Resource centres and self-study: issues in computer assisted language learning (CALL)

1. Resource centres and self-study: issues in computer assisted language learning (CALL) The 4th Education in a Changing Environment Conference 12th-14th September 2007 Huw Jarvis, School of Languages, University of Salford

2. Key questions • Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the English language make use of in a RC and elsewhere and why? • To what extent do students consider CBMs as helping with their language studies? • Where access is available in a range of locations, where do students choose to work and what might the implications of this be for Resource Centres (RC)? • What might the answers to these questions imply for our understanding of computer-assisted language learning (CALL)?

3. These questions arise against a background of … • My observations of students working on computers at HEIs • An expectation that … • HIE students access various types of CBMs beyond the classroom in libraries, at home, in internet cafes and in Resource Centres (RCs) – where Computer-based materials (CBMs) now dominate • such materials are, at times at least, being used for self-study purposes. This is now has a defining characteristics of learning at an HIE • E.g. A 15 credit module at M level will typically involve 150 hours of study but as little as 24 hours of this time is face-to-face • An emerging research tradition within CALL

4. The field of Computer assisted language learning (CALL) • “… learners learning language in any context with, through, and around computer technologies.” Egbert (2005:4). CBMs are “language specific as well as more generic Information Technology (IT) programmes”. Jarvis (2004:116) • Traditionally CBMs can be divided according two functions (Taylor, 1980; Levy 1997) which (sometimes) overlap • Tool-based CBMs are increasingly important for all HEI students, “ICT use, in terms of email, word-processing, Power Point, and the Web, has become standard as part of the teaching and learning process…”Collins and Wende (2002 :7) • Tutorial-based CBMs allow students to practise language and receive feedback on whether their answers are right or wrong • More recently a third “medium” function has been added - this corresponds to a “sociocognitive phase” of CALL (Warschauer and Kern, 2000)

5. Methodology and the participants • The study employs both quantative and qualitative techniques • Participants were international students in the School of Languages at Salford – they were on one of several English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes and studying at a variety of levels • broad geographical spread • 68 students returned questionnaires and 6 were interviewed • Students were asked to indicate the how often and for how long they used the RC, which specific CBMs were used in the RC and elsewhere AND the extent to which they “helped” with language learning. A mix of tool, tutorial and medium-based materials were included

6. Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the English language make use of in a RC and elsewhere and why? • Informed, frequent users who block time and prefer CBMs over other materials • 89.6% were shown round the RC and 82.1% were specifically shown the CBMs • 48.5% 4 to 5 times per week and 55.6% two to three times per week • 42.6% usually spend 1 to 2 hours, 16.2% more than two hours, 14.7% half an hour to one hour, 25% replied with “it depends”, only 1.5% reported less than half an hour • 100% reported ‘usually’ using CBMs compared to 35% TV and Video, 38.2% Books and Worksheets, 23.5% Audio cassettes and 7% Other materials

7. Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the English language make use of in an RC … and why? • The most widely used CBMs are also perceived as helping with language learning but although “Tutorial CALL” is appreciated ,“the tool” (e.g. word-processing) and “medium” (e.g. email) functions are sometimes equally valued for language learning

8. Which CBMs do non-native speakers (NNS) of the English language make use of … elsewhere and why? • CBMs which are used inside the RC and are viewed as helping with language learning are also used outside the RC • Students tend to use synchronous CMC outside the RC for “social networking purposes”

9. Where access is available in a range of locations, where do students choose to work ...? • Many students would seem to view the RC as the ideal environment for language learning in self-study contexts, irrespective of a “tutorial function”. Students were asked where the preferred to work when using CBMs • Student 1 replied the LRC because: “…the only thing in my brain is to study. But when I am not in the university, I will always remember playing games, or looking movies… in the LRC, I think, the main, the main point I use computer is to study. • Student 5 says: “But you know in a room, living room, the more leisure times we should, should spend, maybe we will use computer to listen , listen music. Play games and also…also do some chat with all my friends.” • Student 3 was particularly emphatic about the value of the RC in helping him to focus: “… I can’t work for my own course, I need support in a sense. I need support…it’s no easy for me to work from home.”

10. …. and what might the implications of this be for RCs? • In an anywhere, anytime era of on-line access and communication of information, such comments remind us that despite all that the virtual world has to offer, it is the physical location which remains vitally important in helping students to focus on learning activities • The study concludes that the point at which the physical world meets the virtual world appears to be highly significant in self-study contexts • Further work night look at what physical conditions allow for efficient, effective and appropriate on-line study

11. What might the answers to these questions imply for our understanding of CALL? • The tutor\tool distinction does not appear to be recognized by learners and in an emerging era of the “normalization of CALL” Bax (2003) these notions may now be dated • and yet “CALL the medium” has yet to fully come of age – it may be that the onus is on practitioners to be more pro-active in this respect. E.g. through on-line “live” tutorials • In a WWW-dominated age NNS learners seem to recognize the significance of English as a lingua franca in an academic environment for accessing information - one of the challenges is to equip them to make efficient, effective and appropriately use of this • There has been some research in this area (Helms-Park and Stapleton, 2006; Jarvis, 2001; Slaouti, 2002) but further work is needed

12. Resource centres and self-study: issues in computer assisted language learning (CALL) The 4th Education in a Changing Environment Conference 12th to 14th September 2007 Huw Jarvis, School of Languages, University of Salford