Effects Of Computer-assisted Language Learning (call) Instruction On The Acquisition Of Passive Grammatical Forms By Post-secondary English As A Second Language (esl) Students

The purpose of this study is to compare Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) grammar instruction with traditional classroom teacher-directed grammar instruction for post-secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in an Intensive English Program (IEP). Students‟ achievement was measured by their performance on three measures (multiple choice, cloze/fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended tests) of passive grammatical forms. This study gathered quantitative data on students‟ performance on the three measures for both teacher-directed and CALL instruction groups as well as qualitative data with respect to the CALL participants‟ perception of the Azar Interactive online grammar instruction program. Results of the mixed design repeated measures factorial MANOVA (multivariate analysis of variance) showed that there was no statistically significant difference in acquisition of the passive grammatical forms for ESL students taught in a conventional classroom setting as compared to those taught solely by CALL. However, there was a statistically significant increase in scores on the open-ended tests for Level 4, the most advanced students at the IEP from pretest to delayed test as well as from posttest to delayed test. Students‟ level of proficiency affected the amount of increase in their scores over time regardless of the method of instruction. This study has offered a research-based indication that CALL instruction was as effective as traditional classroom teacher-directed instruction for teaching grammar to students of different levels of English proficiency. Recommendations for future research have also been discusse

Learning processes in interactive CALL systems: Linking automatic feedback, system logs, and learning outcomes

Interactive digital tools increasingly used for language learning can provide detailed system logs (e.g., number of attempts, responses submitted), and thereby a window into the user’s learning processes. To date, SLA researchers have made little use of such data to understand the relationships between learning conditions, processes, and outcomes. To fill this gap, we analyzed and interpreted detailed logs from an ICALL system used in a randomized controlled field study where 205 German learners of English in secondary school received either general or specific corrective feedback on grammar exercises. In addition to explicit pre-/post-test results, we derived 19 learning process variables from the system log. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three latent factors underlying these process variables: effort, accuracy focus, and time on task. Accuracy focus and finish time (a process variable that did not load well on any factors) significantly predicted pre-/post-test gain scores with a medium effect size. We then clustered learners based on their process patterns and found that the specific feedback group tended to demonstrate particular learning processes and that these patterns moderate the advantage of specific feedback. We discuss the implications of analyzing system logs for SLA, CALL, and education researchers and call for more collaboration

AI Quantification of Language Puzzle to Language Learning Generalization

Online language learning applications provide users multiple ways/games to learn a new language. Some of the ways include rearranging words in the foreign language sentences, filling in the blanks, providing flashcards, and many more. Primarily this research focused on quantifying the effectiveness of these games in learning a new language. Secondarily my goal for this project was to measure the effectiveness of exercises for transfer learning in machine translation. Currently, very little research has been done in this field except for the research conducted by the online platforms to provide assurance to their users [12]. Machine learning has been used in this research to achieve the goals mentioned earlier. Specifically, deep learning models with Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) were employed to process the data. Models were designed on popular exercises from these platforms using sequence-to-sequence learning. Our research discovered that most of the models had cross-validation accuracy in the range of 70%- 80%. This result shows that knowledge learned from one model is transferrable to the other

Player Vs Language: the Effect of Multiplayer in Gamified Language Learning Environments

With the consistent popularity of and research regarding games and game play, the educational strategy now known as “gamification” has come more into focus. “Gamified” study tools have begun to populate the market but these tools are almost all designed for solo use. Many pre-existing language learning strategies, and indeed language itself, center around group interaction and are thus less compatible with single player study tools. A study was performed to isolate the variable of group play (multiplayer) in a game based language learning environment. Those participants who reported that they enjoyed the multiplayer game sessions more than the singleplayer session or thought them to be more effective at conveying new grammar displayed a distinct set of characteristics. Namely, these players were regularly more eager to seek out the opinion of others, offer their own opinion, and generally be outgoing. Those who reported the singleplayer sessions to be more enjoyable were regularly more focused on the game elements and less likely to participate in group discussions relating to the language exercises within the game. This suggests that while multiplayer, gamified tools can be effective, they require a certain type of learner or a great deal of intentional design to cater to those who do not naturally gravitate towards such learning styles

Need Analysis for Choosing English Teaching Concepts at IPDN

English is a subject that given in the three curriculum systems at IPDN has not been implemented maximally. The three existing curriculum systems provide almost the same material and there are not clear and obvious differences. In order to improve the teaching conditions, need analysis is used to find and determine what English learning materials are appropriate and suitable for teaching and learning at IPDN. A descriptive qualitative approach through document study, interview, and observation was used in this research. From the analysis, teaching English must be developed with the collaborative approach among education personnel (lecturers, trainers, fellows) and students in the three curriculum systems at IPDN. English teaching emphasizes reading skills, where teaching reading focuses on English for Specific Purposes of Government administration as core knowledge

Implementation of IT Tools as a Method of Improving Language and Communication Skills of Bi- and Trilingual Students

This article gives some examples of students’ systematic semi-autonomous work in the multimedia master’s seminar, which enhances their language com- petencies as well as strictly technical skills. The theoretical background, based on the results of research carried out by the author in 2005–2019, demonstrates how knowledge of learners’ first and second languages is advantageous during the acquisition of a third language. Seeing that this process is individual (every learner has his or her different “linguistic biography”), it is difficult take this fact into account in the coursebooks. E-learning courses, which allow students to work in semi-autonomy, become helpful in this situation. Accommodating the needs of bi- and trilingual students, prospective foreign-language teachers and translators create their own multimedia resources that fill gaps in the didactic offerings. Moreover, the unusual forms of learning by teaching (LdL – from the German phrase Lernen durch Lehren) improve the quality of the learning process, helping students achieve the desired language and communication skills

THE PRACTICE OF MICROBLOGGING

This study reports on the use of the microblogging tool, Twitter, in an intensive English advanced grammar course in a higher educational setting. The author used the tool with 49 students over a 1-year period from September 2010-December 2011, producing more than 3500 tweets. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and triangulated. Results suggest that microblogging may be used  to help students notice target language features by providing them with ample opportunities during input, output, and interaction, due to such factors as task structure, audience presence, mediating tools and corrective feedback exchanges with the instructor (Schmidt, 1990, 1993, 1995) . Further results suggest that microblogging may aid in the proceduralization of new grammatical constructions as well as long-term memory consolidation, particularly for visual learners. 

Improving Second Language Lexical Acquisition Through Personalization and Contextualization: A Look at Intrinsic Cognitive Load Reduction Strategies

Cognitive load reduction strategies traditionally seek to reduce the amount of extraneous mental effort required of the learner. Researchers, through effective instructional design, seek to eliminate load-causing agents that are extraneous to the learning topic at hand. However, cognitive load theory research has now shifted to also include the exploration of strategies that seek to reduce the inherent complexities of the target topic itself. The current study seeks to apply two such intrinsic cognitive load reduction strategies—personalization and contextualization. Previous research suggests that cognitive load can be reduced by personalizing the learning environment, which serves to meet the interests of each learner as well as to provide a familiar environment, or prior knowledge script, for the learner. By utilizing instructional materials for which learners already have an established script, personalized materials are able to reduce the number of novel elements that must be individually processed by the learner, and by so doing, effectively reduce cognitive load. Research also suggests that personalized learning environments can also be more intrinsically motivating for learners, a tenant that is again assessed in the current study. Intrinsic cognitive load reduction research likewise suggests that new topics be presented serially, and in isolation from confounding authentic contexts when possible, in order to reduce the number of elements that must be simultaneously processed that might otherwise outstrip learners’ available cognitive resources. Contrarily, second language acquisition research suggests that new target lexical items are best learned through inferring a new term’s meaning through a rich authentic context. Studies contend that learners are able to map a lexicon’s form to its meaning most effectively when new terms are interpreted through highly contextualized imbedded learning environments. The current study sought to determine how a multimedia tutorial’s level of personalization and contextualization could be manipulated to improve foreign language lexical learning, reduce cognitive load, and improve motivation for learning. A sample population of beginning college Spanish language learners (n = 128) was subjected to four different versions of a multimedia tutorial (i.e., personalized-contextualized, personalized-decontextualized, generic-contextualized, and generic-decontextualized). Following the tutorial, learners were tested for their ability to retain the novel content and transfer this content to new environments. Additionally, learners were asked to rank their motivation for learning the new topic, and the cognitive load endured during the learning and testing processes. Achievement results showed a significant interaction effect for personalization and contextualization. When learners were asked to solve a complex problem utilizing the new target lexical terms, personalized-contextualized learners and generic-decontextualized learners were more effective than their contemporaries. A significant interaction effect was also demonstrated for cognitive load, which suggested that personalized-contextualized and generic-decontextualized learners suffered less cognitive load when completing a complex task than other learners. Finally, results showed a positive effect for motivation demonstrated by learners who were exposed to a personalized learning environment as opposed to a generic learning environment

BECTA research project: International Baccalaureate E-Learning Laboratory (iBEL): evaluation report

The International Baccalaureate E-Learning Laboratory (iBEL) investigated the role that design-for-learning (D4L) plays in fostering independent learning on the International Baccalaureate programme using integrated open source platforms, namely Moodle and LAMS. Results from the project indicate these technologies increased independent learning, especially when teachers provided a clear framework by linking to pre-selected, reliable resources, and structured these through appropriate activities. Visual design was highly valued and learners enjoyed using resources containing rich media. In subject disciplines such as Modern Foreign Languages and English they were motivated by the integration of social learning tools, notably forum, glossary tools and chat. Students expected the use of technologies to form a part of their learning. Some teachers found that the use of the technologies assisted with long-term planning and enhanced their relationships with students. Adoption of a D4L system is more likely to succeed if introduced as a repository for existing content to which activities are later added and where it supports flexibility, fits the way that practitioners normally plan for learning, integrates easily with F2F teaching, contains a variety of easy to use tools, and accommodates the integration and updating of existing resources created by staff, such as Word, pdf and PowerPoint