The use of e-book readers in foreign language learning

• Technology increases the exposure to a foreign language (Chapelle, 2009). In order to design and implement technology for Foreign Language Teaching, technology has to be informed by research on Foreign Language Learning. This poster presents work-in-progress results of a pilot study aimed to determine how mobile technologies can support foreign language learning.The study draws on a metacognitive approach for foreign language development (Vandergrift, 2004), which stresses the use of metacognitive strategies: prediction, monitoring, problem solving and evaluation for successful comprehension.The study addressed the following questions:• How do foreign language learners use e-book readers’ features to assist them in comprehension?• How do foreign language learners adapt and change their learning styles to mobile learning?• How can mobile technology be used to enhance foreign language comprehension?This longitudinal study collected data over a four-month period of 6 students from a Spanish course at a Danish upper school for adult education. The study comprised an introduction to the technology, including the hardware and the software, showing some Internet addresses where e-books both in text and in audio format are available and the files supported by BeBook ‘One’ e-reader, the model used for the study.Data was collected via two online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The first survey focused on the usability of the e-book reader, the second survey focused on the actual use of the e-book reader as a learning tool. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) and NVivo software. Quantitative data collected from the questionnaires were analysed using univariate analysis.Analysis of the questionnaires and interview findings revealed four emergent themes: Reading and IT strategies, portability and reading-while-listening mode. Students made use of metacognitive strategies to assist comprehension as defined in Vandergrift (2004). Moreover, they valued portability in foreign language learning since it enables spaced learning. According to Karpicke & Roediger (2010), spaced learning enhances memory. Furthermore, students perceived the possibility of simultaneously listening to and reading a text very useful to learn pronunciation and to increase attention which is an ap-propriate strategy for language acquisition (Richards, 2008).ReferencesBoyatzis, R.E. 1998. Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. London: Sage.Chapelle, C. A. 2009. The Relationship Between Second Language Acquisition Theory and Computer-Assisted Language Learning. The Modern Language Journal 93: 741–753.Karpicke, J.D. and Roediger, H. L. 2010. Is expanding retrieval a superior method for learning text materials? Memory & Cognition 38:1,116-124.Richards, J.C. 2008. Teaching Listening and Speaking: From Theory to Practice. New York: Cambridge University Press.Vandergrift, L. 2004. Listening to learn or learning to listen? Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 24: 3-25.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Språkteknologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Language Technology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

learning technology; foreign language comprehension

Naturvetenskapernas didaktik

Science education

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)