Understanding of Foreign Language Learning of Generation Y

Different generations are constituted depending on social changes and they are designed sociologically as traditional, baby boomer, X, Y and Z.  Many studies have been reported on understanding of foreign language learning generation Y. This study aims to realise the gap in and contribute to the research on language learning understanding of generation Y born between 1980 and 1999 and studying at the university. The participants of the study consist of students in the department of foreign languages at Atatürk University. 85 randomly selected respondents were conducted a survey consisting of 9 close-ended questions based on Stern and Rubin foreign language learning profile. The data collected were analyzed by SPSS 15.0 program and the results were explicated by means of descriptive analysis. Cronbach Alpha coefficient was found 0,822 for the items in the questionnaire. The results offer that generation Y shows positive distinction in know-how and ability to learn, conversely that they have difficulties in learning and skills at verbal expression and comprehension. The findings showed that a generation Y shows a profile self-confident, tolerant, open to experiences, efficient in solving problems and able to act independently in foreign language learning. Although enthusiastic to communicate in a foreign language, the generation has difficulties in speaking language. Keywords: Generation, Foreign Language, Skill, Learning Understandin

The Influence of Technology on the Academic and Social Lives of Students and Lecturers in Kuwaiti Higher Education (HE)

The central purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to identify the perceptions of higher education (HE) students and lecturers in Kuwait, as regards the use of technology in their academic and social lives. In the quantitative phase of the study, the research questions were designed to identify the factors of influence on students’ and lecturers’ use of technology. The data were collected by administering survey questionnaires and the participants’ answers to the items on the survey scales were then analysed using statistical analysis software (SPSS). This involved descriptive analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), which additionally included principal components analysis (PCA), a data reduction method. In the qualitative phase of the study, the research questions were aimed at understanding how students and lecturers used technology for learning and teaching, as well as for social purposes. Thematic analysis was subsequently applied in analysing the interview, diary and observation data. The findings of the quantitative (factors) and qualitative phases (themes) were integrated while interpreting the outcomes of the study. Some of the significant findings to emerge from this thesis were that the expediency of the technologies and disruptive practices of the lecturers empowered the students; triggered student engagement in self-regulated learning; intellectually stimulated students’ ability to identify and solve problems creatively, and improved student learning through social interaction and collaboration, all within a facilitating and encouraging learning environment. However, the analysis also acknowledged certain disadvantages of students being too dependent on technology. Meanwhile, although the lecturers espoused constructivist beliefs, thus helping them to orchestrate classroom activities and create socio-constructivist learning environments, as a means of facilitating learning through the adoption of learner-centred approaches, they were also frustrated. In the final analysis, the students were found to be overwhelmingly positive in their attitudes towards technology, while the lecturers saw themselves as associates in this process, creating communities of learners

Language Learning Assisted by Group Profiling in Social Networks

This paper describes an implementation for group profiling assisting language learning in social networking sites and particularly in Facebook. In this study, we have developed an educational application in Facebook for grammar learning, while the whole procedure is assisted by group profiling. We applied K-means clustering algorithm to determine the groups of students with the same learning styles and abilities, creating a more sophisticated and dynamic model. The algorithm takes as input, to initialize the process, two important studentsâ?? characteristics â?? age and knowledge. Our study exploits the fact that educational systems have a large number of users and we use a machine learning reasoning mechanism that is based on recognized similarities between them. Future plans include evaluating our Facebook application in order to examine the degree of usefulness of the group profiling for language learning