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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Using a Telecollaboration Exchange Web 2.0 in a Second Language Classroom
Author(s)
Maguerite Coutinho
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DOI:10.17265/2161-623X/2016.10.004
Affiliation(s)
Nottingham University, Nottingham, England
ABSTRACT
This research project
presented a practical evidence-based investigation into whether a
telecollaboration exchange or tandem exchange incorporating the use of Web 2.0
tools can be used to enhance the linguistic skills of adults learning English
as a second language in the Middle East. It explored the possibilities of
integrating the exchange in the form of Web 2.0 tools, as partly online and face-to-face instruction, in a post-compulsory
adult learning environment. The project sought to illustrate the usefulness of
a blended course for Arabic speakers learning English at a higher education
institute six hours per day. The research identified the difficulty in the
learners’ ability to acquire the second language, which, in this case, is English, in the educational system of a particular
curriculum. It offered a way to improve the learners’ linguistic skills by
improving the methodology and subject matter of the curriculum through a
telecollaoration exchange, in order to provide bespoke tuition for the learners.
By the end of a stipulated period of instruction, the learners had upgraded their
competencies to participate in examination preparation and achieve an International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) qualification with a band 5.0 score. This study
adopted the active or practical participatory method in the form of an
experiment or pilot study that aims to discover whether embedding online learning
through the telecollaboration exchange could benefit
second language learners. The project explored
the possibilities of implementing the tandem exchange into the pedagogical
approach and the affordances of such a technique to motivate learners in
developing
their overall linguistic competencies through a variety of theme-based literacy
practices. The research methods used are quantitative with tables and learners’
comments.
KEYWORDS
telecollaboration exchange, second language learning, adult learning, experiential learning, synchronous discussions, learner autonomy
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