This paper reviews and critiques an existing skills framework for online language teaching. This critique is followed by an alternative framework for online language teaching skills. This paper also uses a systems view to look at the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in an online learning system. Four major recommendations are provided to help language teacher training programs prepare future language teachers for online language teaching.Keywords: online language teaching; skills; roles; responsibilities; language teacher education; framework IntroductionOnline language learning has steadily increased in popularity over the last decade with the growth of the internet and the proliferation of computers at home and in educational settings ranging from K-12 to post-secondary (Felix, 2003a;Hubbard & Levy, 2006;Stickler & Hauck, 2006a;White, 2003). White (2003) indicated that there were more than 1300 distance language courses from the 55,000 distant courses registered in 130 countries. She added that the common perceptions of online courses as cost-and time-effective have pushed more providers into the field of online language learning. While the notion of language learning at a distance is not a new phenomenon, rapid developments in communication technology have increased the demand for online language learning that involves connection of learners, both asynchronously and synchronously as well as autonomous learning.The online context of language learning has prompted the need for new teaching approaches and teaching skills that are different from those used in teaching face-to-face language courses (Hampel & Stickler, 2005). These new teaching skills are crucial for teaching online language courses 'whose subject matter is communication' and especially at the lower level where there is a 'need to focus on the form of interaction as well as the content' (Hampel & Stickler, 2005, p. 312). Additionally, it requires skills that are different from teaching other subjects online. However, there seems to be little concerted effort in this direction as the increase in online language learning has not been matched with an increase in teacher training for language teachers beyond the technical and softwarespecific skills. Moreover, the vast research and best practices for teaching online may not translate well for online language teaching.Despite a multitude of research-based publications and best practices relating to computer assisted language learning (CALL), including online language learning, there is a dearth of resources on how to prepare teachers for online language teaching and the skills needed for this new teaching environment. To date, no literature review has been published specifically on the skills needed for online language teaching. This literature review is therefore an effort to fill the gap by synthesising the existing but limited literature and providing recommendations for teacher training programmes. However, before proceeding in depth with the synthesis and recommendations, this lit...
Research question 3: Does the language experience of the chat actually transfer from the written mode into spoken language? Research question 4: Does chatting improve learners' fluency in oral communication? Statistical methods CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 63 Impact of chat on willingness to communicate (WTC) 63 Impact of chat on state commimicative self-confidence. 66 Impact of chat on state anxiety 70 Impact of chat on state self-perceived competence Transfer of language experience from written to spoken mode Impact of chat on fluency in oral communication 80 Number of words per minute Fluency from the perspective of a listener 83 CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION Major findings Pedagogical implications^88 Limitations of this study Suggestions for fiiture research APPENDIX 1: SPEAK RATING GUIDE (4/98) APPENDIX 2: TEACH RATING CRITERIA AND DESCRIPTORS OF EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
Research question 3: Does the language experience of the chat actually transfer from the written mode into spoken language? Research question 4: Does chatting improve learners' fluency in oral communication? Statistical methods CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 63 Impact of chat on willingness to communicate (WTC) 63 Impact of chat on state commimicative self-confidence. 66 Impact of chat on state anxiety 70 Impact of chat on state self-perceived competence Transfer of language experience from written to spoken mode Impact of chat on fluency in oral communication 80 Number of words per minute Fluency from the perspective of a listener 83 CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION Major findings Pedagogical implications^88 Limitations of this study Suggestions for fiiture research APPENDIX 1: SPEAK RATING GUIDE (4/98) APPENDIX 2: TEACH RATING CRITERIA AND DESCRIPTORS OF EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
<p class="0abstract">This 10-week exploratory study investigates the use of a mobile language learning app, Babbel, by 10 ESL front-line employees and 4 managers and native English-speaking employees at a Fortune 500 company. We focused on the participants’ motivations for using the language learning app and the challenges that they faced. Three key thematic findings were convenience of access, instrumental motivation, and state communicative self-confidence, while challenges included technological literacy and accountability. Recommendations emphasize the importance of onboarding procedures for those with low technological literacy, continual support from a community of practice, and management participation.</p>
Besides my desire to combine the two areas of studies, my research on computermediated communication (Compton, 2002, 2004) also helped me see the potential of using technology to support language learning at a distance. As I conducted my responsibilities as a research assistant for a three-year federally funded project, "Teacher Education Goes Into Virtual Schooling" (TEGIVS) at Iowa State University to prepare pre-service teachers for VS, I discovered that little had been done particularly in regard to field experiences to help teacher educators prepare pre-service teachers for VS. This gap was mirrored in the literature on preparation for online language teachers, with only one published framework. These discoveries motivated me to focus my research on effective practices for the preparation of general teachers and language teachers for online or virtual teaching. Dissertation Organization This dissertation is organized into five chapters, with the first and fifth chapters constituting the introduction and conclusion for the entire dissertation. The first chapter, General Introduction briefly outlines the main purpose of the dissertation and describes the organization of the dissertation chapters. The fifth chapter, Synthesis and Recommendations synthesizes the dissertation's main argument. It summarizes the findings from chapters two through four, presents recommendations for both general teacher education and language teacher education programs, and identifies potential limitations of transferability between CIT and CALL. Chapters two through four consist of three independent but related publishable articles: a) Preparing language teachers to teach language online: a look at skills, roles, and responsibilities, b) Identification of pre-service teachers' common preconceptions, misconceptions, and concerns of virtual schooling, and a proposed conceptual-based framework, and c) The impact of and the key elements for a successful virtual early field experience: Lessons learned from a case study. Preparing language teachers to teach language online: a look at skills, roles, and responsibilities This article represents the literature review portion in a traditional dissertation. It combines relevant research and literature from CALL and distance education in general. Roblyer, M. D. (2003). Virtual high schools in the United States: Current views, future visions. In J. Bradley (Ed.), The open classroom: Distance learning in and out of schools (pp. 159-170). London: Kogan Page.
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