Dunkin’ the Donut: A Study on Students’ Patterns of Language Use through Technology Applications in Independent Language Learning

Norhajawati Abdul Halim,Norizul Azida Darus

doi:10.24191/ji.v15i1.275

Abstract

Any language can be acquired at any time, but to acquire the language, one needs to learn the language. Learning a second or foreign language is not a favourite among second or foreign language learners. This is because learning a language is a very intense time-consuming activity. Learning is often unsuccessful because learners receive impoverished or insufficient input and lack of motivation. To this, second language or foreign language teachers play the most significant role to help and motivate the students to acquire the said language. The preferred method is to be immersed into the actual ecosystem of the target language and become part of the language ecosystem. The other way is to dunk the learners into the artificial ecosystem of the language classroom. In dunking, the learners are immersed temporarily and repeatedly into the simulated ecosystem language. As can be seen now, technology remains the only viable option to get enough interactive contact with the target language. Using interesting software is one of the methods in making learning more interesting. Furthermore, the students are able to practice the language not only during class time, but on their own free time outside of class hours, that is during students’ independent time of learning. The findings revealed that most students found using the applications has improved their language learning. The role of teachers on the other hand is to provide instructions and assist whenever necessary and needed by the students.

Highlights

By 2020, Universiti Teknologi MARA’s (UiTM) existing physical and formal structures of the classroom ecosystem and testing procedure will remain unchanged
It can be acquired at any time, but often it is introduced by speakers of the language or it is introduced as part of the curriculum
The preferred method is to be immersed into the actual ecosystem of the target language and become part of the ecosystem

Summary

Introduction

By 2020, Universiti Teknologi MARA’s (UiTM) existing physical and formal structures of the classroom ecosystem and testing procedure will remain unchanged. Embedding activities and language in real world environments hold the potential to make learning more meaningful and memorable (Traxler, 2011) Current technology makes both the students’ and teachers’ live easier inside and outside the classroom. Learners in immersion settings are generally unconscious of the ways their languages operate in tandem, they are placed in a classroom setting to improve their proficiency in the target language. It is best viewed as the staging area for real language use in the natural setting of the target culture (Scott, 2016). In order to capture these young generations to learn the language, especially English Language, technology remains the only viable option to get interactive contact with the target language

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