School of Foreign Language

Originally an invited paper read to the FIPLV/Eurocentres seminar on: The use, application and limitations of new computer-based technology in foreign language learning, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, September 1988. Subsequently read as a ...

Introduction The study of Languages Other than English (LOTEs) is currently enjoying a period of considerable growth. To a large extent, this is due to the development of national and state policies which recognise Australia's multicultural population and the need for Australians ...

ABSTRACT With the development of Information Technology, increasing attention has been paid to Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Meanwhile, increasing enthusiasm is seen for English learning and teaching in China. Yet, few research studies have focused on the normalization of CALL in ethnically diverse areas. In response to this research gap, this study aims to identify major factors affecting the normalization of CALL in Chinese senior high schools in the Qian Xi’nan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (QBMP). A questionnaire was administered to 340 English teachers and a semi-structured oral interview was conducted as a follow-up. The study produced the following four findings: (a) most teachers were in favor of using computers in English teaching although they had to be cautious in guiding students; (b) institutional support was seen as instrumental; (c) teachers’ computer competency and relevant training were considered to be important; and (d) teaching methodology and learner factors were identified as crucial.

... and (3) ways in which the teacher can begin to make a foreign language program more ... and (4) the need to re-examine attitudes toward students and language teaching. ... communicativecompetence in the classroom include the use of spontaneous role-playing, discussions ...

The demand for language learning, in particular English, is greater today than at any time in the history of humanity. Millions of people throughout the world are in need of language not only through formal institutional education but through self-managed, do-it-yourself systems. It is therefore important to develop effective and efficient solutions for dealing with a mass market of language learners. In the context of Ho Chi Minh City, the activation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 means that time has run out. This presentation argues that for the development of solutions able to respond to world needs for languages it is necessary to focus on language pedagogy rather than on language, to take more risks, to be more creative, to be more innovative and to change one’s view of the nature of TESOL. In particular, it seems necessary to transform TESOL into a truly interdisciplinary area of research capable of connecting a multitude of different fields so as to optimize the lang...

The exponential growth of the Internet has had a considerable impact on language teaching and learning. Language teachers have increasingly harnessed its power for language pedagogy. This study aimed to investigate the use of online resources and applications by language teachers and the purposes for which they used them for language teaching. The data were gathered from 70 Thai EFL language teachers in northeastern Thailand by means of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, whereas the qualitative data obtained from open-ended items and semi-structured interviews were inductively analyzed to create categories and to develop themes. Results showed that Google, YouTube, and Facebook were the top three resources and applications used by language teachers. These systems were used to support teaching, encourage autonomous learning, and enhance communication. Based upon the findings, professional development on ...

English pronunciation remains a major problem for Chinese EFL learners despite a methodological challenge in design and transdisciplinarity (Levy, Hubbard, Stockwell, & Colpaert, 2015). The present paper describes an innovative approach to pronunciation learning combining a CALL-based autonomous structure with the verbotonal system (Guberina,1972; Lian, 1980) of corrective phonetics. It is based on the identification of tasks optimally designed for enhancing perception (and therefore production) through a combination of digital signal manipulation and gesture/body movement, facilitated by a simple self-managed computer-assisted support structure. The verbotonal system is a perception-based theory of pronunciation. The verbotonal system sees language-learning as a holistic, whole-body, phenomenon relying heavily on self-synchrony (Condon & Ogston,1966) to integrate language into the learner’s cognitive system. Low-pass filtering was used to make the melody of the language and makes i...

The aim of this paper is to examine the strategies of students who attempt to solve prOblems of understanding authentic spoken French in the context of a computer-aided listening comprehension development program currently implemented at the University of Queensland. The paper includes~ a general description of the listening program; a description of the an~wer-evaluation routines and their constraints; conclusions as to: (i) p~eferred student strategies; (iL) the relationship between those strategies and the available student control; (iii) the nature of changes to be made for increased effectiveness e.g. modifications to lesson design and the provision of an extended range of answer-evdluation procedures. INTRODUCTION