Using Mobile Instant Messaging for English Listening
and Speaking Learning:
A Case Study of EFL University Students
in Taiwan
Authors: Li-Chen Wang, Pei-Yu Cheng, Yueh-Min Huang
Educational Technology World Conference 2016 (ETWC)
National Cheng Kung University
Outline
• English Learning in Taiwan
• Issues of English teaching in Taiwan • Foreign language Learning Anxiety • Mobile Assisted Language Learning • Instant Messaging Apps
• Research Method • Results
English Learning in Taiwan
• English has become the most important second language in non-English
speaking countries(Long, 2006).
• English is a foreign language in Taiwan, which lacks the foreign
language environment for learning English, and its students' listening and speaking abilities are often weaker than their writing and reading abilities(Chang, Wu, & Ku, 2005).
• In Taiwan, English is one of the most important subjects to learn. So
how to improve English proficiency has been an important education issue.
English Learning in Taiwan
• Speaking and listening is the foundation to language communication
and is also one of the major factors that affect communication ability(Cameron, 2002).
• Taiwan's Ministry of Education has made quite a few changes to the
design of the English language curriculum, focusing on listening,
speaking, reading, and writing rather than just reading and writing as in the past(Su, 2006).
Issues of English teaching in Taiwan
• English listening and speaking training for university students runs
into lots of difficulties, such as the lack of real conversation scenarios, of time for using English communicate, and of such conditions as space and having qualified teachers(Belcher, 2006; Kung & Chuo, 2002).
• Thus, university students generally do not possess the ability to
Issues of English teaching in Taiwan
• Some studies suggest that to improve students' English speaking and
listening ability, the first step is to create an English listening and
speaking learning environment, and the next step is to make a habit of speaking English(Gibbons, 2002; Plass, Chun, Mayer, & Leutner, 1998).
• In traditional English teaching environments, teachers are constrained by
traditional classrooms and teaching methods.
• Furthermore, even if students practice listening and speaking during class, the
teacher cannot monitor all the students at the same time(Lu, Hou, & Huang, 2010).
Foreign language Learning Anxiety
• Students' foreign language learning anxiety is a result of the difficulties in
language learning(Anyadubalu, 2010; Berman & Cheng, 2010; Xu & Li, 2010).
• Asian students will easily become anxious when asked to use the target
language to ask questions, speak or to perform other dialog
activities(Awan, Azher, Anwar, & Naz, 2010; Liu & Huang, 2011; Liu & Jackson, 2011).
• A new method and learning strategy are needed to improve university
students' English language learning in order to enhance their listening and speaking abilities.
Mobile Assisted Language Learning
• With the development and popularization of mobile devices, a new method of
learning was developed that can give students a rich, real-time, convenient and cooperative learning experience, allowing the integration of learning into life.
• The application of mobile devices in teaching has attracted much attention. And
their application and practice in classroom teaching has also been quite widespread.
• Many researchers have developed systems for assisting language learning,
targeted at a mobile learning environment.
• Using mobile devices to assist language learning not only can enhance students'
interest in language learning, their convenience also offers students a good learning experience.
Instant Messaging
• Instant messaging applications has made them the main tool for
communication on smart phones.
• More and more cooperative learning methods through instant messaging
have been used in actual learning environment.
• Learners can use mobile devices to practice foreign language conversations.
Most studies have confirmed that this leads to positive results.
• Studies also show that this type of learning method not only increases
Instant Messaging
• How do we use instant messaging applications to assist university students
in learning English, and how do we increase the listening and speaking practice of university students in English?
• In fact, creating English listening and speaking learning environment
using instant messaging is the main requirement, and getting students to willingly use English in conversation practice is also a requirement.
Using Mobile Instant Messaging for English
Listening and Speaking Learning
• This study investigated the use of LINE in the teaching of university
English listening and speaking with the hope of improving students’
English listening and speaking abilities.
• We design an English learning model that incorporates LINE, and
Research Methods
•
Experiment design
•Participants
50 subjects from two classes of first-year students
from a university in Taiwan.
Randomly assigned the students into the
experimental group(Line) and a control group (face to face)
•
Experimental tools
• Instant Messaging, LINE • Questionnaire, Scale
• learning satisfaction • learning motivation
Line (IM)
• The system utilizes mobile phones as the
device to enable learners practice their
speaking and listening through the instant messaging app, LINE.
• Students can use LINE's voice messaging
function to carry out real-time conversation practice. When students press the voice
messaging function button, the voice message will automatically be sent to the chat room.
Line (IM)
• Students can click open this message, and
the system will play this voice message.
• Through this function, students can, by
repeatedly recording and playing back.
• Students can give a reply after listening to
the message. That's can more conveniently to practice English speaking and to correct their own English pronunciation and
intonation.
Line (IM)
Teachers could listen to the conversations via the system to evaluate and
give feedback to each student individually.
Learning activities
• Six learning activities for two weeks in this study.
shopping, travel, office, transportation, ordering food, and social interaction • The learning activities were divided into two stages.
1. Teacher first taught the students the vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation,
sentence patterns and structures in the script of the English situational conversations.
2. Students in each group took turns to role play the different characters to
practice their pronunciation and conversation so as to improve the fluency of their conversation.
Result and discussion
•
pre-test results analysis
There were no significant differences between the two groups in the pre-test results
(t =-.032, p > .05).
so the basic ability levels of the two group of students was regarded as identical.
Group N mean SD t
Pre-test Experimental 25 56.73 8.073 -.032
Control 25 56.91 8.092
Result and discussion
•
post-test results analysis
As shown in table 2, the average score for students in the experiment group was
73.23, and 63.65 for the control group. The two groups of students reached the statistical significance level (t =5.32*，p < .0.001) in their learning results.
We can conclude that after implementing the two different learning activities, the
experimental group had better learning results than the control group.
Group N mean SD t Post-test Experimental Control 25 73.23 5.132 5.32*** 25 63.65 5.214 *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001
Result and discussion
•
Learning motivation
As shown in table 3 below, the T-value of the subjects from different “groups” in the
“learning motivation” variable, was .423 (p > .05), which did not reach the statistical significance level.
This indicates that the two groups of students had the same views and cognition in
regard to the "learning motivation" variable.
Group N mean SD t .Learning motivation Experimental Control 25 4.27 0.31 .423 25 4.23 0.42
Result and discussion
•
Learning satisfaction
The T value of the subjects from different "groups" in the "satisfaction with the
learning methods" variable was 2.413 (p<.05), which reached the statistical significance level.
This indicates that the experiment group was better than the control group in
respect of "satisfaction with the learning methods".
Group N mean SD t Learning satisfaction Experimental Control 25 3.95 0.33 2.413* 25 3.61 0.67 *p<.05,
Result and discussion
•
English learning anxiety
As listed in Table 4, the control group students' English learning anxiety were
significantly higher than the experimental group students, t=-6.082, p<.001).
This result suggests that using the LINE-based English learning method can lower
learner’s English learning anxiety.
Table 4: The t-test of the Learning satisfaction between the two groups
Group N mean SD t ELA Experimental Control 25 73.23 5.132 5.32*** 25 63.65 5.214 *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001
Conclusion
• The experimental group had higher post-test scores, and motivation and
Low English learning anxiety than the control group. This indicates that using the LINE-based English learning model designed by this study in conducting learning activities produced better learning results.
• Future Work Materials
Learning Strategies Grouping
The End
Thanks for your attention
J
Pei-Yu Cheng
