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Technology & Learning English as a Second Language:
An evaluation of Language Applications and Software for Second Language Acquisition Mastery in Grades Kindergarten through 5 th Grade Aimee Dial Mancil Kennesaw State University
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Abstract As the United States Schools become more culturally and linguistically mixed, technology has created a learner centered setting that blends digital based learning that cultivates comprehension of content and shapes technological proficiency through opportunities that boost linguistic and cultural awareness and increase technology skills. This paper identifies applications and software that can be used in Grades Kindergarten through 5 th grade instruction to support Second Language Acquisition.
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Introduction
Every type of language teaching has had its own technology to support it (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000). According to Warschauer and Meskill (2000) language teachers who followed the grammar translation method (the teacher explained grammatical rules and students performed translations) relied on one of the most rare technologies in U.S. history, the blackboard. The blackboard was later improved by the overhead projector, another excellent resource for the teacher-influenced classroom (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000). Then early computer software programs surfaced which provided drill and practice grammatical exercises. The audiotape was the perfect resource for audio-lingual methods of language (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000). By the late 1970s the audio-lingual method fell into disgrace (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000). This was due to poor results. The reason for the poor results was the repetitive drills, which focused on language form and ignored communicative meaning (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000). The 1980s and 1990s saw a shift toward communicative language teaching, which emphasizes student engagement in authentic, meaningful interaction (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000). In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education referred to schools as information factories, stating that we must transform the dynamics of the K-12 environment into incubators of exploration and invention that fully engage students (Pourreau and Wright, 2013). Todays education models have further expanded to include a learner focused view of education which promotes technology to establish and customize task on the basis of clear language pedagogy that is both learner centered, cognitively sound and provides teachers with additional tools to assist them in meeting the needs of a more diverse student population (Pourreau & Wright, Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 4
2013). The use of technology in English Language Teaching and learning can not only meet diverse learning needs, but also inspire the advancement of approaches crucial for present-day survival, communication, collaboration and information gathering and retrieval (Pourreau & Wright, 2013). Preparing students for the information culture should be one of the necessary objectives of todays education (Pourreau & Wright, 2013). Technology is helping the quality of learning and instruction from a pencil to paper setting where students are uninvolved learners to a more practical learning environment that incorporates digital based learning and technology profienciences (Pourreau & Wright, 2013).. Learners have moved from an identical group consisting primarily of English-only speakers to a dissimilar blend of students from different linguistic cultures creating new paths to conveying inventive teaching to diverse student population. (Pourreau & Wright, 2013). Research has shown that adding technology will help. Teachers can accommodate individual student learning by applying technology to offer more opportunities and by modifying the educational program to specific student needs (Pourreau & Wright, 2013). This paper will analyze software and application programs that K-5 teachers can use to support Second Language Acquisition in K-5 academic environment. Literature Review This review will state many technologies that can be used with second language learners to increase their success in Second Language Acquisition. These technologies are for grades Kindergarten through 12 th grade. Researchers Pourreau and Wright state that software can be used in helping build listening and speaking skills in another language. They recommend Hello, Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 5
Hello World and Duolingo for grades Kindergarten through 5 th grade, Duolingo and Mindsnacks in the middle school sweeting, Audacity and Mango language in the high school setting to support language instruction. Kabilan, Ahamad and Abidin investigated if university students consider Facebook as a useful and meaningful learning environment that could support, enhance and/or strengthen their learning of the English language. It was found that the students believed Facebook could be utilized as an online environment to facilitate the learning of English. Gruson and Barnes state that putting students in a position to communicate with distant native speakers, it will enable the students to improve oral and sociocultural skills. Video conferencing enhances mutual understanding and develops specific skills on both the student and teachers side. Lin and Tseng studied whether videos, compared with pictures better assisted English Language Learners to learn difficult words. The results revealed significant differences. The video group outperformed the other two groups. Rahman and Pandas research found that women are interested in learning by mobile. Students accessed 2-3 minute audio lessons in this research through a couple of voice calls by calling a four digit short code. The study concluded that this was great timing in the Bangladesh because they had a demand for learning English and digital learning. Yang, Gamble and Tang state that online discussions are great for second language learners. They state that online discussions should be structured. This means providing students with sufficient direction in initiating and sustaining meaningful dialogue. Discussions should be facilitated. This means taking advantage of immediate feedback, scaffolding, and Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 6
encouragement. These researchers stated that students were more motivated to learn English after engaging in voice over instant messaging. Yang, Chuang, Li and Tseng studied the effectiveness of integrating critical thinking into individualized English and Speaking instruction into Moodle, a virtual learning environment. Results showed that learners participating in the treatment significantly improved in terms of English listening and speaking. Yang and Wu studied Digital Storytelling on academic achievement, critical thinking, and learning motivation of senior high school students learning English as a foreign language. The findings stated that Digital Storytelling participants performed significantly better than lecture type participants in terms of English achievement, critical thinking and learning motivation. Tilfarlioglu studied students attitudes about using Web 2.0 technologies in learning English. Student attitudes were revealed and recommendations were developed for language teachers and educators. It was found that Web 2.0 technologies serve as a good learning tool that second language learners could practice in a real life atmosphere. Research Questions To what extent do students perceive the language acquisition software/applications as a useful tool for learning English? To what extent do teachers perceive the language acquisition software/applications as a useful took for learning English?
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Definition of Terms Second Language Acquisition, second-language learning, or L2 acquisition, is the practice by which people learn a second language (Gass & Selinker, 2000). Second-language acquisition (often abbreviated to SLA) refers to any language studied in addition to a person's first language; although the concept is named second-language acquisition, it can also merge the learning of third, fourth, or following languages (Gass & Selinker, 2000). Application software is all the computer software that causes a computer to perform useful tasks beyond the running of the computer itself (Wikipedia, 2013). An exact example of such software is called a software application, program, application or app (Wikipedia, 2013). According to Wikipedia, Technology is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function. According to the Reading Eggs website, Reading Eggs is a research-based, online reading program that makes learning basic reading skills fun and motivating for 4-8 year olds. The Reading Eggs program begins with an optional diagnostic placement test, and then moves a student through three levels, corresponding to skills learned in Pre-K through Grade 2 (Study Island). Each level contains different lessons made up of 6 to 10 parts (Study Island). Lesson one serves as a good portrayal for the scheme of all lessons (Study Island). After the first lesson animations, lesson one continues with an assortment of interactive activities concentrating on letter formation and writing, vocabulary development and reading with comprehension (Study Island). The third part of lesson one builds letter formation skills by Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 8
asking students to complete a dot-to-dot activity to make a letter (Study Island). This links to writing with the kinesthetic reinforcement of moving the computer mouse to create the letter (Study Island). Part four gives introduction to the letter name with both its lower case and upper case forms (Study Island). It also makes children mindful of how the letter may differ when it appears in different fonts (Study Island). Part five produces vocabulary understanding by introducing and reinforcing the words that will appear in the book at the end of the lesson (Study Island). Part six is an e-book, which is one of the 26 alphabet books that appear in the first forty one lessons (Study Island). Each e-book appears with a cover and pages that turn to mimic the act of reading a real book so that students are gaining book-handling skills as well (Study Island). All books are read aloud to the student and act as a model for his or her own fluent reading of the text (Study Island). Books are carefully leveled to match the childs reading level (Study Island). The last part of lesson one, part seven, is where the child receives a reward for completing the lesson (Study Island). According to the Renaissance Place website, English in a Flash helps students quickly learn the content-area vocabulary necessary for success in specific subjects. With English in a Flash, this technology can close the vocabulary gap between your English language learners (ELLs) and other struggling students, and their classmates (Renaissance Place, 2013). English in a Flash provides the vocabulary that moves students from learning English to learning in English, no matter their current level of proficiency (2013). Students will learn vocabulary effectively and efficiently in no more than 15 minutes a day (2013). Using English in a Flash 15 minutes a day develops content-area vocabulary so they can succeed with academic standards (2013). The students begin their study at the appropriate vocabulary levels that focuses on Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 9
vocabulary while learning grammatical structures completely while improving listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English (2013). Method Review and literature searches were conducted to analyze applications and software programs that provided high usage across different computer and handheld device technologies combined with easy usage by K-5 students and teachers. Economical implementation at little to no cost to the local system was also another component. The searches conducted within these specifications limited the field to a small number of applications and software that warranted further review per user evaluation and feedback through teacher and student surveys. The following applications were selected for further review and user evaluation via their high usage across varied technology based computers and devices, their easiness of use, and the low cost of implementation: English in A Flash, Education City and Reading Eggs. The study was designed as follows: Teachers and students from grades Kindergarten through fifth grade would evaluate English in a Flash, Education City and Reading Eggs. Data will be collected from these programs to see if Second Language Acquisition was successful. Rationale for the design The purpose of this study is to progress the Second Language Acquisition in the K-5 classroom by determining software and applications that enhance and strengthen language instruction. Based on the finding of the literature review, learners attain a second language by building on real knowledge of their native language, conventional learning design, and properties of language to manifest proficiency of a second language. These findings were used to select English in a Flash, Reading Eggs and Education City for testing in the K-5 setting. The Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 10
applications and software were selected for different grade levels based on student preparation, emotional variables, and age relevance of user content. This study is expected to assist K-5 educators in deciding the strengths and weaknesses of the usage and integration of the apps and software in teaching. Evaluation Criteria This study includes research reviews, teacher and student surveys in three language acquisition applications and software programs for easiness of use, convenience, and success in building the listening and speaking skills of second language learners. The researcher also assessed each application and software program for overall appropriateness across different devices, including iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android, and PC. Instruments Two Likert scale questionnaires were produced to capture information from teachers and students to outline the comprehensive viewpoint, value and content of the applications and software being investigated to supplement Second Language Acquisition. Both questionnaires included software and application usage, learning objectives to be evaluated, the satisfaction of use and to determine how well the apps and software enriched the learners attempt to build listening and speaking skills. The student survey contains seven questions constructed to attain data on student attitudes toward the application and software programs in association with the ease of use, assistance in learning the material, and eagerness to use the application again in their own time (see Appendix A). The teacher survey (See Appendix B) consist of fifteen questions created to let teachers voice their insight and wisdom regarding ease of use, convenience, and validity of software and applications in building the listening and speaking skills of second Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 11
language learners. The survey also included questions about the years of experience, degree of education, age, gender, and grade level taught. Participants Participants for this study were students and teachers from Elementary School A. Seven ESOL students will be surveyed. Data from the seven ESOL students will be evaluated using reports from the two software programs, Reading Eggs and English in a Flash. Twenty teachers will be asked to fill out a survey to measure their viewpoints of each software program. The teacher and student participants completed surveys (See Appendix A and B) measures viewpoints about the ease of use, convenience, and efficiency in building the listening and speaking skills of second language learners. All participants were selected randomly from classrooms in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade. Proposed Analysis The survey results will be analyzed to determine the benefit that students and teachers placed on the applications and software being considered for resource supplements to SLA in the K-5 setting. The researcher will also analyze data reports from Reading Eggs and English in a Flash to determine whether these two applications/software should be considered as supplements to SLA in the K-5 setting. Student and Teacher survey will be analyzed and the results will be placed in a table. The results will be placed in two different tables. The first will be the student table. Each question will be placed in the table along with the results from the two applications/software in a separate column. The percentage of each answer will be placed in the table. The same will be used for the teacher survey. The researcher will analyze the data reports from both applications/software Running Header: Technology & Learning English: Evaluation of Applications and Software 12
listed and will report the results in a table as well. This will be explained in a qualitative manner. I will not be using the students name, however, I will be describing them as Student A and so on. I will give background information of each student and describe what the student has learned from Reading Eggs and English in a Flash throughout the year using the data reports from the programs.
References
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