Improving English Learning in Elementary Schools with Mobile Devices in Familiar Situation

• Main Authors: Holly S. L. Chen, 陳淑鈴
• Other Authors: W.Y. Hwang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/65481002756848793717

博士 === 國立中央大學 === 網路學習科技研究所 === 103 === It is beneficial for students to experience situational learning, especially for English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. This research proposed a situational learning system with mobile device to help elementary school students practice and improve their English skills. On one hand, the listening and speaking experiment recruited 60 fifth-grade students from two separate EFL classes. A class of 30 students was identified as the experimental group, and the remaining students were assigned as the control group. On the other hand, the reading and writing experiment recruited 59 sixth-grade students from two separate EFL classes. A class of 28 students was identified as the experimental group, and another class of 31 students was assigned as the control group. Furthermore, the experimental group learned multimedia-based learning materials about food materials at lunch with PDAs. In contrast, the control group learned via paper-based learning materials in class without real contextual support. The results of the listening and speaking experiment show that the proposed system and designed activities provided EFL elementary school students with listening and speaking practice opportunities in basic vocabulary and simple sentences with the support of familiar, situational learning. Additionally, findings reveal that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in learning achievement. By providing recommended sample voices recorded by peers, students in the experimental group could repeatedly listen to the recordings in familiar situations, thus obtaining more opportunities to practice and interact with peers later. In addition, the other significant finding is that the number of peers used to practice speaking English in daily contexts, defined as practice diversity, was significantly correlated to learning improvement. That is, when students practiced speaking English with an increased number of peers, in familiar contexts, their English skills improved. After interviews with students, an interesting phenomenon was identified; students in the experimental group extended their learning from school to home. In other words, students’ learning was not only a deliberate event but the situation learning also took place spontaneously in their daily lives. Moreover, in the reading and writing system students can carry out assigned writing tasks using the support of mobile devices in situations deemed to be familiar to the students, such as on the school playground, within classroom facilities, and at lunch. The results of the experiment indicated a significant difference in learning achievement between the two groups. Students in the experimental group perceived the designed activities to be fun; thus, they were more inclined to maintain interest in situated learning scenarios. Furthermore, based on interviews with participating students from both groups, we found that the activities presented within familiar contexts, and supported by our proposed system, inspired students to not only write more sentences, but to describe the target objects clearly and thoroughly. Therefore, the proposed system and activities can help EFL students, particularly novices, learning English in familiar situational contexts.