Long V Nguyen
Danang University, Collge of Foreign Languages, English, Faculty Member
Computer-mediated collaborative learning in a Vietnamese tertiary EFL context : process, product, and learners' perceptions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealandmore
Viewing language learning from a sociocultural perspective, this study investigates the nature of both synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) and how these two modes of communication may complement each other... more
Viewing language learning from a sociocultural perspective, this study investigates the nature of both synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) and how these two modes of communication may complement each other and contribute to collaborative learning in an EFL classroom environment. The focus is on collaborative language learning competence and learners‟ perceptions of the application of CMC to classroom practices. This classroom-based research took the form of a collaborative problem-solving experiment in a group of EFL students in a large university in Central Vietnam. Various data were collected for the study, including the initial pre-project questionnaire on students‟ background and attitudes, transcripts from both face-to-face and chat discussion, after-chat focus-group interviews, peer comments from both traditional pen-and-paper and wiki exchanges, final collaborative written assignments, and post-project questionnaires and interviews with students...
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In this paper, I am going to look at the issues of TESOL from one major critical point of view: How the use of the Internet technology might influence TESOL syllabus design and materials development. The article attempts to investigate... more
In this paper, I am going to look at the issues of TESOL from one major critical point of view: How the use of the Internet technology might influence TESOL syllabus design and materials development. The article attempts to investigate some possibilities and opportunities provided by the Internet, focusing on the World Wide Web (WWW) as credible ways to access up-to-date and authentic language resources and materials for language teachers and learners of a foreign language. Besides, some challenges caused by the application of the new technology into language education for Vietnamese syllabus designers are addressed. Accordingly, the Vietnamese context is tentatively kept in view throughout these discussions. It is argued that technology can enhance the quality of syllabus design and material development, and that though the focus of problems and challenges is on the particular Vietnamese social setting, there is no reason in which the concerns considered cannot be shared in other r...
This classroom-based research aims to investigate the nature and quality of talk in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) among Vietnamese tertiary EFL learners. Participants included 60 students in their sixth semester of an... more
This classroom-based research aims to investigate the nature and quality of talk in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) among Vietnamese tertiary EFL learners. Participants included 60 students in their sixth semester of an eight-semester BA in TESOL program in a large university in Central Vietnam. Using a sociocultural lens, the nature of discussion was compared in two modes of exchanges, SCMC versus face-to-face (FTF), through analysis of discussion transcripts supported by questionnaire data, interviews and observations. The first level of analysis, participation, revealed that the online students, collaborating in an academic task for the first time via SCMC, produced fewer words, but spent more time, during the discussion process. More equal contribution was a marked feature of the SCMC mode. For the second level of analysis examining the interactional nature and pattern of discussion, transcripts were analyzed according to socioaffective, organizational and soc...
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The focus of this chapter is to explore if the collaborative potential offered by wikis translates into actual practice. The study examines the peer review process of 20 groups of English as a foreign language (EFL) students from two... more
The focus of this chapter is to explore if the collaborative potential offered by wikis translates into actual practice. The study examines the peer review process of 20 groups of English as a foreign language (EFL) students from two classes, i.e. a paper-based class and a wiki class, of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) programme in a large university in Central Vietnam. Data analysis shows that the user-friendly wikis afford learning opportunities in two levels of analysis, namely participation and interaction, which lead to a high degree of information synthesis in the collaborative learning process. In terms of quantity, the multi-way nature of wiki-based exchanges confirms its characteristic of an architecture of participation. Likewise, the quality of the online peer review process is confidently affirmed in all three themes of collaborative interaction, i.e., socioaffective, organizational, and sociocognitive. It is concluded that the ...
Research Interests: Psychology and IGI Global
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The paper examines Vietnamese learners' reflections on and perceptions of the application of computer-mediated communication (CMC) into collaborative learning. Data for analysis included an evaluation questionnaire, consisting of 24... more
The paper examines Vietnamese learners' reflections on and perceptions of the application of computer-mediated communication (CMC) into collaborative learning. Data for analysis included an evaluation questionnaire, consisting of 24 4-point Likert scale items, appended with six open-ended questions, and transcripts of 15, out of 30, teacher trainees from a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) class who volunteered to participate in informal interviews. Several inferences were drawn from the results. The majority of participants enjoyed the technology-enhanced class in general. There were approximately equal numbers of students who preferred synchronous CMC, asynchronous CMC, or a combination of both. The students reported that the course helped improve their computer skills and collaborative experience, while they remained sceptical about improvements to their English language skills. More involvement in learning was observed during and after the course. In addition, th...
Research Interests: Educational Technology, Sociocultural Theory, Computer Mediated Communication, Teaching English As A Foreign Language, Reflection, and 8 moreFlow Theory, Cooperative Learning, Interviews, Asynchronous Communication, Likert Scales, Questionnaires, Synchronous Communication, and Curriculum and Pedagogy
The paper examines Vietnamese learners' reflections on and perceptions of the application of computer-mediated communication (CMC) into collaborative learning. Data for analysis included an evaluation questionnaire, consisting of 24... more
The paper examines Vietnamese learners' reflections on and perceptions of the application of computer-mediated communication (CMC) into collaborative learning. Data for analysis included an evaluation questionnaire, consisting of 24 4-point Likert scale items, appended with six open-ended questions, and transcripts of 15, out of 30, teacher trainees from a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) class who volunteered to participate in informal interviews. Several inferences were drawn from the results. The majority of participants enjoyed the technology-enhanced class in general. There were approximately equal numbers of students who preferred synchronous CMC, asynchronous CMC, or a combination of both. The students reported that the course helped improve their computer skills and collaborative experience, while they remained sceptical about improvements to their English language skills. More involvement in learning was observed during and after the course. In addition, the participants expressed confidence that they would attend similar courses in future and were willing to recommend this technology-embedded course to the next generations of students.
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This classroom-based research aims to investigate the nature and quality of talk in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) among Vietnamese tertiary EFL learners. Participants included 60 students in their sixth semester of an... more
This classroom-based research aims to investigate the nature and quality of talk in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) among Vietnamese tertiary EFL learners. Participants included 60 students in their sixth semester of an eight-semester BA in TESOL program in a large university in Central Vietnam. Using a sociocultural lens, the nature of discussion was compared in two modes of exchanges, SCMC versus face-to-face (FTF), through analysis of discussion transcripts supported by questionnaire data, interviews and observations. The first level of analysis, participation, revealed that the online students, collaborating in an academic task for the first time via SCMC, produced fewer words, but spent more time, during the discussion process. More equal contribution was a marked feature of the SCMC mode. For the second level of analysis examining the interactional nature and pattern of discussion, transcripts were analyzed according to socioaffective, organizational and sociocognitive themes, and their emergent subcategories. Clear differences were evident between the two settings regarding group processes, leadership, negotiation and consensus. It is argued that for these tertiary Vietnamese EFL learners, the FTF groups were more product-oriented in the discussion task, while the online groups presented a more process-oriented style of learning.
Keywords: Computer-mediated communication (CMC), collaborative learning, classroom research, English as a foreign language (EFL), sociocultural perspectives.
Keywords: Computer-mediated communication (CMC), collaborative learning, classroom research, English as a foreign language (EFL), sociocultural perspectives.
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Editors' note: Long Van Nguyen (Computer Mediated Collaborative Learning within a Communicative Language Teaching Approach: A Sociocultural Perspective) discusses the roles of computer mediated collaborative learning within a... more
Editors' note: Long Van Nguyen (Computer Mediated Collaborative Learning within a Communicative Language Teaching Approach: A Sociocultural Perspective) discusses the roles of computer mediated collaborative learning within a communicative language teaching approach. Nguyen concludes that CMCL is capable of resolving some issues related to the CLT approach in the Vietnamese language classroom. We feel that this study is of relevance in other Asian contexts.
The article aims to discuss the roles of computer mediated collaborative learning (CMCL) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom equipped with a communicative language teaching (CLT) approach. The presentation moves from an overview of the principal domains of sociocultural theory (SCT) applicable to collaborative second/foreign language learning to the review of the current CLT approach, the main focus of which is the context of Vietnamese language education. CMCL is then analysed in terms of how it is able to support and enhance language improvement in the given CLT context. The conclusion drawn from the discussion is that CMCL with its potential benefits is capable of helping solve certain issues raised from the introduction of CLT approach into the Vietnamese language classroom, including Confucian educational values, examination-oriented educational system, class management, and authentic communication. It is thereby argued that CMCL may possibly flow smoothly on CLT foundation when the whole context is viewed from SCT lens, and that though the focus is on the particular Vietnamese social setting, there is no reason in which the concerns considered in this paper cannot be shared in other relevant milieu.
Keywords: Sociocultural theory, communicative language teaching, computer mediated collaborative learning (CMCL), EFL.
The article aims to discuss the roles of computer mediated collaborative learning (CMCL) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom equipped with a communicative language teaching (CLT) approach. The presentation moves from an overview of the principal domains of sociocultural theory (SCT) applicable to collaborative second/foreign language learning to the review of the current CLT approach, the main focus of which is the context of Vietnamese language education. CMCL is then analysed in terms of how it is able to support and enhance language improvement in the given CLT context. The conclusion drawn from the discussion is that CMCL with its potential benefits is capable of helping solve certain issues raised from the introduction of CLT approach into the Vietnamese language classroom, including Confucian educational values, examination-oriented educational system, class management, and authentic communication. It is thereby argued that CMCL may possibly flow smoothly on CLT foundation when the whole context is viewed from SCT lens, and that though the focus is on the particular Vietnamese social setting, there is no reason in which the concerns considered in this paper cannot be shared in other relevant milieu.
Keywords: Sociocultural theory, communicative language teaching, computer mediated collaborative learning (CMCL), EFL.
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This paper will look at the advantages and disadvantages of the computer network technology in EFL environment. First, the use of ICT from EFL teachers’ perspectives will be examined. Language learning with ICT support from the learners’... more
This paper will look at the advantages and disadvantages of the computer network technology in EFL environment. First, the use of ICT from EFL teachers’ perspectives will be examined. Language learning with ICT support from the learners’ viewpoints is the second part to be discussed. The third section deals with technical problems relating to applying ICT into a language class. In each part of the discussion, the author will first present the advantages. Following are possible problems or disadvantages to be accompanied with suggested solutions for each respective problem. Notably, the context of Vietnam is tentatively kept in view throughout these discussions.
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Nguyen, L. V. (2008). Computer mediated communication and foreign language education: Pedagogical features. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 5(12), 23-44. Link:... more
Nguyen, L. V. (2008). Computer mediated communication and foreign language education: Pedagogical features. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 5(12), 23-44. Link: http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Dec_08/index.htm.
This meta-analysis article starts with a critical review of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) from various theoretical perspectives, namely structural, cognitive, and sociocultural. This is followed by the discussion characteristics, modes, and scopes of CMC. The presentation then moves from an overview of didactic features of CMC in general education to pedagogical benefits of CMC in foreign language learning and teaching. The conclusion drawn from the discussion is that CMC, both synchronous and asynchronous, possesses potential advantages capable of improving learners’ foreign language development; and that future research in many aspects of CMC in language education is still needed.
Keywords: CMC, CMCL, English as a Foreign Language, SCT.
This meta-analysis article starts with a critical review of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) from various theoretical perspectives, namely structural, cognitive, and sociocultural. This is followed by the discussion characteristics, modes, and scopes of CMC. The presentation then moves from an overview of didactic features of CMC in general education to pedagogical benefits of CMC in foreign language learning and teaching. The conclusion drawn from the discussion is that CMC, both synchronous and asynchronous, possesses potential advantages capable of improving learners’ foreign language development; and that future research in many aspects of CMC in language education is still needed.
Keywords: CMC, CMCL, English as a Foreign Language, SCT.
Research Interests:
In this paper, I am going to look at the issues of TESOL from one major critical point of view: How the use of the Internet technology might influence TESOL syllabus design and materials development. The article attempts to investigate... more
In this paper, I am going to look at the issues of TESOL from one major critical point of view: How the use of the Internet technology might influence TESOL syllabus design and materials development. The article attempts to investigate some possibilities and opportunities provided by the Internet, focusing on the World Wide Web (WWW) as credible ways to access up-to-date and authentic language resources and materials for language teachers and learners of a foreign language. Besides, some challenges caused by the application of the new technology into language education for Vietnamese syllabus designers are addressed. Accordingly, the Vietnamese context is tentatively kept in view throughout these discussions. It is argued that technology can enhance the quality of syllabus design and material development, and that though the focus of problems and challenges is on the particular Vietnamese social setting, there is no reason in which the concerns considered cannot be shared in other relevant milieu.
Keywords: Internet technology, EFL, Syllabus design, Materials development
Keywords: Internet technology, EFL, Syllabus design, Materials development
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In this paper, among many issues pertaining to the design of EFL multimedia courseware, I would like to discuss three correlated major fields which are of utmost significance in accordance with the literature and my personal reflection on... more
In this paper, among many issues pertaining to the design of EFL multimedia courseware, I would like to discuss three correlated major fields which are of utmost significance in accordance with the literature and my personal reflection on the present context of foreign language teaching and learning at the University of Danang (UD), Vietnam. The presentation will consist of three parts, including the exploration of potential users of a CALL product; what should be included and what strategies are needed for the selection of the contents of the product, and the essential criteria for the multimedia design. These are followed by a summary of the triangular issues.
Keywords: CALL, Multimedia design, EFL
Keywords: CALL, Multimedia design, EFL
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This paper discusses two major issues of the e-book construction at the College of Foreign Languages – University of Danang: First, the necessity of applying the e-books in foreign language learning and second, the suggested procedure for... more
This paper discusses two major issues of the e-book construction at the College of Foreign Languages – University of Danang: First, the necessity of applying the e-books in foreign language learning and second, the suggested procedure for building such applicable materials online.
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This paper concerns the role of the language teacher in classroom lessons that involve the use of Multimedia Technology – an issue that has been and should be discussed at colleges and universities in Vietnam in general and the University... more
This paper concerns the role of the language teacher in classroom lessons that involve the use of Multimedia Technology – an issue that has been and should be discussed at colleges and universities in Vietnam in general and the University of Danang in particular.