This study researched the effects of studentcentered writing (keypal) and speaking (using an MP3 player) practice on the Cyworld internet site on English writing and speaking. Fortyfive students participated in this study. The students took the pre and postessay writing test and two types of speaking test: topic and picturebased. Their speaking, in terms of the picture task and writing, significantly improved after taking part in the speaking and writing activity, but the improvement in spoken performance for the topicbased task was not significant. The results of the questionnaire supported the idea that students considered writing and speaking exercises on the Cyworld as useful. The results of the study suggested that teachers use a bulletin board for practicing productive skills outside the classroom to improve their writing and speaking.
Student-centered W riting and Speaking Practice on the Internet Jeong-Weon Song (Konkuk University) Song, Jeong-W eon (2006) Student-centered w riting and speaking practice on the Internet English Language Teaching, 18(2), 179-202 This study researched the effects of student-centered writing (key-pal) and speaking (using an M P3 player) practice on the Cyworld internet site on English writing and speaking Forty-five students participated in this study The students took the pre- and post-essay writing test and two types of speaking test: topic and picture-based Their speaking, in terms of the picture task and writing, significantly improved after taking part in the speaking and writing activity, but the improvement in spoken performance for the topic-based task was not significant The results of the questionnaire supported the idea that students considered writing and speaking exercises on the Cyworld as useful The results of the study suggested that teachers use a bulletin board for practicing productive skills outside the classroom to improve their writing and speaking I IN TRODU CTION In Korea, where English is in an EFL situation, many learners seem to have particular difficulty with speaking and writing Consequently, many universities try to employ native English teachers to provide more opportunities for students to practice productive language skills However, as Lee (2005) reported, outside the classroom, Korean students spend less time speaking and writing English compared to listening and reading At most universities, even within the Jeong-Weon Song classroom, non-English major students are required to attend only about hours of a general English course per week This comes to roughly 45 hours a semester This limited amount of time needs to be increased We, as teachers, suggest that to maximize the opportunities to speak and write, the use of a free bulletin board on the Internet is a possible solution As Korean students learn English as a foreign language, it seems important to investigate whether using a bulletin board, such as the Cyworld, for practicing writing and speaking outside the classroom is useful for improving these English skills II LITERATU RE REV IEW This section firstly presents the relationship between writing and speaking, as these two language skills were practiced together in the present study It then explains the kinds of CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) used for teaching productive skills, and introduces the results of some previous studies on speaking and writing with the use of CMC The Relationship between Speaking and Writing According to Widdowson (2000), the activities of language users can be divided into four language skills Writing and speaking are considered to be productive skills while listening and reading are regarded as receptive As Lawrence (1983) points out, writing and speaking share common characteristics that are used to convey meaning to an audience On the other hand, they also share differences Nunan (2000) suggests that written language is more structured than its spoken counterpart Bygate (1987) adds that speakers normally use a simplified structure, produce incomplete sentences omitting unnecessary elements, and use fillers or hesitation devices to gain time to speak As Brown (2001) states, in English language education which is based on an integrated approach, language skills can be taught in a unified way, since they are interlinked Katula, Martin, and Schwegler (1983) demonstrate the benefits of integrating writing and speaking, by stating that when these are learned together, students Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet are able to understand different styles In addition, each language skill developed in one mode can easily be changed into another skill As these two language skills are interrelated, it would be advantageous for students to practice them together CMC and Productive Language Skills The increased use of the internet and multimedia facilities has affected the way English education is taught in Korea There have been many studies reviewing the use of multi-media facilities, especially in teaching speaking and writing These have been taught, for instance, by using CMC, which is defined as communication among human beings that takes place between human beings, via the instrumentality of computers (Herring, 1996) Dix, Finlay, Abowd, and Beale (1993) divide communication into two forms: synchronous and asynchronous, based on time and space Synchronous CMC contains Internet Relay Chat (IRC), Moos, and the computer video/audio conference, while asynchronous CMC includes E-mail, the Newsgroup, the Bulletin Board, and the Mailing List The effects of synchronous CMC on speaking have been extensively examined by a number of researchers (Chang, 2003; Han, 2003, 2005; Min & Choi, 2002; Park, 2003) As Lamy and Goodfellow (1999) suggest, this may be because CMC interaction can be considered as a conversation-like form of written language exchange These studies support the idea that CMC is helpful for improving communicative competence and the use of communication strategies in terms of negotiation of meaning and self-correction However, as this communication is based on text, it is difficult to listen to pronunciation or to produce actual speech On the other hand, asynchronous CMC, especially the use of e-mail exchange and key-pal writing activities, has also been widely researched (Cononelos & Oliva, 1993; Ho, 2000; Huh, 2000; Son & O’Neill, 1999) A few studies have examined the use of email and the bulletin board, particularly in providing feedback on English writing (Jun, 2004; Lee, 2002; Park, 2004) Others (Han, Jeong-Weon Song 2002; Lee, 2000; Song, 2006) have investigated the effects of the use of the bulletin board on writing, and this is more closely related to the present study Han (2002) opened an English cyber café for his English composition students whose writing improved after engaging in the writing activity Those in Lee’s study (2000) also practiced English writing and peer-revision on the bulletin board Their perceived writing ability showed some improvement, though no actual writing test was taken Song (2006) also researched key-pal writing and peer-revision activities with 182 Korean students using a bulletin board Their writing showed significant progress In terms of a voice bulletin board, Han (2002) reported that the use of a voice bulletin board was effective in improving speaking Based on a review of previous studies in terms of the use of the bulletin board for improving English writing, the present study examines whether this might be useful (in conjunction with an MP3 player) for improving writing as well as speaking among a small number of students in a Korean context The research questions were as follows: (1) Is student-centered speaking practice, using an MP3 player on the Cyworld club internet site, useful for improving speaking? (2) Does the student-centered Key-pal writing exercise, among a small number of students on the Cyworld internet site, have an influence on the improvement of their writing in English? (3) What are the students’ attitudes toward Key-pal writing and MP3 speaking practice on the Cyworld internet site? III METHODOLOGY Subjects In the present study, 45 female students, who were enrolled in the General English Program at one of the women’s Universities in Seoul, participated Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet Among them, 24 students in class A were mostly freshmen and sophomores majoring in different courses, and 21 in class B varied from freshmen to seniors majoring in various courses The students took part in the Cyworld Internet activity from the beginning to the end of the course Based on the results of the pre- writing and speaking tests, students were mostly regarded as beginners, with a few intermediates Types of Writing and MP3 Speaking Practice on the Cyworld of the Internet With the current trend in the use of the Cyworld internet site in Korea, the researcher opened a Cyworld club to practice writing and speaking The following is the Internet address for one of the classes: http://gep2writingspeaking.cyworld.com, which was opened on 22nd of September 2005.1) For about 10 weeks, the participants were asked to practice both writing and speaking three times per week They were told to upload their writing and speaking files to the Cyworld club on the Internet As these were student-centered activities, there was no error correction by the researcher, but she randomly responded to writing and speaking samples in the public forum 1) Writing Practice Writing activity on the Cyworld bulletin board was named ‘Key-pal Writing’ since the students could read and respond to each other’s writing there The researcher suggested the following topics almost every other week: movie, music, boyfriend, and travel The students were allowed to write on any topic they wished on the ‘Free Topic Write’ bulletin board 2) The MP3 Player Speaking Practice Speaking practice made use of the MP3 player, which is commonly used by college students to listen to music Although there are many different functions 1) The internet address of the Cyworld club for the other class is: http://club.cyworld.com/gep2writingspeaking2 Jeong-Weon Song on this player, it would appear that few students use it to practice spoken English The participants were required to practice and record their utterances, using the MP3 player three times per week, and to upload the files onto the ‘MP3 Speaking’ bulletin board of the Cyworld club (called ‘MP3 Speaking’ in the present study).2) The reasons for using the MP3 player were that it provides an opportunity for learners to express themselves in speech, and also a chance to listen to their own spoken performances as well as to those of other students, by uploading the MP3 speaking files onto the Cyworld bulletin board The students were allowed to record their spoken exercises on any topic and at any length, but were encouraged to discuss their daily lives, their major course, or the same topics as the writing practice Figure shows a sample of the MP3 speaking board on the Cyworld club of the Internet Instruments Quantitative data were collected by the pre- and post- writing and speaking tests, and qualitative data by administering a questionnaire In order to collect the quantitative writing data, essay writing (Test of Written English: TWE) was selected, and two topics provided by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), were chosen for the pre- and post- writing test Regarding speaking data, the students took the two types of pre- and post-speaking tests The first was based on a topic that was selected from a list provided by the ETS The second pre- and post-speaking test was based on a set of eight pictures, which was selected from the Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP), which is administered by Seoul National University The topics of the pre- and post-writing and speaking tests are shown in the Appendix A For the qualitative data, a questionnaire was distributed to investigate the attitudes of students towards writing and MP3 speaking practices on the Cyworld (see Appendix B) 2) The few students who did not have an MP3 Player used a cellular phone with an MP3 player function, an ordinary recorder with a tape, an electronic dictionary with a recording function, or a recording program on a computer Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet FIGURE Sample of an MP3 Speaking Board Data Collection In order to collect the data, the students took the pre- and post-writing and speaking tests at the beginning and the end of the writing and speaking exercises on Cyworld Of the 45 students who practiced their writing and speaking on this club site, the writing and speaking data of 20 were analyzed These were selected because they practiced more than the others Table shows the number of practice sessions of these students It was anticipated that the more they practiced on the Cyworld, the greater the improvement in their writing and speaking would be TABLE Number of Writing and Speaking Practice of the Students Types of Practices Writing MP3 Speaking Minimum Maximum Mean SD 27 16 70 27 44.25 20.35 11.35 3.15 Jeong-Weon Song Data Analysis The pre- and post-writing and the transcribed speaking data of 20 students were analyzed, according to the following measures: 1) total number of words; 2) total number of word types; 3) TWE; and 4) TSE The total number of words and word types are conventionally counted as a type-token ratio (TTR) However, as this is generally affected by the length of the sentence, this was counted separately from the number of words and word types in the present study, where the length of the writing and speaking samples varied WordSmith Tools version 3.0 was used to analyze the total number of words and word types The scores of both the TWE and the TSE were rated from to on a 0.5 scale The rating scales for the TWE were based on the scoring rubric for the ETS, and the ones for the TSE were combined with the scoring rubric for the ETS and O’Loughlin (2001) The researcher analyzed them first, and then randomly selected samples were rated again by a native speaker The inter-rater reliability for the TWE was 89%, and the one for the TSE was 92% To examine the significant mean differences of the pre- and post-tests, the Paired Samples t-test was used In terms of the results of the questionnaire, the number of answers was counted and converted into percentages The open-ended responses in the questionnaire were examined and classified into a categorical list IV RESU LTS The following sets out the results of the pre- and post- writing tests, and the speaking test in terms of the topic and picture tasks Then the results of the questionnaire are also set down The Effects of Key-pal Writing Practice on Writing Compared to the results of the pre-writing test, the students’ writing ability was significantly improved in the post-writing test, as Tables to show Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet TABLE Words for Writing Mean Differences N M SD Pre-test 20 147.65 46.15 Post-test 20 184.05 51.74 M (SD) t p +36.40 (43.26) -3.763 001 TABLE Word Types for Writing N M SD Pre-test 20 80.95 20.83 Post-test 20 90.10 19.46 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +9.15 (17.36) -2.357 029 TABLE TWE for Writing N M SD Pre-test 20 1.975 678 Post-test 20 2.825 832 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +.850 (.671) -5.667 000 Thus, the students’ writing ability improved after taking part in the writing exercises on the Cyworld In terms of the total number of words, the mean of the pre-test was 147.65, and that of the post-test was 184.05, with a notable increase of 36.40 (p=.001) The mean scores of the total number of word types were also substantially increased from 80.95 to 90.10, which represented a 9.15 rise (p=.029) The mean scores of the last writing measure of the TWE also significantly improved from 1.975 to 2.825, which shows a gain of 850 (p=.000) The Effects of the MP3 Speaking Exercises on Speaking Unlike the writing, the results of the speaking were different, depending on either the picture or the topic task In terms of the results of the picture speaking test, the means of the post-test were notably better compared to those of the pre-test However, the results of the topic speaking test show that there Jeong-Weon Song were no significant mean differences between the pre- and the post- tests In detail: for the picture speaking test, the mean score of the total number of words considerably increased from 100.00 to 134.15, with a rise of 34.15 (p=.001) In terms of the total word types, the means also greatly improved from 51.65 to 64.95, with an increase of 13.30 (p=.004) For the TSE, the mean of the pre-test was 2.675, and this also substantially increased to 3.050 in the post-test, with a gain of 375 (p=.015) These results are shown in Tables to On the other hand, in terms of the topic-speaking test, the mean differences between the pre- and post-tests were in no way significant in any of the three measures Firstly, the mean score of the pre-test for the number of words was 99.80, and that of the post-test was 103.45 Although there was an improvement of 3.65, this failed to show any statistical significance (p=.679) Secondly, in terms of the number of word types, the mean score of the pre test was 55.60 but that of the post-test was 57.10 The mean difference (1.50) was not large enough to show any statistical significance (p=.740) Lastly, for the TSE measure, the mean of the pre-test was 2.850, and that of the post-test was 3.025, which again failed to show any significant improvement (p=.217) These appear in Tables to 10 TABLE Words for the Picture Speaking Task N M SD Pre-test 20 100.00 42.66 Post-test 20 134.15 72.38 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +34.15 (39.88) -3.830 001 TABLE Word Types for the Picture Speaking Task N M SD Pre-test 20 51.65 13.28 Post-test 20 64.95 22.87 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +13.30 (18.35) -3.242 004 Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet TABLE TSE for the Picture Speaking Task N M SD Pre-test 20 2.675 406 Post-test 20 3.050 724 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +.375 (.626) -2.680 015 TABLE Words for the Topic Speaking Task N M SD Pre-test 20 99.80 67.69 Post-test 20 103.45 63.99 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +3.65 (38.83) -.420 679 TABLE Word Types for the Topic Speaking Task N M SD Pre-test 20 55.60 28.89 Post-test 20 57.10 24.09 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +1.50 (19.92) -.337 740 TABLE 10 TSE for the Topic Speaking Task N M SD Pre-test 20 2.850 564 Post-test 20 3.025 734 Mean Differences M (SD) t p +.175 (.613) -1.277 217 The Attitude of the Participants towards the Writing and Speaking Exercises on the Cyworld The following sets out the results of the questionnaire to investigate the students’ attitudes towards the writing and speaking activities on the Cyworld internet site (see Tables 11 & 12) In detail: in question 1, 43 respondents (95.55%) answered that the writing and MP3 speaking exercises on the Cyworld were effective in improving their English abilities As a result of taking part in Jeong-Weon Song TABLE 11 Results of the Questionnaire Summary of Statement Writing and MP3 speaking activity to improve English ability Increasing interest in English Decreased anxiety towards English The preference of writing and MP3 speaking on Cyworld to using a book Continuation of the writing and MP3 speaking practices Expectation of the improvement of English ability Refer to other resources while writing/MP3 speaking practices Experience in reading/listening to other writing/ speakings on the site More motivated after reading/listening to other students’ writing/speaking 10 Preference to the topic Very little No Answer Very much much little (11.11%) 38 (84.44%) (4.44%) (0%) (6.67%) (15.56%) 31 (68.89%) 27 (60.00%) 10 (22.22%) 11 (24.44%) (0%) (2.22%) 0 (0%) (0%) (15.56%) 30 (66.18%) (15.56%) (0%) (0%) (11.11%) 31 (68.89%) (20.00%) (0%) (0%) 14 (28.89%) 30 (66.67%) (4.44%) (0%) (0%) 15 (33.33%) 30 (66.67%) (0%) (0%) (0%) (6.67%) 41 (91.11%) (2.22%) (0%) (0%) (6.67%) 29 (64.44%) 13 (28.89%) (0%) (0%) (0%) Free topic (15.56%) Given topic from a teacher (6.67%) Free topic+Topic from a teacher 35 (77.78%) * ( ) = % the writing and speaking activities, about 76% of them stated that their interest in English had increased (Q2), while their anxiety towards English had decreased (Q3) The participants preferred the Cyworld writing and speaking activities to exercises using a book (Q4, 37=81.74%), and wanted to continue them on the Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet Cyworld (Q5, 36=80%), as they expected that their English would show great improvement (Q6, 43=95.56%) 100% of the students admitted that they also referred to other resources, such as a dictionary or a grammar book, etc for the writing and speaking activities (Q7) Almost all (Q8, 44=97.78%) read their peers’ writing and listened to the speaking samples on the Cyworld bulletin board, and 72% of them also reported that they were motivated to respond to other writing and speaking exercises For question 10, 35 students (77.78%) wanted both specific topics from the teacher and free topics for their writing and speaking practice, and they also wanted to be allowed to write on any subject they wished Regarding open-ended question 11 concerning the advantages of MP3 speaking practice on the Cyworld, the opportunity that was given to practice speaking was indicated as the most advantageous (48.89%) Two other advantages were also mentioned: namely, decreased anxiety and an increase in the motivation to speak English (26.67%); both providing an opportunity to practice pronunciation and to listen to one’s own pronunciation by using an MP3 player for speaking practice (24.44%) However, regardless of these benefits, various disadvantages of the MP3 speaking exercises on the Cyworld were mentioned The major drawbacks were as follows: firstly, as there were no specific topics for speaking practice from the teacher, 24.44% of the students expressed a preference for more varied topics to practice speaking Secondly, ten respondents (22.22%) wanted specific feedback on their MP3 speaking files as this was not provided by the teacher Thirdly, eight students (22.22%) mentioned the inconvenience of recording their speech on the MP3 player and of uploading the MP3 speaking files to the Cyworld bulletin board Finally, eight participants (17.78%) complained that the speaking exercises were generally too difficult Some students’ suggestions follow Three (6.67%) advocated practicing the MP3 speaking activities with a partner rather than alone two (4.44%) proposed that listening to other students’ speaking files should be strongly required by the teacher, together with comments on their speaking ability one student (2.22%) suggested that the teacher should select good examples fromthe speaking files, Jeong-Weon Song and direct the students to listen so that they would have suitable models for speaking practice As for writing practice on the Cyworld, the following advantages were mentioned: firstly, having the opportunity to practice writing (55.56%) (his was pointed out as the main advantage of MP3 speaking); secondly, learning new expressions in English (48.89%); finally, being more confident and interested in the language (17.78%) On the other hand, several disadvantages of writing practice on the Cyworld were mentioned For example, some (26=57.78%) mentioned that having no feedback from the teacher was a disadvantage This was also indicated as a disadvantage of MP3 speaking Other suggestions for writing practice were having peer-revision, as this was totally lacking among the students (7=15.56%), and expecting the teacher to upload useful expressions for writing on the Cyworld bulletin board (2=4.44%) These open-ended answers are presented in Table 12 TABLE 12 Summary of the Open-ended Questions Questions Responses 11 The advantages of MP3 22 (48.89%) having changes to practice speaking speaking practice on the 12 (26.67%) decreased anxiety for speaking English Cyworld internet site 11 (24.44%) having chances to listen to their pronunciation 12 The disadvantages of MP3 speaking practice on the Cyworld internet site 11 (24.44%) expectation of more various speaking topics 10 (22.22%) specific feedback from the teacher 10 (22.22%) inconvenience to record and upload the speaking files (17.78%) difficulties in speaking practice (6.67%) practice speaking with a partner (4.44%) requirement of listening to other students' speaking (2.22%) notify a good example of speaking on the board 13 The advantages of writing practice on the Cyworld internet site 25 (55.56%) having changes to practice writing 22 (48.89%) learning new expressions in English (17.78%) more confidence and interest in writing 14 The disadvantages of writing practice on the Cyworld internet site 26 (57.78%) specific feedback from the teacher (15.56%) suggesting peer-revision (4.44%) a teacher’s introducing useful expressions (2.22%) difficulty in typing in English * ( ) = % Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet To sum up, the participants responded to the questionnaire by stating that writing and MP3 speaking practice on the Cyworld Internet were useful for improving their writing and speaking proficiency Their interest in English increased, and their anxiety towards it lessened They wanted to continue these practices, which they expected to improve their ability in English Most students pointed out that having an opportunity to practice writing and speaking was the greatest advantage On the other hand, the lack of feedback for the studentcentered writing and of speaking samples from the teacher was mentioned as the greatest disadvantage V D ISCUSSION The Tests of Writing and Speaking The following discusses the results of the study With regard to writing, the significant improvement in pre- and post-writing tests seems to be consistent with the findings of previous studies that investigated the effects of writing practice on a bulletin board (Han, 2002; Lee, 2000; Song, 2006) Lee (2000, p 179) claimed that the use of a bulletin board for writing was ‘a place in which the subjects could brainstorm and develop, express, revise, and update their ideas, all of which are emphasized in the process writing approach’ It seems, therefore, important to provide opportunities for students in an EFL situation to develop, express, and practice the exercises Student-centered Key-pal writing practice on a bulletin board appears to be useful for improving writing not only among a large number of participants (182 Korean students)(Song, 2006), but also among the small number of students in the present study (about 21-24 Korean students per class) Unlike writing, the speaking results were different, depending on the picture or the topic speaking task That is, there was significant progress in speaking with the picture-based activity but very little improvement (not significant) when the task was topic-based Although the results of the picture and topic speaking exercises were not statistically significant, a greater or lesser improvement in the Jeong-Weon Song mean scores of the two speaking tasks seems to indicate that the MP3 speaking practice on the Cyworld may be useful for students, and this could support the premise that speaking proficiency can be improved in the long term with continuous practice However, as the students performed differently according to the task type, this needs to be explained Kawauchi (1998) claimed that in the picture-based activity, because the speakers are forced to stick to the content of the picture, the lower levels of EFL learners, in particular, may find it more difficult than the topic-based activity, as they find their vocabulary is too limited to develop and expand the picture story On the other hand, with the topic-based task, as the speakers not need to stick to the subject matter of the picture, they are free to say whatever they can In the present study, this explanation appears to support the idea that the topic-based task might not have been sufficiently difficult to discriminate between the students’ spoken performance in the pre- and post-tests From another point of view, the improvement in the picture-based speaking task suggests that the student-centered MP3 speaking on the Cyworld can help them improve their spoken performance in the picture task, which is considered to be harder because of its restricted content Another valuable finding of the study was that not only did the students’ writing and speaking improve but they also showed positive attitudes towards these activities on the Cyworld Despite there being no feedback from the teacher relating to their writing and speaking samples, the results of the questionnaire largely supported the fact that the participants considered the student-centered activities as useful for improving writing and speaking, for increasing an interest in English, and for lessening anxiety towards the language They even expressed a determination to continue practicing on the Cyworld, in the expectation of bettering their English abilities All these answers suggest that providing a chance for students to practice English outside the classroom can be useful for improving their English As some students suggested, it would be even better if the teacher listened to the MP3 speaking files and provided suggestions for improving pronunciation The teacher should also select and identify examples of Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet good speaking practice to act as appropriate models The Use of the MP3 Player and the Bulletin Board As for the use of the MP3 player for speaking practice on the bulletin board, 22% of the students complained that it was inconvenient to upload their speaking files onto the Cyworld bulletin board However, this inconvenience was offset by the benefits of using the MP3 player for speaking practice, since it enabled them to practice speaking and pronunciation at any time they wanted and to produce actual speech By using an MP3 player, students could record their speaking individually and possibly with a peer Regarding the use of a Cyworld bulletin board, by uploading the MP3 speaking files on the board, participants had the opportunity not only to listen to their own speaking but also that of their peers As explained earlier in the results, students also had a chance to read and respond to their peers’ writing on the board, which motivated students to practice writing In this way, the use of a Cyworld bulletin board provides students to communicate interactively, though not simultaneously On the Cyworld bulletin board, as it is possible to create different sub-boards, students’ writing and speaking practice samples are clearly presented depending on the language skills, such as the sub-boards of ‘Key-pal Writing’ and ‘MP3 Speaking’ (see Figure 1) This could be as a portfolio to examine the development of students’ language performance Although this study does not examine whether or not practicing writing on the bulletin board results in an improvement in speaking, the speaking and writing language skills could be practiced together on the bulletin board This happens, for example, in this study, which means that the students have the chance not only to speak and write but also to read and listen to one another’s writing and speaking samples This suggests that all four language skills can be practiced in an integrated way on the Cyworld bulletin board Recourse to multi-media or any useful software program might be useful in the English classroom to improve the writing and speaking efficiency of EFL Jeong-Weon Song learners, and direct interaction with native English teachers could also be helpful However, although English classrooms are equipped with the best multi-media facilities, the class hours at university are generally not sufficient for practicing English As Lee (2005) points out, Korean students have a very low degree of exposure to spoken and written English In order to overcome this kind of limited use of English in an EFL situation, the use of CMC tools outside of the classroom seems to be desirable (Han, 2003) The results of the study also suggest that language teachers and learners could make use of the MP3 player and the bulletin board as a CMC tool for practice so as to improve writing and speaking outside the classroom in an EFL situation V I CONCLUSION This study has attempted to provide greater opportunities for practicing student-centered speaking exercises using an MP3 player, and more writing practice on the Cyworld bulletin board for university students enrolled in the General English course A substantial improvement in the picture speaking activity and some modest progress in the topic speaking task, plus considerably improved writing, seem to support the notion that the speaking and writing activities on the Cyworld are helpful for EFL students The results of the questionnaire showed the students expressing positive attitudes towards these activities The findings also indicate to language teachers that, as time to practice productive skills in the classroom is limited, the providing of opportunities to practice writing and speaking, using an MP3 player and a Cyworld bulletin board outside the classroom, can be beneficial for language learners However, as only a small number of students took part in this study, the results cannot be generalized The following suggestions are for future studies Firstly, since this essay did not attempt to examine whether or not writing activity on the bulletin board can improve speaking proficiency, further research on this topic is needed Secondly, other ways of integrating language skills on the bulletin board may also be necessary for English practice outside the classroom Thirdly, as the Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet speaking tests of the study were only based on a picture or a topic, the effects of the MP3 speaking practice on the bulletin board on other types of speaking tasks also need looking into Finally, as the MP3 speaking practice was mostly monologue-based, the effects on pair- or group-based conversation should be explored REFERENCES Bygate, M (1987) Speaking Oxford: Oxford University Press Brown, H D (2001) Teaching by principles (2nd ed.) 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Oxford: Oxford University Press Jeong-Weon Song A PPEND IX A The Topics of the Pre- and Post-Writing Test The topic of the pre-writing test was the following: ‘Mass media, such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc deal too much with private issues of famous figures and celebrities, such as TV entertainers, movie stars, sporting heroes, politicians, and the like’ Give your own view about this with specific examples and reasons The post-writing test topic was: ‘Nowadays, people in many countries are banned from smoking in public places and office space’ Do you support or oppose this law? Answer the question with specific examples and reasons The Topics of the Pre- and Post-Speaking Test The pre-topic speaking test was: ‘People attend colleges or universities for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge)’ Why you think people attend colleges? Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion The post-topic speaking test was as follows ‘Now that people can find all the necessary information about any topic by searching the internet on the computer, books are old-fashioned and not needed any longer’ Discuss your view about this giving specific examples and reasons Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet APPEND IX B Questionnaire for Key-pal English Writing/MP3 Speaking Activities on the Cyworld Internet Site Were the Key-pal writing/MP3 speaking activities on the Cyworld useful in improving your English writing/speaking ability? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little Did the Key-pal writing/MP3 speaking activities on the Cyworld increase your interest in English writing/speaking? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little Did the Key-pal writing/MP3 speaking activities on the Cyworld decrease your anxiety towards English writing/speaking? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little Do you prefer the Key-pal writing/MP3 speaking activity to writing/speaking exercises using a textbook? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little Do you want to continue Key-pal writing/MP3 speaking activities on the Cyworld? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little Do you think your writing/speaking abilities will be improved if you continue the writing/speaking activities on the Cyworld? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little When you had questions or problems in writing/speaking practices on the Cyworld, did you refer to other resources, such as a dictionary, a grammar book, or the internet, etc.? 1) very much Did you have 2) much an experience 3) little 4) very little of reading/listening to other students’ Jeong-Weon Song writing/speaking on the Cyworld? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little After reading/listening to other students writing/speaking samples on the Cyworld, were you motivated to respond to other writing/speaking samples? 1) very much 2) much 3) little 4) very little 10 Choose the topic area that you would like to practice writing and speaking on the Cyworld 1) Free topics that you want to write/speak 2) Specific topics from the teacher 3) Both free topics and specific topics 4) Specify others _ 11 Please write about the advantages of the MP3 speaking activity 12 Please write about the disadvantages and suggestions of MP3 speaking activity 13 Please write about the advantages of the writing activity 14 Please write about the disadvantages and suggestions of writing activity Applicable levels: tertiary education Key words: key-pal writing, MP3 speaking, the use of a bulletin board Jeong-Weon Song Dept of English Language and Literature Konkuk University Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea Tel: (018) 280-9207 E-mail: edujws@hotmail.com Received in March, 2006 Reviewed in April, 2006 Revised version received in May, 2006 ... the data, the students took the pre- and post -writing and speaking tests at the beginning and the end of the writing and speaking exercises on Cyworld Of the 45 students who practiced their writing. .. Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet speaking tests of the study were only based on a picture or a topic, the effects of the MP3 speaking practice on the bulletin board on other... preferred the Cyworld writing and speaking activities to exercises using a book (Q4, 37=81.74%), and wanted to continue them on the Student-centered Writing and Speaking Practice on the Internet