MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY
Aa
USING CALL
FOR ACHIEVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILL A CASE STUDY IN THE NAVY TECHNICAL SCHOOL
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS (TESOL) TRUGNG DAL HOC MG TP.HCM
THU VIEN
SUBMITTED BY NGUYEN THI THANH MAI
Trang 2This thesis examines the effectiveness of integrating CALL into an English learning and teaching course within the constraints of the existing conditions of the Vietnamese Navy Technical School
Relying on the previous beliefs about successful application of CALL to language courses by other scholars and educators, this paper argues that if speaking skill is taught properly with the assistance of a CALL program, the learners can have more favorable opportunities to speak the target language While the potential of CALL is highlighted in many educational endeavors, empirical evidence on the use of such a program for speaking skill learning in the military context is scant To fill this gap, the researcher carried out a study of learners’ perspectives and experiences in an English course taught using the Tell Me More software
Findings from this study indicated that the learners showed their enjoyment of and appreciation for the learning experience afforded by a new method of teaching and supported by the software Conversely, results also indicated that students needed more time allowance in the English speaking course, so that they could have a greater achievement of oral skills and got better acquainted with real life situations Moreover, it is crucial to promote positive feelings and arouse interests in adult learners, which helps them overcome their weaknesses in spoken language acquisition
Trang 3TABLE OF CONTENTS N1 92/19018090-111119)6)10)1 00010170877 i Retention and use of the thesis .:.c:cccsscsseessecessecsscsereeeeesseceeaeceeeeseeesseesseesseeeeeessenaes ii {09100 2v 40 11 Y¬:ẽ 0P iV Table of 1 V List Of tables IX I0: 1 x I3 bội List Of abbreviations 20.0.0 XI STATEMENT OEF AUTHORSHIP - -GG G5 Ă S9 0088666866656 i RETENTION AND USE OEF THE THESIS SG Ă 555 <5 S656 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - 0G Go S9 Họ 9H gH 000664206666000 066 iii ABSTTIRAACTT o5 5= < SH 9 9 0 0090 0 0 0094 000 08004 00 08005006096.08 iv LIST OE TABL,ES - cọ Họ HS 00000000 0000006000006 60 ix Chapter 1: ENGLISH LEARNING IN THE MILITARY CONTEXT 1 LoL Introduction 0n 1
1.2 The military context of spoken language Ïearning .- - s+c<s+sss 2 1.2.1 The learning of oral skill in military COnIf€X .- 555 <Sc<<s+ssseesr+ 2 1.2.2 The needs ofusing CALLL m learning English speaking skIÌl 4
I1 Lo ch 5
1.2.3.1 Teacher”s misuse of CALL for teaching oral communication skIll 5
1.2.3.2 Learners’ lack of opportunities to expose to real life situations 6
IS -.3i ái an 7
Trang 4Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW sscccssssssssssccsssssscssccsssssssscesseese 9
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2.2.1 The study of mechanical and meaningful aspecfs -c+c«cs<ssssss 9 2.2.2 The complexity of learning speaking skilÌ - - Ăn seseeerereeerree 10 '“ N9 00006 can 12
2.4 The use of CALL in learning speaking Skill .- xxx vseeresveres 13 2.4.1 Some benefits of CALL focused on in this sfudy -c 5c c<<xsxs 13 2.4.1.1 Interactional short turns in CALL program -««+<<<s+<<+2 14 2.4.1.2 Creating a simulated interlocutor for practicing a dialogue 16
Trang 53.5.3.2 Lesson pÏann1n - - s- «sọ TH TH ng ng nà 1.38
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Chapter 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 42 4.1 Results from the experlmerIf - - - - c5 +2 51+ 11991 03 1191 1g 1n ng gen 42 4.1.1 Pre-t€Sf r€SUÏ{S SG Ăn TH HH nọ HH kế 42 4.1.2 POS{-f€S SCOT€S: - Q Gv 43 4.1.3 A comparison of pre-test and post-test results for each group 44 4.2 Questionnaire in 0 0n 46 4.2.1 Students” Íe€]IrIỹS - - ST HH HH nếp 47 4.2.2 Evaluation of learning tasks to develop speaking skI]] 49 VN se nh hố 52
4.3 Analysis of interview data from three studenfs . - 5-5-5 sss se 54 4.4 Summary of data analys1s Chap€T - + 5S HH ng re, 57
Trang 6M270 0v40i0)1 500i 0n 67 6.3 Strengths and limitations of the research methodology «+ «+ 69 6.4 RecommendafiOTS << nọ TH TH HH ng 70 6.4.1 Recommendations for teaCh€TS .- cv 1 1 vn 70 6.4.2 Recommendations for other researChe€rS - <5 5s Sky 71
Shin .44 4 72
REEERENCES eeeeeeeeeiseiaananasnanannannsnasnae s.sseeeeseeese 73
APPENDIXES GGc Ă Ọọ cọ HH 0004.0000904 08000004 0000094086004 990 75
Appendix I: TYPICAL LESSON PUANS HH ng ng gà, 78
LESSON PLAN Ì Á QQ SH HH nu ng ng ngư 77 IBSNN)60)) 830 90\0Zrd'ầ^ˆ^—^¬ầt—ẦỒỖŨỖŨ ƠƠ 80 LESSON PLAN 3 -G HH HH nu ng như 81 IBSSS.9)050 0E 5 .Ö 82
Appendix 2: PHIEU KHAO SAT .csscsssssssscsssessessssssesessessssseesseseesecsssesseenscsnes 83
Appendix 3: THE LIST OF STUDENTTS - - Ăn ven, 85
Appendix 4: PRE-TESTT SCORLES - SG S12 HH HH ng ng gưệp 85
Appendix 5: POST-TEST SCORES .ccecsscssssecseeceeseneeseessseeeesanecseeeesseeecues 86
Appendix 6: SPEAKING TIESÏT - - << SH ng 88
Trang 7LIST OF TABLES
Page Table 2.3: The development in the use of CA L, - 55 +5 +25 <++xzseesx+ 12 Table 2.6.1: A comparison of classroom s€ffITIỹS . «5+5 ca 21
I1) E16 #20 oi áoo si 1 36
Trang 9LIST OF CHARTS
Trang 10'ARC' = ‘Authentic use,' Restricted use' and ‘Clarification and focus' CALL = Computer Assisted Language Learning
EAP = English for academic purposes EFL = English as a foreign language ESP = English for specific purposes L = learners
M = mean N = number
PCs = personal computers NTS = Navy Technical School
SPELL (Spoken Electronic Language Learning) VPA = Vietnam People’ Army
VPN = Vietnam People’ Navy
Trang 11hapter I: English learning in the military context CHAPTER 1 ENGLISH LEARNING IN THE MILITARY CONTEXT 8) ORE OE EES 11 Introduction
The focus of English language learning has recently been shifted to the development of learners’ competence in using the language for communication This emphasis has led to, in foreign language teaching, the supply of not only the language knowledge, but also the language skills for students so that they can communicate in real life Thus, students coming to language classes are expected to obtain the ability to carry out meaningful conversations in the target language To meet this expectation, English language courses tend to provide them with more educational opportunities for speaking practice Many teachers gradually embrace technology with the perspective that its use can assure them of an increasing attention to their learners’ practice of spoken language skills, which possibly results in the growing effects of learning English for oral communication Technological advances, therefore, have been hailed by many people as an effective solution to the improvement of the quality of teaching English speaking skills Moreover, a number of language educators have made use of computer as an indispensable part of their communicative language courses This implies that computer is a potential means to enhance the acquisition of oral
communication skills
Trang 12computer is perfectly capable for uncountable uses to make significant progress in language learning However, when the use of computers becomes a necessity in English lessons for these teachers, some appear to be suspicious of the extent to which CALL can stimulate effective English learning in order to achieve the expected levels of communicative proficiency Especially, the practical impact of CALL in the field of teaching and learning spoken language has been neither officially tested nor statistically proved in order to a reach growing acceptance by the teaching staff of a military context
1.2 The military context of spoken language learning
This section further discusses three main issues: (i) the learning of oral skill in military context; (ii) the needs of using CALL in learning English speaking skill; and (iii) the main constraints imposed on learners by the way they are taught with computers in language classes
1.2.1 The learning of oral skill in military context
The advent of globalization has reinforced the status and use of English as the linguistic medium of international communication for the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) It has been widely recognized as the major operational language for multinational activities since the VPA established diplomatic relations and cooperation with the armed forces of other countries The personnel of the VPA have to use English for oral communication when carrying out international cooperative activities This is also true with the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN), one of the services of the VPA Many Vietnamese navy officers and cadres use English communicatively in
various Situations at sea, i.e joint-patrols, direct hotline communications, or meetings
Trang 13Chapter 1: English learning in the military context
involved In this respect, oral English language skill is of such great importance for VPN that without it the officers cannot function effectively on an international scale Real communication skill is, therefore, purposely learned as one of the requirements for work in an English-speaking environment With respect to this purpose, all the people concerned in this duty had to reevaluate the quality of current English programs in terms of organizational structure and teaching methods in line with an attempt to find feasible solutions to improve teaching and learning quality They started to realize that, in the military context, for a long time the language courses have not been in the right direction, for they mainly focus on the supply of the linguistic knowledge The Commander in Chief, Dang Phuc Hoa, in several meetings with the school staff, pointed out that the teachers of English had to pay more attention to the improvement of learners’ ability to use English for oral communication In fact, the learners’ performance did not gain satisfaction of the stakeholders The Deputy Commander Dinh Quang Dung, in the Annual conference on teaching and training quality in 2010, put it that in case of requirements for real oral communication in English, the officers and cadres could only produce slow and poor utterances They were afraid of using English in communication and felt fearful of being ridiculed by foreigners
Trang 141.2.2 The needs of using CALL in learning English speaking skill
There are real needs to incorporate the use of computer programs into the teaching and learning of English for oral communication This has come to the point that the requirement for teachers and learners was officially documented in the Communist Party Resolution No 4420NQ/TVDU in 2010 The basic premise of this resolution focused on the improvement in both the process and achievement of the English program in VPN with the directive role of technology in classrooms In fact, the VPN has made a major investment in an innovative program with a supply of a considerable number of technological devices in its institutions
After this clear mandate was officially documented, language teachers tried to apply modern technology as they were informed that it could serve as a more conducive learning tool This falls in the realm of CALL based on suggestions and conclusions - reported in the earlier related studies on oral communication skills of Vietnamese students In fact, Hong (2006) stresses that teaching oral skills should focus on the development of the learners’ confidence in communication, and CALL appears to be the best choice for training in verbal communication practice If teachers bear in mind that English learning is a complex process in which learners should be facilitated by modem technology, they will “discover the latest application of CALL in their teaching contexts”
Trang 15Chapter 1: English learning in the military context
1.2.3 Main constraints
1.2.3.1 Teacher’s misuse of CALL for teaching oral communication skill One of the main problems in the application of CALL was that the teachers did not see the important role of computer for teaching English speaking skill Rather, they tried to design lessons in Power Point software to supply the learners with a certain amount of practice on grammar and vocabulary The main part of the English lesson was, therefore, generally devoted to the transmission to them of a linguistic system only If one mainly emphasizes the presentation and practice of grammatical structures in
slides, then the use of computer cannot offer a set of practice on oral skill Also, a
communicative activity was not used to get learners to actually say something in real life situations Therefore, the presupposed intention of teaching and learning speaking skills in classes has been negated
According to Bygate (1987, p 4), by giving learners speaking practice, they can recognize that any amount of grammar and vocabulary does not necessarily lead to their abilities to use the language in communication In the military context, Bygate’s idea proposes radical changes to the way the English language courses should be organized When oral skill is in discussion, there usually rises a question of providing a different perspective on the teaching and learning of EFL In fact, the students in VPN are ‘novice learners’ (Brown, 1994, p 102) who learn to communicate minimally with learned material Their oral production should have consisted of isolated words and a few high-frequency phrases The speaking functions for them should have been meaningful and authentic communication tasks with a limitation of grammar, vocabulary, and length of an utterance Some of the topics of the “Scope and Sequence” suggested by Brown include meeting people, the family, occupations,
renting an apartment, the home and furniture, clothes and colors, routines, work, and
Trang 161.2.3.2 Learners’ lack of opportunities to expose to real life situations
The students in the VPN were not allowed to sufficiently expose to English conversations within a target context of English use This is contrary to the belief that learning to speak a foreign language with sufficient exposure to communicative situations helps develop more competence to communicate and interact in real life One of the main reasons for this insufficient exposure was that the traditional shortcomings prevented the teachers from allowing the learners to access to very diverse types of contact with the target language use in real life situation The limitations associated with an EFL classroom include limited exposure to the target language, limited opportunities to use the target language, exposure to inaccurate forms or expressions produced by both fellow students and the teacher, limited opportunities for authentic communication, and limited language ability and cultural knowledge of EFL teachers (Cziko, 2005, as cited in Alberth, 2013, p 2) The application of CALL in English programs of VPN should be used as an alternative to compensate for the aforementioned shortcomings As a result, teachers may provide EFL learners with ample opportunities to expose to the target language in a more authentic way and, at the same time, to afford them use the target language for real life purposes (Wiburg & Butler Pascoe, 2002, as cited in Alberth, 2013, p 3)
Trang 17Chapter 1; English learning in the military context
1.3 Research purpose
This research aims at finding a way to solve the problems in learning English speaking skill as required in the Communist Party’s Resolutions NQ 4420NQ/TVDU on the basis of integrating technology into the teaching and learning process That is to find a facility which can compensate for the lack of exposure to the language use, and which is as plentiful as the native environment
1.4 Research questions and hypotheses
This research, which is aimed at finding and evaluating a more efficient method of teaching speaking skill, will pursue the answers to these questions:
1) How do learners improve their English speaking skills when they learn with CALL? 2) To what extent can CALL promote attitudes and interests in learning English speaking skill? In order to answer these questions, upon the application of CALL the researcher hypothesizes that:
a There is an improvement of learners’ speaking skill after the application of CALL b Learners’ positive attitudes and interests are enhanced when learning with CALL 1.5 Significance of the research
Trang 18Practically, this study was carried out as a result of the researcher being assigned to teach English classes in VPN Therefore, the research findings could help her to raise some suggestions for ways of teaching English in VPN in general, and NTS in particular She also would like to contribute some empirical evidence to the statistical proof of the benefits linked to the implementation of CALL in the language learning in a military context
1.6 Structure of the thesis
Trang 19Chapter 2: Literature review
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
The previous chapter has stated the needs for learning English speaking skill in VPN and the problems existent in the current situation Therefore, this chapter begins by characterizing the nature of spoken language competence and the type of technology applicable in learning speaking skill and some research conducted so far This chapter traces the relevant literature which helps demarcate the boundaries of the research theme and guides subsequent process of further investigation into the topic of interest 2.2 Learning speaking skill
This section investigates the nature of spoken language in terms of the study of the set of mechanical and meaningful aspects
2.2.1 The study of mechanical and meaningful aspects
Trang 20should understand fully these interrelated components in order to help adult learners improve their speaking skills
As far as the meaningful dimension is concerned, the spoken language proficiency is developed through a free conversation, called “chat” or “interactional language” by Brown and Yule (1999, p.12) This means that in learning speaking skill, learners must know how to give and take conversation, which requires their knowing unstructured discourse of conversation, practicing participation in a dialogue, developing interactional language, being listener-oriented, and getting highly situated and dependent for its interpretation on the extra-linguistic context Apart from this, learners must develop the ability to take part in conversation by knowing topical lexis and grammatical and rhetorical structures of specific genres and types of transactions (Gong, 2002, p 5) However, not all learners coming to an English class, especially the ones in a foreign environment, can acquire the competence for fluent production of conversions as the unstructured discourse of conversation, chat, or interaction language always appear to be challenging for them
2.2.2 The complexity of learning speaking skill
Trang 21Chapter 2: Literature review
PHONOLOGY distinctive fealure phoneme syllable r MORPHOLOGY morpheme — |/ word \ STRESS SYNTAX / phrase \l / RHYTHM INTONATION clause / \ / utterance DISCOURSE /\ ~ li 1 \ Figure 2.2.2: Model about components of spoken English (van Lier, 1995, as cited in Bailey, 2002, p 3)
Trang 22them in the correct order, having correct pronunciation, and even producing the right meanings Knowing how the above model, teachers can choose a suitable method of teaching the speaking skill in order to help learners improve the fluency and accuracy of speech in the mechanical dimension of spoken language and develop competence in discourse genres and topical areas in the meaningful dimension
2.3 CALL history
This section traces the development in the use of CALL with the changes resulting from the history of teaching methodology These changes were summarized by Warschauer and Healey (1998, as cited in Seferoglu, 2005, p 3) in three phases of CALL development which can be outlined in Table 2.3 1980s—1990s
Stage 1970s—1980s Communicative 21st century
Structural CALL CALL Integrative CALL
Technology Mainframe PCs Multimedia and Internet
nh Grammar-translation | Communicative Content-based,
nỗ and audio-lingual language teaching ESP/EAP
paradigm
View of Structural (a formal | Cognitive (a mentally ‘developed a language structural system) constructed system) social interaction) P
Principal use of Drill and practice Communicative Authentic discourse
computers exercises
Principal Accuracy [Accuracy] and [Accuracy] and
objective fluency agency
Trang 23Chapter 2: Literature review
It can be seen from the table above that throughout the development of CALL, there have been changes in various aspects of its implementation since the 1970s, including view of language, English teaching paradigm, the useful type of technology, the type of corresponding activities, and the main objectives of teaching and learning CALL, which is defined as a form of computer-based learning, has been used for language teaching and learning for more than 40 years However, its benefits in classes did not serve oral communication purposes until the 21" century or the third phase of its development, when multimedia computing was invented (Seferoglu, 2005, p 5) This means with the advent of student-centered method, CALL was featured by bidirectional (interactive) learning and individualized learning, which allows the learners to learn on their own, using structured and/or unstructured interactive lessons Because of its design and objectives, it may be used as a substantial interactive element in a language classroom (Warschauer & Healey, 1998, as cited in Seferoglu, 2005, p 6) Thus, in the short history of CALL, there have been various ways of using computers in language teaching and learning, from drill-and-practice to intelligent tutoring systems
2.4 The use of CALL in learning speaking skill
The previous three sections have established the ground for understanding the nature and complixity of learning speaking skill, the application of CALL in language teaching and learning This section investigates the benefits of CALL that serve
learning speaking skill
2.4.1 Some benefits of CALL focused on in this study
Trang 24language This means the CALL use has contributed to the acquisition of the knowledge about components of spoken language, ranging from isolated sounds and words to stress, rhythm and intonation, etc As the spoken language is naturally complicated, the use of CALL has also been realized as beneficial for the development of speaking competence in terms of mechanical meaningful dimension The focus of this study is put only on the benefits of CALL in the development of meaningful
dimension
2.4.1.1 Interactional short turns in CALL program
The term interaction refers to conversational exchanges that take place when the participants try to understand each other (Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p 57) Interaction is considered to influence the route of second language acquisition and affect the rate of development (Rod Ellis, 1985, p 159) This means the language environment is a major factor in determining how fast a learner can learn the language
The benefits of using CALL in speaking skill lessons has been seen by many scholars as the provision of interaction to enhance teaching and learning processes Interaction here includes communication or inter-personal-machine contact which is supplied with audio (speech, sounds, and music), video (text, graphics, pictures, animations, and movies) and interactivity (via keyboard, mouse, and microphone)
Trang 25Chapter 2: Literature review
speak the language by just simply responding to what somebody else says, or reacting to someone else’s topic In fact, there are some types of software designed to allow users to "talk" to computers English learning software gives diverse opportunities of interaction Therefore, the principles of behavioral learning theory — contiguity, repetition, feedback, and reinforcement — are also evident in the activities
The practice of spoken language is designed by a well-developed software This is done primarily by the creative use of computers as stimuli to generate interaction (Liaw, 2006, p 13) Conversations designed in the software are informal, interactive talks between two or more people, which happen in real time, are spontaneous, and have a largely interpersonal function, and in which participants share symmetrical rights As a result, 'genuine' or ‘natural’ discourse has become a goal of communicative approaches in the second or foreign language classroom where the teacher and learners focus their attention on the practice of conveying and receiving authentic messages (Cheon, 2003, p 6)
Trang 26For learning speaking skill, simulated real-life conversations, help learners understand continuous spoken language and maintain a conversation through several turns As a result, learners get acquainted to essential features of human-human communication for the purpose of learning and practicing conversational skills in the target language Simulating human-human interactions may offer beginning learners of English the opportunity to solve simple problems of being passive in spoken interactions with English natives
2.4.1.2 Creating a simulated interlocutor for practicing a dialogue
In learning English the term simulation refers to any procedure that is meant to imitate a real-life situation which is defined by Dougill (1987, as cited in Sam, 1990, p 5) asa set of circumstances that are structured to mirror real life and participants This presents processes involved in the real communication and making conversation of the
two interlocutors
Trang 27Chapter 2: Literature review
speaking skill The virtual interlocutor can “listen” by means of the speech recogniser, and the conversation takes place in the contextualized environment — 3D virtual
worlds, created in VRML As a result, in this program, a social aspect can be introduced when the learner interacts with a virtual interlocutor
It is also pointed out that a learning English software helps increase meaningful communicative exchanges A course in interactional short turns might begin with ‘responses’, continue with ways of expanding what the previous speaker has said and, finally, suggest forms which would enable the speaker to take the initiative and introduce a topic of his/her own (Brown & Yule, 1999, pp 28-29) Learners can explore principles of turningtaking Learning English speaking skill, therefore, is far
more communicative and life-like than just model dialogues, pattern practice, oral drill
tables, look-and-say exercises, and oral composition Instead, learners can imagine real world communication in the classroom by interacting with simulated interlocutors Thus, software packages have been proved to be beneficial in many ways They can see and talk with the simulated partners When having the opportunities to interact in various dialogues with a defined interlocutor, they can overcome the problems of
communication stress in the classroom situation
2.4.1.3 Simulation of spoken contexts in CALL
Trang 28Simulation is most commonly viewed as providing a way of creating a communicative environment where students actively become a part of some real-world system and function according to predetermined roles as members of that group Therefore, it is considered to be a representation of reality, so it is relatively beneficial in certain ways Crookall and Oxford (1990, as cited in Davis, 1996, p 5) note that a simulation can become reality and the "feeling of representivity fades" The computer environment “can be exploited to model and scaffold real speech for language learning, e.g by facilitating a transfer of development of skills practiced in a computer-mediated simulation” (Pennington, 1996, p.187)
Simulations in language education can enhance interaction (Zhang & Barber, 2008, p 222) They are especially useful in creating situations that are too difficult or too costly to have in the real world This means, speaking lessons should be designed in tasks and activities characterized by authenticity and simulation of a real world situation As a result, learners can achieve communicative reality since they focus on communication rather than language itself When there is a lack of this realistic environment, learners should be provided with a variety of opportunities for exposing themselves to naturalistic environments in EFL classrooms by simulations It makes available international resources, contexts and contacts In this respect, a simulated communicative environment may encourage learners to be a part of a micro-world where they can operate in the target language Such participation always lets them practice with language functions in various topics of communication
Trang 29Chapter 2: Literature review
proceed toward greater authenticity in a language classroom A CALL software can create simulations, for the demonstration in real-time videos and images show how people might perform a conversation as if they were the real communicators
If we extrapolate the learning experience, we can come up with validated hypotheses that learning to speak English at conversational level is efficiently facilitated by simulations with a CALL software There is a reasonable prediction that in this study, CALL is hopefully an optimum medium for students to learn English speaking skills, for it can process and conduct a quite natural interaction pattern The use of CALL is a facility which provides supplementary materials to an existing curriculum as a peripheral activity The researcher would like to integrate CALL with the curriculum and use its power to create new ways of learning and teaching so that a rethinking of the curriculum can take place
2.5 Principles of integrating a CALL program
Based on the basic understanding of the nature and complixity of learning speaking skill, and the investigation into the beneficial use of CALL in learning speaking skill, this section examines the principles of integrating CALL into teaching method
The design of CALL program generally takes into consideration principles of language pedagogy which have been derived from learning theories (behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist) and second language learning such as Krashen's Monitor Theory When accommodating a package of courseware, language teachers should consider a framework which focuses on the form and content in terms of seven categories: activity type, learning style, program focus, learner focus, language difficulty, program difficulty, and classroom management
Trang 30effectiveness, and performance Interactiveness refers to the ability to stimulate the interaction, especially between the computer and learners, as well as the instruction and feedback Usability means flexibility that is inherent in interest and facilitates easy navigation within the program Content appropriateness regards the amount of material presented in the program which is not only learnable and comprehensible, but also meets the learner’s demand Effectiveness correlates with how effectively the learners are assisted by the program to improve their mastery of the target language Finally, performance concerns the presentation, layout of the screen, the color, and the illustration (picture, diagram, charts, etc.) used in the program
Researchers studying the field suggest that teachers take into consideration some factors when selecting a suitable software package, such as student population, instructional goals, and technical support available, long-term goals of software purchase, cost, student needs, and amount of staff development available Irvine (2003, as cited in Dokur, 2008, p 3) argues that for a CALL software to be used, course
objectives, organization of classroom activities, and features of the institution, and
students are all intertwined Therefore, the researcher considered all of these factors while selecting and using a software to use in her language class First of all, her course is purposely designed to teach speaking skill for the learners of beginning level whose pronunciation skill is considerably poor As they lack of native environment to study the language, a software package should help demonstrate how the language is spoken in different communicative situations
2.6 The framework of courseware lesson
Trang 31Chapter 2: Literature review
which CALL is applied should include: (i) the setting of a multimedia lab, (ii) steps of lesson planning, and (iii) a lesson paradigm
2.6.1 The setting of a multimedia lab
-Huang (2000) suggests that learning with a computer courseware can never take place in a traditional classroom A setting of a multimedia lab will be more efficient Teachers should have the clear idea of how a traditional classroom is different from a multimedia lab A comparison of two settings is summarized below
Traditional Classroom Multimedia Lab
Layout Matrix Matrix
Teaching tools Chalk, blackboard, audio Local computer network, video
tapes on demand
Teaching materials Textbook Interactive computer software Communicative Imaginative role-play Realistic computer-simulated
activities environment
Table 2.6.1: A comparison of classroom settings
Trang 32using the computer program as a tool to provide context, teachers can employ the computer to help students become more involved in the task They really benefit from an "authentic" activity that focuses on communication skills while at the same time including a grammar focus, and uses the computer as a tool
2.6.2 Lesson paradigms
A sequence model of a speaking lesson proposed by Scrivener (1994, p 45) and called 'ARC' could potentially have three elements: 'Authentic use,’ 'Restricted use' and
‘Clarification and focus.' In this model, 'Authentic use’ means exposure to or practice
of real language use, ‘Restricted use’ means controlled practice of language, and ‘Clarification and focus' means drawing students' attention to form These elements of the lesson can appear in any order in the lesson, depending on aims, level and focus ‘Authentic use’ is not confined to speaking; it incorporates any elements which allow the students to engage themselves with the language in an authentic way It could include any of the four skills When applying this model to a CALL lesson, the ‘authentic use' element might mean the stage in which learners are allowed to access to the linguistic sources of a more 'real life’ situation
In this model the use of computers as a tool in CALL helps the teacher to create task- based authentic activities that facilitate syntactical and semantical learning A CALL
lesson is, therefore, learner-centered and learner-directed, entailing that the teacher
plays a significant role in the instructional setup
Trang 33Chapter 2: Literature review Accompanying Preparatory Materials Preparatory Activities Tutorial/ Content Training | Preparation Authoring Assignment Learner use of Accessibility ty -> Courseware Control Settings Teaching Approach Follow-up Activities Figure 2.6.2 Lesson planning steps J OTIS Classroom Management Site Monitoring Student Records Teacher Control Syllabus Learner Profiles ` Accompanying or Authored follow-up Materials
Trang 34as designed Their independent work on their lesson is under the teacher’s close observation and site monitor It also involves self-responsibility of the learners to do the tasks Follow-up activities need to be given right after that The purposeful use of CALL sequences in the above mentioned steps may assure its successful integration into teaching and learning
2.7 Empirical research on CALL and development of speaking
Section 2.6 above deals with theory and principles to use CALL in teaching and learning speaking skill This section presents several studies on CALL use in the field of development of speaking skill as follows
Golge Seferoglu (2005) carried out a research study on improving students’ pronunciation through accent reduction software which aimed to find out whether integrating this software in advanced English language classes at a tertiary level would bring about improvements in learners’ pronunciation at the segmental and suprasegmental levels Two classes at the Department of Foreign Language Education at Middle East Technical University in Turkey participated in a quasi-experimental research design The results helped him suggest that in EFL settings which lack natural target language input, technology has an important role to play EFL learners are possibly provided with exposure and practice interaction opportunities in the target language through specifically designed software programs
Trang 35Chapter 2: Literature review
the characters in the program Thanks to the semantic interpretation approach applied in the conversational dialogue system, the machine correctly understood the learner’s utterance The conversational dialogues made the students highly engaged in taking turns Speech interactive CALL programs, therefore, were concluded to be useful and enjoyable for language learners to practice their oral language skills within defined dialogue contexts (Zhang & Barber, 2008, pp 220-237)
Yusof and Pendidikan (2008) also conducted a study on 70 participants in Malaysia to find evidence for the effectiveness of the learning English software named Tell Me More@ They found that most students supported the use of this software in learning English, for it helped them enhance their English speaking skill by the advantageous interactive oral activities of the software These activities were beneficial for them in terms of pronunciation, fluency, accuracy, and vocabulary Students were required to complete dialogues; thereby, they increased fluency because automaticity of oral language would develop through oral practice and interaction with the computer As a result, they preferred learning speaking using the software to learning it in the classroom The study showed that TMM can be considered as a software program that meets learners’ needs in developing their speaking skill
2.8 Summary
Trang 37Chapter 3: Methodology CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction
In Chapter 1 the researcher has identified the perceived needs for finding a solution to solve the problem about teaching and learning speaking skill in VPN The second chapter shapes a theoretical framework about the advantages of CALL, and the evidence from previous research about its benefits in learning communicative competence This chapter, aimed at describing the methodology for carrying out an empirical study on the implementation of CALL in learning speaking in VPN, is divided into different sections of research design, method of investigation, analytical framework, and reliability and validity of the study
3.2 Research design
Trang 38Internal validity may be compromised by a failure to isolate the variables contributing to the progress For example, if two groups are compared, one using computers and the other covering similar content in a traditional classroom, but with a different teacher, learning gains may be attributable more to the influencing factor of the teacher than to the influencing factor of the computer-based environment Thus internal factors like the context of the language learning could compromise the external validity of the data Likewise, the characteristics of the subjects and the type of CALL activities may also influence the external validity of the data (ibid., p 32)
Pennington (1996, p 135) states that, in classroom research, psychometric is one of the most commonly used traditions It involves comparison of the effects of specific instruction programs or methods on students’ learning outcomes as measured by an instruction-related achievement test Evaluating the effectiveness of CALL in achieving speaking skill in a particular context requires practitioners to particularly focus on assessing both cognitive and affective outcomes that can be attributed to the use of CALL The improvement in the speaking skill of learners who learned on computer-based activities would be observably greater than that of the learners who work on traditional instruction model This means, the difference between the groups involved in the experiment should be statistically significant With an understanding of the specific attributes of the instructional environment, it is not difficult to know what learning effects ought to be attributed to
Trang 39Chapter 3: Methodology
though it is not wholly by design The independent variable may not be manipulated by the researcher; treatment and control groups may not be randomized or matched The quasi-experimental design, therefore, has greater external validity (more like real world conditions) and much more feasible given time and logistical constraints And since this design is less intrusive and disruptive than the true-experiment design, it is easier to gain access to the subject population and conduct such a research study In short, the quasi-experimental design is the most practical and feasible for the researcher, all above factors being considered Therefore, quasi-experimentation in educational research is currently widespread because not only are many researchers also teachers, but many subjects are also students They must be satisfied with investigating the effects of naturally occurring “treatment” in real world setting (Chapelle & Jamieson, as cited in Leakey, 2011, p 29)
3.3 Research site
This study took place at the Navy Technical School, one of the institutes of VPN It is situated at 1295A Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, Cat Lai Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, from June to August 2011 The facilities of teaching and learning in this school were of good quality thanks to the contribution of an innovative learning program with computer technology
Trang 40activities in the software, so projector is really useful for creating a technology embedded learning program
3.4 Research participants
From the viewpoint in research design, an investigation of differently assumed improvements in the learners’ oral communication skills and positive attitudinal changes with two different types of learning was carried out through a quasi- experimental research on two groups of learners: control group and experimental group The participants include 26 elementary learners attending two parallel classes of experimental group and control group Their age is ranging from 25 to 40 years old with very low speaking ability of the English language Some of them had learned English as a compulsory subject at their universities a long time before and forgotten nearly all Most of them found learning foreign languages little necessary and relevant to their careers The division of the learners into two groups was carried out by the Training Department of NTS in order to divide into experimental group and control group This somehow could guarantee the elimination of bias in choosing the learners by the researcher