Son, J. –B. (2008). Using Web-Based Language Learning Activities in the ESL Classroom. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, 4(4), 34-43. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from http://www.apacall.org/ijpl/v4n4/IJPLv4n4_article3.pdf
The journal article that I chose to be reviewed is entitled, “Using Web-Based Language Learning Activities in the ESL Classroom”. It was taken from an online journal website called International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, Volume 4, Issue 3. The article is of 10 pages and written by Jeong-Bae Son, a teacher educator who specializes in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). His research interests include computer-mediated communication, e-learning and Web-based language learning (WBLL).
In this paper, I will summarize the article in terms of its aims, methodology and findings and offer personal reflections about WBLL activities in regard to the teaching and learning of ESL.
Article Summary
The main aim of the article is to look at the use of WBLL activities in an ESL context in terms of design, implementation and evaluation. It also presents WBLL activities that can be integrated into the ESL classroom, while reporting the results of a WBLL project that explored, selected and developed Web activities for ESL learners and investigated the usefulness of the Web activities in the ESL classroom.
In the article, Son described the Web as “a useful language learning tool and teaching resource” (p. 34) as it offers a global database of materials that can enhance language learning and teaching. Thus, a Web site called WBLL Activities for ESL Teachers and Learners (http://www.usq.edu.au/users/sonjb/projects/wbll/) was developed by the author for the integration of WBLL activities into an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) program at an Australian university. The Web site contains a list of Pre-Created Web Activities for different language skills for use in a teaching program and Task-Based Web Activities that require students to use the Web to produce certain outcomes. It also presents some Teacher-Made Web Activities created by using Hot Potatoes.
As for the methodology, a small-scale study of ESL students’ opinions on the usefulness of the WBLL activities was conducted by using a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to the students after they had four WBLL sessions (a 1.5 hour-session per week for 4 weeks) with the Web site. A total of 12 students (4 native speakers of Chinese, 4 native speakers of Korean, 3 native speakers of Arabic and 1 native speaker of Japanese) in an Upper-Intermediate ELICOS program completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 7 statements to which the students responded with Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Uncertain, Agree and Strongly Agree related to the students’ views on the Web site and WBLL activities.
Overall, the students showed positive attitudes toward the use of the Web, agreed that they enjoyed the Web activities and would like to use more WBLL activities during and outside class time. Although the study reported in this article involved a small number of students in a short period of time, the findings of the study confirm that WBLL can be useful and helpful for the learning of ESL.
Critical Reflections
The article is a very good article as it promotes the use of the Internet among language teachers to better develop more network-based activities for language learners. In terms of ESL teaching/learning implications in Malaysia, I do believe that such network-based implementation is able to encourage students to learn English in a more interactive and effective way (Chitravelu et al., 2008). It can be quite a challenge though considering that many English teachers fear of programming when they are asked to develop computer-based language learning materials for their language activities. Some are reluctant, while others are willing to take the challenge. However, with the availability of authoring systems, which offers user-friendly features and shortcuts, language teachers can now develop web-based Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) materials that fulfill pedagogical principles and instructional design principles.
The web provides an alternative to the traditional classroom in the delivery of education. A number of changes in educational theory and practice, in particular theories about what it means to ‘know a language’ and what the relative roles of teachers and students are make it an especially important new educational resource. Changes in the world of communication also, makes it necessary for the web to become an important component of the educational matrix.
This article for one thing contains a project example to a large number of web-based activities for ESL. Most are designed for students to do in a classroom situation with on-hand teacher feedback. The activities are designed for learners of English at pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper intermediate levels. The website can be used by teachers and students in a single classroom sitting (this can depend upon the choice of the teacher) with reference to the suggested activities and exercises.
Web-based language learning activities could always be the go-to ESL exercises when a teacher needs to break from typical conventional language learning. Along with the Internet access, students are free to venture what is in store for them in regard of learning English language. A lot of sites have been created for this particular mode of language teaching/learning and it depends on the teachers themselves to select web-based exercises suitable for the students’ language performance level. The author of this article particularly has already paved the way on how valuable it is for both teacher and students to benefit from the use WBLL in an ESL classroom. Hopefully, the same approach will soon be adopted among language teachers in Malaysia so as to encourage the use of ICT among students and further implement more web-based activities as a current means of language teaching.
FULL ARTICLE
Tiada ulasan:
Catat Ulasan