The effects of providing EFL students with asynchronous and online instant feedback

Esta síntesis de investigación tuvo como objetivo el analizar los efectos de utilizar retroalimentación asíncrona y retroalimentación instantánea en línea con estudiantes universitarios de inglés como lengua extranjera. Este estudio exploró las ventajas y desventajas de usar cada tipo de retroalimentación y los factores que los profesores de inglés toman en cuenta para elegir si usar retroalimentación asíncrona o retroalimentación instantánea en línea. Se seleccionaron veinte estudios empíricos realizados entre 2008 y 2021 para el análisis de datos de esta investigación. Los resultados de esta investigación indicaron que la retroalimentación instantánea en línea incrementa la motivación y las calificaciones de los estudiantes universitarios mientras que la retroalimentación asíncrona tiene efectos positivos en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes en las cuatro principales áreas del lenguaje. Además, los estudiantes que recibieron retroalimentación asíncrona superaron a los estudiantes que recibieron retroalimentación instantánea en línea. Una limitación de este estudio es la falta de información sobre el uso de retroalimentación asíncrona y retroalimentación instantánea en línea en Latino América, por lo que se sugiere más investigación empírica sobre el tema en esta áreaThis research synthesis aimed to investigate and analyze the effects of using asynchronous and online instant feedback with EFL college students. This research also explored the advantages and disadvantages of each feedback method and the factors that influence teachers to consider using online instant feedback or asynchronous feedback. Twenty empirical studies from 2008 to 2021 were selected for the data analysis. The results of this research show that online instant feedback improves EFL college students’ motivation and grades while asynchronous feedback has a positive effect on learners’ academic performance in the four language skills areas, that EFL students who received asynchronous feedback can outperform the learners who got online instant feedback, and that EFL teachers prefer asynchronous feedback over online instant feedback. A limitation of this study is the lack of information about the use of asynchronous and online instant feedback in Latin American countries; consequently, further research in such contexts is being suggestedLicenciado en Ciencias de la Educación en Pedagogía de los Idiomas Nacionales y ExtranjerosCuenc

WhatsApp group to promote and enhance productive skills in sixth-grade students at primary school

"This research project was conducted to learn about the use of WhatsApp to promote and enhance productive skills in sixth-grade students at primary school. The collected data was taken from 17 students in sixth grade from Unidad y Trabajo Primary School in Nativitas, Tlaxcala. Participants involved in this research were around eleven to twelve years old. A descriptive quantitative method was used to answer the research question. As a result, there was a positive effect in using WhatsApp groups to promote and enhance the productive skills in sixth-grade primary students. The results indicated that students could improve their productive skills through the WhatsApp group. Furthermore, those results showed that students felt confident in speaking and writing in English through WhatsApp since this application gave them better opportunities to practice in class and beyond the classroom. Besides, students preferred the WhatsApp group activities rather than the classroom activities. Therefore, it suggests that teachers should use WhatsApp groups as an educational tool to teach speaking and writing skills in a fun and meaningful way to change the traditional teaching and learning process. Other methods, contexts, and receptive skills may be considered for further research"

The Effect of Interaction through Social Networks Sites on Learning English in Iranian EFL Context

This study aims to investigate the effect of interaction in social network websites on enhancing acquisition of English language in students studying in language institutes. Since the emergence of Social Network Sites (SNS) in 2005, they have been potentially affective in area of education in general and foreign language learning in particular. Language learners may use social networks sites (SNS) as a mean to get engaged and motivated in meaningful communicative situations. This study was conducted among 40 active and regular EFL intermediate level EFL learners in Qalame Bartar Language institute joining a Facebook group who are familiar with using computer and internet as participants of the study. The data were collected from the learners’ interactional exchanges in the weekly posts, from social interaction and discussion in SNSs; research conducted in related subject and the tests given to these participants after using SNS for 60 days. Based on data analysis, the EFL learners’ language learning skills in the treatment group highly increased during this period in comparison to the control group. The findings indicate interaction through SNS putting learner in real communicative situations plays an important role in enhancing the development of foreign language learning

An action research on developing English speaking skills through asynchronous online learning

This action research aims at developing an action plan to alleviate foreign language speaking anxiety, and accordingly improving speaking performance. The research was carried out by the teacher-researchers of 19 prospective Chemical Engineering students at CEFR-A1 level at Ege University School of Foreign Languages (EUSFL). The research took place over a 12-week period in the fall term of 2015-2016 academic year. The participants created WhatsApp groups; the researchers sent them written or voice messages with English speaking tasks; and they performed these tasks and sent their voice messages to their groups. Data were gathered through the Turkish form of Second Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (SLSAS) developed by Woodrow (2006), participants’ speaking exam grades and semi-structured interviews. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test elicited a statistically significant change in English speaking anxiety of students (z=-2.660, p=.008, r=-.84); that is, their anxiety level decreased. The students’ speaking exam grade average was found to be 12.68 out of 15 (with 84.56% success rate). Also, the results obtained from the qualitative data matched with the results of the quantitative data indicating that the asynchronous online English speaking group (AOESG) worked well to alleviate students’ English speaking anxiety and to enhance their speaking performance

STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF USING WHATSAPP VOICE NOTE IN ENGLISH SPEAKING LEARNING

The government has implemented hybrid or blended learning, which combines face-to-face and online learning. IAIN Langsa has adopted this hybrid learning approach by utilizing various media tools in the learning process. One widely used media tool in hybrid learning is the WhatsApp Voice Note application. In this perspective, online learning media becomes an important aspect to be evaluated, with WhatsApp Voice Note as the focal media for online learning. This study aims to explore students' experiences in using WhatsApp Voice Note for learning speaking. The subjects of this study consisted of 12 English education students. A qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach is employed to achieve the research objectives. Three data collection instruments are utilized: questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The questionnaire employs an 8-item Likert scale, while the semi-structured interviews comprise 14 questions. Based on the data analysis, it can be concluded that almost all eighth-semester English education students at IAIN Langsa have provided positive feedback regarding WhatsApp Voice Note as an online learning medium that helps improve their English speaking skills and supports their learning process both on and off-campus

Telegram as Social Networking Service (SNS) For Enhancing Students’ English: A Systematic Review

Social Networking Services (SNS) has become part of English learning, providing educators and students with free service and wide usage applicable to synchronous and asynchronous instruction. This study intended to critically review previous studies on the use of Telegram as one of the SNS platforms for enhancing students' reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Following George’s (2008) Literature Reviews model, 20 manuscripts were reviewed. The selection was taken from reputable International Journals indexed by Scopus quartile 1, 2, and 3, published between 2016-2020. It was revealed that Telegram is argued to have positively affect the students' four language skills in learning English. Telegram is claimed to benefit the students in terms of vocabulary, reading comprehension, content, and organization in writing, grammar, language style, pronunciation, and listening comprehension. Experts highlighted the relaxed and informal nature of Telegram as SNS to be one of the main factors that contributed positively to students' reduced anxiety and raised motivation in learning. Reflecting on those positive effects of Telegram on students' scholastics progress, the present study implies that Telegram may be an alternative for online learning and extensive learning of English

A Technology-Enhanced German Language Course: Effects of Technology Implementation and Cross-Cultural Exchange on Students’ Language Skills, Perceptions and Cultural Awareness

This study employed a within-group case study design using a mixed methods approach. In doing so, the researcher used a concurrent triangulation process during a one semester intermediate German language course. In addition to the textbook, the researcher implemented a Technology to Support German Language Enhancement (TSGLE) intervention. The TSGLE included use of the following Web 2.0 technologies: blogs, podcasts, online chat, and wiki, to create an environment of increased asynchronous and synchronous interaction. Additionally, students embarked on a cross-cultural, virtual exchange with university students from Germany by interacting through a blog, a collaborative video conference session, a German film screening, email, and individual video conference sessions. Although certain challenges arise with adapting to technology use and communicating with native speakers, quantitative and qualitative data indicate regular use of Web 2.0 technologies and participating in a cross-cultural exchange can enhance language acquisition and cultural awareness

Bringing Classroom and Outside World Together: Mobile Instant Messaging via WhatsApp© for Extracurricular Writing

Mobile phones have a rapidly growing language teaching and learning potential due to various technologies and applications including instant messaging. However, the related literature mostly documents studies aiming at investigating their role for teaching vocabulary, pronunciation, and content, and thus there are calls to focus on other skills, including writing. Responding to these calls to solve the problem of research scarcity on other skills, I opted for a qualitative research design to investigate the pedagogical potential of WhatsApp©, perceive my students’ experiences, and evaluate the process with all strengths and weaknesses. I attempted to make contributions to the existing knowledge on the role of WhatsApp© as one of the most commonly utilised mobile instant messaging applications for language teaching. At the end of a 4-month-period, I gathered my detailed qualitative data from 44 preparatory programme English majoring students at a large-size public university in the northeast of Turkey via a self-devised open-ended questionnaire and conducted a thematic content analysis. My findings highlighted the potential of WhatsApp© as an educational tool to enhance language skills and allow practice chance, offer entertainment and increase interest, decrease anxiety and increase motivation, encourage participation, offer a better communication between the teacher and the students, and help self-improvement. However, no classroom implementation is without limitations, and WhatsApp©-geared interaction was no exception as the implementation had some challenges such as student inconvenience, emotion-related issues, technical problems, content-related and language issues. Based on my dual role, that is, both an academician and practitioner (pracademic), I offered some pedagogical implications for those who want to utilise mobile phones to bring classroom and outside world together to enhance language teaching