Computer Assisted Language Learning Course Research Articles

Corpus literacy instruction in language teacher education: Investigating Arab EFL student teachers’ immediate beliefs and long-term practices

AbstractWith the increasing recognition of the pedagogical applications of corpus linguistics, there has been a growing interest in developing teachers’ corpus literacy to popularize the use of corpora in language education. This longitudinal study investigated Arab Gulf EFL student teachers’ immediate and long-term responses to corpus literacy instruction. After teaching a corpus literacy component to two classes of student teachers in a graduate computer-assisted language learning course they attended, the author collected focus group data about their views on this instruction and their own expected future uses of corpora in language learning, teaching and research. Two years later, a group of these student teachers (n= 19) responded to a follow-up questionnaire exploring their beliefs about corpus literacy integration and their multiple uses of corpora. The student teachers reported very positive immediate and long-term perceptions of corpus literacy instruction, but it was found that such instruction has not brought about all the desired changes in their long-term uses of online corpora as a linguistic and pedagogical resource, or their attitudes towards doing corpus-based TESOL research. However, it is expected that the popularization benefits gained from corpus literacy integration could lead to better future developments in using corpora for language education and research purposes in the target context.

Virtual World to Motivate Learning: Exploring Arabic EFL Learners' Views Toward Utilizing the Second Life Virtual Game as a Motivational Tool

This study was intended to explore EFL learners’ views toward the use of the virtual Second Life game as a motivational instructional tool, their opinions on its technical use, and any obstacles they face while using this technology. The participants of the study were forty-one EFL Arab students who were enrolled in English language mainstream of the bachelor’s degree at a school of education in the capital city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At the end of a computer-assisted language learning course exploring the Second Life virtual game, they were asked to complete a questionnaire to gather descriptive data regarding the questions of the study. The results indicated that these EFL learners hold positive views toward the use of the Second Life game as a motivational tool in language learning, although there are some concerns regarding the availability of the necessary technology skills to use the game. The most notable recommendation from the study highlighted the need for teacher encouragement to use digital games to practice the foreign language. Keywords: EFL learner, views, motivation, Second Life, language learning, virtual life DOI : 10.7176/JLLL/63-06 Publication date: December 31 st 2019

Computer Assisted Language Learning Social Networks: What Are They Talking about?

There are many reasons that motivate people to build online communities. The purpose of this study was to identify the topics that learners discuss when they are part of a computer assisted language learning course in order to answer the question “What are they talking about?”. We have examined an e-community of 618 students who were learning the Modern Greek language online. We analyzed their conversation topics directly from the discussion boards of the web-based course and sorted them into the pre-defined topic categories. The results of the study showed that during the first lessons of the course the students contributed more to social discussions which were unrelated to the course material. The reason of this outcome is that the students want to introduce themselves and meet their peers. As they progressed through the course’s lessons, however, their discussion topics became more course material related. The study ends with implications of the results and future research directions.

Perceptions of Pre-service English Teachers Towards Computer Assisted Language Learning Course

Son yıllarda gelişen teknolojilere paralel olarak yabancı dil sınıfları teknolojik cihazlarla donatılmaktadır. Ancak çoğu zaman öğretimde asıl rolü üstlenen İngilizce öğretmenlerinin ve öğretmen adaylarının Bilgisayar Destekli Dil Öğretimi (BDDÖ) konusunda donanımları ihmal edilmektedir. Bu kapsamda yürütülen bu nitel çalışma ile İngilizce öğretmen adaylarının 14 haftalık BDDÖ dersi öncesindeki ve sonrasındaki dersle ilgili görüşlerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışmaya, Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Yabancı Diller Eğitimi Bölümünde son sınıfta öğrenim gören yaşları 21 ile 28 arasında değişen 69 İngilizce öğretmen adayı katılmıştır. Çalışmanın verilerini, öğrencilerin dönem başında ve dönem sonunda yazdıkları blog kayıtları oluşturmaktadır. Toplanan veriler içerik çözümlemesi yöntemiyle çözümlenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda, öğretmen adaylarının dersin başında dersin içeriğinden çekindikleri; ancak dersin sonuna doğru bu çekingenliklerinin ortadan kaybolup teknoloji konusunda kendilerine daha çok güvendikleri bulunmuştur. Buna ek olarak, dersin son sınıfta bahar döneminde verilmesini eleştirerek dersin programda daha önceki yıllarda yer alması gerektiğini vurgulamışlardır. Bu sonuçlara dayanarak öğretmenlerin 21. yüzyıl öğrencilerini yetiştirmeleri beklentisine karşılık BDDÖ dersinin Yabancı Dil Eğitimi Bölümlerinde zorunlu ders statüsü kazanması ve daha erken sınıflarda verilmesi önerilmektedir.

Frequency of Attendance and Interaction of Students in 3D Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs): The Effect on Learning English Language

This research study of third-dimensional multi-users virtual environment is experienced at Buraydah community college, Qassim University by the Saudi EFL students of level three in their Computer Assisted Language Learning course. In this paper the personal presence of the participants and their frequency of interaction are investigated. The English language laboratory was used to provide 3D multi-users virtual environment to the participants by awarding each of them an avatar character of their own choice. These were designed to practice and improve the proposed speaking skills of English language as a foreign language. This environment provides the participants to concentrate on their speaking skills to improve it by collaboration, participation, and frequent interactions. The results from such multi-users virtual social interactions showed a positive academic success of the participants in the current study. In Saudi culture, the language students have least interaction for improving their spoken skills of English where a 3D multi-users interaction is recommended for success of spoken English.

Students’ Motivation toward Computer-Based Language Learning

The present article examined some factors affecting the motivation level of the preparatory school students in using a web-based computer-assisted language-learning course. The sample group of the study consisted of 126 English-as-a-foreign-language learners at a preparatory school of a state university. After performing statistical analyses (t-test and analysis of variance) to the data, it was found that there were no statistical differences between such selected demographic variables as learners’ age, gender, grades, compulsory and optional status, type of high school, parents’ educational status, the period of the participants’ language-learning process, and experience of computer use The only variable found to be statistically significant was the degree of importance of learning English for the participants; more than half the participants possess moderately high motivation level. Finally, some practical recommendations were noted.