Graded Assignment 1: ESL Website Evaluation
Website: learn-english-today
Question 1: What does the application attempt to “teach”?Basically, most of the ESL websites attempts to teach the four basic skills which are reading, writing, listening and speaking. However the website that I have chosen attempt to “teach” only two of the basic skills which are writing and speaking. The site emphasizes more on the development of writing and speaking which can be seen through series of grammar lessons, idioms and vocabulary activities which extensively focuses on adult learner who seek for help in learning the English language as for preparation in their professional world. The first section is the grammar lessons which the main objective is to help the learners to revise the basic grammar rules, however the ‘teaching’ did not tailored based on any level. The website insert a wide range of tenses and verbs forms which each of the topics contains systematic table of explanation, examples and exercises.
The second and third sections are the ‘Vocabulary lists’ and ‘English business vocabulary’ which centralized on terminology of the language in which the learners can utilize in ‘real time’ situation and business field. The website inserts a wide range of vocabulary/glossaries on topics ranging from general and professional themes which include a section devoted to the environment to world issues as well as useful phrases and terms commonly in all areas of business. These are to familiarize ESL learners to the language, improve their speaking skills and expose them to various terminology and forms of conversation in which later improve their communication skills with others. Thus, exercises on vocabulary from the website aid learners in understanding and utilizing English better in future. Same goes with the fourth section of idioms and proverbs which comprise lists of idioms use in everyday conversational English.
The materials used for teaching and learning English from this website are which systematic. Each topics and activities are well explained in an organized table format comprises simple explanation and examples in which learners are able to follow and understand. Each of the important explanations are highlighted and underlined so that the learner can identify and memorized the important keywords. However, the grammar lessons and exercises/practice are not designed according to learners’ proficiency level. The grammar exercises are simply to fulfill learners’ needs of revising the basic grammar rules. The websites also provides online games which have three levels based on learners’ proficiency levels: beginner, intermediate and advance.
Question 2: What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with the regards to the learning content?
This website offers various activities, practices, quizzes and online and printable games to assists learners in speaking, reading and writing area. It begins with user being exposed to the tables of grammar explanations and examples for each tenses and verbs form. Through each topics of grammar lessons students can self-determine their understanding by clicking to the exercises below and print the exercises. Besides grammar lessons, learners can also click on the vocabulary section and idioms and proverbs section which portrays lots of terminology and lists of idioms that are commonly used in conversational English. In ‘English business vocabulary’, there are lot forms of useful business vocabulary dosage which can be useful ‘communication guidelines’ for adult learner in presenting themselves as well as starting their own career in business field. With the record of scores for online quizzes and exercises in the ‘graded word games’, learners are able to self-reflect their own strengths and weaknesses which are crucial areas for improvement.
In terms of completing the tasks, learners do not have to require any specific computer skills. The exercises provide by the website are mainly in the forms of online games which comprised of crosswords, jumbled sentences, missing words, matching exercises and quizzes and printable games which consist of words search, crosswords and quizzes in which the learners and teachers can print it out and can be done in classroom. Exercises used are multiple-choice question (MCQ), mixed-up sentences (drag and drop), gap fill exercise and matching exercise. Learners are able to complete the exercise if the instructions are simple structured which will ensure a smooth process of learning the skill by the learner.
Question 3: What sort of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?
Users expected to have basic skills in order to operate/access/ use the application in general. The activities in the websites are easy for users to access. There are clear and simple instructions in completing the activities. First thing that the users have to do is the users have to explore the websites by browsing through the site. Before selecting the exercises or quizzes from the website, the users should explore the site by browsing each section as it divided into several main sections which comprises of five main topics (grammar lessons, vocabulary, idioms, proverbs, word games and quotation). Then users have to browse through the main topics in order to get to the subtopics (verbs tenses and forms, lists of vocabulary and meanings, lists of idioms and meanings, lists of proverbs, online games and printable games and lists of quotation and meaning). The exercises/games can mostly be answered by using the mouse ‘clicking and selecting’ on the clue and type the appropriate answer in crosswords and gap -fill exercise, select-click on the right answer in multiple-choice questions (MCQ), ‘drag and drop’ in mixed up sentences, matching exercise as well as jumbled sentences. Even though these are all basic computer skills, these skills are vital to ensure smooth learning process.
Question 4: While you are playing/ accessing/ assessing the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?
It does reminds me of the memory I had in my kindergarten years where each Wednesday we had computer session/period. Each of us will take turn playing the computer where my kindergarten teacher put a very cool interactive English courseware where at that time I thought it was a fish game where there are language songs about things around us which was cute and fun to sing along with. Plus, there are basic mixes and match exercises for me to do and explore the games where I still remember that I have to choose the correct words based on the words given where each word produce sound and each words are carried by big beautiful colourful fish. That was fun and exciting! There are a lot of interactive activities in the CD which I unable to recall. We (my friend and I) loves the game so much which we couldn’t wait for it to come around. That was the starting point where I started to like English language apart from the big beautiful fish. =)
When the first time I started to explore the website’s online games and exercises it reminds me of the fourth tasks where you asked us to do JCloze exercise (gap fill exercise) by using the Hot Potatoes application. The sites used most of the Hot Potatoes application which are JCloze (gap fill exercise), JMatch (matching exercise), JCross (crosswords), JQuiz (MCQ) and JMix. I started to realize that the Hot Potatoes application can be very useful tools for the teacher to familiarize the students with the language as well as the usage of internet and technology . I would say that this is one of modern methodologies which the teachers can apply as one of the teaching and learning process. If only I discover the usefulness of Hot Potatoes application earlier so that I will probably use the application to construct exercises and games and use it during my teaching practicum as I found it very practical and useful where I can insert the fun element and making the exercises and games much more interesting and able to attract students’ attention which indirectly increase students’ interest in learning the language. In this new era, the students see technology as the one of the crucial instrument in their lives. Therefore, if the teacher utilizes the use of technology in the classroom the learning process would be livelier, interactive and the students’ sense of motivation will increase when it comes to the usage of computer and technology .
Question 5: Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?
There are few learning theories underlying the application. One of it is connectionism- trial and error learning. Edward L. Thorndike postulated that the most fundamental type of learning involved the forming of associations (connections) between sensory experiences (perceptions of stimuli/events) and neutral impulses (responses) that manifest themselves behaviourally. He believed that learning often occurs by trial and error (selecting and connecting) which can be seen via MCQ questions where the learner select on one of the answer, perform it and the correct answer appear. The learner will try several times if the answer they pick is wrong and after several attempt the learners managed to answer it correctly.
Besides form that, behaviorists believe that language learning is a matter of formation of habit. In developing such habit, teachers usually prepared exercise-drill practice. Drilling practice is good for certain stage in child development in language learning however long as we realizing it, it has become a rote learning where the learners did not actually understand the language rules and in times learners will fall back from where they begin.
Zone of Proximal Development, defined as “the distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under the adult guidelines or in collaboration with more capable peers”, where the learners received help/guidance from the teacher. In this site, I can say that most of the online games/activities contains hint which is a helpful hand to the learners. However for this site ample hint is needed.
Question 6: How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?
What is constructivism? Constructivism is not a theory but rather an epistemology about the nature of learning. Constructivism does not propound that learning principles exist and are to be discovered but rather that learner who is the one who create their own learning. Constructivist claimed that thinking takes place in contexts and that cognitions are largely constructed by individuals as a function of their experience in situation. A basic assumption of constructivism is that people are active learner and must construct knowledge for themselves (Geary, 1995). For example, to understand the materials well, learners must discover the basic principles for themselves. In classroom, teacher can come up with an interesting lesson (various hands-on activities) which the students have to be actively engaged with where at the end of the lesson the students should be able to construct their own knowledge adapted from the lesson. For example, in teaching speaking the teacher can give a guideline of what to talk and on what area so in engaging the students to the lesson, the teacher create a situation where the students have to create a simple dialogue and they have to act out their given role. Therefore, indirectly the students utilized the language and imagine themselves as another people who speak the language. This activity will generate their writing skills as well as their speaking skills. By adapting to the language, the students create their own understanding towards the lesson as well as language. Relating to the website, the learners can revise the grammar lesson by playing various hands-on activities (crossword, gap fill exercise and matching exercise) where the knowledge becomes sense to the learner thus create their own definition of language knowledge.
Question 7: In 1980’s and early 1990’s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was the “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation- was the computer a replacement for teachers or merely an obedient servant to students?
In my point of view, computer can be a good slave to the learning process but not master. To accomplish a successful teaching and learning process I strongly believed that the relationship between teacher and students has to be in a good shape. An effective two way communication between two parties (teacher-students) is needed in order to deliver the lesson smoothly. Students need teacher to guide, support them as well as to give them additional explanations on topic they could not understand. Besides that, the students also need verbal feedback in fixing their weaknesses in language learning. In these cases, computer fails to do its part if the students need further justification as well as verbal feedback to fix the weaknesses. On the other hand, computer has become a part of human life. Computer and mobile has been a necessity to each one of us but I still believe that we need the technology and that we are not becoming it slave. Computer is a useful medium in helping the teacher to teach the students in more interesting way. Without the help of technology , teachers would have to prepare everything in papers and it’s actually cost as well as time consuming. I start to realize this, when you taught us on how to use the hot potatoes application. In my opinion, it was very helpful for the teacher to teach the students via computer. I would say the computer is the complement to the teaching and learning process. It complements the teacher and the students as well as the teaching and learning process. For example, by having the courseware/application such as ESL website it helps the students to enhance their understanding in certain area and it is also a big help for the teacher as teacher unable to fulfill and facilitate each students needs. However, teacher is also a human being which has feelings and emotion to understand students’ difficulties and development and prepared appropriate exercises based on student’s proficiency level.
Question 8: Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
Yes? Give reasons:
Yes, I would like to use the application myself in the future due to several reasons. First and foremost, the first impression of the website left a good impact on me where the graphic is neat and the site has all sort of category from grammar to world issues. It is systematic and structured manner which made the application so easy to browse and explore, especially for teachers to use in teaching, and for students to do self-study. The language use is easy to understand and the materials used for teaching and learning English from this website are systematic. Each topics and activities are well explained in an organized table format comprises simple explanation and examples in which learners are able to follow and understand. Each of the important explanations are highlighted and underlined so that the learner can identify and memorized the important keywords. A side form that, this website also introduces English Business Vocabulary which is useful for young adult who want to begin their career in business field. The website provides guidelines on presentation, writing formal letter, preparation for interviews. Exercises are provided at the end of each lesson. This website also provides online and printable word games for all levels. However, the pages for all the activities are a bit dull in terms of graphics were there are no animation only plain blue colour backgrounds.
Suggestion/ Recommendations:
The website could have made some improvement in which the printable exercises should comprise clear instruction. The online games should have timer and recorded marks. The ‘grammar lessons’ section should have been tailored into three different level of proficiency: lessons for beginner, intermediate and advanced. A part from that, the website could have been more interesting if the creator could play around with more graphics, animation and colours to attract more users to learn through this website as it is plain and wordy. The website could also vary the form of activities by adding up more on the four basic skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). For instance, interactive word games like learning through songs, video clips, reading maps and directions and hangman could be introduce. Such games could initiate learners’ motivation especially among learners of younger age. All in all, the website is quite good only if the eye catchy and eye candy element are being insert, that way it could be more cooler and it could attract younger learner.
Reference:
Dale H. Schink (2004), Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective , New Jersey
