scholarly journals Faculty and student perceptions of the use of web 2.0 tools to develop communication skills in English

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 2-10
Author(s):  
Laura Chagas ◽  
Neuza Pedro
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools ◽  
Learning Contexts

As the use of Web 2.0 proves to be beneficial in foreign language learning contexts, this quantitative study focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools for the development of communication skills in English, specifically in higher education. In order to investigate the participants’ perceptions, 341 undergraduate students and 70 faculty members from Portuguese higher education institutions responded to an online survey. They were asked to associate a list of Web 2.0 tool types to the communication skills they believed that could be developed in English language learning.The general results from both groups show that video sharing tools (for listening and speaking) and presentation tools (for reading and writing) are the ones that the respondents consider to be mostly used in class. A deeper analysis allows us to identify other tools that are mostly used in face-to-face and distance learning contexts and we suggest this list can work as a guideline for faculty members in their practice.

scholarly journals E-books in foreign language learning from the students' perspective: A review of research

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-344
Author(s):  
Dragana Pavlović ◽  
Dina Petrović
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Printed Books ◽  
Language Students ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Foreign Language Students

This paper looks at the use of e-books in higher education, with special reference to the perceptions of foreign language students, as over the last decade there has been a noticeable tendency in this population towards increased use of e-books for their studies. Due to their technical characteristics, primarily multimediality and interactivity, e-books have great potential for foreign language learning at all levels. Therefore, in the relevant literature there is an increasing number of studies dealing with various aspects of e-book use in foreign language acquisition. The aim of this paper is to present a review of published studies pertaining to student perceptions of the potential, advantages and drawbacks of e-books in content learning in the field of foreign languages. The structure of the paper comprises an introductory section, a section on the emergence of e-books, a review of research in higher education, and a review of studies in which data on foreign language students' perceptions of the use of e-books in their studies were obtained using empirical methods. In the conclusion, it is noted that students use e-books, that they are acquainted with their advantages and drawbacks, but that they nevertheless prefer the use of printed books for studying. Students' attitudes suggest that e-books, due to their technical characteristics, can have high applicability in foreign language learning in terms of vocabulary expansion, better comprehension, the development of reading habits and text analysis.

scholarly journals Online Foreign Language Learning in Higher Education and Its Correlates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Maria-Anca Maican ◽  
Elena Cocoradă
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
Student Relationship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the online learning of foreign languages at higher education level has represented a way to adapt to the restrictions imposed worldwide. The aim of the present article is to analyse university students’ behaviours, emotions and perceptions associated to online foreign language learning during the pandemic and their correlates by using a mixed approach. The research used the Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) scale and tools developed by the authors, focusing on task value, self-perceived foreign language proficiency, stressors and responses in online foreign language learning during the pandemic. Some of the results, such as the negative association between anxiety and FLE, are consistent with those revealed in studies conducted in normal times. Other results are novel, such as the protective role of retrospective enjoyment in trying times or the higher level of enjoyment with lower-achieving students. Reference is made to students’ preferences for certain online resources during the pandemic (e.g., preference for PowerPoint presentations) and to their opinions regarding the use of entirely or partially online foreign language teaching in the post-COVID period. The quantitative results are fostered by the respondents’ voices in the qualitative research. The consequences of these results are discussed with respect to the teacher-student relationship in the online environment and to the implications for sustainable online foreign language learning.

scholarly journals INTEGRATION OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING TO SUPPORT EFFICIENCY OF STUDY PROCESS

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laima Kuprienė ◽  
Vaida Žegunienė
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Technology Innovations ◽  
Study Process ◽  
Teaching Learning

Contemporary society is actively engaged into technology innovations due to their multi-purposeful usage for personal, professional and educational reasons. Many new terms defining information communication technologies appear but the paper focuses on the interactive media, which may be considered as an integral part of the phenomenon. It is aimed to analyze and discuss the possibilities of integration of interactive media into language learning process to support the efficiency of the study process taking into consideration the needs and achievements of students. The lectures organized with traditional teaching material are getting old-fashioned gradually; therefore, new trends appear in the education process and technologies have to be successfully integrated by the teachers working in higher education institutions. Currently life pace is extremely fast, and rapid changes influence the life of young people who want to be well-educated and prepared for the further professional career. The research was organized to investigate whether the students of higher education institution demonstrate willingness to integrate interactive media into language learning process, i.e. students do not have to be passive users but actively apply and use interactive media in the learning process. Consequently, the teachers have to be familiar with the opportunities provided by the interactive media and acknowledge the necessity of its integration, but still some considerations and uncertainty exist. The methods used for the research are as follows: analysis of the scientific literature sources, content analysis, and questionnaires. Findings of the research are formulated after analysis of the collected data and they revealed the capabilities of the students to use interactive media and perception of the importance and usefulness of such measures.Majority of teachers demonstrate conservative attitude towards innovations and implementation of modern teaching/learning methods, but the situation will be improved putting the efforts in order to seek positive learning outcomes and modernize the study process.

Promoting Digital Competences through Social Software

2012 ◽  
pp. 408-429
Author(s):  
Teresa Torres-Coronas ◽  
María Arántzazu Vidal-Blasco
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Technological Change ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Labor Relations ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Formal Learning ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools

In the present landscape of technological change there is increasing awareness of the need to support the acquisition of digital competences. In this chapter, we address how digital competences can be developed through formal learning. We show how to design a web 2.0 learning experience that was undertaken at Universitat Rovira i Virgili1 and which developed both digital competences and management knowledge. In particular, the case presented focuses on the field of gender equality within the framework of labor relations in a non-real company created for this purpose, “Quadratonics SA”. Through Quadratonics’, web 2.0 tools and social software students improve their digital competences and, at the same time, are exposed to the most up-to-date innovations in ICT. Our final reflection is that higher education academics should continue to expand their awareness of web 2.0 applications and the role they can play in optimizing learning and knowledge creation among students, who will be the digital workers of the future.

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