Task 2

OPPORTUNITIES IN TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCHED LANGUAGE LEARNING (TELL) CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS

ISSN 1642-1027 Vol. 4, Issue 4 (October 2004)

By: Hee-Jung Jung Washington State University Pullman, WA, USA.

Sang Hyun Kim University of Mississippi University, MS, USA

http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_article19.htm

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE

Since it is really hard to get the fuller view of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) classroom environments, this study aims to explore opportunities that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers have created to help students meet English language literacy goals in technology enhanced language learning (TELL) classroom environments. The study targeted to clarify the effectiveness of the technology and understand language learning through the evaluation of classroom environment with multiple environmental elements based on empirical observations. This study used qualitative analysis in gathering and analyzing the data. In order to get the data, the study examines opportunities in two TELL classroom environments based on interviews, observation, and document collection for two months. In order to evaluate the environments, a framework of eight conditions for optimal language learning proposed by Egbert (1993) is used. The set of environmental conditions for language learning classroom environments are:

(1) interaction: learners have opportunities to interact and negotiate meaning;

(2) authentic audience: learners interact in the target language with an authentic audience;

(3) authentic tasks: learners are involved in authentic tasks;

(4) opportunities for exposure and production: learners are exposed to and encouraged to produce varied and creative language;

(5) time/feedback: learners have enough time and feedback;

(6) intentional cognition, learning style and motivation: learners are guided to attend mindfully to the learning process;

(7) atmosphere: learners work in an atmosphere with an ideal stress/anxiety level;

(8) control: learner autonomy is supported.

The participants for the study are selected from one English classroom from each of two different schools; a 5th grade EFL classroom and an 8th grade EFL classroom. Both schools are located in the same local city in South Korea. The 5th grade ESL language classroom observed for this study consists of 22 boys and 20 girls. The class focused mainly on the listening and the speaking. The classroom for the students was equipped with a networked computer, a scanner, printer, camcorder, overhead projector, 45-inch television, and video. Each student had a computer monitor on his/her desk and there was a control system for students' computer monitors on the English teacher's desk. The teacher used software that was developed by MOE and the Internet as technological applications to teach English. The other classroom, the 8th grade ESL classroom was composed of 15 boys and 25 girls. The classroom focused on all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). There was one networked computer, a 45-inch television, a video player, and an overhead projector. The students did not have their own computers in that classroom and they watched a big projection television for the computer screen. The English teacher also used software, the Internet, and the class website to teach English, carried his own laptop computer for each class and also created and managed the class website. The participants from both classes were studied for two months before the data was collected. After all the data were gathered and analyzed, the findings showed that the used of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning in both classrooms match all the conditions for optimal language learning that were proposed by Egbert (1993). As Egbert (1993) suggest, it has been proved that with the use of technology in the classroom, students are able obtain all the 8 conditions for optimal language learning (interaction, authentic audience, authentic task, opportunities for exposure and production, time/feedback, motivation, atmosphere, and control). Both teachers and the students also agreed that technology was naturally accepted into the language learning classrooms, and the students and teachers are able to explore various opportunities in the environments.

MY REACTION

From my personal view, the research is very interesting and it does capture my attention. As the authors had discussed in the article, the typical research design (provided CALL materials for experimental groups and traditional instruction for a control group) ignore the nature of the learning tasks, the characteristics of the learners, and the characteristics of technological application thus it is difficult to know what learning effects ought to be attributed to without an understanding of specific attributes of the situation. Therefore, this research is so much vital because it is clear that the study of classroom environments is important to understand learning atmosphere, perceptions, goals, and interaction for optimal language learning. As many of us had realized, students nowadays are eager for something more than just the traditional teaching methods that we had been practicing since many years ago. The chalk-and-board learning method will surely bored them, therefore the teaching and learning in the schools should be in line with the technology that surrounded the students. It is really exciting to know that each of the students in the studied classrooms is having the chance to fully utilize the technology compared to my time when we have to settle for lame teaching methods. I think the research is well conducted, but there is still room for improvements. The researchers had done a great job with the methods of data collection, but from my personal view, the researchers should increase the time period for the observation, at least for 6 months so that the integrity and trustworthiness of the research can be enhanced. In my opinion, the two months time cannot really tell the real situation in the classrooms, plus the researchers do not have the chance to look at the tests and exam results of the students when the study had been conducted. Although in learning a language should not be based mainly on the test and exam result, it is still one of the vital ways to keep track of students’ performance and their understanding in the classroom learning. In general, based on the findings of the research, I can say that we should fully utilize the used of technology in every schools as we can see the impact it had on the students. The use of technology in the classroom can benefited both teachers and students as they are getting very excited in their teaching and learning. It can also strengthen the bond between the teachers and the students when it has been proved that students find it more comfortable to talk and ask questions to their teacher through e-mail and class forum, instead of meeting them face to face. For the Malaysian context, our government should consider of implementing the TELL in every classrooms in the country so that our students can be benefited from that, as they are only a few schools in the country that are equipped with TELL. The article also had clear proof that students prefer to learn using the technology because it excites them and also motivate them to study harder.