Community Language Learning Research Articles

The Use of Livemocha: A Platform for Independent Language Learning

The Covid -19 pandemic has affected all aspect of human’s life including the educational institution. All the activities are then held mostly online. Many online platform are used as a tool to interact between teacher and students. Despite their massive growth in online teaching, little research has been conducted about the use of online language learning community in learning foreign language. The aim of this study is to examine the use of Livemocha to learn foreign language independently. This study uses autoethnography method which uses the researcher personal experience to describe and analyze the data. Result of this study shows that the site is useful for learning English independently. This study concludes with suggestions for English Learning through social networking site.

A Study on the Use of Milieu Teaching to Promote Overseas Marketers' Communication Skills and Confidence in Language Learning.

Language plays an extremely important role for people in terms of engaging in various learning activities. Due to the progress of network technologies, it is an immediate goal for enterprises to take a completely new development direction with the application of network technology. Nevertheless, they encounter many difficulties in carrying out overseas marketing such as localization transformation, jet lag, lack of professional marketers, problems with sellers’ product quality, problems with customers’ credit checks, international payment problems, and logistics and delivery problems. These problems mainly result from a difference in language families. The current study was conducted as an experimental study with the participation of overseas marketers in Hebei province. Milieu teaching was implemented with an experimental group and traditional teaching was maintained in the control group for a 20-week (3 h per week) experimental procedure. The research results revealed significantly positive effects of (1) milieu teaching on communication skills, (2) milieu teaching on language learning confidence, and (3) communication skills on language learning confidence. Based on the results, it can be stated that the study is expected to help effectively enhance the communication skills and language learning confidence of overseas marketers to achieve the goals of promoting oral expression and language-use skills.

Dominant features of verbal communicative behavior in English

The article highlights that a language helps a person to describe the world. The problem is not the correct  language usage, but the mechanism of understanding the environment. It is mentioned in the article that a language provides communication.  By percieving the norms, the rules and the peculiarities of communication, a person becomes a member of the society and his speech acquires the qualities of understanding.The article highlights that one of the main characteristics of the communicative behavior of different linguacultural societies is the peculiarity of speech, which is specific for different age, gender, social groups and is expressed in various but in the same typical situations. The article emphasizes that this type of nomination communicative strategy can be applied any time during the course of an interaction as a way of continuing the communication. The interrelationships between communication and courtesy strategies, communicative functions, characteristic categories of oral communication, the strategies of positive and negative courtesy are discussed in the article. We have found that communicative dominants are closely related to the courtesy system of a particular linguacultural community. They are formed on its basis, as a result of regular use of established communication strategies.The article emphasizes that the communicative dominances typical to the verbal behavior of the people are especially important in both theoretical and pragmatic terms, because it is possible to describe the national style of communication in perspective and to develop a didactic rule of communication that ensures the development of communicative language learning.

Smart Classroom College English Listening Teaching System Based on Virtual Environment Technology

This article mainly studies the design and realization of English listening teaching system based on virtual environment technology. This paper designs and builds a virtual experimental operating platform to assist students in experimental learning. At the same time, according to database design methods, steps and database specifications, the database is designed, functional modules are divided, and the main interface of system operation is introduced in detail. The system adopts B/S architecture, interacts with the server through the browser, and the computing and processing functions are mainly completed by the server. This system uses black box testing to test and verify system functions. Complete the performance test of the system by checking the monitoring points in the performance test cases. Experimental data shows that more than 70% of students believe that they can learn and read English independently in the Cypris Club virtual language learning community.

Features and conditions of implementation of redundancy of educational information in teaching non-linguistic students a foreign language

In this paper, the issues of modeling the real communicative foreign language environment in the conditions of the institutional educational process by means of redundancy of foreign language information are considered. The role and place of this phenomenon in pedagogical science and in educational practice are designated and justified. The specific conditions and specifics of the redundancy application are considered. Thus, the object of the study is a communicative-oriented language–forming process, and the subject is the modeling of redundancy in it by foreign language means. In the paper, the author substantiates the redundancy of information as a permanent property of the modern communicative environment, which determines the importance of modeling information redundancy in modeling real social communication in the educational process. The novelty of the work lies in the consideration of information redundancy as a regulatory idea claiming to be a local private didactic principle in language teaching in the context of institutional education. Thus, the proposed work fills a gap in research on communicative language learning, in which the redundancy of foreign language information is positioned as something taken for granted and certainly positively affects the process of mastering them. As the main conclusion, the author comes to the position that the redundancy of information can claim the role of a particular didactic principle in modern language education because of its conceptuality on the one hand and specific methodological expression on the other.

“Are There Any Mexicans Listening?” Stancetaking and Language Ideologies in a Spanish L2 Classroom

AbstractThis study investigated classroom interaction through the framework of stancetaking (Du Bois, 2007) to understand how Spanish second language (L2) learners positioned themselves when participating in communicative language learning activities. Data came from transcribed audio and video recordings of three 90‐minute lessons in one intermediate‐level U.S. high school Spanish class. We examined how the students indexed epistemic stances toward their grammar explanations, and affective and evaluative stances toward the Spanish language and native (L1) Spanish speakers during peer interaction. Despite the burgeoning Spanish‐speaking community near where the data were collected, L2 learners’ linguistic practices indexed stances of expertise regarding their knowledge of Spanish grammar and vocabulary rather than their potential to meaningfully interact with the people who lived and worked in their community. In addition, some indexed negative affective and evaluative stances toward L1 Spanish speakers. Findings signal the need to examine how target‐language speakers are positioned in classroom practices.

Student’s Problem in Listening Skill of Vocational High School At Dharma Budi Sidamanik

This article describes the problem faced by students in Listening Skills at Vocational High School level, in particular it discusses (1) problems they face in listening to English and (2) how the teacher solves the problem. This research uses qualitative descriptive, and was conducted at Vocational High School at Dharma Budi Sidamanik, Sidamanik District, Simalungun Regency in class X with 30 students. The findings show (1) students do not have sufficient listening skills, (2) problems faced by students in listening are related to with their level of concentration, the habit of speaking English, limited vocabulary, similarity in pronunciation in English and also the problem of accents, there are several distinctive accents such as British and American, and (3) to overcome these problems, the teacher applies the Community Language Learning method by asking students to make study groups, in learning to listen to English. Thus, it can be concluded that the teacher's efforts are relevant to listening problems faced by students

Language Assessment Literacy of Middle School English Teachers in Mexico

Because English is an integral component of education in Mexico, it is necessary to explore teachers’ language assessment literacy (LAL), or their language assessment knowledge and practices. Previous LAL studies have been performed in standardized testing-focused. However, the present study aims to explore the LAL of teachers of middle school English students in a context where governmental policies strive to engender communicative language learning, specifically, Mexico. I have taken a mixed methods approach which involved a survey (N = 123) and interviews at two locations in Mexico. The semi-structured interviews were conducted at one bilingual middle school (N = 7) and in one extracurricular English program (N = 6). Participants were asked about their previous training, confidence levels in their assessment practices, and their training needs. Findings suggest a divide among teachers with higher and lower levels of LAL. Participants indicated that their training primarily covered traditional forms of assessment and classroom-level decision-making. However, data also suggest that participants valued non-traditional assessment activities. Finally, participants desired training on topics such as the use of technology in assessment, unfamiliar non-traditional assessment activities, and program-level decision-making.

Learner spoken output and teacher response in second versus foreign language classrooms

It is commonly agreed that learner target language output and spoken interaction are essential to communicative language learning. This video-based classroom observation study of five lower secondary schools in Norway investigated how second language (L2) English and third language (L3) French teachers responded to their students when they spoke the target language in class. Using categories and functions from classroom interaction research and corrective feedback research, L2 English and L3 French teachers’ response patterns to learner target language output were identified and compared. Findings indicated that L2 English teachers taught in a meaning- and fluency-oriented context, frequently ignoring errors and providing ample content-related responses, while L3 French teachers taught in a form-and-accuracy context, using varied strategies to correct errors and rarely engaging with the content of the learners’ utterances. The article discusses some consequences of this lack of context shifts within subjects and recommends an increased focus on contextual differences to facilitate mutual transfer of successful practices between contexts.

A development of a blended learning enhancement course based on grammar-translation and communicative language learning approaches to enhance pre-service teachers’ English language competencies for university students in preparation for public service entrance examination in Thailand

A development of a blended learning enhancement course based on grammar-translation and communicative language learning approaches to enhance pre-service teachers’ English language competencies for university students in preparation for public service entrance examination in Thailand

A multimodal approach to the technological representations in CFL textbooks

AbstractThe study scrutinizes the intermodal relations and interactive meaning-making of the textual and visual semiotics involved in modern technology representation, which indicates the engagement of authentic communication in language learning. The findings show that both textbooks show attempts to capture the up-to-date technology of modern life. Learners tend to be involved with the interpretation of the indexical relations between the visual and textual resources in one textbook, while the other textbook consists of a few texts and images that are not indexically related and are less likely to be interpreted interactively. Findings indicate the importance of being aware of the different emphases of these two textbooks through multimodal research, for the purpose of effective adaptations in CFL teaching and learning.

Effectiveness of Communicative Language Learning Activities on Students’ Communicative Competence

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of communicativelanguage learning activities (CLLAs) in developing college students’ communicativeCompetence (CC) as opposed to the traditional approach. The study respondents weresecond-year college students of a local higher education institution in North Cotabato,Philippines. The control group was taught using the traditional approach, while theexperimental group was exposed to CLLAs. The piloted CC test was then used for thepretest and posttest of both groups. Scores obtained from the tests were then analyzedusing a t-test. The investigation findings revealed that the CCLAs are effective inimproving the communicative competence of the students. The study recommends the useof communicative language learning activities, specifically at the tertiary level, to achievecommunicative goals in language classes. This paper provided language pedagogicalimplications and recommendations.

The Project of Communicative Educational Resource in Russian as a Foreign Language with the Use of V-Learning Technology

The article describes the project structure of an electronic educational resource in Russian as a foreign language which is based on a system of social interaction including a component of virtual simulation of the Russian language environment. The relevance of the study arises from modern trends in the development of communicative language learning and computer technology that provides the need to study and develop new efficient approaches improving the theory and practice of distance learning of Russian as a foreign language. The purpose of the study is to make a theoretical research on drawing up the structure of an electronic educational resource in Russian as a foreign language with the use of a virtual simulator of the Russian language environment as its component. The main methods are observation of modern trends in the development of electronic resources, analysis of research literature, generalization of the authors' empirical experience in the development of prototypes of learning systems based on the technology of virtual worlds and educational and game applications in the Russian language. The research materials are the works of Russian and foreign researchers devoted to the use of virtual reality technology in language learning. In the course of the study, the modern trends in the development of electronic resources were analyzed, and on this basis the basic principles and practical approaches to the formation of an electronic language environment were identified. The study resulted in theoretical and practical provisions considering an electronic educational resource in Russian as a foreign language as a living and self-developing virtual ecosystem. The results can be used to create a communication-oriented electronic educational resource on Russian as a foreign language.

The shift of media processes to internet communication and computer-assisted language learning as a high-risk factor of inter-group interaction in applied linguistic space

The issue of inter-group social conflicts development is one of the most acute problems of modern society. Within the framework of this article (on the example of inter-ethnic interaction) there is considered the question of modern communication technologies in the field of inter-group interaction. The study proves that with the intensive development of modern means of communication, there takes place a significant intensification of social risks associated with inter-group conflicts (intensity of aggravation factors and increase in the scale of inter-group confrontations). At the level of inter-ethnic interaction, all that is primarily due to the negative stereotypes of different ethnic groups, as well as to the replication of negative interaction experiences in different ethnic groups (with an emphasis on ethnicity).

MODERN APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH

The article deals with methods of interactive learning of English, ways how to use it at different stages of learning, increasing scientific interest in understanding global trends in the methodology of teaching English. Based on the analysis of the scientific literature as well as a comprehensive analysis of the practice of teaching and learning English in Ukraine and abroad, certain problems and challenges facing the methodology of teaching English today have been identified. The various methods and approaches developed today are an attempt to answer these questions.The United States and Europe became the founders of the so-called Epoch of Methods. During that period, such teaching methods as Total Physical Response, Suggestopedia, as well as Community Language Learning, Audio Lingual Approach were developed. The suggested approaches and methods differ in terms of their principles, understanding of the nature of language and features of the educational process, the role of teachers and students, learning goals, the ratio of target and native language. The list of methods and approaches is by no means exhaustive and reflects only a part of all variety of teaching English methodology.Among the most interesting methods we distinguish the TPR method (Total Physical Response). Nowadays, there are many published works of TPR and studies, which create an understanding of its long-term prospects. The most important skill is to understand new sentences when learning a foreign language.It was concluded that there is a need to diversify approaches to learning, focused on keeping students’ attention, encouraging them to active cooperation and ensuring student-centeredness in the process of teaching and learning, as well as stress-free educational environment.
 Keywords: teaching methods; interactive learning; suggestive approach; student-oriented learning; English language; pedagogy; teaching; audio-lingual approach.

Mini Texts: A Fusion of Grammar, Communication and Vocabulary Development in CLT (Communicative Language Teaching)

Rich and adequate input is the first and foremost condition for perfect language learning, other important things come later in order to achieve the goal of developing communicative competence in a language learning process in an EFL or ESL setting. In this context, Communicative Language Learning (CLT) is still the most prevalent approach of English language learning/teaching field both in ESL and EFL settings. In EFL settings CLT is adopted nowadays with some reservations. One solution to the drawbacks of CLT is "mini texts" in order to provide rich and adequate language input as they subsume grammar, communication, and most importantly, adequate vocabulary development. Objectives: The main objective is to critically assess the role of mini texts in order to provide rich and adequate language input for language learning. Method: Collaborative action research design was adopted to assess the outcome of teaching "mini texts" under improved communicative approach. Brief written and oral performance tests of class ten students were used as the tools of evaluation. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of thirty schools in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley whereas random sampling was used to select the respondent students of mixed ability for the written and oral performance test. The test items for the test were easy enough to be answered by average students of even lower classes. The test items were based on fixed criteria: different elements of grammatical competence to write and speak correctly, and also on some essential aspects of informal colloquial English used in fast spoken English. Pre-test and Post test were administered in order to compare the result of the traditional teaching with the outcome of the new method teaching with "mini texts" as the primary teaching material to provide optimal and quality language input to the students. Result: The over-all result of the test shows that the learning outcome, in general, is rather frustrating. Let alone government schools where most of the students belong to lower-class unprivileged families, even in private schools, or rather in so called A grade private schools, the condition of the English proficiency from the viewpoint of grammatical competence is rather frustrating. Surprisingly, not a single school could obtain even pass marks whereas same students secure good marks in their national level SEE exam.Conclusion: The current English teaching practice in Nepalese schools is deficient in (i) optimal quality language input, and (ii) suitable teaching methods to produce desirable outcome of English teaching for better learning outcome or better communicative proficiency. Mini texts have come out as an appropriate teaching material to be experimented on a large scale as they subsume essential, grammar points, essential vocabulary stock and also communication-oriented practice exercises.

The Efl Teachers’ Teaching Methods At SMPIT Tunas Cendekia Mataram

This descriptive qualitative research was aimed at finding out the methods employed by the EFL Teacher at SMPIT Tunas Cendekia Mataram. The setting of the research was in SMPIT Tunas Cendekia Mataram. The subject of this research was the 7th grade EFL teacher consisting of one single teacher. This research was designed as a descriptive qualitative research. The data were collected through, interview and document study (lesson plan). Data was analyzed by using the theories proposed by Larsen-Freeman (1986) and Richards and Rodgers (2001) classification. In relation to problem raised, the study identifed that there were three methods the teacher employed in the teaching process. They were Community Language Learning, Direct Method, and Audio-Lingual Method. Community Language Learning was employed five (5) times for five (5) different meetings, Direct Method was employed two (2) times for two different meetings, and Audio-Lingual Method was employed one (1) time.

The Efl Teachers’ Teaching Methods At SMPIT Tunas Cendekia Mataram

This descriptive qualitative research was aimed at finding out the methods employed by the EFL Teacher at SMPIT Tunas Cendekia Mataram. The setting of the research was in SMPIT Tunas Cendekia Mataram. The subject of this research was the 7th grade EFL teacher consisting of one single teacher. This research was designed as a descriptive qualitative research. The data were collected through, interview and document study (lesson plan). Data was analyzed by using the theories proposed by Larsen-Freeman (1986) and Richards and Rodgers (2001) classification. In relation to problem raised, the study identifed that there were three methods the teacher employed in the teaching process. They were Community Language Learning, Direct Method, and Audio-Lingual Method. Community Language Learning was employed five (5) times for five (5) different meetings, Direct Method was employed two (2) times for two different meetings, and Audio-Lingual Method was employed one (1) time.

Book Review: Dynamics of a Social Language Learning Community by Jo Mynard, Michael Burke, Daniel Hooper, Bethan Kushida, Phoebe Lyon, Ross Sampson, and Phillip Taw

In the field of foreign and second language (L2) education, the primary focus has been on the language teaching, learning, and language development in the L2 classroom. However, beginning from the last decade, there is a growing recognition that language teaching and learning also take place in non-classroom settings (Reinders & Benson, 2017). Following this realization, the role of a social learning space has been increasingly emphasized in influencing and facilitating the language development of L2 learners. Social learning space as a construct refers to a place where learners can gather together and learn with and from each other through relaxed “social interaction” (Murray, 2017, p. 117). Social learning spaces have recently begun to be viewed as an indispensable context for L2 learning, although research on these social learning spaces is still in its infancy. This book (Mynard et al., 2020) is one of the first few scholarly collections that addresses this emerging area of study, and it offers intriguing insights to enrich the field’s understanding of L2 learners’ growth beyond the classroom. There are in total four main sections in this book, including setting the scene, case studies, exploring concepts through the research, and implications for the field.

Pedagogical benefits of Chinese-American virtual exchange: A study of student perceptions

Abstract Despite the rapid development of virtual exchange in foreign language education, its use in the field of Chinese language education is still rather nascent. Adopting a mixed-methods research approach, this study focuses on examining the pedagogical benefits of a Chinese-American virtual exchange as mediated by students’ self-reported data. Two Chinese language classes (i.e. one at the elementary level and one at the intermediate level) at a small liberal arts college in the United States and a group of Chinese-speaking English majors at a Chinese university in Shanghai participated in the exchange. Analyses of four sources of qualitative data (i.e. WeChat group cultural discussion transcripts, Skype conversations, reflection journals, and end-of-program interviews) gave rise to four benefits of the exchange: promotion of cultural learning, improvement of Chinese language skills, enhancement of learning motivation, and establishment of a language learning community. Quantitative analyses of the end-of-semester questionnaire items show that the benefit regarding cultural learning, on average, received the highest rating, followed by community building and motivation enhancement, with improvement of Chinese skills being rated the lowest. Moreover, intermediate-level students evaluated all four benefits with higher ratings than elementary-level students. In particular, the two groups’ quantitative evaluations in terms of Chinese skills and motivation differed significantly. However, both groups enthusiastically endorsed the benefits of cultural learning and community building. The pedagogical implications of these results are also discussed.