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Social media ethics in English language teaching
No full textMany teachers are increasingly using Social Networking Services (sns) in their classrooms, which allows for the first time the outside world to peer into students’ private learning spaces (Blyth, 2011). However, the adoption of social media has mostly been done without careful consideration of possible ramifications students may suffer. Consequently, this article considers issues of information management, identity, reputation, privacy, and potential consequences on classroom dynamics. Finally, there is a discussion of the privacy strategies that teachers could adopt
Design and user evaluation of a mobile application to teach Chinese characters
No full textThis paper presents both the pedagogical design principles and the challenges faced during the development of a mobile app, Chinese Characters First Steps, to support recognising, learning and practising writing Chinese characters at beginners’ level, including the difficult balance between pedagogy and technical affordances. We also present the results of a research study which collected quantitative data from over 130 users of the app as well as qualitative data from interviews with four users. The results offer a profile of language learning app users and very positive attitudes towards learning with apps. They also reveal users’ reasons for learning Chinese, patterns of learning, expectations of the app, and evaluation of the different features for their own personal learning. Finally, the paper concludes that the chosen design principles for the app were appropriate for its purpose
Self-access English learning facility: A report of student use
No full textThis paper reports on a case study research conducted at a Self-Access Learning Center (salc) from 2009 to 2012. Over these four years data was collected through a survey from over 6000 participants regarding their access and use of the self facility and resources. The article reports on various on-site learning environments and the influence this may have of efl students’ utilization of the salc. This observation revealed that due to competition between libraries, and the increasing emergence of mobile devices, university students are less likely to use salc. The quantitative findings confirm that students are less likely to make use of this salc’s facility, resources and services. While students need to enhance their learning skills, salc may no longer be the place where students congregate to do so
What impact does a changeagent have on faculty use of technology?
No full textThis study was undertaken to examine the influence that a set of Professional Development (pd) initiatives had on faculty use of Moodle, a well-known Course Management System. The context of the study was a private university in Japan that specializes in languages. Specifically, it aimed to identify the way in which the pd initiatives adhered to professional development best practice criteria, and what impact the pd initiatives had on faculty use of Moodle. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach. Participants in the study were 42 teachers who worked at the university. The results indicated that the pd initiatives adhered closely to criteria posited in technology-related professional development best practice criteria. Further, results from the online survey and follow up face-to-face interviews indicated that while the pd initiatives that were implemented were positively perceived by faculty, they did not have the anticipated impact on Moodle use
Are learners aware of effective ways to learn second language vocabulary from retrieval? Perceived effects of relative spacing, absolute spacing, and feedback timing on vocabulary learning
No full textAlthough the effects of retrieval-based learning may be affected by factors such as relative spacing, absolute spacing, and feedback timing, few studies have examined learners’ perceived effects of these factors on second language (L2) vocabulary learning. With this limitation in mind, the present study examined learners’ perceived effects of the above three factors on L2 vocabulary learning. A questionnaire was administered to 226 Japanese college students. The results showed that the participants (1) considered relative spacing not to affect learning, (2) perceived spaced learning to be more effective than massed learning, and (3) considered immediate and delayed feedback to be equally effective, all of which are supported by earlier empirical research. The results suggest that L2 learners are able to make accurate judgments about the effectiveness of retrieval-based vocabulary learning techniques
Exploring Taiwanese college students’ perceptions of text-based, computermediated communication technology in learning Japanese as a foreign language
No full textThe use of computers as an educational tool has become very popular in the context of language teaching and learning. Research into computer mediated communication (cmc) in a Japanese as a foreign language (jfl) learning and teaching context can take advantage of various pedagogical possibilities, just as in the English classroom. This study investigates the perceptions of cmc tools held by jfl students in Taiwan. It also examines utterance length and a feature of their online writing, the use of final particles in Japanese. The overall results indicate that the use of text-based cmc tools has positive effects, and is also perceived positively by the jfl learners. The pedagogical implications are that cmc tools can be especially beneficial when integrated within an instructionally-oriented jfl course
Second language vocabulary assessment studies: Validity evidence and future directions
No full textIn this study, I review four papers by Stoeckel and Bennett, Shin, McDonald and Asaba, and McLean, Kramer, and Stewart. I will then summarize the validation evidence reported in each paper, in order to argue for the validity of the interpretations of the test scores as well as the uses of the tests considered in these four studies. This will help clarify areas of future research and strengthen the need for ties between specialists in the field of second language vocabulary assessment and general language assessment
A test of the new general service list
No full textAbstract
This paper introduces the New General Service List Test (NGSLT), a diagnostic instrument designed to assess written receptive knowledge ofthe words on the New General Service List (NGSL) (Browne, 2014). The NGSL was introduced in 2013 as an updated version of West’s (1953)original General Service List. It is comprised of 2,800 high frequency headwords plus their inflected forms and is designed to provide maximalcoverage of modern English texts. The test introduced here is divided into five 20-item levels, each assessing a 560-word frequency band of theNGSL. Using a multiple choice format, the NGSLT is intended to assist teachers and learners in identifying gaps in knowledge of these highfrequency words. Data from 238 Japanese university students indicate the NGSLT is reliable (α= .93) and that it measures a single construct. Acomparison of NGSLT and Vocabulary Size Test (Nation & Beglar, 2007) scores for a small group of learners shows that the NGSLT providesmore detailed diagnostic information for high frequency words and may therefore be of greater pedagogic use for low and intermediatelevel learners. Ongoing developments include parallel versions of the NGSLT as well as a separate instrument to assess knowledge of the New Academic Word List. Both the NGSLT and New Academic Word List Test are freely downloadable from the NGSL homepage (www.newgeneralservicelist.org)
Using Web Speech technology with language learning applications
No full textElectronic communication has rapidly evolved over the last few decades, from using chat commands via Telnet and usenet, to making video calls via Skype and FaceTime. We can now simply speak to our mobile device when drafting an email or calling a friend instead of entering text with a keyboard. While computer-mediated communication has traditionally focused on human-to-human communication, a new paradigm may emerge that includes human conversations with artificial intelligence, given that talking “to” a computer is becoming as common as talking “through” a computer. It appears that it will not be long before we speak to a computer as if it was a human rather than just a machine. In 2011 Google introduced their voice search, and more recently, in 2014, a group of researchers claimed that a computer had for the first time passed the Turing test (University of Reading, 2014), a “test of a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human” (Wikipedia, 2015)
Using information and communication technologies to motivate young learners to practice English as a foreign language in Cyprus
No full textInformation and Communication Technologies (ict) are continuously evolving and when integrated appropriately these can facilitate foreign language learning classes. Connecting the curriculum to real world tasks in this way prepares “learners for the challenge of coping with the language they hear and read in the real world outside the classroom” (Nunan, 2004, p.50). This paper discusses the use of ict and the way it can motivate young learners of the age of 9–12, during their efl classes, increasing their linguistic repertoire and developing their language skills. It also discusses how important it is for a teacher to be innovative, creating great opportunities for learning and without forgetting that “professional development must focus not only on how to use a particular hardware or software, but also on how it is used in alignment with more effective pedagogy, content, and context” (Li and Ni, 2010, p.120). Using ict with a combination of interesting activities, motivating videos and songs through the use of the internet and the World Wide Web students can practice the target language, and be encouraged to become active explorers of language, whilst simultaneously gaining fluency