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CULTURES, MEDIA AND LANGUAGES

Degree Project in English Studies and Education

15 Credits, Ground Level

-

The Opinions and Beliefs of Four Teachers

Regarding Computer Assisted Language Learning

Fyra lärares syn på datorstödd språkinlärning

Mahmut Paca

Grundlärarexamen med inriktning mot åk 7-9, 270 hp, 2019-01-12

Examiner: Björn Sundmark Supervisor: Shannon Sauro

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Table of Contents

Abstract 3

1. Introduction 4

2. Purpose and Research Questions 7

3. Theoretical Literature Review 8

3.1. Theories of Language Learning 8

4. Methodology 13

4.1 The Participants 13

4.2 Ethical Consideration 14

4.3 Means of Pursuing Data Collection 14

4.4 Data Collection and Analysis 15

5. Results and Discussion 17

5.1 Results: Teachers’ Belief Regarding Computer Assisted Language Learning 17

5.2 Discussion 21

6. Conclusion 24

7. References 25

8. Appendix 1 28

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Abstract

Digital technology has developed at a rapid pace, even in the second language learning classrooms. The Swedish Curriculum of English stresses the importance of learning digital technology in the school environment. This theoretical research and empirical study has been carried out to find out how computer assisted language learning (CALL) may influence motivation and student’s engagement and other learning outcomes, such as listening,

speaking, and reading. It provides evidence that second language learning theories support the use of CALL for language education. The beliefs of four in-service teachers’ are that CALL makes the students more motivated and engaged in their English as a second language.

Key Words: Digital technology, Computer assisted language learning (CALL), Curriculum, Beliefs, Learning skills.

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1. Introduction

Digital technology provides important resources for the classroom learning of today. Historically, we have gone from using chalk and slate to pen and paper. And now we are moving over to the use of digital technology in our classrooms, which turns our classrooms into a “digital classroom” (Ozerbas & Bilge, 2016, p. 204). This swift change of class formation from pen and paper to the digital classroom should not surprise us; it is a

consequence of the change that occurs in the life of youths today. A recent study done shows that 100 per cent of youths of Sweden use a digital technological item in their everyday lives such as smart phone etc. This massive use of digital technology marks the Swedes, as “ an increasingly digitized people” (Svenskarna och Internet, 2017). Consequently, the formation of the digital classroom, which Ozerbas and Bilge describe as a classroom where learning occurs with the help of computer-generated tools which makes learning more available and easy everywhere for learners, should be considered a natural part of the change that’s coming from society. Similarly, according to the literal definition by Blake (2013) digital technology includes all types of electronic equipment and applications that use the information in the form of numeric codes, which are supportive in many ways for second language learners because they possess “the most mechanical drill-and-kill exercise to fully communicative real-time conversations (i.e. chat)”, (Blake, 2013, p.14). Furthermore, Ozerbas and Bilge claim that a classroom armed with “information and communication technology (ICT)” (p.2014) creates eager learners who enthusiastically take part in learning and become more responsible learners themselves for their own language acquisition (Ozerbas & Bilge, 2016, p.2014).

This huge change, implementing digital technology in the learning environments and claims that argue digital technology has many positive means in second language learning give you reasons to consider the impact of using digital technology in the language-learning classroom. But, it can also make you feel discouraged when you first enter a classroom fully engaged with digital technology in language learning. As Levy (2012) argued: the difficult task of having to deal with the variety of technologies faced by the language teachers is disheartening (Levy, 2012, p.280). Similarly, my first experience in my teacher practice in secondary school is that I felt discouraged by the massive use of digital technology in the classroom. This was due to my non-tech-school background. But, when I had a chance to look at an English course book I began to think in line with Legutke (2012) who argues that “many textbooks ignore poetic and narrative text” and I wondered if the second language learners

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would be sufficiently engaged in their desire for sense by the context in the course textbook, and if the course textbook supplies them with enough chances for second language learners so they make productive expression with their second language learning (Legutke, 2012,p.115). In his words: “Do they have the power to engage the learner’s interest”? I noticed that a lack of authentic material in the textbook is common, which can make second language learners feel discouraged in their language learning. But when second language learners are tasked in digital technology, I experienced, that they become more motivated, engaged in their learning process and making lively conversation in the classroom.

Digital technology is now an integral part of many young people’s lives, and the current generation in schools is the most internet-savvy and technologically literate

generation. This is not only true for Sweden but also abroad. For example, Li, Snow, Jiang and Edwards (2015) present a survey made by Pew Internet and American Life Project that the majority of youths in the United States of America are using digital communication tools; “77 % of teens aged 12-17 had cell phones of some sort, and 23 % of teens owned

smartphones” (Li, Snow, Jiang & Edwards, 2015, p.451-452). Furthermore, Jiménez Guamán (2012) argues that Internet use amongst the youths of today has become more popular and created a new life style of communicating with each other online (Jiménez Guamán, 2012, p. 182). Even in their language learning process English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners, most of whom master using the Internet, use the Internet a great deal to improve their language acquisition (p.182).

Furthermore, my experience from my courses at Malmo University is that there is a massive focus on digital technology and technology in the learning environment.

Additionally, the Swedish curriculum for secondary school states “it is the responsibility of the school that all individual students can use books, library resources and modern technology as a tool in the search for knowledge, communication, creativity and learning” (Skolverket, 2013, p.9). Moreover, the Agency of Education states further that:

The education is organised such that students in order to be able to search for and acquire knowledge, have access to guidance and teaching materials of high quality, and also other learning aids for a modern education where there is access to libraries, computers and other technical aids (Skolverket, 2013, p.13).

All these above-mentioned factors and the massive interest in digital technology in language learning have brought my attention to the use of digital technology in the

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using computer assisted language learning (CALL), which Levy defines as “the search for and study of application of the computer in language teaching and learning” (Levy, 1997, p. 1), in second language learning by interviewing four in-service teachers.

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2. Purpose and Research Questions

As a future English Second Language teacher (ESL), my main purpose for this research project is to examine the impact of computer assisted language learning (CALL) on the second language development process in teenage language learners. This will be done by exploring four in-service teachers’ beliefs pertaining to the impact of using computer assisted language learning has on secondary school pupils when learning English as second language (L2)

To help my research project being carried out accordingly I have decided on two questions:

1. How does computer assisted language learning (CALL) influence motivation and student’s engagement?

2. How does computer-assisted language learning (CALL), impact learning outcomes such as listening, speaking, etc.?

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3.Theoretical Literature Review

This section will describe and explain the significant theoretical ideas supporting learning and second language acquisition. It will combine the theoretical second language learning ideas with the learning outcomes gained from experimental studies. It will further explain the recommendation made by researches in lesson planning.

3.1. Theories of Language Learning

The role of motivation in second language acquisition has been widely accepted by many researchers and theorists as one of the key factors that influence second language learners. With a look at the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary you find that motivation is the word derived from the word “motive” which means needs, desires, or drives within individuals. Equally important, Gärdenfors (2013) argues motivation to be the essence of learning and understanding; it is the process of stimulating learners into action and to accomplish their learning goals. Once learners are motivated they will become curious to learn more (Gärdenfors, 2013, p.22-23). In addition, Ushioda (2012) describes the importance of two kinds of motivation in language learning: intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation. Extrinsic motivation has to do with a contributing focus “reflecting the practical value and advantages of learning a new language” (Ushioda, 2012, p.78). On the other hand, intrinsic motivation refers to the desire that is driven by sense of internal achievement. For example, second language learners who are intrinsically motivated want to learn the language because they want to get to know the people who speak that language and their culture. This internal desire in learners is to get to know the native speaker and their culture is a result of integrative focus “reflecting a sincere and personal interest in people and culture represented by the other group”, (Ushioda, 2012, p.78-79). In conclusion, Ushioda (2012) argues “intrinsic motivation promotes high-quality learning, since intrinsically motivated learners are deeply concerned to learn things well, in a manner that is intrinsically satisfying, and arouses a sense of optimal challenge appropriate to their current level of skill and competence “(Ushioda, 2012, p.79).

Turning now to the experimental evidence on intrinsic motivation, an empirical study done by Young (2003) found evidences that using Information Communication

Technology (ICT) in second language learning can be intrinsically motivational for learners. Young argues further that learners in his study are “empowered by the capacities of the technology and have become better problem solvers and better communicators” which is an obvious hint of speaking skill (Young, 2003, p. 459).

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Having defined what motivation is, I will now move on to present a

recommendation related to motivation for lesson planning. Ushioda, for example, (2012) builds on Dornyei’s concepts and presents an essential supporting structure in motivating second language learners in their classroom learning. In their approaches and methodologies of teaching English as a second language, teachers should consider the following, which Ushioda claims to be successful ways of teaching:

• Creating the basic motivational conditions, which involves establishing good social relations and positive learning atmosphere

• Generating initial motivation, which involves building students’ interest and positive attitudes to learning the language

• Maintaining and protecting motivation, comprising pedagogical strategies for keeping students well motivated and involved during the learning process • Encouraging positive retrospective self-evaluation, which entails enhancing

student’s self-perception of competence and success (Ushioda, 2012, p.79).

Before proceeding to present another experimental study on the subject matter, it will be necessary to say that other researchers and teachers have expressed support for the framework for motivational teaching practice. For example, Lightbown and Spada (2013) who argue that the teachers should engage the learners by defining strategies according to the level of the students, setting goals both long term and short term and designing activities that include group competition (Lightbown & Spada, 2013, p.88-89).

Turning now to the second experimental study, done by Ghahri, Hashamdar and Mohamadi (2015), it presents how well motivated second language learners were when being taught by computer assisted language learning (CALL) programmes. Moreover, those who had access to computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs such as spell check plus online text correction surpassed the control group in their writing process. In their study English foreign language learners (EFL) who received help from correcting websites develop their writing abilities better than those who did not in their Preliminary English Test (PET) (Ghahri, Hashamdar & Mohamadi, 2015p.1498-1499).

Lightbown and Spada (2013) point out the importance of interaction with the native speaker when learning a second language, which will create an expressive conversation in second language learning (Lightbown & Spada, 2013, p.103-14). In his empirical study carried out in Taiwan, Young (2003) finds out that second language learners appreciate the

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use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in second language-learning classroom for several educational reasons: making friends with native speakers, having access to original English texts which enhances their vocabulary learning, learning grammatical terms and sentence structure easily (Young, 2003, p.452).

The sociocultural theory of learning emphasizes social interaction and culture as primary strengths in the cognitive development. The most basic evidence of this theory is that all cognitive growth in learners consequences from interactions with teachers and peers within cultural contexts (Lundahl, 2012, p.205-206). According to constructivism learning occurs within the mind but it is also a “collaborative, interactive process” (Lundahl, 2012, p.198) in which individuals create understanding and knowledge through involvement and include it into their existing origins for understanding (Lundahl, 2012, p.198).

In the same way, Panhwar, Ansari and Ansari (2016) claim, in the sense of Vygotskyan theory, that constructivist learning associates learning with creating “meaning from experience” this is due to the freedom learners experience from external control which socio-cultural theory stresses on and by doing so learners become more co-operative with one another in their language learning; they learn not only from the given information but also from their peers (p.186). Their cognitive development occurs in the social interaction that the learners learn not only the knowledge required but also are able to develop other cognitive skills such as being the arguer, have discussions and most importantly being critical learners (Panhwar, Ansari, Ansari, 2016, p.184-187).

Furthermore, Lightbown and Spada (2013) referring to the term “collaborative dialogue” (p.119), a process of genuine interaction where learners listen deeply and

respectfully to each other striving to intergrate the concerns of other participants into their own perspective, they argue that second language learners become more engaged, ambitious and active in the learning process while producing the language (p.119). Referring to

Vygotskyan theory, they argue further that the (ZPD) learner’s “zone of proximal

development” is where all the learning occurs. (Lightbown & Spada, 2013, p. 118). And the zone of proximal development should be pushed further in development with assistance of scaffolding. Scaffolding involves a mentor, teacher or a computer to assist the second language learner in mastering new skills (Lundahl, 2012, p.209). In so doing, the zone of proximal development will be as Mccaferty, (2002) puts forward in the sense of Vygotsky (1978) “what is in the zone of proximal development today will be the actual developmental level tomorrow—that is, what a child can do with assistance today she will be able to do by herself tomorrow” (McCafferty, 2002, p.192). An important aspect in achieving this is to be

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involved in the interaction with the native speaker. Because interacting with the native

speakers allows the learner to feel more comfortable in their learning so that a learner “always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behaviour (p.192- 193), as zone of proximal development, ZPD, is a consequence of learners’ collaborative working. McCafferty claims further that when the change of ZPD occurs learners become more conscious of their learning and goals. (McCafferty, 2002, 192- 193). And now employing these theories to examine, an experimental study based on experience shows that use of CALL in L2 acquisition to be giving better learning results of L2 learners where they experience collaborative dialogue. Liontou (2015) observed 40 L2 learners aged 13 -14 during one year. His result shows that the experiment group exceeded their peers in reading and understanding English texts, among other things. Furthermore, the study presents the attitude of L2 learners to be very positive in many ways where second language learners express positive remarks towards being taught by CALL: “It is easy to access the meaning of words (e.g., use online dictionaries, pictures) to help me understand what I read in my online EFL classes, I can practice all language skills in an online class, In EFL reading courses, listening to the written text helps me comprehend it better” (Liontou, 2015, p.87-89). L2 learners find online language learning interesting and engaging which increases their motivation.

The role of the monitor model in second language acquisition has gained importance since its introduction by Stephen Krashen in the 1970s (Lightbown & Spada, 2013, p.106). The monitor model is made up of five hypotheses which of each describe the second language learning process: “acquisition /learning hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, natural order hypothesis, the comprehensible input hypothesis, affective filter hypothesis” (p.106). First, The acquisition/learning hypothesis refers to the learning that was unconscious while learners learn in the classroom “through conscious attention” (p.106). Second, the monitor hypothesis refers to knowledge that the acquisition centre creates will be monitored. But if the monitored knowledge does not fit the correct knowledge then there must be changes made. Third, natural order hypothesis puts emphases on the existence of natural order to grammatical features while learning the second language. Four, the comprehensible input refers to the input that is understandable for the learners, when given comprehensible input learners will increase their learning. Lightbow and Spada argue further that comprehensible input should contain “i+1”, meaning the levels of learning learners are on now and a pace past that level including “words, grammatical forms, aspects of pronunciation” (p.106). And finally, affective filter hypothesis, which concerns mostly anxious learners who create a metal

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barrier in their head to filter information from reaching the acquisition centre, which decreases the acquisition of the language.

Having defined what the monitor model is, I will now move on to present an experimental study that follows the principles of the monitor model. The study is done by Hosogoshi (2016) in Japan where Hosogoshi allows his experimental group to watch a video with captions and other times with subtitles on shows how better second language learners develop their listening skill when being taught English by CALL than the group with no-text. The importance of Hosogoshi’s finding is that L2 learners develop a method of imagining and summarizing the context while watching the videos with the captions and subtitles on, since “subtitle can possible reduce their cognitive load” (Hosogoshi, 2016, p.169).

A second experimental study that follows the principles of the monitor model is done by Alvarez-Marinelli et al in Costa Rica (2016) where they use CALL shows that second language learners in the experimental group surpass the control group with a circa 14 points in their oral productions when doing their pre-test in form of telling directions

(Alvarez-Marinelli, Blanco, Lara-Alecio, Irby, Tong, Stanley,&Fan, 2016,p.121). The better result is due to the fact that second language learners were working collaborative in an interactive process, which CALL, made possible. The study further conveys that the experimental group developed better their listening skills than the control group since they were given “visual, auditory, and conceptual” items in their learning process. (Alvarez-Marinelli et al, 2016, p.121).

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4. Methodology

This section will describe the methodological consideration for this research project. It will begin by introducing the interviewed teachers and their educational

background. Furthermore, it will give a description of ethical consideration and how the interviews with the teachers were organised. It will also describe the means of pursuing data collection in relation to the interviews with the teachers. Finally, it will analyse how the interviewed teachers were contacted.

4.1. The Participants

This research project includes four English teachers. All of the participating teachers (See table 1) agreed to voluntary participate in the project.

Table 1: Participating teachers in the research project Teachers Profession and

years of working Year they currently teach Number of English lessons Second subject teacher teaches Teacher A Secondary school teacher, year, 7-9 grades, 20 years Year 7-8 5 English lessons a week Swedish Teacher B Secondary school teacher, 7-9 grades, 2 years

Year 7 8 lessons a week Spanish

Teacher C Secondary school teacher,

7-9 grades, 24 years

Year 8-9 8 lessons a week Swedish

Teacher D Secondary school teacher,

7-9 grades, 12 years

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For the sake of confidentiality and anonymity, I am going to provide my interviewees with pseudonyms. All the interviewed teachers are certified in their respective subjects. The first teacher, who I call Teacher A, has been working as a teacher for 20 years at five different secondary schools in the South of Sweden. The teacher has five English lessons a week, 2 lessons for the seventh grade and 3 lessons for the eighth grade. In addition to English, the teacher also teaches Swedish.

Teacher B has completed their degree recently, in 2016. Since then they have been working at the same school. The teacher has eight English lessons a week all of which are in seventh grade. The teacher also teaches Spanish.

Teacher C has been working as a teacher 24 years at three different secondary schools. She has got eight English lessons a week four of which for the eighth grade and four for the ninth grade. She also teaches Swedish.

Teacher D has got seven English lessons a week, three for the seventh grade and four for the eighth grade. Art Education is her second subject. She has been working for 12 years as teacher at three different schools.

4.2. Ethical Consideration

For ethical reasons I planned my questions in advance so that they are not ethically

suspicious. In addition, I followed the recommendations from Vetenskapsrådet (2002) and explained the reason for my interview to the interviewees and obtained their permission. Moreover, I told them that they have the right to withdraw at any time during the interview. I told them confidentiality and anonymity of the interview, which they were already informed in the email they received (See Appendix 1), I also told them that they have the right to alter the transcript of recordings during the interview, they were also informed that this interview would be used only for the reason mentioned above and not for any commercial purposes nor anything else (p.7-15). And finally, I let them know that the interview would be recorded. The interviews took place 2018-11-29, 2018-11-30 and 2018-12-03 at three different schools in the South of Sweden. Two teachers are from one school. The interviews were recorded so it would be more accurately reproduced.

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This research project adopts a qualitative research approach with a qualitative interview in gathering the relevant data. Qualitative research focuses on producing meaning and

understanding through rich description by exploring “the participants’ views of the situation being studied” (Dörnyei, 2007, p. 38). In the same way, Kvale (2007) argues that when doing a qualitative research interview the interviewer should follow several aspects. First focus should be on “interviewee’s lived experiences”, the meaning of what is said and how it is said. Secondly, the interviewer should find knowledge in a qualitative manner to be able to obtain a rich, “open description of the interviewee’s life world” (p.11). Thirdly, the

interviewer should be open to new experiences while interviewing but the focus should be on the central theme of the study and the interviewer should also be aware of fact that the

interviewee’s answer might be ambiguous. Furthermore, the participant may change their meaning about the study subject so the interviewer should be aware of this. Moreover, when the interview is conducted well, it can provide new insights for the interviewer and the interviewee. And finally, the questions to be asked should be clear and concise (Kvale, 2007, pp-10-14). Since the aim of conducting a qualitative interview, is to collect experienced data from the interviewee and understand his/her point of view on the subject matter (p.9).

Moreover, a semi-structured form of interview with open questions was used. According to Bernard and Ryan (2010), a semi-structured interview form has the character of being flexible when doing qualitative research interviews (Bernard &Ryan, 2010, p.28). In this way, it follows up different areas depending on the interviewee’s responses and it has space for unexpected knowledge that the interviewer and interviewee create during the time of the interview. A useful feature of the semi-structured interview as Bernard and Ryan argue is using “probing” during the interview (See Appendix 2 for Interview guide), which is “the key in-depth interviewing” (Bernard &Ryan, 2010, p.31-32).

4.4. Data Collection and Analysis

In preparation of this research project I contacted six different schools via email in the south of Sweden. I was shown interest from four teachers who agreed to be in interviewed on the subject matter. Two of the teachers (A and B) are the same school, while teachers C and teacher D are from different schools.

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Using a semi-structured interview, allowed me to explore several dimentions while being guided by the questions I had prepared in advance. The first part of the interview was to make sure that the interviewees were relaxed and confident by informing them about the purpose of my interview on the subject matter and how the interview will take place. I used a multi-method approach to document and evaluate the process of integration of the computer-assisted language learning in English as a second language. For example, the interviews with the teachers were recorded while I was taking notes. Secondly, I asked them about their teaching background, and finally the third part deals with computer-assisted language learning, to answer the research questions. In addition, since interviews carried out in a semi-structured form this supplied me, the interviewer, with in-depth data accounts experiences and perceptions, which created room for further discussion on the subject matter. After analysing the recorded data that I had to listen to I wrote notes first in Swedish in which the interviews had been carried out I then translated them to English. I then went on to read both transcriptions in Swedish and English several times to first identify whether they were identical to each other or not. Furthermore, each interview was recorded but handled

individually, so that I could summarise each of them to gain a clearer picture. I then processed the findings from the interviews and produced a table to show the similarities and differences. My final task was to connect and compare my results from the data used with the theoretical background and previous researches in the subject matter.

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5. Results and Discussion

This section presents all the data collected from the interviewed teachers. It is then analysed and presented in relation to research questions. Moreover, it discusses and analyses the data with the learning theories.

5.1 Results: Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Computer Assisted Language

Learning (CALL)

Turning now to the experimental data gained from this research project, when the first research question asked: How does computer assisted language learning (CALL) influence motivation and student’s engagement? The interviews revealed interesting beliefs. All the interviewed teachers expressed optimistic attitude concerning the motivation and engagement (CALL) aroused in their pupils when learning English as a second language.

To start with, teacher A and teacher B believe that CALL has the capacity to promote autonomous learning. A lot of tasks are today are carried out independently and so pupils take more ownership over their own learning, and say, they find it useful and

motivating. They state further that their students become really independent and confident learners when learning English via CALL because they feel that they are not always

dependent on one another or their teacher and this makes them feel even more motivated in their language learning. It should be noted, both teacher A and teacher B stress that using CALL facilitates cultural understanding just because simply the amount of accesses they have when using the Internet to different cultures. Teacher B believes the interest exists in people rather than in tasks, consequently motivation develops as a result of interaction with other people and the huge environmental context.

Similarly, teacher C and teacher D state that CALL makes it possible for second language learners to collaboratively work, particularly with the writing process using wikis and when doing presentations in groups. When sharing a nice memory, teacher C said that she would never forget this as long as she lives:

I have two shy ninth graders who decided to build a group when doing a presentation called ` the many paths to Nobel Peace Prize`. And when they accomplished and put things they have produced themselves on PowerPoint slides and showing this to their fellow peers, the feeling of success and excitement in their eyes combined with the sense of pride as if they were the

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very Nobel Peace Prize Winners themselves, this is something I will always remember (Interview, November, 30, 2018).

The success and engagement the two shy pupils had would not have be possible if they did not have access to CALL, she continued. And, she believes shy students

experience learning anxieties, which can block their language acquisition, but the blockage is removed thanks to the learning opportunities CALL provides. She also believes CALL makes it possible for second language learners to have the opportunity to do tasks that are

meaningful and real life kind of based, because they thrive using their own linguistic resource meaningfully. Consequently, they gain self-motivation; and they become more creative and more responsible in their own learning, she concludes. Furthermore, teacher D points out the importance of creating a more inclusive environment within his classroom where her students experience success in their language learning. This he believes is due to the fact that the youths of today were born with computers and consequently they are amazing with technology and they pick up the technology quite a lot faster than we do, he says. In this sense, CALL is just the right way of learning English from and the output of it is the motivated second language learners in his classroom who are encouraged to convey a meaning in a precise and appropriate manner, he concludes.

Speaking of meaning, teacher C believes when students discuss the meaning of some terms they find in their computers they obtain additional information about the language and so they shift their focus on particular parts of the language. In this way, they also learn new vocabulary and vocabulary is best learnt when students look up picture and video glosses. CALL makes this possible, she concludes.

Furthermore, teacher C mentions a web-based tool that they use at their school called Voicethread, which she thinks learners find very interactive and collaborative, because on Voicethread they can share images, documents, and videos with their teachers. On the same subject, teacher A believes, second language learners do better in their language learning when working collaboratively, in this way, they can guide themselves thorough complex linguistically tasks: “I have three such students who have shown good results in their learning when working collaboratively, who were otherwise weak students” (Interview, November, 29, 2018). Teacher B agrees with teacher A and adds, “Second language

acquisition should be considered as a form of on-going socialisation among second language learners” (Interview, November, 29, 2018). When students learn English as second language

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socialising with one another they see then the language as a means of expression and self-development and then their intrinsic motivation arises, she continues.

Moreover, teacher D believes that CALL creates an atmosphere for her second language learners to be more enjoyable and more engaging. This she believes is due to the fact that CALL hides their fear of making mistakes publicly. Having said that, she believes also that CALL develops second language learners’ motivation from within, because they feel a sense of autonomy when learning English via CALL. And this is precisely in line with teacher B who says, “when students are supported in their sense of autonomy in their language learning they gain willingness to take responsibility in their learning which makes them more motivated” (Interview, November, 29, 2018). And finally, along with that, he believes his students become critical thinkers when they go on different websites and blogs to read texts and newspaper clips. In this sense, he believes CALL promotes critical thinking for his second language learners.

Furthermore, teacher C believes CALL promotes independent language learning for her learners. Students can already learn on their own even without the assistance of their teachers, she says. They are just going to look their computer in order to look for the lesson they need to study, which actually “broadens their mind” (Interview, November, 30, 2018). Having access to the CALL, she says, will expose them to things outside of their teacher’s interests and help them to form their own opinion.

All in all, all the participating teachers believe Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is motivating and engages second language learners in their learning within classroom. Because CALL, they think, promotes exiting ways to teach students: since there are a lot of images, videos and other graphics and texts that they find interesting in their computers. In addition, computer assisted language learning is a collaborative learning where second language learners can make L2 learning purposeful and meaningful, they conclude.

So far this chapter has focused on the interviewed teachers’ belief concerning to the first research question. The following part will discuss the findings of the second research question. When the second research question is asked: How does computer-assisted language learning (CALL), impact learning outcomes such as listening, speaking, and reading etc.? The findings uncover attention-grabbing beliefs from the interviewed teachers on the matter of learning skills.

For example, teacher B believes that the reading and writing skills of his students in English has changed notably compared to how it was just some years ago. She begins, previously students had to acquire information on how to read and write from their

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textbooks even when reading in Swedish, which could be a barrier for their learning

especially for those who have dyslexia or other learning disabilities. Today we use an online speed-reading programme called Eyersize. Eyersize provides students with things like text-to-speech and speech-to-text where they can listen to the English text rather than having to read it. This gives second language learners opportunities for listening and observing

proficient language users communicating, at the same time, which makes them develop their listening skills and they become better at listening in this way, she continues.

Eyersize also provides them with spell checkers, grammar checkers to help them develop their writing and understanding of the English language. Moreover, they get access to original English texts via Eyersize, which enhance their vocabulary learning; they learn grammatical terms and sentence structure easily, she concludes. “I believe CALL provides opportunities for my students of English subject to have their reading, writing and pronunciation skills improved outstandingly” (Interview, November, 29, 2018). Moreover, teacher B says that when her students use electronic dictionaries or video glosses in their computers to get translation of words they don’t know and the words they search are read for them by the electronic dictionaries in their computers,and in this way they also learn the right pronunciation, she says and shares her own story when she herself went to school:

“When I went to school I did not have this opportunity, I was dependant on listening only once in the classroom when we had the English lesson or I had to ask an adult at home and this adult could have had a wrong pronunciation. I did not get that support, but now you can listen to a word many times at home because of this digital technology” (Interview, November, 29, 2018).

In line with teacher B, teacher A also believes that CALL helps her students to develop their speaking, writing and reading and listening skills notably. As well as that, she says that her students can record their voice on electronic dictionaries where they can speak and then the text is typed for them.

In terms of listening skills, teacher D emphases the importance of hearing intonation, rhythm and stress in L2 learning for her students to obtain meaning of the context. This is supplied to my students due to CALL, she says; we use a site called Brainshark, which supplies second language learners with free podcasts and narrated slides for their listening. In this way, she believes her students receive the comprehensible input for them to understand authentic and natural speech in variety of contexts. Moreover, teacher C emphases the

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importance of her students’ making contact with native speakers via CALL, which also helps her students develop their listening skill in an authentic context. Speaking of making contact with native speaker via CALL on chatting sites, for example, is something all four teachers share the same thought.

To sum up, all interviewed teachers express positive thoughts and beliefs pertaining what CALL provides for their students in their second language learning in terms of listening, reading, writing, speaking, pronunciation and vocabulary learning.

5.2 Discussion

The general goal put forward by this degree project was to discover four in-service English teachers’ belief concerning the impact of computer assisted language learning (CALL) on the second language development process in teenage language learners. The research questions that directed this study were to explore the teachers’ beliefs, thoughts and experiments pertaining to CALL in English as second language learning/teaching. The beliefs, thoughts and experiences obtained from the teachers are then analysed with the second language learning theories combined with CALL-based experimental studies as follows.

Ushioda (2012), Gärdenfors (2013), Young (2003), Ghahri, Hashmandar and Mohamadi (2015) and Liontou (2015) mention the importance of motivation when learning a second language and teacher A, teacher B, teacher C agree with them and believe that their students gain self-motivation and become responsible in their own learning when being taught by CALL. Moreover, Ushioda (2012) stresses the importance of intrinsic motivation which teacher D totally agrees with and believes her students gain motivation from within when being taught by CALL.

In the sense of sociocultural theory of learning, Lundahl (2012) and Panhwar, Ansari and Ansari (2016) emphasize the importance of social interaction and culture with others. And the common belief of teacher A and teacher B is that CALL facilitates cultural understanding, which is, further a reason for motivation. In addition to this, Lundahl (2012) claims learning to be a collaborative and interactive process, which teacher C and teacher D confirm in their belief of using CALL in their language teaching and believe that second language acquisition should be considered as a form of on-going socialisation. Again, Panhwar, Ansari and Ansari (2016) argue that that second language learners become critical learners, which teacher B agrees with them and says when his students go on different webpages and blogs to read texts and newspaper clips. And the experimental study of Young

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(2003) confirms this argument made by Panhwar et al.`s (2016) and the belief of teacher B that his subject students were good at solving problems even in their EFL studies. Moreover, McCafferty, (2002) claims that zone of proximal development (ZPD) is a result of second language learners’ collaborative work as precisely teacher D, teacher C believe. In the

example of teacher C that her two shy students would not be able manage in their PowerPoint presentation without having access to CALL.

And finally, in the sense of Vygotkyan theory Panhwar et al (2016) argue for the importance of being free from external control when in the learning process so that second language learners can gain meaning from experience. This is supported by teacher B who says students are supported in their sense of autonomy in their language learning they gain

willingness to take responsibility in their learning which makes them more motivated. And teacher C, who says that, learning English via CALL actually broadens students’ mind.

In the sense of the monitor model Lightbown & Spada, (2013) claim

comprehensible input to be of importance in second language acquisition. Similarly, the belief of teacher D is that CALL is just the right way of learning English from. The output of it is his students with high motivation in his classroom. Also, interaction with native speakers is said to be comfortable for second language learners so that they behave more natural in their linguistic production McCafferty, (2002). The belief of teacher C is in agreement with McCafferty. And finally, the affective filter hypothesis which Lightbown & Spada, (2013) claim to be useful especially for anxious learners who create a metal barrier in their head to filter information from reaching the acquisition centre, which decreases the acquisition of the language is relevant with the belief of teacher C and teacher D. Especially teacher C who believes that blockage is removed thanks to the learning opportunities CALL provides and points out her two shy otherwise shy students who succeeded in their PowerPoint

presentation.

In terms of learning skills, for example, the claim from Lightbown & Spada, (2013) is that comprehensible input should contain elements such as grammatical forms and aspects of pronunciation in orders for learners to make a good linguistic production. Thus the empirical study by Ghahri, Hashamdar and Mohamadi (2015), where second language learners being taught by CALL and they had access to programs such as spell check, online text correction surpassed the control group in their writing process. As well as, teacher A, teacher B say that Eyersize supplies their students in their English learning with above

mentioned programs so that they developed notably in their writing process. Eyersize supplies further second language learners with opportunities of improving reading skill, which is also

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in line with the empirical study of Liontou (2015) where his experiment group exceeded their peers in reading and understanding English texts when taught by CALL.

Moreover, the experimental study by Hosogoshi (2016) shows the experimental group surpassed the control group in terms of listening skill when being taught English by CALL. In agreement with that teacher B and teacher A who also believe CALL help second language learners develop their listening skill. Teacher A, teacher B and teacher C believe further that CALL helps second language learners improve their speaking skill which is also proved to be true by Alvarez-Marinelli et al (2016) in their experimental study.

Motivation and engagement, learning skills such as reading, writing, listening, speaking and vocabulary learning considered, computers assisted language learning (CALL) is to be recommended. This is notably confirmed by the beliefs of the interviewed teacher’s..

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6. Conclusion

In this section, based on the research questions we now firstly conclude with the results we gained from the data in relation to interviewed teacher’s beliefs concerning computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in their classroom combined with learning theories. Secondly, we discuss the implications for the teachers use CALL. Thirdly, the limitations of the study will be discussed and finally, suggestions for future research will be given.

This paper describes four in-service English teachers’ beliefs pertaining to computer assisted language learning used in their classroom. All data gained from the interviewed teachers shows that teachers thrive and find it relevant to work with CALL in their English language teaching. Learning theories as well as experimental studies supports the data gained from the teachers. It has become obvious that teachers using CALL in their language teaching has created motivation, engagement and enjoyment in their classroom that makes their second language learners more willing to learn. Furthermore, CALL supports students in their diverse learning skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking with correct pronunciation. And finally, teachers’ beliefs are that second language learners develop other skills such as being critical learners while being taught by CALL.

While interviewing the teachers and doing research on the subject matter I also came across those who had a negative attitude concerning using CALL. Teacher D, for example had worries that using CALL would develop a screen-dependency in her students. In addition to that, studies that showed the drawbacks of using CALL in both terms of the ability of teachers and general such as: technology are not panacea in itself. They urgently need the teacher to harness it properly if it is to help learners achieve the ultimate goal of foreign language learning. The lack of trained teachers and their concerns over supervising second language learners are among the drawbacks of CALL, which Levy also (2012) emphasised on the matter. But the space I was given in matter of pages in this paper limited me to taking those cons for using CALL in my paper.

As for future research, it would be interesting to explore the cons and drawback of using CALL in English learning classroom to further deepen the understanding of the computer language learning progress.

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7. References

Alvarez-Marinelli, H., Blanco, M., Lara-Alecio, R., Irby, B. J., Tong, F., Stanley, K., & Fan, Y. (2016). Computer assisted english language learning in costa rican

elementary schools: An experimental study. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(1), 103-126.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.mau.se/10.1080/09588221.2014.903977

Bernard, H. R., & Ryan, G. W. (2010). Analyzing qualitative data : systematic approaches. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : SAGE, c2010.

Blake, R. J. (2013). Brave new digital classroom : technology and foreign language learning. Washington, DC : Georgetown University Press, 2013.

Çelik, S., & Aytin, K. (2014). Teachers' views on digital educational tools in english language learning: Benefits and challenges in the turkish context. Tesl- ej, 18(2),18. Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1651829486?accountid=12249

Debski, R. (2003). Technology and second language learning through socialization. In S. Naidu, (edt.). Learning & teaching with technology : principles and

practices. pp. 129-144. London : Kogan Page, 2003.

Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics : quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford ; New York, N.Y. : Oxford University Press, 2007.

Ghahri, F., Hashamdar, M., & Mohamadi, Z. (2015). Technology: A better teacher in writing skill. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(7), 1495-1500.

Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1702835444?accountid=12249

Gärdenfors, P. (2010). Lusten att förstå : om lärande på människans villkor. Stockholm : Natur & kultur, 2010 (Finland)

Hosogoshi, K. (2016). Effects of captions and subtitles on the listening process: Insights from EFL learners' listening strategies. JALT CALL Journal, 12(3), 153-178.

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Lannér, O. (1999). Datorstöd i skrivandet. en longitudinell studie på grundskolan och gymnasieskolan. Båstad (Köpmansg. 46) Boken i Båstad [i]distributör 1999 Ängelholm Tryckaren i Ängelholm.

Legutke, M.K. (2012). Teaching teenagers. In J.C. Richards and A. Burns (Eds.), The cambridge guide to pedagogy and practice in second language teaching (2nd ed.), pp. 112-119. New York: Cambridge University Press

Levy, M. (2012). Technology in the classroom. In J.C. Richards and A. Burns (Eds.), The cambridge guide to pedagogy and practice in second language teaching (2nd ed.), pp. 279-286. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Levy, M. (1997). CALL: Context and conceptualisation. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Li, J., Snow, C., Jiang, J., & Edwards, N. (2015). Technology use and self-perceptions of English language skills among urban adolescents. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 28(5), 450–478.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2014.881387

Liontou, T. (2015). Intermediate greek EFL learners' attitudes to on-line teaching practices: A Blended Task-Based English Language Learning

Approach. Teaching English With Technology, 15(2), 81-93

McCafferty, S. G. (2002). Gesture and creating zones of proximal development for second language learning. Modern Language Journal, 86(2), 192-203. Retrieved from

https://search-proquest-com.proxy.mau.se/docview/62216153?accountid=12249 Ozerbas, M. A., & Bilge, H. E. (2016). The effect of the digital classroom on academic

success and online technologies self-efficacy. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 19(4), 203-212.

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Reinders, H. (2012). Online and blended instruction. In J.C. Richards and A. Burns (Eds.), The cambridge guide to pedagogy and practice in second language teaching (2nd ed.), pp.287-293. New York: Cambridge University Press

Sverige. Skolverket. (2013). Curriculum for the upper secondary school 2013. Stockholm: Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket). Retrieved from

https://www.skolverket.se/om-skolverket/publikationer/visa-enskild-publikation?_xurl_=http%3A%2F%2Fwww5.skolverket.se%2Fwtpub%2Fws% 2Fskolbok%2Fwpubext%2Ftrycksak%2FRecord%3Fk%3D2975

Svenskarna och Internet. (2017). En årlig studie av svenska folkets internetvanor. Retrieved from: https://2017.svenskarnaochinternet.se/the-swedes-and-the-internet-2017-summary/

Uhioda, E. (2012). Motivation. In J.C. Richards and A. Burns (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to pedagogy and practice in second language teaching (2nd ed.), pp.77-85.

New York: Cambridge University Press

Young, S. S. C. (2003). Integrating ICT into second language education in a vocational high school. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 19(4), 447-461.

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Vetenskapsrådet. (2002). Forskningsetiska principer inom humanistisk-samhällsvetenskaplig

forskning. Retrieved from:

https://www.gu.se/digitalAssets/1268/1268494_forskningsetiska_principer_200 2.pdf

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8. Appendix 1

Förfrågan om medverkan i examensarbetet

Mitt namn är Mahmut Paca, jag pluggar till ämneslärare för årkurs 7 till 9 på Malmö Universitet. På ämneslärarutbildningen vid Malmö Universitet skriver studenterna ett examensarbete under sin nionde termin. I detta arbete ingår att göra en egen vetenskaplig studie, utifrån en fråga man vald. Min valda fråga är ” Computer assissted langauge learning (CALL)”. Till min studie behöver jag samla material vid skolor i form av intervjuer. Därför skriver jag detta brev till dig. Jag vill be dig om ditt samtycke till att delta i min studie.

Jag kommer att intervjua dig som lärare. Intervjun kommer att ta ca en halv timme och om tillfällen ges vill jag också fråga mina valda frågor till några av dina

elever(detta bör inte ta mer än 10 minuter). Jag ska föra anteckningar under intervjuns tid och spela in(inte intervjun med dina elever). Största möjliga konfidentialitet eftersträvas i

undersökningen genom att ingen obehörig får ta del av materialet. Materialitet försvaras så att det bara är åtkomlig för mig som är undersökningsledare och kommer att förstöras efter kursens slut.

Studien är upplagd enligt Vetenskapsrådets forskningsetiska regler. Jag kommer till exempel inte vid något tillfälle att berätta vilka kommuner/skolor/klasser/lärare som ingått i studien och påhittade namn kommer genomgående användas i texten. Deltagande är givetvis helt frivilligt, vilket innebär att du som lärare eller eleverna när som helst kan avbryta sitt deltagande utan närmare motivering.

Jag tackar i förhand om du kan delta i min studie. mahmut_paca@hotmail.com

Med Vänliga Hälsningar

Mahmut Paca

P.S. Tidsmässig är jag flexible; jag kan komma dit när som helst, vilket dag som helst under denna månad, November och mitten av December (ej den 4:december). Helst så snart som möjligt.

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9. Appendix 2

Theme Questions Folloow-up

Questions

Probing Educational

Background

How long have you been working as

an English teacher?

Why did you choose to become an

English teacher?

General CALL 1 How does computer assisted language learning (CALL) influence motivation and student’s engagement

What is your belief about the use CALL in your classroom?

That is interesting. What else can you

tell about it?

General CALL 2 How does computer-assisted language learning (CALL), impact learning outcomes such as listening, speaking, etc.?

How can you tell that your students develep such skills?

Can you give me an example?

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Figure

Table 1: Participating teachers in the research project

References

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