Effects of online task-based peer interaction on learners’ speech development and attitudes toward English as a lingua franca

Abstract

[EN] This paper reports the outcomes of incorporating two kinds of videoconferencing into a university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) special seminar course in Japan for two semesters. One type of videoconferencing was a weekly interview with a non-native English speaker/instructor living outside Japan using a commercial online conversation program; the other was a weekly online peer meeting on Zoom where groups of three learners practiced speaking English using role play tasks. The effects of the two types of videoconferencing were examined through pre- and post-speaking tests and a questionnaire on the participants’ attitudes toward English as an International Language (EIL; Nakamura, Lee, & Lee, 2018). Additionally, a qualitative analysis of peer-group interaction was conducted to reveal what happened in the peer-group role play task. The results indicated that speaking skills improved over time, and tolerant attitudes toward variations of English were observed. Abundant opportunities for automatizing EFL use and negotiation for meaning were observed in the peer-group role play.