JOURNAL OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES THE EFFECT OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING ON THE TERTIARY LEVEL STUDENTS OF ENGINEERING COURSE
¹ DR. T. SASIKANTH REDDYI
¹AAcademic Consultant, Department of Humanities, Yogi Vemana University College of Engineering, Proddatur Town, YSR Kadapa Dist. A.P.
1. INTRODUCTION • Immediate and detailed feedback to learners as Language teaching is rather a difficult and regards their progress, mistakes etc.) complicated process that requires gradual work. • Flexible learning (anytime, anywhere, anything Instructors in the field of language teaching always try learners want) hard to make language learning enjoyable and • Non-linear learning interesting for the learners. Different activities, games, • Increased motivation and interesting stories help language teachers to • Less frustration achieve their goal through many years and they still • New types of exercises do it. However, at the beginning of 1980s, technology Considering the suggestions made by the researchers came into use in the language classrooms with films, discussed, the following list can be designed to television, and language labs having video tapes and indicate the disadvantages of CALL in the classroom: audio cassettes. As technology developed, new • High cost of equipment and software programs came into use to create a more interactive • Low capacity of the equipments and interesting environment for language learners and • Lack of CALL software of high quality teachers than what was previously available in the Lack of trained teachers traditional language classrooms. Many researchers, in • search of the best way to acquire second language, • Computer anxiety among students and teachers now use CALL in language classrooms to find out its • Not suitable for all learners (different learning effects on language learning. The enrichment of styles) language teaching and learning process through CALL 3. PURPOSE can be achieved through empirical research including This study aimed to answer the following questions as learners’ attitudes and opinions. Therefore, one of the regards the effect of computer-assisted language aims of this study is to give language learners an learning on the learners’ test scores. The main opportunity to reflect, whether CALL has helped the problems of this study are stated as follows: learners. These reflections may provide insights for 1. Which instruction method is more effective as both language teachers and learners. measured by the learners’ pre and post test results on 2. ADVANTAGES OF CALL the test or traditional instruction? Chavez (1990) determined that technology together 1.1. Is there a statistically significant difference in with meaningful tasks and interactional purposes regard to the gain scores on the structure section of promoted a positive second language learning test between the learners instructed by CALL and the environment, stressing the importance of learner learners instructed by traditional instruction? autonomy (as cited in Liu, Moore, Graham and Lee, 1.2. Is there a statistically significant difference in 2003). Similarly, an analysis by Ying (2002) indicated regard to the gain scores on the reading section of test that network-assisted environments provide learners between the learners instructed by CALL and the with autonomous training and learning. These studies learners instructed by traditional instruction? contributed to learner autonomy, which means that 1.3. Is there a statistically significant difference in learners can learn according to their own pace and regard to the gain scores on the listening section of review what they have learned easily. This is the most test between the learners instructed by CALL and the widely benefit of CALL in educational settings. learners instructed by traditional instruction? Considering the suggestions made by the authors 2. What are the learners’ perceptions as regards the discussed, the following list can be outlined to use of CALL? indicate the advantages of CALL in the classroom: • Learner autonomy 4. METHODOLOGY The study was designed as a quasi-experimental study • Repetitive practice since it did not include the use of random assignment.
ISSN: 0975 – 6701| NOV 09 TO OCT 10 | Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 1 JOURNAL OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES It focused on using computer-assisted language participants. For participants instructed by traditional learning and traditional instruction to prepare the instruction, practice tests on this CD were converted participants for the exam. One class was taught using to paper tests. The participants in the experimental computer-assisted instruction in a language laboratory group worked alone on a computer and learned at their (the teacher was in the class just to make sure that own pace. They studied any section as much as they participants were working with the computers and to liked. The instructor did not participate in the help if anything went wrong with the computers), teaching/learning process, but he made sure that the while the other class was taught using a traditional participants were working alone on their computers. method of instruction in a traditional classroom The participants in the control group met the instructor setting. The training lasted for 8 weeks and the same three hours each week during eight weeks. The same instructor met the two groups three hours every week. materials (printed and paper versions of the practice 5. PARTICIPANTS tests) were used according to the schedule set by the The participants in the study were 120 students in the instructor. Participants studied structure, reading and Departments of Civil, Mechanical and Electrical and listening (one hour was devoted to each) during three Electronics Engineering. . The students were assigned hours. On the last day of classes, the instructor to the three sections of the school experience course administered the same test as post test. The scores alphabetically at the beginning of the semester by the obtained by pre-test and post test were statistically department. Participants were chosen from the third analyzed. In addition, after two days following the section, which were available for the study). They post-test the participants in the experimental group were aged between 18 and 20 and they were mostly were interviewed one by one as regards their opinions graduates of SRR Teacher trainee’s High School about CALL. The interview took place in the office of where a year of English preparation program was the researcher without a time limit, but took required. Of the participants, twenty-nine were approximately, 7-10 minutes. The interviews with the females and five were males. The participants were learners were tape recorded and the researcher took randomly assigned to the experimental and control notes. The participants were interviewed in English. groups using a table of random numbers. 8. CONCLUSION Experimental and control groups consisted of 17 Based on the results of the study, it is suggested that participants each (three males and fourteen females CALL be integrated into the traditional classrooms and two males and fifteen females respectively) since where the instructor is also available for further the language laboratory for experimental group assistance and questions and teachers help students accommodated that number. practice reading passages or articles on a computer 6. VARIABLES IN THE STUDY and some activities should be provided in order that Computer assisted language learning, as defined for students become familiar with reading and accessing this study, was provided in a language laboratory to reading materials online. It is also suggested that where learners worked alone on a computer using the CALL is a great help in learning/teaching situations provided programs and learnt at their own pace. The where repetitive practice is required. However, a word instructor did not participate in the learning process, of caution is due here. It must be taken into but he made sure that learners were working alone on consideration that these results may have been their computers. Traditional instruction was given in influenced by a number of extraneous factors. The lecture format and as information going from the participants in the study were not selected randomly, instructor to the learners. Participants had to follow and a convenience sample was used. Therefore, the the instructor‘s schedule and they could not learn at study should be repeated with a number of similar their own pace. All the materials used in the groups samples to decrease the likelihood that the results were identical. obtained were a one-time occurrence. The study 7. DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES continued for eight weeks. This duration could be With the consent of the participants, the study was extended to one semester in a year and also be conducted after the regular classes in the department incorporated into one of the courses in the department. are over (after 4 p.m.). On the first day of classes, an This would relieve the pressure of time and the other informed consent form was presented which was responsibilities of the participants. Moreover, adapted from the sample consent forms given in How speaking and writing skills were ignored and were not to. After participants signed the form, the instructor taken into consideration in the study because of the administered the pre-test (paper version) to the control lack of software, lack of time and workload of the and experimental groups in the same class. Then, both participants in their department. Indeed, speaking and groups received instruction through different media writing skills could have been included in the study for eight weeks and three hours each week by the since they are accounted in the language skills. same instructor. During the eight weeks, for classroom 9. REFERENCES practice, English Grammar in Use and Cambridge [1]Alatis, J. E. The application of instructional Advanced Learner‘s Dictionary were used. The CD technology to language learning. CALICO Journal, 1 versions of these materials were used by the learners (1), 1983, pp.9-14. instructed by CALL. In addition, was used by the
ISSN: 0975 – 6701| NOV 09 TO OCT 10 | Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 2 JOURNAL OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES [2]Allum, P. CALL and the classroom: the case for comparative research, ReCALL, 14 (1) 2002, pp.146- 166. [3]Ayres, R. Learner attitudes towards the use of CALL, Computer Assisted Language Learning, 15 (3), 2002, pp.241-249. [4]Bax, S. CALL-past, present and future, System, 31 (1), 2002, pp.13-28. [5]Brown, J. D. Computers in language testing: Present research and some future directions, Language Learning & Technology, 1 (1), 1997, pp. 44-59.
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