The EuroCALL Review - Vol 28, No 1 (2020)https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1445972024-03-28T19:37:10Z2024-03-28T19:37:10ZPodcasting as a tool to develop speaking skills in the foreign language classroomTomé Díez, MarioRichters, Marlisa Amandahttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1464542023-11-21T11:51:28Z2020-06-16T09:57:03ZPodcasting as a tool to develop speaking skills in the foreign language classroom
Tomé Díez, Mario; Richters, Marlisa Amanda
[EN] It is essential for foreign language learners to have adequate opportunities for speaking in order to enhance the acquisition of oral communicative competence. Although research over the last few years has dealt with the potential of podcasting for the development of oral competencies, little has been done towards its application in the improvement of speaking skills or the correction of pronunciation. This article presents experiments with podcasts developed in French foreign language classes over the course of ten years. The results obtained relate to the following three aspects: firstly, selection and analysis of the available tools fostering greater oral activity and effective correction of pronunciation; secondly, the quantification of spoken language according to the actual duration of the podcasts, as well as preparation time estimated by the students; finally, the evaluation of spoken language using certain indicators of improvement of pronunciation.
2020-06-16T09:57:03ZEffect of Gamification on students’ motivation and learning achievement in Second Language Acquisition within higher education: a literature review 2011-2019Azzouz Boudadi, NadiaGutiérrez-Colón, Marhttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1464532023-11-21T11:51:28Z2020-06-16T09:54:10ZEffect of Gamification on students’ motivation and learning achievement in Second Language Acquisition within higher education: a literature review 2011-2019
Azzouz Boudadi, Nadia; Gutiérrez-Colón, Mar
[EN] This paper focuses on a fairly new motivational technique, the so-called Gamification, which consists of introducing game mechanics in non-game environments to promote motivation and engagement. By the turn of the 21rst century, Gamification took off in the business field and soon after became an attractive concept for researchers and professionals in education as it appears to be an increasingly popular method to motivate learners. Nevertheless, it is still a nascent field in terms of empirical evidence available to firmly support its educational benefits. This paper intends to shed some more light on this topic through a comprehensive review of literature published in the most prominent journals. The present study is framed within the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in higher education and Computer-Assisted Language Learning, and focuses on the effects of gamified learning environments on student’s motivation and learning. A Meta-analysis method was used to explore relevant empirical research published between 2011 and 2019. After reviewing a corpus of 68 papers drawn from the leading databases Scopus and Web Of Science, and from which only 15 could be included in the study, we can point out two main findings: (i) there is still very limited literature in the field of SLA and, (ii) results seem to be predominantly positive in terms of motivation and engagement but only a few studies confirm clear interconnections with learning outcomes. The results suggest a lack of solid correlations between Gamification, motivation and cognitive processes.
2020-06-16T09:54:10ZFostering cultural competence awareness and dispositions to reach thirdness or decentering by engaging in intercultural dialogueVillalobos-Buehner, Mariahttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1464522023-11-21T11:51:28Z2020-06-16T09:32:40ZFostering cultural competence awareness and dispositions to reach thirdness or decentering by engaging in intercultural dialogue
Villalobos-Buehner, Maria
[EN] The goals of this research were twofold. First, to measure changes in cultural awareness levels between two groups of students in their third semester of a Spanish class. The trained group formed by university students from the USA collaborated with another group of university students from Colombia using Skype. The second aim was to identify attitudes of decentering or thirdness in the trained group. This group met seven times during a 13-week semester to discuss a variety of cultural topics such as college life and daily routines. The control group addressed the same issues by examining them among members of the same class and answered a pre-and post-self-awareness questionnaire. Mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed a significant increase in interculturality scores in the trained group. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis of the video recordings, essays, and video chats from the trained group showed dispositions to decentering (thirdness) or to engage in an understanding process of the other (Kramsch, 1993). This group exhibited attitudes of curiosity and openness during the Skype sessions. Their essays were elaborate; the topics were varied, indicating the experience of productive social interactions. This group also avoided the use of essentialist or static cultural representations of the other in their narratives.
2020-06-16T09:32:40ZBook Review on Integrating Information and Communication Technologies in English for Specific PurposesEkmekçi, Emrahhttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1464502023-11-21T11:51:28Z2020-06-16T09:25:26ZBook Review on Integrating Information and Communication Technologies in English for Specific Purposes
Ekmekçi, Emrah
[EN] Rapid developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) in recent years have inevitably affected the nature of learning and teaching process in general. As a result of this, teachers have been constantly seeking innovative and alternative ways of teaching in all educational settings as well as in the domain of foreign language learning and teaching. However, there still exist teachers who do not feel pedagogically and technically competent enough to integrate ICT into learning process. There is no doubt that it is of great importance to decide how and when to use technology in pedagogically principled way. The book Integrating Information and Communication Technologies in English for Specific Purposes is for readers and educators who seek pedagogically appropriate ways of integrating technology in the practice of English for specific purposes (ESP), English for academic purposes (EAP), and English for occupational purposes (EOP).
2020-06-16T09:25:26ZSmartphone tapping vs. handwriting: A comparison of writing mediumLee, Bradford J.https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1464492023-11-21T11:51:28Z2020-06-16T09:17:25ZSmartphone tapping vs. handwriting: A comparison of writing medium
Lee, Bradford J.
[EN] Mobile-learning (m-learning), or mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), has been the object of a great deal of research over the last twenty years. However, empirical work in this area has largely failed to produce generalizable conclusions due to variation in methodology, target feature, and task-type (Burston, 2014, 2015). As schools in Japan begin to join the growing number of classrooms worldwide using mobile-based assignments, this study examined how Japanese EFL students’ writing task production differed depending on writing medium (i.e., handwritten on paper vs. tapped on a smartphone). Writing samples were collected from N = 1,449 participants, divided into smartphone- or paper-based groups, across a spectrum of English proficiencies. Handwritten submissions were found to be significantly longer than those composed on a smartphone (p < .001, d = .54), with differences being more pronounced for learners of higher proficiency than lower ones. Significance and effect sizes steadily dropped from p < .001, d = .66 for advanced learners to p = .168, d = .38 for beginners. These results indicate that care must be taken in designing m-learning activities, and that students must be given adequate training in smartphone-input skills (i.e., tapping) and time to acclimate before using such tasks for high-stakes assessments.
2020-06-16T09:17:25ZChallenges and other feedback: Integrating intercultural learning in the Digital AgeBailey, AngelaGruber, Alicehttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1464482023-11-21T11:51:28Z2020-06-16T09:08:40ZChallenges and other feedback: Integrating intercultural learning in the Digital Age
Bailey, Angela; Gruber, Alice
[EN] This mixed method case study explored globalization and complex relationships through a virtual exchange project between students from Germany and Colombia in upper intermediate level English classes. We believed by providing a space for online conversation, written collaboration and discussion, students would enhance their plurilingual and pluricultural competence as well as their communicative competences through the medium of English as an international language (EIL). The aim was also to enable students to investigate cultural complexity and to develop cultural curiosity. Taking into account plurilingual and pluricultural competence (PPC) and the efficacy of virtual exchanges for language learning, we used a series of tasks for students to participate in a wide range of activities of varying complexity regarding German and Colombian culture for a six-week exchange. Students self-assessed their written and spoken online interactions as well as their perceived skills in mediating texts and communication based on the recently added descriptors in the Companion Volume to the CEFR. They also rated their plurilingual and pluricultural competences on a PPC scale at both the beginning and end of the project. Results demonstrate that there is value in implementing virtual exchange projects in which students reflect on and increase their awareness of these concepts also suggesting that pairing students with international students rather than L1 speakers of the language has a potentially positive effect on students’ anxiety level and communicative competences.
2020-06-16T09:08:40Z