Computer Assisted Language Learning

This study aims to verify the effectiveness of technologically-enhanced images on learners’ comprehension of the vocabulary in English as a foreign language (L2). It also examines the influence of individual factors in the effective use of these images, which could facilitate better sentence comprehension and production.
Our study begins by questioning the argument previous CALL research has explored, namely that multimedia glosses facilitate L2 vocabulary learning. It might be true that the combination of visual glosses and verbal glosses on the same screen, which is one of the most fundamental CALL features, brings about longer retention or better understanding of target L2 vocabulary (e.g. Chun & Plass, 1996; Sato & Suzuki 2010, 2012). These findings, however, do not support the argument that the more technologically-enhanced glosses are used, the better the outcome they bring. The use of technologically-advanced devices does not always trigger successful learning as individual factors, especially the cognitive learning style (Littlemore, 2001), may also play a role on L2 vocabulary learning.
Therefore, based on our hypothesis that an individual factor may affect the effective use of CALL materials, our study tries to find out what factors could operate the learners’ L2 sentence comprehension and production including the target vocabulary they learn with the CALL materials. With special attention to the learning styles (holistic or analytic) and the first language (Chinese and Japanese) of L2 participants, the present research is conducted to examine whether the materials of L2 vocabulary with stereoscopic visual glosses (with the use of CALL) could facilitate successful L2 sentence comprehension and production. We believe the findings of our research will serve as a catalyst to develop individually-optimized CALL materials.

Multimodal Learning. Evaluating Attitudes Towards Clipflair Language Learning Platform
Cristina Varga, Anamaria Bogdan
Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca,


Society is changing at a fast pace. Social network and Internet based teaching and learning are increasingly used in classroom. With the rapid development of technology, there is a gradual shift from the traditional learning environment to the cloud-based learning environment in the process of learning.

This paper reports on a study conducting qualitative and quantitative research methods to examine the reception and to investigate the attitudes of Romanian students toward Clipflair language learning platform. To that end, a survey was conducted to examine university students’ perceptions and attitudes about using this innovative method of learning foreign languages. Results of the study demonstrated that the surveyed students stated that they use in general social networking to improve their language, their communication skills, and to learn new languages. Results of the study also suggest that students consider revoicing and captioning a productive and motivating way to learn languages. The variety of AV materials, the cultural aspects of the communication, and the interactive method of work are elements which has been given a generally positive reception. The suggestions of the students in relation to the design and the implementation of Clipflair online platform were taken into account and discussed in the paper.

Methodologically, the paper is based on a questionnaire survey of a relevant group of 150 Romanian students.

The researchers believe the results obtained from this investigation to be beneficial in terms of identifying the needs of the students in the use of Clipflair learning platform upon their feedback. This will allow the teachers to adapt Clipflair activities and to improve the use of the cloud-based platform in classroom in order to ease the access for the learners on the platform.

In this paper we discuss the need for compiling non-native speech corpora for the development of Computer Assisted Pronunciation Training (CAPT) applications that address specific language pairs. Learner’s L1-oriented CAPT tools enhanced with Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology can perform better in automatically identifying common errors of speakers of a specific L1 when learning an L2. Nevertheless, the adaptation of an ASR system to non-native speech is a complex and time-consuming task which demands large quantities of speech data annotated at different transcription levels, and this data is generally not easily available for developers.
Background research on CAPT development is presented by reporting on various projects that make use of non-native corpora for developing CAPT applications. We then present two different studies which share the objective of compiling an L1-L2 specific non-native corpus with the purpose of developing a CAPT system for the addressed language pair. The results of the two studies show that specific language combinations trigger specific pronunciations errors and these errors should be conveniently described in order to incorporate this information into the CAPT system and provide students with meaningful and effective feedback on their specific mispronunciations.
Procedures for the compilation, annotation and transcription of non-native speech corpora that will improve the reusability and exchange of the databases will be also addressed. We discuss some possibilities for facilitating this task by means of using materials already provided with the orthographic transcription, which can be employed to automatically generate the phonemic transcription, or obtaining transcriptions by other methods such as crowdsourcing. These procedures are less time- consuming and should make it easier to develop effective applications. Enhancing awareness of the need for learner's speech databases is another priority that should be addressed, not only for research purposes, but also for the development of applications.

The present study utilized hierarchical agglomerative cluster (HAC) analysis to categorize users of a popular, web-based computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) program into user types using activity log data. Results indicate an optimal grouping of four types: Reluctant, Point-focused, Optimal, and Engaged. Clustering was determined by aggregate data on seven indicator variables of mixed types (e.g., ratio, continuous, and categorical). It was found that measurements of effort: lines recorded and episodic effort served best to distinguish the user types. Subsequent time-series analysis of cluster members showed that groupings exhibited distinct trends in learning behavior which explain performance outcomes. Four waves of data were collected during one semester of EFL instruction wherein CAPT usage partially fulfilled course requirements. This study follows an exploratory, data-driven approach. In addition to the findings above, suggestions for future research into interactions between individual differences variables and CALL platforms are made.

This article reports on the findings of a study conducted to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom and to find out differences of perceptions according to some variables such as gender, level of English proficiency, hours of weekly IWB use, and years of teaching experience. Two self-report questionnaires were used to gather main data from 58 EFL teachers and 164 EFL students in a private Anatolian high school in Ankara where IWBs were installed and actively operated by teachers in classrooms. The student questionnaire consisted of 26 five-point Likert-scale items to measure the student’s perceptions about (1) Perceived Learning Contribution, (2) Motivation, (3) Perceived Efficiency, and (4) Perceived Negative Effects, whereas the teacher questionnaire included 25 five-point Likert-scale items to measure their perceptions about (1) Instructional Effects of IWBs, (2) General Attitudes, (3) Motivational Effects of IWBs, and (4) Need for Training. Quantitative data was further supported by qualitative data gathered from teachers through open-ended questions. The findings revealed that overall both teachers and students have favorable perceptions of the IWB technology and its benefits in EFL classrooms. However, the results of t-test and One-way ANOVA tests showed no significant difference in the teachers’ perceptions of IWB use with respect to their gender and years of experience. Female and male students did not have any significantly different perceptions of the IWB technology either. However, the results of One-way ANOVA revealed that students differ in their perceptions according to their level of English proficiency and hours of weekly IWB use. Another finding indicated that teachers with more years of teaching experience had more favorable perceptions of IWBs than less experienced teachers and that teachers who use IWBs more frequently have more positive perspectives on the use of the IWB technology. Similarly, it was found that the more students got involved in using IWBs, the more their perceptions changed favorably. The results of qualitative data also supported the findings of teachers’ self-reported perceptions in relation to the general attitudes on the pros and cons of IWB use in EFL classrooms. Another major finding of the study revealed that teachers need training for this technology in order to acquire the essential competencies in pre-service and in-service training programs. Further research in this area could be an investigation of pedagogical approaches to integrate IWBs in the EFL classroom.

Teaching academic writing to ESL learners can be a difficult task: students are usually unfamiliar with academic style, have difficulties in producing a structured piece of writing and get easily discouraged by an exam­oriented approach, having to use old school pen and paper with no access to technology. Indeed, the gap between everyday writing tasks and the exam is significant: access to online dictionaries, linguistic corpora and academic articles, as well as being able to work in groups using Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. Google Docs) is a standard in today's professional writing. However, most students are less tech­savvy than it is presumed: they are generally unaware of practical web tools, use Google search ineffectively and obtain information from unreliable sources. Hence, the implementation of a more practical approach with the use of web technologies and collaborative assignments in the writing classroom should be considered by ESL teachers.

Incorporating collaborative practices in higher education can be beneficial on many levels: students become more conscious of their work, profit from peer correction and compose better works in terms of language and structure (Storch 2005). Moreover, using Web 2.0 tools can be especially advantageous, as it promotes cooperation skills, provides a user­friendly environment for peer reviewing and prepares students for future careers in networking (Brodahl et al. 2011, Kessler et al. 2012). In the following preliminary research, I compared individual pen and paper compositions with collaborative online works written on the same topic by two groups of 20 students on a comparable level of language proficiency (CAE). One of the groups practiced in class how to use Google Docs and search for reliable information online. The results show that students working in groups via Web 2.0 tools 1) generate more complex ideas, 2) learn from each other, 3) compose better texts in terms of language and content, 4) raise their awareness of plagiarism, and 5) develop a positive attitude to collaborative work. Therefore, collaborative exercises and web­based tools should be subject to more academic research and become a part of the writing course for ESL students.

In the past 50 years since the emergence of computer-aided language learning (Yang 2010), also the roles and needs of second/foreign language learners and teachers have changed significantly as educational technology (Laurillard 2002) has been integrated into the language classroom (Zhao 1996). Educational goals have broadened to include lifelong learning, global interaction, and the acquisition of computer-mediated communication skills (Chun 1994; Georgakopoulou 2011). Such extended changes call for a renewed examination of the second/foreign language pedagogy and curriculum design in order to provide the necessary integration that may fit the new technology-enhanced setting (Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Hodgson & McConnell 2012), especially in the first and most fundamental step, i.e. needs analysis. The centrality of needs analysis in course design has been acknowledged by several scholars (e.g. Munby 1978 Hutchinson and Waters 1987, West 1994, Seedhouse 1995, Jordan 1997, Dudley-Evans and St. John 1998). However, while Second Language Acquisition authors have extensively written on needs analysis applied to primary and secondary education, very few studies are available as to how needs analysis can be applied to tertiary education. Different approaches to needs analysis exist, yet, to the best of our knowledge, none of them alone attempts to investigate the needs of learners in second/foreign language programs based on computer-mediated communication in a networked learning setting. This paper aims at filling this gap. After going through current literature on needs analysis, we identified Dudley-Evans and St. John’s concept of needs analysis as the starting point of our investigation as it encompasses previous approaches and is open to extension, especially in those areas in which it falls short. This study, therefore, contributes to complementing Dudley-Evans and St. John’s essential building blocks of needs analysis with three additional ones – which address specific CMC skills, epistemic and information fluency – identified when designing EFL/ESL courses for BA and MA programs in Translation and Communication Studies in the course of the past ten years. Although the study is inherently qualitative, it is grounded on the quantitative data collected in each of the courses – thirty altogether – which substantiate the results of the investigation. The newly defined building blocks can be used to integrate the information gathered from a needs analysis, and will help teachers to further clarify the purposes of their language programs so that they address the needs of today’s connected learners.

In response to discussions on the use of commercial games as L2 learning resources, we developed a project to explore game-enhanced, literacies-informed instruction in a college-level, fifth-semester L2 German classroom. Faced with an already highly effective genre-based curriculum, we were led to consider where game literacies and genre approaches might coincide theoretically and pedagogically. This resulted in the development of a 2-week unit on gaming in which games were treated as both text and practice, an approach that aligns with a New Literacies Design metaphor (New London Group, 1996; Kern, 2000), with the dual objective of raising genre awareness and developing game literacies (Kringiel, 2012; Squire, 2008b; Zimmerman, 2007). The pilot implementation, reported here, had mixed reactions from learners: while some embraced gaming as a new, effective, and even pleasurable way of learning, others demonstrated resistance or skepticism because of what we interpret as a clash between expectations about language learning, play, and the constraints of the classroom and the chosen games.

Smartphones, and their potential applications for mobile assisted language learning (MALL), signal a shift in classroom paradigms as well as a new horizon in language research. Given the ubiquity of smartphones and the increasing availability of digitized text, the reading experience for second language learners is one domain susceptible to change and new opportunities. Research into extensive reading (ER) through the medium of mobile devices is an emerging area of study in the ELF classroom. Presenters from a private university in Tokyo will introduce their ongoing pilot test of X-Reading®, a new learning management system (LMS) devoted specifically to extensive reading. Participants in this study have access to a virtual library of graded readers and are being explicitly asked to read on their mobile device or personal computer. Presenters will share pre-pilot questionnaire data, ongoing word per-minute analysis, comparisons between reading comprehension tests (digital and paper), post-pilot student feedback, and vocabulary size test scores (Nation & Beglar, 2007). Participants in this poster session can expect to learn about implementation of X-Reading®, reflect on student attitudes towards reading digitally and consider the challenges in implementing a digital extensive reading component in their own language classrooms.