Scoping technological innovations in education in Asia : final technical report

Annexes catalogued separatelyThe research focuses on how digital learning may be used in developing countries in Asia to address issues of equity, quality, and efficiency at all educational levels, from early childhood to higher and continuing education, in formal, non-formal, and informal settings. Two strategies for initiating, supporting and promoting digital learning for development (DL4D) research were proposed: an Asia Grant Program to fund research projects led by Asian researchers that test digital learning innovations; and network-building activities that foster international collaborations and partnerships in performing research and bridging the gap between research, policymaking and implementation

Chinese-to-English phonetic transfer of Chinese university EFL students

Phonetic transfer is defined as an L1 influence on the acquisition of L2 phonetics. Previous studies have investigated phonetic transfer in the area of articulation, but the effects of L1 on L2 pronunciation measured by speech recognition technology have been under-researched. This study aims to address the issue by focusing on a sample of 676 Chinese university ESL students. Drawing on quantitative data, it examined whether the participants applied phonetic transfer to ESL learning and what factors might have influenced the results of phonetic transfer. We assumed that Chinese-to-English phonetic transfer occurs but that the extent of the transfer would be small because Chinese and English belong to different language families. However, findings from this study confirm that Chinese-to-English phonetic transfer occurs and the extent is large. The findings regarding high transferability might be attributed to spelling through phonics and the nature of pronunciation acquisition

Chapter 35 Digital Learning for Developing Asian Countries

Education – that is, the development of knowledge, skills, and values – is an important means by which to empower individuals in a society. As both a means towards and an outcome of gaining the capabilities necessary to participate in and contribute to society, education is an essential enabler in many social aspects, such as economic growth, poverty reduction, public health, and sustainable development, especially in today’s knowledge society. At the same time, however, education can still be a social institution that reflects and reproduces the social, cultural, and economic disadvantages that prevail in the rest of society (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1990). For example, students who are discriminated against socio-culturally or who are economically poor are more likely to receive an education that is characterized by inadequate infrastructure, few qualified teachers and encouraging peers, and outmoded pedagogical practices, which often results in a lower quality of life