scholarly journals An Empirical Study on Reading Aloud and Learning English by the Use of the Reading Assistant SRS

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (21) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Jingjing Li
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Reading Aloud ◽  
Recognition System ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
English Pronunciation ◽  
Reading Assistant

This paper investigates the English pronunciation skills and its integration with other language skills when adopting the computer-assisted curriculum design. And it further explores the effectiveness of the Speech Recognition System (SRS) that was incorporated into a traditional English pronunciation class in China. During the course of this study, English majors who completed the SRS procedure for one year were examined in discrete aspects for the relationship between their reading aloud proficiency and language proficiency. The results show that the experimental groups with the SRS reading system curriculum design showed great effectiveness in improving learners’ reading aloud proficiency. As compared with traditional training methods for English oral reading, the computer-assisted form of oral training improved the students’ listening, pronunciation, reading, and writing skills. The SRS system also was found to be conducive to enhancing students’ interest in language learning and in cultivating their acceptance of self-directed learning.

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. 

Intelligent CALL Systems for Writing Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 252-273
Author(s):  
Niall Curry ◽  
Elaine Riordan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Writing Development ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Learner Engagement ◽  
Writing Practices ◽  
Teacher Surveys

Technological innovation in supporting feedback on writing is well established in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) literature. Regarding writing development, research has found that intelligent CALL systems that respond instantly to learners' language can support their production of better-written texts. To investigate this claim further, this chapter presents a study on learner use of Write & Improve (W&I). The study, based on learner engagement with W&I and learner and teacher surveys and focus groups, demonstrates that learners find W&I to be engaging and motivating. Moreover, there is evidence of improvements in learner writing practices and written language proficiency. For teachers, W&I can render feedback more efficient, allowing them to focus on more complex aspects of learner texts, while spelling and syntactic accuracy are addressed by W&I. Issues also emerge in the use of W&I, which present problem areas for teachers and learners and which signal important future considerations for CALL research.

scholarly journals Machine Translation in Foreign Language Learning Classroom-Learners’ Indiscriminate Use or Instructors’ Discriminate Stance

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Technology Tools ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Self Development

The use of machine translation (MT) tools in language learning classroom is now omnipresent, which raises a dilemma for instructors because of two issues, language proficiency and academic integrity, caused by that fact. However, with the unstoppable development and irresistible use of MT in language learning, rather than entangling with using it or banning it, it is more significant to figure out why learners turn to MT in spite of the prohibition from their instructors and how can instructors guide learners to use it appropriately. Consequently, this paper reviews articles with regard to the reason why learners turn to MT, the practical use of MT in learners’ writing, and some pedagogical solutions for making peace with MT in language learning classroom respectively. Implications can be garnered like that a course for learners of how to use MT tools properly should be included in the curriculum design, and simultaneously, the holistic understanding of these overwhelmingly fast-developed technology tools for instructors should be a part of teachers’ self-development, since instructors without knowledge said technology tools can not fully motivate language learners and implement the pedagogical solutions offered.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Online Course in English Using Content-Based Instruction (CBI)

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 49-54
Author(s):  
Sherrilyn B. Quintos ◽  
Yolanda D. Reyes ◽  
Cynthia M. Ronquillo ◽  
Rowell de Guia
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Computer Based Instruction ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Based Instruction

As educators realized that in order to successfully complete an academic task, second language (L2) learners have to master both English as a language form (grammar, vocabulary, etc.).There have been different approaches used in the reacquisition of mastery of the English language. One of which is the computer-based instruction. CBI is student-centered. One of its goals is to keep the interest and motives of the students by generating stimulating content instruction and materials, which can be done with the help of computers. The use of computer-based instruction in language learning serves as a tool in facilitating learning. It helps learners to progress at their own pace. This computer-based instruction can be programmed to be interactive and individualized. It can also be in the form of a stand-alone course to enhance or reinforce classroom learning. This kind of interactive learning using online activities to enhance language proficiency helps the teachers to achieve their goals in language learning and at the same time provide comprehensible input from discourse context. Though there are also limitations to this kind of learning but those limitations are expected to be addressed inside the classroom where the teacher is around. With this, research studies about CBI emerged evaluating its effectiveness. This is the second phase of our study, which is an online course using content-based instruction. It is a computer-assisted, interactive platform for English language learning, which targets language skills, such as reading, writing, and grammar using a variety of content-based materials from different sources like science, history, and social sciences. Lessons hosted were planned and developed for 1st-year students of BPSU to pave the way in achieving BPSU’s mission of making its academic offerings and its students globally competitive. The selection of reading texts used as part of the lesson was carefully written as well as adapted to suit the needs of the students. There were 10 lessons available hosted on the site for the students to try and for the researchers to evaluate the course. This was trialed for a month with the control and experimental group. The researchers would like to make an in-depth analysis on the effectiveness of the online courses in English using content-based instruction.

scholarly journals Attitude of Male and Female Students Towards Computer Assisted Language Learning at Intermediate Level

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arfan Lodhi ◽  
Ayesha Fatima ◽  
Farzana Ismail ◽  
Nadia Amin ◽  
Faiza Khalid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning

Today’s world is the era of technology and it is playing a dominant role in the field of education. The current research work is quantitative in nature. It aims to investigate students’ attitudes, their interests and difficulties regarding the concept of computer assisted language learning at intermediate level. A self reported questionnaire (SRQ) was designed and administered to obtain the objectives of the current study. The sampling statistic comprised of 300 students with equal gender from public and private colleges. The collected data was statistically analyzed by running descriptive statistic technique. The findings revealed that male students had more positive attitude towards CALL as compared to their female counterparts. However, it was also revealed that male students found CALL interesting for the development of language proficiency while female students faced more difficulties in using computer technology for English Language learning. The results provide ideas, paths and suggestions to the future researchers to undergo further investigations in developing computer mediating language learning programs for the benefits of learners and learning.

scholarly journals Practicing English Through Digital Devices: Practices and Perceptions of the EFL Undergraduate Students Majoring in English Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
Khaled Elkotb Mahmoud Elshahawy
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Qualitative Approaches

This research paper briefly considers the significance of practicing English through digital devices for EFL Saudi undergraduate university students  majoring in English language. As the  Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) acronym is no longer suitable for investigating and describing EFL practices to improve the English language learners' macro skills, namely, listening, speaking, reading and writing .This is because we are now in a ‘post-CALL era’ of Mobile Assisted Language Use (MALU) with digital literacy skills as a defining characteristic for the 21st century English language learners.The current study highlighted the practices and perceptions of Languages and Translation Department students majoring in English Language at Tayma University College in Saudi Arabia. In order to collect the necessary data, the study used a four- point options Lekert scale questionnaire. The study used a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The participants of the study were 40 students (20 males and 20 females). The study was conducted in the first semester of the academic year 2018/2019. The findings of the study proved that the students were highly motivated to use the digital devices to improve their English language proficiency macro skills. Based on these results, the study recommends implementing the digital devices in the EFL curricular to improve the EFL learners’ macro skills.

scholarly journals A survey on the pedagogical features of language massive open online courses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Billy Tak-ming Wong
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper examines the pedagogical features of massive open online courses (MOOCs) for language learning–known as language MOOCs. The mainstream pedagogy of MOOCs typically involves the provision of short videos and reading materials for self-study; discussion forums, mostly for peer-to-peer interaction on course content; and machine-graded quizzes for self-assessment. For language learning, which has been conventionally understood as skill development, the pedagogical features of relevant MOOCs have yet to be comprehensively surveyed.Design/methodology/approachThis study surveyed a total of 123 language MOOCs from the major MOOC platforms. The pedagogical features shown in these courses were identified and categorised according to the types of course materials and learning activities as well as the participation of learners and instructors.FindingsEnglish was the most common language taught in the courses. Over 80% of the courses took not more than six hours to complete. Most of these courses followed the typical approach of xMOOC delivery, with video watching, reading and auto-graded assessment being the most common learning activities. Less than half of the courses included discussion as part of learning, and instructors were involved in less than 30% of the discussion.Originality/valueThe findings show that, despite the technological advances in course delivery, current language MOOCs do not differ substantially from conventional distance language learning. Yet, the utilisation of computer-assisted language learning technology and the massive student base of MOOCs for creating a virtual social community are opportunities for developing learners' language proficiency on this learning environment.

scholarly journals Students’ perceptions of the inclusion of the English Word Power programme at one university in South Africa

Literator ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuli M. Makhura ◽  
Gary W. Collins ◽  
Hendrietta Segabutla ◽  
Madoda Cekiso
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Word ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Group Interviews

Background: South Africa has incorporated Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) into many university classrooms in order to help address ubiquitous concerns related to the limited English language proficiency of first-year university students. In the context of this study, the research site used the CALL application called the English Word Power (EWP programme). Research to establish students’ perceptions of the CALL application is somewhat limited, although students’ perceptions of a learning environment can be more useful in explaining their behaviour. Therefore, teachers’ understanding of the students’ perceptions towards a new learning programme is likely to assist them in tailoring the content according to the needs of the learners.Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the students’ perceptions of the use of the EWP, a computer-based programme used for improving English language proficiency. The researchers endeavoured to gain an understanding of the students’ perceptions of the strengths and frustrations of the EWP programme. Specifically, the focus was on what the students perceived as their preferred mode of learning and what their views were regarding the contribution of the EWP programme in improving their language skills.Method: The study was qualitative in nature and a case study design was adopted. A purposive sample of 60 students from an Information and Communication Technology’s (ICT) Foundation programme was used to collect data. Focus group interviews were conducted with 60 purposefully selected students and content analysis was used to process data.Results: The study yielded mixed results, as some students were happy with some of the components of the EWP programme whilst others were frustrated with some components. Specifically, some students reported experiencing frustration with the irrelevant nature of the EWP content. On the contrary, the study revealed that students were satisfied with the EWP programme’s accessibility, which facilitated their learning opportunities. Some students reported that their language proficiency concerning spelling and vocabulary had improved. The findings further revealed that the students preferred face-to-face learning to the EWP programme learning environment.Conclusion: The implication of the findings is that students need a language learning programme that is relevant to their field of study. They also require a programme that allows for student–student and lecturer–student interaction.

scholarly journals The effect of podcast on vocabulary learning of elementary EFL students

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1097-1102
Author(s):  
Saeid Angouti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Efl Students

The present research which is within the domain of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) will try to show the effect of using podcasting on vocabulary learning of elementary EFL learners. In this experiment, the researcher will go through a pretest-posttest control group design to find out the effect of using podcasts on an experimental group in comparison with a common way of teaching vocabulary in the control group where the teacher presents a list of the same words by writing on the board, repeating and translating them. The participants of this study will be at the elementary level. In order to have relatively the same level of language proficiency, an Oxford Placement test (OPT) is going to be used at the beginning of the research. At the end of the semester (after 2 months), both groups will be examined by the same multiple-choice test to assess their performance on the material. The results will show whether using podcast has any effect in developing knowledge of vocabulary.

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