALL Activities, the students’ oral English proficiency is still lower elementary as proven by the mean score of 0.79; and After comparing the results, it was found out that there is a substantial transformation in the students' oral English proficiency level before and after Computer Assisted Language Learning Activities in JEEP 1 as indicated by the t-Value of 2.84. Based on the results of the study, it was determined that CALL Activities have contributed slight improvement to the student’s oral English proficiency score. However, the said activities did not improve their oral English proficiency level possibly due to some unknown factors that might have affected them during the duration of the study.

scholarly journals Effect of corrective feedback for learning verb second

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Penning de Vries ◽  
Catia Cucchiarini ◽  
Stephen Bodnar ◽  
Helmer Strik ◽  
Roeland van Hout
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Target Structure ◽  
Verb Second ◽  
User Interactions ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
System User

AbstractThis paper presents a detailed study on the role of corrective feedback (CF) in the development of second language (L2) oral proficiency. Learners practiced speaking with a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) system that employs automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology to provide CF. The system tracks learner behaviour by logging the system-user interactions. Two language learning conditions are compared. In the CF condition learners received immediate, automatic CF on the grammaticality of their spoken output. In theOCF condition, learners practiced speaking with the option to self-correct. The target structure under investigation is Dutch verb second (V2) in the main clause. The results show that learner proficiency improved in both conditions. The CF condition shows an additional benefit for learning that is related to the learner’s initial knowledge of the target structure (which we call V2 proficiency). Learners at a lower V2 proficiency level benefitted more from practice with CF than learners in the NOCF condition. Learner evaluations are in line with these results: both the CF and the NOCF groups positively evaluated practice with the system, but the CF condition was preferred by learners starting at a lower V2 proficiency level. For more information on these outcome measures, we investigated the learners’ behaviour during practice. The two groups were found to receive equal amounts of input, but learners in the CF condition produced more (grammatically correct) output during treatment. We found that the CF group repaired their errors in fewer attempts as they progressed through practice. Learners in the NOCF condition generally did not (attempt to) repair their errors. However, the learners answered correctly more often as they progressed in the training. The log data, therefore, shows learning of the target structure in both conditions. We discuss these results and how learning outcome is related to learner behaviour.

scholarly journals Hot Potatoes activities to improve grammatical accuracy across different proficiency courses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izaskun Villarreal ◽  
Esther Gómez Lacabex ◽  
Francisco Gallardo del Puerto ◽  
María Martínez Adrián ◽  
Juncal Gutiérrez Mangado
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Grammatical Accuracy ◽  
Effect Of Treatment

Few studies have gauged the effects of Computer Assisted Language Learning –CALL– on the verbal accuracy of students. The current study explores the use of Hot Potatoes JCloze-type exercises as supplementary classroom work to enhance the English tense accuracy of university students enrolled in three EFL proficiency level courses -high-intermediate (B2) and advanced (C1 and C2). Tense marking was measured before and after a period of autonomous, self-paced CALL work in which students could access theoretical information and practiced with Hot Potatoes exercises. The comparisons revealed that the experience was mainly beneficial for the C1 level course group, the other two experimenting non-significant gains. Results only partially support a boosting effect of CALL additional practice. They also suggest that proficiency should be taken into consideration as it can affect the effect of treatment as not all the proficiency level courses experienced advantages. Alternatives to improve effectiveness are then suggested.

Using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) materials in English as Second Language (ESL) classrooms: perspectives of teachers and students in United Arab Emirates

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramia DIRAR SHEHADEH MUSMAR
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Integrating scaffolding-learning technologies has been recognized for its potential to create intellectual and engaging classroom interactions. In the United Arab Emirates, having language teachers employ computers as a medium of new pedagogical instrument for teaching second languages generated the idea of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) as a medium of an innovative pedagogical instrument for facilitating and scaffolding language learning, with an aspiration that it will lead to improved English language attainment and better assessment results. This study aims at investigating the perspectives of students and teachers on the advantageous and disadvantageous impacts of CALL on learning and teaching English as a second language in one public school in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The results show that CALL has a facilitating role in L2 classroom and that using CALL activities is advantageous in reducing English learning tension, boosting motivation, catering for student diversity, promoting self-directed language learning and scaffolding while learning English. The results additionally report that numerous aspects like time constraints, teachers’ unsatisfactory computer skills, insufficient computer facilities, and inflexible school courses undesirably affect the implementation of CALL in English classrooms. It is recommended that further studies should be undertaken to investigate the actual effect of CALL on students’ language proficiency. 

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