The purpose of this study was to investigate students’ perceptions of the effects of using Flipgrid (FG) on their learning experiences and their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of its use in the Arabic as a foreign/world language (AWL) classroom. Thirty students participated in this study and completed a survey composed of an 18-item, 5-point Likert-type questionnaire and open-ended questions. Results indicated that even though students were skeptical about using FG in the beginning, they developed positive attitudes towards its use by the end of the semester. FG provided students with a safe, low-stress platform for language practice while allowing them to track their progress, which in turn helped learners gain more confidence in their listening and speaking skills. Students enjoyed using FG and perceived it as having a positive influence on their language learning as well as on their social and cognitive engagement in the classroom. The main disadvantage listed by 27% of the participants was the lack of immediate feedback on their recorded Flipgrid.
In this research, I investigate how a group of Arab American women constructed their identities through their talk during focus group discussions. The research is based on a sociocultural view of identity as primarily social, and inclusive of the positions and roles that a person takes during moment-to-moment interaction and discourse (Bucholtz and Hall, 2005). This is compatible with a view of identity and discourse as interrelated and interdependent (Norton, 2000). I relied heavily on Bucholtz and Hall's (2005) proposed framework for analyzing identities in talk. The results indicated that the women's positionings of themselves through talk were characterized by affiliation toward each other and were imbued with ambivalence and uncertainty, thus pointing toward identities in the making.
The purpose of the study was to investigate college Arabic students' perceptions of their experience during a short-term summer study abroad program to Jordan. In particular, the study sought to examine how study abroad affected the participants' academic and career choices as well as how they perceived their second language socialization and its influence on their competence in Arabic. Results revealed that the short term SA contributed to students' perceptions of gains in their linguistic and cultural skills as well as to their openness to the world and to other cultures. The experience also contributed to students' decisions to apply for SA scholarships, and to choose areas related to Arabic language in their future studies and careers. Learners experienced a sense of empowerment and satisfaction at their ability to steer their learning and flourished when they could make their own choices in a supportive setting.
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