ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Problems That Pre-School Teachers&apos; Encounter
Author: Karacabey, Mehmet Fatih
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Teachers,Preschool Education,Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Barriers,Institutional Characteristics,Socioeconomic Status,Neighborhoods,Teacher Aides,Educational Administration,Parent School Relationship,Teaching Conditions

The purpose of this study is to identify problems such as administration, program and parental issues that pre-school teachers encounter. The other purpose is to investigate whether the teacher perceptions on problems that pre-school teachers encounter differ statistically significantly depending on the presence of a helper in the class, school building type and the economic status of the neighborhood in which the school located. This is a survey study, and the Problems of Pre-School Teachers Scale was developed as the data collection tool of the study. The population of this study is composed of 329 teachers who work in the center of Sanliurfa, Turkey during 2012-2013 fall semesters. The study is conducted with the participation of 220 teachers selected via simple random sampling method. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, t test and one-way analysis of variance methods were used. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in the perceptions of pre-school teachers related to administration, program and parents. These were discussed along with literature support and recommendations to school administrators were generated.
Computer-Mediated Communication in Chinese as a Second Language Learning: Needs Analysis of Adolescent Learners of Chinese at Beginner Level in Ireland
Author: Wang, Mengdi
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Computer Mediated Communication,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Mandarin Chinese,Secondary School Students,Information Technology,Creative Thinking,Needs Assessment,Workshops,Language Teachers,Asian Culture,Cultural Awareness,Teaching Methods,Program Descriptions

Ireland's new strategy for foreign language education, &quot;Languages Connect,&quot; identifies the establishment of Mandarin Chinese as a curricular language as a key goal for the coming years. Within the curriculum specification for Mandarin at Junior Cycle (ages 12-15), &quot;using digital technology is identified as a core component: the student uses technology and digital media to learn, communicate, work and think collaboratively and creatively&quot; (NCCA, 2016, p. 6). While the introduction of Chinese courses in Ireland faces a number of challenges (e.g. a shortage of communication opportunities and appropriate learning resources), it also provides a unique opportunity to generate innovative solutions to these challenges through technology, specifically Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). This paper outlines the overarching goal and Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology for this research project as well as the results of the initial learner needs analysis conducted at a post-primary school in Ireland. Participants in the needs analysis workshop consisted of 19 students aged 12-15 who are learning Chinese, and their teacher. The results of the needs analysis with students and their Chinese language teacher identified opportunities for meaningful communication, particularly with Chinese native speakers, and more learning about Chinese culture as the key needs to address within the broader research project, needs that could be addressed using CMC tools. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Joining the Blocks Together -- An NLP Pipeline for CALL Development
Author: Ward, Monica
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Instruction,Irish,Computer Oriented Programs,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Educational Games,Student Motivation,Uncommonly Taught Languages

Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Learning (ICALL) involves using tools and techniques from computational linguistics and Natural Language Processing (NLP) in the language learning process. It is an inherently complex endeavour and is multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary in nature. Often these tools and techniques are designed for tasks and purposes other than language learning, and this makes their adaptation and use in the CALL domain difficult. It can be even more challenging for Less-Resourced Languages (LRLs) for CALL researchers to adapt or incorporate NLP into CALL artefacts. This paper reports on how two existing NLP resources for Irish, a morphological analyser and a parser, were used to develop an app for Irish. The app, Irish Word Bricks (IWB), was adapted from an existing CALL app -- Word Bricks (Mozgovoy &amp; Efimov, 2013). Without this 'joining the blocks together' approach, the development of the IWB app would certainly have taken longer, may not have been as efficient or effective, and may not even have been accomplished at all. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED600837.]
&apos;So Close, yet so Different&apos; -- Reflections on the Multicultural Course of Slavic Languages
Author: Kyppö, Anna
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Second Languages,Cultural Awareness,Blended Learning,Management Systems,Course Content,Native Speakers,Interdisciplinary Approach,Teaching Methods,Course Descriptions,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Diaries,Foreign Countries,Foreign Students,Action Research,College Students,Independent Study

The complexity of language learning may be expanded to learning the languages belonging to the same language family, for example, Slavic languages. This paper reports on the reflection-on action research aimed at the increase of learners' multicultural competence and enhancement of critical thinking at the interdisciplinary, blended course of Slavic languages and cultures. The course organized in modules is implemented in Moodle. Course content is designed by the teacher; however, Slavic languages are presented by native speakers of these languages. Learners have an opportunity to get familiar with Slavic languages, history, and culture from the presenters' perspective, what generally results in the increase of learners' multicultural competence and enhancement of critical thinking. Learning experience is intensified through reflective learner logs, which serve as a knowledge-sharing medium and cognitive learning. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Towards the Design of iCALL Tools for Beginner Mandarin Chinese Learners in Ireland
Author: Wang, Hongfei
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Chinese,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Secondary School Students,Difficulty Level,Foreign Countries,Computer Assisted Instruction,Feedback (Response),Language Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Intelligent Tutoring Systems,Computer Games,Intonation,Tone Languages,Oral Language,Needs Assessment

The teaching of spoken Chinese in the context of post-primary education in Ireland faces several complexities. Learners of Mandarin Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL), including both Irish and heritage learners, have demonstrated difficulty in learning spoken Chinese. This exploratory research is part of a larger project which aims to develop appropriate ad hoc intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Learning (iCALL) solutions by providing visualised instruction and a gamified feedback system for Mandarin tone acquisition, and using a spoken dialogue system to create a simulated virtual environment for practising spoken Chinese. This paper presents a qualitative needs analysis, in the form of semi-structured interviews, which has been conducted with 12 CFL teachers with various linguistic and sociocultural backgrounds. It aims to investigate learners' difficulty in learning spoken Chinese and teachers' willingness to implement technology in CFL curricula. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Not a Language Course (!): Teaching Global Leadership Skills through a Foreign Language in a Flipped, Blended, and Ubiquitous Learning Environment
Author: Tanaka-Ellis, Nobue
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Blended Learning,Homework,Video Technology,Large Group Instruction,Online Courses,Undergraduate Students,English (Second Language),Language Fluency,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Program Effectiveness,Student Attitudes

This paper reports on the evidence learning found from a flipped, blended, ubiquitous learning Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course teaching global leadership skills using a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to Japanese undergraduates through English. The purposes of the current study are to see if (1) there was any evidence of learning found in the students' oral outputs, and (2) there were any changes in student perceptions about the course and their Target Language (TL) fluency over a 10-week period. The data were collected through two interview sessions conducted in Weeks 4 and 14. A similar set of questions were asked in both interviews to gauge student understanding of the course content, perceptual changes, and oral output skills. Three-semesters worth of interview data were transcribed and sorted into four categories; (1) &quot;transfer of words,&quot; (2) &quot;transfer of phrases,&quot; (3) &quot;transfer of concepts,&quot; and (4) &quot;application of concepts&quot;. The results indicated that the students' perceptions of the course shifted from an English as a foreign language course to a leadership course, and they produced more course relevant answers. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Asynchronous Online Peer Judgments of Intelligibility: Simple Task, Complex Factors
Author: Yonesaka, Suzanne M.
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Asynchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Feedback (Response),Pronunciation,Suprasegmentals,Language Acquisition,Integrated Learning Systems,Peer Evaluation,Accuracy,College Students,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Listening Comprehension,Auditory Discrimination

Pronunciation learners can benefit from peer feedback in a Computermediated Communication (CMC) environment that allows them to notice segmentals and suprasegmentals. This paper explores the intelligibility judgments of same-L1 peers using P-Check (Version2, https://ver2.jp), a Learning Management System (LMS) plug-in that aggregates peer feedback on local intelligibility (Munro &amp; Derwing, 2015). P-Check randomly delivers written prompts for learners to record. Recordings are randomly delivered to peers who choose from a drop-down menu which utterance was perceived. Aggregated judgments from peers and from the instructor are displayed to learners as feedback on intelligibility. This study used eight segmental contrasts: /b-v/, /s-[theta]/, /l-[alveolar approximant]/, /l-[alveolar approximant]/-clusters, /[ash]-[lambda]/, /[open back unrounded vowel]-[lambda]/, /[open back unrounded vowel]-o[near-close near-back vowel]/, and /i-[near-close near-front unrounded vowel]/. Participants (N=38) made 3,451 intelligibility judgments on 1,203 recordings. The effects of rater listening discrimination proficiency and of utterance intelligibility were examined in six contrasts using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). Results showed that intelligibility was generally a significant predictor of judgment accuracy, but rater listening discrimination proficiency was not. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Digital Stories: Improving the Process Using Smartphone Technology
Author: White, Jeremy
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Study Abroad,Foreign Countries,Informal Education,Video Technology,Editing,Computer Software,Photography,Student Attitudes,Undergraduate Students,Program Descriptions,English (Second Language),Story Telling

With smartphone saturation at 100% among Japanese university students, educators are developing new and innovative ways to bring them to the forefront of learning, ensuring students are as engaged with their technology in their formal learning as they are with their informal learning. Smartphones of today are small, portable, have high spec cameras, microphones, and a large storage capacity. These devices also allow for videos to be edited within applications on the smartphone itself, without the need for a separate and expensive computer and editing software. Aspects such as these make using smartphones to make Digital Stories (DS) one possible way to effectively use this technology for formal learning purposes. This paper shows the results of a paper-based survey and discusses preliminary observations conducted with 38 Japanese university students undertaking a short-term study abroad experience in Australia and New Zealand. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Designing Tasks for Developing Complex Language Skills and Cognitive Competence in the Distance Learning of Slovak as a Foreign Language
Author: Mošatová, Michaela
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Slavic Languages,Uncommonly Taught Languages,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Taxonomy,Universities,Communication Skills,Computer Assisted Instruction,Program Descriptions,Educational Objectives,Learner Engagement,Instructional Effectiveness,Rating Scales,Guidelines,Teaching Methods

The Slovak language is one of the less commonly taught languages, and its learners worldwide have few options in terms of its study and practice. One of them, however, is the www.e-slovak.sk e-learning platform provided by the Studia Academica Slovaca Centre at the Comenius University Faculty of Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia. This article summarises a two year experience teaching Slovak in two tutored e-learning courses of e-slovak levels A1 and A2 (CEFR, 2001). The article focusses mainly on the tasks contributing to the development of productive communication skills (speaking and writing). We explored to what extent various language learning tasks are efficient in terms of developing complex language skills and engaging students' cognitive skills in accordance with Anderson et al.'s (2001) revised Bloom's taxonomy of teaching objectives. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Time to Evaluate: The Students&apos; Perspective of an Online MA in CALL Programme
Author: Papadima-Sophocleous, Salomi
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Graduate Students,Masters Programs,Teacher Education Programs,Foreign Countries,Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Online Courses,Student Attitudes,Barriers,Program Evaluation,Learner Engagement,Language Teachers

Despite the critical importance of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Teacher Education (CTE) programmes, L2 practitioners often report that there are not many such onsite/online programmes, and the ones that exist may not directly meet their specific needs. Moreover, there seems to be a lack of systematic evaluation studies of such courses. As a result, problems in such courses cannot be diagnosed, and they are left unresolved. This paper presents a study undertaken to evaluate an online Master's of Arts (MA) in CALL programme in the Republic of Cyprus. The investigation was based on a conceptual multidimensional e-learning evaluation model rated by the students. Data were collected from 25 graduate students via an online anonymous survey. This focussed on the participants' perceptions of the value of the following aspects: (1) their engagement; (2) the course and its organisation, teaching mode, and materials; (3) course strengths; (4) course aspects most helpful to learning; and (5) course aspects which were obstacles to learning. This paper discusses the findings and offers some first recommendations for further improvement to the MA in CALL programme. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
How EFL Learners React to a Learning Framework Integrating Learning Records on Multiple Systems
Author: Tanaka, Hiroya
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,Student Attitudes,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Electronic Learning,Vocabulary Development,Electronic Publishing,Computer Oriented Programs,Handheld Devices,Word Lists,Language Tests

This paper reports on the learning framework integrating a web e-portfolio and two mobile applications. It also reports on a preliminary study on how learners used different systems or materials to study for vocabulary tests in a particular general English course at a Japanese university, and how they recognized the usefulness of each system and material. Participants were 66 Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students from two intact classes who completed a questionnaire survey at the end of the course. The results of the survey revealed that, although the participants generally evaluated the usefulness of the different systems and materials in a similar way, one of the mobile applications was most often used to prepare for the in-class vocabulary tests followed by the e-portfolio and the wordlist. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED600837.]
An iCALL Approach to Morphophonemic Training for Irish Using Speech Technology
Author: Ní Chiaráin, Neasa
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Second Language Learning,Irish,Morphophonemics,Natural Language Processing,Artificial Intelligence,Intelligent Tutoring Systems,Auditory Stimuli,Visual Stimuli,Prompting,Grammar

A key benefit in intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning (iCALL) is that it allows complex linguistic phenomena to be incorporated into digital learning platforms, either for the autonomous learner or to complement classroom teaching. The present paper describes (1) complex phonological/ morphophonemic alternations of Irish, which are problematic for many learners; (2) an iCALL platform, &quot;An Scéalaí,&quot; which uses speech technology and Natural Language Processing (NLP) prompts to train writing and aural skills -- in this paper the target is the morphophonemic alternations of (1); and (3) a perception experiment to guide how the platform might be used for prompt-based self-correction. The perception experiment has been carried out using newly built synthetic voices based on deep neural network technology. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Tablets in Second Language Learning: Learners&apos; and Teachers&apos; Perceptions
Author: Shouma, Amira
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Handheld Devices,Usability,Learning Motivation,Technology Uses in Education,Positive Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries

This study explores the perceptions of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners and teachers on using tablets in their language classrooms, focusing on the device's four inherent affordances: learnability, usability, motivation, and willingness to use the technology. Adopting a quantitative and qualitative approach for data collection and analysis, our findings revealed overall positive perceptions from both ESL learners and their teachers on all four measures adopted (all above 3.4/5); these results were also corroborated by our thematic analysis of the interviews. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
Brazil and Colombia Virtual Exchange Project: The Brazilian View
Author: Martins, Claudia Beatriz
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Foreign Countries,International Educational Exchange,Intercultural Programs,Intercollegiate Cooperation,Telecommunications,Student Teachers,Communication Skills,Communicative Competence (Languages),Vocational English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Computer Assisted Instruction,Computer Mediated Communication,Second Language Instruction,Preservice Teacher Education

The objective of this paper is to report the preliminary results of a telecollaborative project between a Brazilian university (UTFPR) and a Colombian university (Universidad de Pamplona) that both offer a Licentiate degree in English. The project had two purposes: a pedagogical one to show student-teachers how they can develop their communication skills in English in a collaborative way by sharing information with other student-teachers from a different culture, and a technological one to put future teachers in contact with some technological tools. The paper is divided into three parts: (1) a brief description of the context and the participants; (2) the project itself -- the first steps, the objectives, and the tasks; and (3) the Brazilian view of the whole process/project as well as the students' feedback. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]
CALL Replication Studies: Getting to Grips with Complexity
Author: Tschichold, Cornelia
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Computer Software,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Vocabulary Development,Validity,Reliability,Graduate Students,Doctoral Programs,Handheld Devices,Telecommunications,Masters Programs,Undergraduate Study,Comparative Analysis

Calls for replication studies are becoming more frequent, and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has now reached sufficient maturity to offer numerous studies that lend themselves to replication. Realistic and successful replications rely on transparency in terms of data, results, and methodology. Two published studies in the area of vocabulary CALL will be discussed from the perspective of their suitability for replication: Franciosi, Yagi, Tomoshige, and Ye (2016) and Kim and Kim (2012). Alzahrani (2017) is a replication of Franciosi et al. (2016), confirming the findings with a markedly different learner group. The replication used the same methodology, a slightly modified list of target words, and Saudi participants. Kim and Kim (2012) compared vocabulary learning across three different screen sizes. The flashcard software is not specified any further, nor are the target words. While such an underspecified methodology is less likely to lead to a successful replication that can strengthen the validity and reliability of research results in our field, it can still provide a good training opportunity for students to learn about methodology in CALL. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED600837.]