Help options and multimedia listening: Students' use of subtitles and the transcript

As multimedia language learning materials become prevalent in foreign and second language classrooms, their design is an important avenue of research in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Some argue that the design of the pedagogical materials should be informed by theory such as the interactionist SLA theory, which suggests that input modification can help comprehension, but does not provide specific guidance regarding choices designers should make when they attempt to implement theory-based features like modified input. This empirical study was designed to provide evidence about one such issue: whether subtitles or transcripts are more effective in providing modified input to learners. A multimedia listening activity containing a video of an academic lecture was designed to offer help in the form of target language subtitles (captions) and lecture transcripts in cases of comprehension breakdowns. Eighteen intermediate ESL students enrolled in an academic listening class at a research university participated in the study. Two tests and questionnaires in addition to screen recordings were used to analyze students' performance on the activity and their use of help. The results indicate that participants interacted with the subtitles more frequently and for longer periods of time than with the transcript. Also, the study identified four patterns of learner interaction with the help options. Since, overall, the participants interacted with help less than half of the time they opened help pages, an important challenge in investigating help options lies in finding ways to promote the use of help

Methodological issues in research on learner-computer interactions in CALL

CALL materials may provide a mechanism for implementing theoretically-ideal conditions for second language acquisition and for conducting empirical research to investigate effects of these conditions. This paper explores methodological issues involved in realizing this potential by focusing on investigation of the noticing hypothesis (Schmidt, 1990) in CALL reading materials. It reviews the problem of assessing noticing in classroom and experimental settings through a) conditions for noticing, b) retrospective assessment, and c) concurrent assessment. Concurrent assessment, which provides the most direct measure of noticing, is illustrated through CALL materials that gather data on noticing, test retention of word meaning, and calculate the correlation between noticed and remembered words. Methodological issues of implementation and validation are discussed

Language for Specific Purposes and Corpus-based Pedagogy

This chapter describes how corpus-based pedagogies are used for teaching and learning language for specific purposes (LSP). Corpus linguistics (CL) refers to the study of large quantities of authentic language using computer-assisted methods, which form the basis for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) that uses corpora for reference, exploration, and interactive learning. The use of corpora as reference resources to create LSP materials is described. Direct student uses of corpora are illustrated by three approaches to data-driven learning (DDL) where students engage in hands-on explorations of texts. A combination of indirect and direct corpus applications is shown in an illustration of interactive CALL technologies, including an example of an inclusive corpus-based tool for genre-based writing pedagogy. The chapter concludes with potential prospects for future developments in LSP

Effects of Textual Glosses and Sentence-Level Audio Glosses on on-Line Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Recall

162 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998.Furthermore, the study suggests that the perceived usefulness of help functions might be task and skill dependent. The fact that the sentence-level audio help function was not well received might be due to the particular subject composition (85 percent Asians), the task (a testing/exercise situation), and the skill involved (reading comprehension).U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

Using a mixed methods approach to explore strategies, metacognitive awareness and the effects of task design on listening development

Abstract Although research in the area of listening processes and strategies is increasing, it still remains the least understood and least researched of the four skills (Vandergrift, 2007). Based on research in listening comprehension, task design and strategies, this article uses a mixed methods approach to shed light on the development of four intermediate English as a second language (ESL) students’ listening strategy use and awareness over the course of one semester. Specifically, we investigate the complexities of students’ listening strategy use by level of language proficiency (low-intermediate to high-intermediate), the impact of repetition on listening strategies and the development of students’ metacognitive awareness