Statement of the problem

Due to globalization and the advancement of technology, people use English almost everywhere for international relations, local and foreign businesses, as the language is one of the global language today (Crystal, 2003). In non-native speaking countries, many students choose to learn English as a foreign language (EFL).

English has become an important common language of communication among the people of different cultures. In order to provide better English teaching environments, the traditional teaching methods have been slowly changed with the development of multimedia technology (Pun, 2014). The modified types of teaching environment with technology, EFL learners would gain more confidence learning English.

An essential strategy to the development of a foreign language is to incorporate social and cultural interactions for language learners. In Taiwan, English as foreign language learners are constantly challenged by the environment as it lacks a practical and suitable environment for students to practice their language development. A proper environment is one of the key elements for improving new language ability; hence students in Taiwan face obstacles of finding an appropriate environment to practice and improve English. (Yang & Chang, 2007). Therefore, EFL learners have less opportunities to collaborate, interact, and engage in classroom activities (Cloete, De Villiers & Rootd, 2009).

Higgins (1995) suggested that technology played an important role addressing environment related challenges for EFL learners. For a long time, tools like

listening. There seemed to be reduced availability of foreign language departments offering distance learning classes due to budget cuts, but seemingly the enrollments have increased resulting shortage of spaces for those who are interested, (Banados, 2006; Chenoweth, Ushida & Murday, 2006; Kraemer, 2008; Sanders, 2005; Strambi

& Bouvet, 2003). The integration of technological advancement in communication and new EFL strategies called the Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is the new uprising method and has contributed many benefits to EFL instruction.

The “Internet revolution” opened new opportunities for CALL applications such as text chats in which studies found helpful in language development, (Alwi, Adams & Newton, 2012). A popular product resulted from the “internet revolution”

is the introduction of Social Networking Services (SNSs). These are web-based social networking platforms that enable users to grow and development a personalized social network through websites that allow users to share information, interact with others, and develop communities with similar interests. One of the most pronounced SNSs is Facebook. Despite the growing popularity with SNSs, there are not enough research studies on the potential usefulness of SNS in education and EFL instructions. Limited studies have concluded that Facebook and other SNSs have demonstrated significant potentials on how it may benefit EFL instruction.

It is advised by many research studies that Facebook is powerful platform for EFL teaching used to enhance the students learning experience (Kabilan, Ahmad &

Abidin, 2010). SNSs platform related studies suggested both entertainment and social perspectives is motivational for conducting EFL learning activities. It can keep the students interests and engaged with functions like instantaneous messaging between individuals and multiple members of a group. Yancey (2009) also suggested

that Facebook was a mean for students to improve their writing by linking the gaps between theoretical “writing” and outside “communication” providing learners with an authentic and personalized setting to practice. Writing skills are much emphasized in Facebook group participation, this tool could be helpful in enhancing and improving students’ writing skills (Yunus, Salehi, Sun, Yen, & Li, 2011).

According to Hamada (2013), students more keen on becoming independent learners as Facebook could help students study and better their English ability feeling more effortless or less involuntarily. Consequently, Facebook effectively enhanced the EFL students’ writing abilities and helped them build positive attitudes toward language learning (Suthiwartnarueput & Wasanasomsithi, 2012). Overall, Facebook cultivated a positive environment and developed a system suitable for students to obtain new knowledge and thoughts from countless sources available on the platform (Al-Shehri, 2011).

Most experts consider the speaking and listening aspects of EFL learning to be most essential. There are 3 ways of oral practices that could help students improve target learning language: comparisons of own oral production to target language, or by challenging the target language in various ways or by discussions about the language (Satar & Ozdener, 2008; Gánem Gutiérrez, 2003; Swain, 1997). In addition, many sociocultural studies recognized that speaking is a cognitive skill that can be used to regulate self, others, and objects such as language and tasks (Brooks, Donato, and McGlone, 1997). Vygotsky (1978) claimed that mental functions are developed through social settings, and that interactions with higher intellectual speakers would help build mental developments. The need for socialization may be satisfied with the introduction of voice over IP (VoIP) platforms, which is a great tool that transmits voice and multimedia over the Internet. It allows users to make

free or cheap reliable telephone calls worldwide. The technological advances, as Chun (2008) mentioned, are beneficial for research purposes as well as helpful in improving students’ pronunciation and speaking competence. A VoIP tool like Skype has embedded functionalities such as text and voice exchange, which can be used as a practice agent. The enabled function for verbal conversations can enhance the dimensions to EFL activities like listening and speaking. Skype provides the surveillance of multiple users’ voices, facial expressions, gestures and body language in real-time. Through network online chat-based interaction, learners can demonstrate improved grammatical competence (Lee, 2002; Pellettieri, 2000), build complex language structures (Sotillo, 2000), develop oral communication skills (Blake, 2000; Lee, 2002) and higher lexical capacity (Dussias, 2006). As a result, some students feel less pressure and become self-confident (Elia, 2006) speaking English via Skype rather than classroom setting, as there is no physical presence of the communicating party or parties (Bikowski & Kessler, 2002). Skype also can provide a cost effective means to practice English conversation courses anywhere at anytime.

Another focus of this study is role-playing instructional strategy, which is critical for learners’ experience. Role-playing is an important strategy as it focuses on the ability to speak and communicate by playing different roles in real-world situation. It can correct stereotype concerns in China that college students can succeed in English classes because they are good test-takers but are poor communicators (Li, 2001). A common approach used to teach a foreign language is grammar translation approach where it targets on mastering language structure, vocabulary and understanding literature at the expense of speaking and communicating (Aliakbari & Jamalvandi, 2010). The trade-off is that students can

reproduce responses in predictable situational patterns but is challenged communicating effectively when put in unpredictable situations outside the classroom (Nunan, 2001). The task-based approach is a solution to improve speaking ability with optimal circumstances to “communicate effectively” and

“communicate meaningfully” (Luchini, 2004).

Both Skype and other VoIP platforms have also received attention for their potential in education and instructional design. Skype has voice and video functions and chat capabilities over the Internet; VoIP platforms actively engages listening and speaking during EFL activities. The benefit of the platform being Internet-based has many advantages, such as hosting a conversation class without teacher and students in a physical class and increased flexibility of course time and schedules. The combination of Skype and Facebook is a potential solution to overcome the limitations of online CALL strategies of EFL. The combination can create a familiar and less stressful environment used to practice the target language. This research proposal consists of two sub-studies as follows.

Study 1:

We focus on learners’ English speaking and writing performance. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of applying the role-playing instructional strategy to Facebook and Skype as a means to enhance learners’ speaking and writing skills in an EFL class (see framework in Table 1.1). We explore and discuss whether the feature of Facebook and Skype demonstrate a platform that enhance learners’ learning experience and increase their motivation in EFL learning activities.

During the role-playing interaction, we also analyzed whether learners experience peer-to-peer correction and realize self-correction processes. We conduct a

quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the learning process and discuss whether learners improve their speaking and/or writing skills. There is one experimental group which Facebook and Skype are used to compare learners’

speaking and writing performance. Although there is no control group in this study, we planned to include it in our second study for an in-depth analysis of speaking error category.

Table 1.1 The framework of study 1 and study 2 (Part 1)

Brief description

Study 1 1. We focused on learners’ English speaking and writing performance.

2. We integrated Facebook and Skype as learning environment.

3. We applied role-playing instructional strategy to Facebook and Skype to enhance learners’ English speaking and writing skills.

4. We analyzed whether the unique feature of Facebook and Skype demonstrate a platform that enhance learners’ experience and increase their motivation in the activities.

5. We analyzed whether learners experience peer-to-peer correction and realize self-correction processes.

6. We used oral interviews as the pre-test and post-test in this study.

7. We conducted a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the learning process.

8. There were one experimental group, no control group.

9. Facebook and Skype were used for the experimental group.

(Part 2)

Brief description

Study 2 1. We focused on learners’ English speaking performance and speaking errors.

2. We compared the effects of two different environments, i.e., Skype and face-to-face, on learners’ English speaking performance by assessing the frequency of errors (e.g., pronunciation, verb tense, and sentence structure) occurring in the learners’ oral productions during role-playing.

3. We applied role-playing instructional strategy in Skype and face-to-face to train learners’ speaking abilities and observe their interactive discussions.

4. We analyzed whether the learners’ could gradually reduce the number speaking errors and help improve their speaking skills in both Skype and face-to-face environments.

5. We analyzed whether the learners reached a peer-to-peer correction mechanism in order to reduce their speaking errors.

6. We used oral interviews as the pre-test and post-test in this study.

7. We conducted a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the learning process.

8. There were one experimental group and one control group.

9. Skype was use for the experimental group and face-to-face is use for the control group.

Study 2:

Although qualitative research has been studied on EFL learning through CALL using role-playing based learning activities, there is not much quantitative research on the type and frequency of errors made and whether there is an improvement in error rate. This study mainly focuses on the Skype and its effectiveness towards English speaking errors. We divide errors into different classifications. In fact, language learning through online discussion on Skype has been extensively studied, but there is little quantitative research on the errors that these EFL learners made during the instructional course. In study 1, we discuss that learners might experience peer-to-peer correction. During the role-playing activity, learners might attempt to correct their partner’s grammar errors (e.g., pronunciation, sentence structure, verb tense…etc.) In study 2, we analyze whether the learners reached a peer-to-peer correction mechanism in order to reduce their speaking errors. We also compare the effects of Skype and face-to-face environments on learners’ English speaking performance by assessing the frequency of errors and the number of errors gradually reduced occurring in the learners’ oral productions during role-playing (see Framework in Table 1.1). The experimental group would be taught how to speak effectively by using the modern technological tools mainly Skype whereas the control group would be taught traditionally. Using a process-based quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis, we explored the effect of VoIP in EFL instruction through role-playing based activities on students’ speaking skills and whether they would help to reduce the number of errors.

1.2. Statement of the purpose