Videoconferencing with Native English Speakers: An Exploratory Study Involving Taiwanese Elementary School Students

Li-Tang Yu

《應用英語期刊》 11期 (2017/06) Pp. 147-173

摘要

In Taiwan, English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners, in general, have few opportunities to use English outside the classroom, which, in turn, undermines their achievement in English proficiency. Thus, a citywide project was developed in which elementary school students videoconferenced with native English-speaking teachers. The project aimed to increase English learning opportunities, to provide convenient access to English-speaking environments without the constraint of location, and to promote student digital literacy with the hands-on experience of using communication programs. Although numerous aspects of videoconferencing for language learning have been discussed, previous literature was primarily concerned with European and American contexts. This exploratory study investigated the perception that elementary-school students in Taiwan had of videoconferencing in learning English and its effect on their learning of English. One hundred eighty-two valid surveys were collected from participants from grades three to six, and who completed a post-videoconference perception survey. It was found, through the quantitative and qualitative analysis of their responses, that they recognized the value of videoconferencing in their learning of English and had positive attitudes toward videoconferencing. They remained highly confident in using English and became more willing to speak English. They were also more motivated to learn English after the activity and were keen to participate in the activity again. However, they felt more anxious during the videoconference than in a classroom setting. Possible explanations for such findings might be the novelty effect, teachers' interventions, and a ceiling effect. Practical implications and suggestions for future studies are provided.

關鍵字

Elementary school students ； English as a foreign language ； English learning ； Survey ； Videoconferencing