Review of Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching with Technology

It is interesting to consider that task-based learning and teaching (TBLT) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) both originated in the 1980s, were long considered marginal to mainstream language education (though this has thankfully changed), and more recently have been the focus of increasing scholarly attention, and yet to date no book has explicitly addressed the potential links between these two fields. What antecedents and principles do they share, and how can they mutually inform each other’s contributions to second language pedagogy and research? Task-based language learning and teaching with technology, edited by Michael Thomas and Hayo Reinders, attempts to answer such questions and “initiate a closer dialogue between these areas of theory, research and practice in order to explore synergies and differences as well as potential future directions” (p. 1).This is a book review from Language Learning & Technology 15 (2011): 32. Posted with permission.</p

Review of Contemporary Computer-Assisted Language Learning

Book review published in the journal 'Language Learning and Technology'A review of the book 'Contemporary Computer-Assisted Language Learning' edited by M. Thomas, H. Reinders and M. Warschauer and published in 2013 by Bloomsbury

Can We Reconcile ERT (Emergency Remote Teaching) and Best Practices in Language Learning/Teaching?

The adoption of technological tools as an alternative to or in support of more traditional methods became pressing and inevitable in 2020, because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which marked the closure of on-site face-to-face classes all over the world. All of a sudden, what had so far been considered to be ‘normal’ was destabilized or disrupted by the pandemic. Technology solutions had to be adopted to save the whole education system, as teachers reinvented themselves in a period which catalysed a new era in virtual language learning and teacher professional development (Copeland 2021). In some cases it was possible to move classes effectively to online and distance education platforms because of pre-existing experience, but in others all the involved stakeholders had to strive to cope and manage the ‘new normal’ (Trust and Whalen 2021). The present contribution explores the online practices adopted in a course attended by master students with a view to stimulating the attendees’ proactiveness, and in particular their involvement in tasks which encouraged them to develop a capability for using linguistic resources strategically and knowingly, aware of “how meaning potential encoded in English can be realised as a communicative resource” (Widdowson 2003, 177)

Translating Business Agility into Language for Specific Purposes Teaching

Prior to 2020, digital tools were considered an opportunity to enhance students’ learning experience. However, the Covid-19 pandemic turned them into a necessity to enable business continuity when face-to-face interaction was not possible. While 2020 exposed areas in which infrastructure and digital literacy could be improved and pushed institutions to find timely solutions, 2021 was a year of uncertainty that required flexibility to quickly adapt class content and assignments from in-class to online mode. This also required a change in syllabi to reflect the increasing need for agility in business, and therefore in communication, creating a gap between language for specific purposes and the application of knowledge in the workplace. In the post-pandemic world, digital tools are still part of teaching and learning activities; however, both teachers and students are renegotiating their use. This paper provides examples of technology being integrated into teaching activities to enhance students’ learning experience, with a focus on the adaptation of existing content to different teaching modes. The examples include the simultaneous use of different digital tools while conducting classes on Zoom and the adaptation of syllabi guidelines for virtual presentations. The Test-Teach-Test Paradigm was adopted to review the use of two new game-based learning tools aimed at anticipating the use of virtual worlds (e.g., the metaverse) for teaching purposes. The paper draws similarities between consumer and student behaviour in the adoption of technology and provides pedagogical implications for university teachers showcases new tools in an effort to increase student motivation and engagement

Digital Games and Second Language Acquisition : The Effect of Gimkit! and Kahoot! on Upper Secondary School Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition and Motivation

This empirical joint thesis examines the use of two educational games Kahoot! and Gimkit! on second language vocabulary acquisition and the games’ effect on learning motivation. The aim was to discover whether educational games enhance vocabulary acquisition and the in-game features that promote learning motivation. The study consisted of 49 first year Finnish upper secondary school students. The participants were divided into two experimental groups based on the school’s class division. Experimental group 1 played Gimkit! during their two 15-minute treatment sessions and, respectively, experimental group 2 played Kahoot!. Both of the digital games contained vocabulary items that were presented in the students’ course book and, therefore it was meaningful for the participants to learn the target words. The acquisition of target language vocabulary items and the effect of motivation were both studied quantitatively. Firstly, the effect of playing the digital games on vocabulary acquisition was measured with pre-, post-, and delayed post-test. The vocabulary tests measured the acquisition of 25 target language words. Secondly, the motivational aspect was measured with pre- and post-treatment motivation questionnaires. We inspected the effect of in-game features, such as competition and game mode, on learning motivation through the motivation questionnaires. The results of this study revealed that both digital games used in this study were beneficial in terms of promoting second language vocabulary acquisition. In addition, the use of digital games in formal education was perceived an enjoyable activity by the participants, and the in-game features of game mode and progress pace were meaningful in terms of learning motivation. Further research should be conducted to discover the exact elements and features in a game that facilitate vocabulary acquisition

Building a Curriculum for the English Language Learning Program at a New University

Turkish learners entering university for the first time have high expectations that a university education will be vastly different in its approach from their previous educational experiences. The hope is that learners will learn the skills needed to become independent, lifelong learners. While this may be true in their faculties, it is often not the case for learners attending English language preparatory programs (ELPP) where the course content is often dictated by textbooks. This use of the course books illustrates Krahnke\u27s (1987) concern that while course books are not intended to be syllabi, they often become so. Many current English language course books take a structural approach to their design that does not meet the learning needs of learners intending to study in an English language medium. This material development project aims to investigate the various approaches to curriculum design and use the tools found there to create the framework for an explicit four-module curriculum that provides student-centered learning, fosters learner autonomy, develops communication skills and prepares learners to study in their faculties in English. This project proposes to reach these goals through a systems approach to curriculum design (Nation & Macalister, Graves, 2000) utilizing the critical ideas of understanding by design (UbD) (Wiggins & McTighe, 2006) and Bloom\u27s Taxonomy