ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Mobile Apps to Support and Assess Foreign Language Learning
Author: Berns, Anke
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Computer Oriented Programs,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,German,College Students,Foreign Countries,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Games,Pretests Posttests,Vocabulary Development

In the last two decades there have been many attempts to integrate all kinds of mobile devices and apps to support formal as well as informal learning processes. However, most of the available apps still support mainly individual learning, using mobile devices to deliver content rather than providing learners with the opportunity to interact with each other. To address this we have designed an app based on a highly interactive, ubiquitous and constructive learning approach. The app is called &quot;Guess it! Language Trainer&quot; and allows learners to share, assess and co-construct their foreign language knowledge. Learning contents are no longer delivered but integrated into versatile tasks. Even though these tasks are being performed individually by each player, the players' interaction with the app performed affects the whole community of learners. The current research paper presents the first results of an ongoing research project using mobile apps to enhance the Foreign Language Learning in a compulsory German language course at a Spanish University. In our paper we will firstly describe a specific app (Guess it! Language Trainer) which has been used to support students' independent language learning outside the classroom. Secondly, we will describe how the app encouraged students to get actively involved in their own learning processes and thirdly, how the teacher can use the information stored in the system to retrace and assess students' language learning. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Social Media as an Alternative to Moodle in EFL Teaching Practice Forums
Author: Allen, Christopher
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Preservice Teachers,Social Media,Practicums,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Teacher Attitudes,Integrated Learning Systems,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Teacher Role,Computer Mediated Communication,Teacher Collaboration

This paper reports on the preferences among a group of pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher trainees for social media rather than &quot;Moodle,&quot; an institutional Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), as a forum for support during a recent five week teaching practice in southern Sweden. The teacher trainees responded to a questionnaire relating to preferences for their own &quot;Facebook&quot; group as opposed to the &quot;Moodle&quot; forum set up specifically by the course tutor for the purpose of sharing observations and discussing lesson planning, aspects of reflective practice and resources while on teaching practice. Their reflections shed interesting light on the importance of student EFL teacher ownership and &quot;student centricity&quot; in the learning space. These concepts emerge from a consideration of the learning space at the intersection of pedagogical, technological and content knowledge and the nature of forum discussions when faced with the alternative between social media and institutionalized learning platforms under the direction of teacher trainers and course managers. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Dialogue-Based CALL: An Overview of Existing Research
Author: Bibauw, Serge
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Databases,Dialogs (Language),Coding,Educational Research,Intelligent Tutoring Systems,Literature Reviews

Dialogue-based Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) covers applications and systems allowing a learner to practice the target language in a meaning-focused conversational activity with an automated agent. We first present a common definition for dialogue-based CALL, based on three features: dialogue as the activity unit, computer as the interlocutor and negotiation of outcome through open learner production. We then report on a systematic literature review we conducted on the main scientific databases which, after filtering, resulted in 138 relevant papers which were analyzed and coded. Results show a scattered research field, with four different disciplinary approaches. We conclude with observations regarding the remaining challenges and opportunities for Intelligent CALL (ICALL) research. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Language Learning beyond Japanese University Classrooms: Video Interviewing for Study Abroad
Author: Brine, John
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Video Technology,Interviews,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Tests,Scores,Foreign Countries,Global Education,Universities,Computer Software,Computer Science Education,Business Communication,Language Usage,Language Attitudes,Study Abroad,Student Motivation,Language Skills,Interpersonal Communication,Editing,Foreign Students,College Students,Intercultural Communication,Student Projects,Teaching Methods

In 2014, the University of Aizu was accepted for participation in Japan's national TOP Global University (TGU) initiative. In this paper, we describe our use of video interviewing to prepare Japanese students for our Global Experience Gateway study abroad TGU project. Our university specializes in computer science education at undergraduate and graduate levels. Our students are preparing for careers or further research in either software or hardware specializations, and it is expected that English will be required increasingly in computer-related research and business. Within Japanese education, there is a view that the youth are reluctant to speak English (King, 2013), and our students use English infrequently. We have created a study abroad programme, which is intended to motivate students to study more in their regular English language classes to improve language skills and attain higher TOEIC scores. However, improved course grades and test scores do not prepare students with interpersonal communication skills required to function in an English-speaking context. Recent literature on language learning outside of the classroom (Nunan &amp; Richards, 2014) supports our use of video interviewing to prepare students for study abroad. We are teaching Japanese students to conduct and video-record interviews with non-Japanese speakers in preparation for the conversational demands of study abroad. Practice with video equipment, interviewing techniques, simple camera work and editing helps our students to interact with our international students and teachers. In this paper we outline the curriculum design, equipment selection, instruction, student project work, and assessment in this course. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
The Effect of iPad Assisted Language Learning on Developing EFL Students' Autonomous Language Learning
Author: Albadry, Haifa
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Handheld Devices,Technology Uses in Education,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Questionnaires,Focus Groups,Diaries,Teaching Methods,Student Motivation,Student Attitudes,Cooperative Learning,Females,College Students,Statistical Analysis

This paper will present the experience of using iPads with a group of 21 students in a Saudi university over a period of one semester. The purpose of this ongoing study is to explore how students learn to collaborate and interact in English by participating in a teacher-designed English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course. The course aimed at teaching students to work together by using a wide range of activities supported by the use of iPad devices. Data were gathered through a questionnaire, focus group interviews and learners' diaries. The findings indicate that the use of the iPad when integrated carefully into a language course, and with the teacher's instruction, can have positive effects on students' motivation and learning. There is evidence that this form of learning provides students with opportunities to collaborate with their peers, develop relationships and build bonds. Based on these findings, there seem to be clear benefits of integrating mobile devices into language courses. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
The FARE Software
Author: Pitarello, Adriana
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Courseware,Feedback (Response),Error Correction,Tutorial Programs,Computer Assisted Instruction,Learning Activities,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries

This article highlights the importance of immediate corrective feedback in tutorial software for language teaching in an academic learning environment. We aim to demonstrate that, rather than simply reporting on the performance of the foreign language learner, this feedback can act as a mediator of students' cognitive and metacognitive activity. At the theoretical level, we describe the Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) environment in which this technology should be used, as well as the concept of the cognitive correction mode. This, in particular, deals with students' errors by predicting their possible responses, which can be recorded in the computer system, and by creating messages that are specific to the error and the issue. Such a correction mode aims at assisting students in resolving the proposed activities. On a practical level, this concept was translated into the FARE software, which is distinguished by its recording of messages for hits or for focusing on student errors (Focus Message), for analyzing the issue (Analyze Message), addressing the issue by means of an example (Resolve Message), and for explaining the correct answer in didactic discourse (Execute Message). We will illustrate the FARE software with the first unit of an Italian course for foreign students. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Exploring Mobile Apps for English Language Teaching and Learning
Author: Zou, Bin
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Computer Oriented Programs,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Technology Uses in Education,Questionnaires,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,College Students,English for Academic Purposes

Many recent studies have shown that mobile learning can provide potential possibilities for foreign language learners to practice language skills on their smart mobile phones and tablet PCs (e.g. Chang &amp; Hsu, 2011; Egbert, Akasha, Huff, &amp; Lee, 2011; Hoven &amp; Palalas, 2011; Stockwell, 2010). A number of apps have been created and used for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. However, few studies have given effective examples of tasks for mobile learning. The majority of the existing apps have not yet been very pedagogically useful, due to the possible knowledge gap between the app developers and language teachers (Sweeney &amp; Moore, 2012). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how mobile apps can be integrated into English language teaching and learning and what sorts of tasks can be employed to enhance learners' EFL learning. A class app was created by the researchers and integrated into English teaching and learning in and out of class. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted so as to explore students' perceptions about the app. The results indicated that mobile learning can be adopted in English lessons and students' self-study. The app which provided sources related to lessons offered extra support to students to practice English in and after class. Participating students expressed positive attitude towards mobile learning. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Combining Online and Hybrid Teaching Environments in German Courses
Author: Keim, Lucrecia
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: German,Blended Learning,Online Courses,Conventional Instruction,Teaching Methods,Translation,Questionnaires,Speech Skills,Second Language Programs,Teaching Models,Learning Activities,Likert Scales,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,College Students,Foreign Countries

In this article, we briefly offer the main characteristics of a hybrid design for Face-to-Face (FtF) and online German courses in the degree of Translation and Interpreting that combines the textbook with activities moderated with technology. We particularly focus on the activities designed for practicing oral production at level A2.2., where we have included self-evaluation as a component in such a way that each activity is linked to a questionnaire of a reflective nature that enables the teacher to offer feedback on the activity carried out. FtF and online students have been sharing the same classroom and interacting with each other. Students' perception of the classroom design is positive according to the results of the submitted questionnaire. They highly value the structure of the Moodle classroom, the design of the tasks and the possibility to interact with students of the other modality, respectively. However, the analysis of the self-evaluations of oral activities shows unequal awareness of the potential significance of multimodality as well as a low conscious use of interactional strategies. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
From Research to Research Synthesis in CALL
Author: Boulton, Alex
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Synthesis,Meta Analysis,Educational Research,Evidence Based Practice,Inferences,Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Learning,Research Methodology

Any research study can only be fully appreciated once it is situated in relation to existing work. This is no mean feat, however, given the sheer quantity and variety of publications to date. Simply relying on one's background and experience as an expert in the field, coupled with a few internet searches and following up individual references, is likely to lead to a very partial view. This paper argues the need for greater rigour (via meta-analytic and other types of syntheses) to gain a broader, deeper and more balanced understanding of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
A Hybrid Approach for Correcting Grammatical Errors
Author: Lee, Kiyoung
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Grammar,Error Correction,Error Analysis (Language),Educational Strategies,Sentences,English (Second Language),Feedback (Response),Technology Uses in Education,Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Experiments,Foreign Countries

This paper presents a hybrid approach for correcting grammatical errors in the sentences uttered by Korean learners of English. The error correction system plays an important role in GenieTutor, which is a dialogue-based English learning system designed to teach English to Korean students. During the talk with GenieTutor, grammatical error feedback and better expressions are offered to learners. We surveyed the grammatical mistakes that occurred in the English sentences uttered by Korean learners. These errors involve preposition errors, verb form errors, agreement errors, noun countability errors and determiner errors. The hybrid error correction system consists of 5 components: an error memory based correction system, a machine learning based correction system, an n-gram based correction system, an edit distance based correction system and a selector. The correction performance of each component is different depending on error types. To evaluate the hybrid system, we used a test set comprising of 858 sentences extracted from utterances by Korean learners. The test set includes not only ungrammatical sentences, but also correct sentences. We conducted various experiments and examined the effect of the hybrid approach on grammatical error correction. The experiments show promising results for correcting grammatical errors. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Learners' Perceptions of Online Elements in a Beginners' Language Blended Course--Implications for CALL Design
Author: Pulker, Hélène
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Blended Learning,Participant Satisfaction,Student Attitudes,Online Courses,Delivery Systems,Distance Education,Second Language Learning,Computer Mediated Communication,Adult Students,Open Universities,Qualitative Research,Student Surveys,Foreign Countries

Much research has been done on blended learning and the design of tasks most appropriate for online environments and computer-mediated communication. Increasingly, language teachers and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) practitioners recognise the different nature of communications in online settings and in face-to-face settings; teachers do not simply attempt to replicate face-to-face interactions in online synchronous tutorials, but combine their pedagogical expertise with the affordances of the computer-mediated system they use to produce the conditions for effective language learning. However, there is less evidence that the role and importance of the interplay between pedagogy and technology in online language teaching has been taken into consideration in the learning design of blended courses, where the emphasis is increasingly on the online elements. There is also scant evidence on students' perceptions of the online components in blended language courses. This paper reflects upon the experience of the delivery of a beginners' language course using blended learning in an open and distance learning context. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
Collecting, Analysing and Using Longitudinal Learner Data for Language Teaching: The Case of LONGDALE-IT
Author: Castello, Erik
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Longitudinal Studies,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Computational Linguistics,Native Language,Essays,English (Second Language),College Students,Writing Improvement,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,Instructional Materials,Prompting,Writing Instruction,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Data-Driven Learning (DDL) teaching materials based on learner corpus data. The data analysed is made up of texts written by a group of Italian university students and collected as part of the Italian component of the &quot;Longitudinal Database of Learner English&quot; (LONGDALE) project: LONGDALE-IT. All the students participating in the project wrote two texts as a response to the same prompt, one in the first and the other in the second year at university. The data collected in the first year was used to create some DDL materials, which were administered to the students in the second year with the aim of helping them improve on various aspects of their writing, including their use of &quot;it&quot;-extraposition. In this paper, the first-year learner data will be compared to the second-year learner data, and subsequently to a sub-section of the &quot;Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays&quot; (LOCNESS). Quantitative and qualitative findings concerning the use of it-extraposition in the learner texts will be discussed, with a view to determining the impact of DDL teaching materials on the learning process. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
The Flip Side of Flipped Language Teaching
Author: Lyddon, Paul A.
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Online Courses,Interaction,Blended Learning,Second Language Instruction,Integrated Curriculum,Courseware,Integrated Learning Systems,Educational Practices

The past decade has seen a growing interest in &quot;flipped teaching&quot;, an inversion of traditional teaching methods, whereby instruction formerly taking place in the classroom is made accessible online and lesson time is spent on interaction. Until very recently, flipped learning was largely limited to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields and/or the teaching of blended courses, but some foreign language professionals have also now begun to take notice. At first glance, the approach may appear promising, as it would normalize computers in general instruction and allow teachers to serve more as facilitators and managers rather than purveyors of knowledge. However, reports of its efficacy have so far been mostly anecdotal. Moreover, most flipped teaching as currently practiced assumes top-down presentation that ignores fundamental differences in the nature and purpose of instructional input when content learning is the main, if not sole, objective and language acquisition occurs only incidentally, if at all. As such, without thoughtful adaptation, it is inconsistent with and unsuited for contemporary foreign language pedagogy. This paper discusses potential advantages and disadvantages to consider in the decision of whether to flip the foreign language classroom. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]
One Year of Extensive Reading on Mobile Devices: Engagement and Impressions
Author: Milliner, Brett
Date: 2015-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Handheld Devices,Reading Strategies,Courseware,Electronic Libraries,Electronic Learning,Feedback (Response),Questionnaires,Learner Engagement,Focus Groups,Group Discussion,English (Second Language),Student Attitudes,College Students,Foreign Countries

Extensive Reading (ER) is a popular strategy to improve reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge and reading confidence. The process of ER, traditionally done with paperbacks, is a practice being transformed by smartphone technology. This paper introduces Xreading® (www.xreading.com), an online Graded Reader (GR) library and Learning Management System (LMS) devoted specifically to digital management of extensive reading. For language teaching faculty, Xreading provides a dynamic, ER management system that can negate a range of challenges teachers have faced when implementing an effective ER component. In this one year study at a private Japanese university, students were required to use their smartphone or PC to access the online library of GR's and read extensively on either of these devices. This paper reports on student engagement with this platform and shares feedback from a post-pilot questionnaire and focus group discussion to describe student impressions of this digital approach. [For full proceedings, see ED564162.]