The purpose of this study was to compare the attitude of Iranian and non-Iranian English language students’ attitudes towards Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Furthermore, the relations of gender, education level, and age to their attitude are investigated. A convergent mixed methods design was used for analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. In the data collection procedure, an online 44-item web-based questionnaire was applied in order to collect data from 415 students. In the data analysis phase, both descriptive and non-parametric analyses were performed. The findings of the study revealed that there is no difference between the attitudes of Iranian and non-Iranian towards CALL. Finally, pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research are presented.
This article describes the games played and highlights reactions of preservice teachers and their students. In addition, suggested ways inservice teachers can use games in the current curriculum are included.
This article will provide an overview of whether students have positive motivational attitudes towards the use of computers for writing and communication. Firstly, it summarizes the basic theories of motivation and then explains the relationship between language and motivation, and the use of computers and motivation. Then, it aims to explore the aspects of computer use that students find motivating and investigates the differences among these aspects for students having different backgrounds in terms of computer skills. 45 first grade ELT students of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University participated in the study. The data was collected through a questionnaire adapted from Warschauer (1996). The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-tests, Manova and Anova on SPSS. The findings indicated that participants mainly made use of computers for communication, learning, achievement and empowerment. Plus, their personal aspects, except for computer knowledge, related to computers, did not significantly affect the participants’ motivational attitudes towards the use of computers. There were not even significant differences between male and female participants in terms of being motivated to use computers and computer facilities for communication and writing. Finally, having or not having a computer at home was not a decisive factor influencing motivational attitudes of participants.
This paper aims to explore how language instructors teach with a synchronous multimodal setup (Skype). It reports on findings from research which evaluated how teachers use technologies to enable them to work in distance learning contexts. A total of 124 teachers (86 female and 38 male), offering online private lessons, were asked to complete a survey in which they were asked to describe the advantages and disadvantages of Skype, as well as to enumerate functions they consider are missing in this tool. They were also invited to share their opinions about most efficient models of language learning and teaching. The results show Skype is, on the whole, judged by teachers as a valuable tool in the context of distance language learning. Its use in teaching, nevertheless, has some limitations, which stem from various factors, such as IT infrastructure weaknesses (e.g. interrupted connections), lack of some functions (e.g. supervising the content of the learner’s screen) or the specific nature of contact with the interlocutor (the lack of a possibility to interact in a common space).
This paper identified attitudes toward CALL of students studying English as a foreign language (EFL) at industrial colleges in Saudi Arabia. Seventy students who were enrolled in the orientation year of an English program were chosen to participate in this study by expressing their attitudes toward CALL. Standardized and local instruments were used along with interviews and observation techniques to collect data. The results of the study revealed that students had positive attitudes toward CALL. Looking at the daily hours students spend using a computer, a slight correlation was found between this variable and the students’ attitudes toward CALL. Other variables, such as students’ background knowledge of English, ownership of a computer, and their computer knowledge, were found to be irrelevant to their attitudes toward CALL. These results were in line with previous research conducted by Al-Shammari (2007), Alrumaih (2004), and Almekhlafi (2006). The results reinforced conclusions about CALL revealed by researchers, such as Chen (2003), Chikamatsu (2003), Egbert (2005) and Levy (2005), who found that it helps students learn better and more independently, and gives them the ability to have more control of their learning and to have more opportunities to practice English.
The study investigated the learner perceptions of a CALL component in a blended language learning context. 52 Taiwanese college students attended instructional classroom sessions and did weekly online assignments in the form of interactive web-based exercises over one semester. Their learning performance was measured by means of two computer-based language assessments at the mid-point and final part of the semester. Learners’ perceptions of the interactive web-based exercises were elicited by a computerized survey conducted at the end of the semester. The results reported on the survey revealed that participants perceived the interactive web-based exercises as interesting but only modestly so. This was probably attributable to the difficulty level of the created exercises and a lack of diverse exercise formats. Even so, having easy access, receiving immediate feedback, allowing multiple attempts, and enabling self-paced learning were mentioned as benefits of the constructed exercises. More importantly, most participants reported the effectiveness of these exercises in improving their reading comprehension and vocabulary leaning. This confirmed language assessment results that demonstrated significant gains in reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. Implications include suggestions for language teachers and program developers for improving the way web-based learning activities are created and implemented.
Recent developments in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) have led language teachers to engage in designing online learning activities to suit their learners’ particular needs by integrating current Web 2.0 tools into their teaching practices. This article will focus on the InGenio Authoring Tool and Learning Environment designed by the CAMILLE Research Group at the Universitat Politécnica (UPV) in Valencia, Spain and will describe one of the courses for learners of English designed and published on the Internet using this tool. To conclude, the article will refer to user satisfaction by discussing some of the findings resulting from evaluation questionnaires.
This study examines the potential effect of a computerized instructional program on Jordanian sixth-grade students’ achievement in English. Four instruments were utilized: a pre-post achievement test, a student opinionnaire, a teacher opinionnaire, and an observation checklist. The findings reveal a statistically significant difference in student achievement in favor of the experimental group, that teachers and students have positive attitudes towards computer use, and that teachers are committed to computer use in language teaching, more so for those with a computer background. A number of implications and recommendations for future research are put forth.
Exploring the ways to develop a comprehensive learner-friendly telecollaborative model of learning led to the introduction of nonlinear dynamic motivation-oriented model. To foster self-regulated learner autonomy, the model aims at recruiting the potential behind formulaic sequences for L2 comprehension-production in response to immediate processing demands as well as nonlinearity and dynamicity of motivational factors at individual level. Drawing on different theories and findings (e.g. complex dynamic systems, input processing model, motivational task processing model, etc.), the model presents a dynamic conceptualization of language learning to develop language skills in CALL context. To test the model and the validity of the suggested strategies, a mixed methods approach via questionnaire, interview and learner-self report was conducted in a term-long study among 47 EFL learners. The measures of performance taken before and after the intervention indicated improvement and confirmed the effectiveness of NDM-oriented telecollaborative model’s strategies at three levels of sociolinguistic, ethnolinguistic, and psycholinguistic. The interview data reflected participants’ positive attitude towards their perceived improvement over the duration of the intervention. The effectiveness of the model at recruiting formulaic sequences with respect to nonlinearity and dynamicity of motivational factors at individual level is the main implication of the study for CALL pedagogy.
In modern language teaching institutions and schools, the proficient language teachers apply different kinds of tasks to teach some skills and sub-skills. In the current study, the researcher investigated the effect of two different tasks, namely Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)-based tasks and written questions tasks on students’ English grammar learning. The researcher in the control group asked the participants to answer the written questions in their workbooks and the participants in the experimental group do their assignments using the computers. Based on the post-test results, both CALL-based and written question tasks had positive effects on the participants. The study supports the idea that motivating tasks can have positive results toward language learning.
This study aims to explore the effects of implementing a CALL framework on the students’ perceptions of their communication classroom environments. The What Is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire was distributed twice among 34 (F=14 and M=20) Iranian EFL students, the first time after a ten-session-long regular no-tech communication class and the other time after a ten-session-long communication class informed by a CALL framework. The data were analyzed using SPSS and the results showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the participants’ perceptions of each dimension (i.e, Student cohesiveness, Teacher support, Involvement, Task orientation, Cooperation, and Equity) of their communication classroom before and after introducing the CALL framework. The CALL-informed communication class led to a learning environment that was perceived by students as more efficient and learner-centered. The work uses the concept of learning environment, which is claimed to take into account many different aspects of a learning context and hence comprehensive, to explore practicality of CALL ideas for an EFL classroom.
This paper seeks to help clarify whether Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is primarily an independent self-study activity or whether MALL classrooms exist. The research hypothesised that a large number of users frequently using specific MALL apps, at the same time and in the same city location, may indicate the existence of MALL classrooms. The research makes use of big data, in the form of Google Analytics data, collected from two EFL learning mobile apps. The data was gathered over a five month period, in 2015, from more than 6,000 cities worldwide. The research, in doing so, opens a sociological window into the world of MALL, providing a sample of actual user behaviour. The results strongly suggest that independent study is almost certainly the main form of MALL activity. However, the research also concludes that MALL classroom-driven activity may exist in some cities.
Didactical approaches related to teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) have developed into a complex array of instructional methodologies, each having potential benefits attributed to elementary reading development. One such effective practice is Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), which uses various forms of technology such as laptops, desktops, headphones, and various software to teach a language. Another operative, more conventional, method involves traditional-based language instruction utilizing teacher-driven edification and paper-based materials without the use of technology. Given these two instructional variations, this study will examine the quantitative and qualitative effectiveness of teaching Dolch Sight Words (DSW) in South Korean grade six EFL classrooms (n=205, mean age=13) by means of evaluating CALL devices in contrast to more traditional teacher-based approaches. The main research question was to establish how these two methodologies influence DSW comprehension, motivation, and acquisition with a focus on whether CALL is more effectual than traditional practices. The results revealed that both methods were effective in increasing DSW acquisition rates with the CALL method having a stronger association related to increasing student motivation. The culminating goal of this study was to identify the most beneficial method thus improving teaching practices and consequential student comprehension of the DSW.
Writing is a complex skill that is hard to teach. Although the written product is what is often evaluated in the context of language teaching, the process of giving thought to linguistic form is fascinating. For almost forty years, language teachers have found it more effective to help learners in the writing process than in the written product; it is there that they could find sources of writing problems. Despite all controversy evoked by post-process approaches with respect to process writing, information technology has lately offered tools that can shed new light on how writing takes place. Software that can record keyboard, mouse, and screen activities is capable of unraveling mysteries of the writing process. Technology has given teachers and learners the option of examining the writing process as it unfolds, enabling them to diagnose strategy as well as wording problems, thus empowering teachers to guide learners individually in how to think about each of their trouble spots in the context of a specific product of writing. With these advances in information technology, metacognitive awareness and strategy training begin to acquire new dimensions of meaning. Technology lays open aspects of the writing process, offering unprecedented insight into creative text production as well. This paper attempts to explain how tracking software can influence writing instruction. It briefly examines the process and post-process approaches to assess their viability, explains the concept of tracking software, proposes methodology needed for the adoption of this technology, and then discusses the pedagogical implications of these issues.
Instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) has been referenced in the larger field of the SLA literature for over two and a half decades. Currently, there are several theoretical underpinnings accounting for processes assumed to play a role in ISLA and quite an impressive number of studies have empirically addressed some aspect(s) of ISLA. Recently, a lengthy and relatively cohesive treatise of this substrand of SLA research in relation to both theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical perspectives has been published in two books (cf. Leow, 2015a; Loewen, 2015), and a new model of the L2 learning process in ISLA has been proposed (Leow, 2015a). These publications are timely and important given that the concept of ISLA not only needs to be clearly defined but also situated contextually. To this end, this article (a) revisits current definitions of ISLA in the SLA literature with the aim of identifying specific features of ISLA that underlie such definitions, (b) deconstructs ISLA by probing deeper into what comprises the termsinstructed andSLA in ISLA, (c) provides a brief summary of the cognitive processes and variables postulated by the theoretical underpinnings of ISLA and pertinent empirical research, (d) recommends that ISLA be observed from one curricular approach together with its empirical and pedagogical ramifications, and (e) provides some measure of direction future ISLA research may follow.
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W artykule przedstawiono analizę ryzyka finansowego opcji typu PUT oraz CALL. Wykazano, że klasyczne charakterystyki zysku tych opcji są zależne od funkcji: kurs rozliczenia - cena opcji. Ma to istotne znaczenie przy analizie finansowej portfeli różnorodnych opcji, co nie zostało dotąd uwzględnione w opublikowanych pracach.
EN
The paper highlights the problem of financial risk analysis of PUT and CALL option types. It was proved that classic profit characteristics of these options depend on the function: clearing ratę - option price. It is important while financially analyzing the portfolio of various options which has not been taken into account in the publications so far.
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Artykuł ten porusza problem implementacji rzeczywistości wirtualnej w procesie glottodydaktycznym. W części pierwszej staramy się przybliżyć czytelnikom zjawisko gier komputerowych oraz światów wirtualnych typu Second Life. Koncentrujemy się przy tym zarówno na łączących je podobieństwach, jak i na dzielących je różnicach – sprawiających, że status użytkownika jednych i drugich jest odmienny. Następnie przechodzimy do analizy transkrypcji lekcji języka angielskiego i francuskiego przeprowadzonych w Second Life oraz z wykorzystaniem strategii ludycznych. Skupiamy się na problemie dyskursu klasowego i tego, w jaki sposób użycie nowoczesnych technologii pociąga za sobą głęboką przemianę tradycyjnie postrzeganych ról nauczyciela i ucznia.
EN
The paper focuses on the problem of using virtual reality in language learning and teaching. The first part is devoted to the discussion of two distinct phenomena: video games and virtual worlds. We try to pinpoint the characteristics they share as well as the differences between the two as far as the user status is concerned. Next, we analyse three different lessons conducted in virtual worlds and digital games environments. Focusing on the classroom discourse, we try to determine the extent to which students’ and teachers’ roles evolve in these new communicative contexts.
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