SAbboud: The Effectiveness of Online L2 Learning

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Final Assessment #1

The Effectiveness of Second-Language Learning in a Blended-Learning Environment:
A Review of the Literature
















Sheena Abboud
#23939101
University of British Colombia
ETEC 500 65C
Instructor: Sunah Cho
April 11, 2012








SAbboud: The Effectiveness of Online L2 Learning

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Introduction

With the advent of 21
st
Century teaching modalities, there are new opportunities
for second language learners. However, the efficacy of these teaching modalities in
terms of second language (L2) learning has yet to be clearly established. As a French
Immersion teacher in a primarily Anglophone community, incorporating online
components to my classroom would afford to my students new authentic language
experiences. In an attempt to gauge the effectiveness of blended-learning environments
in L2 classrooms, I have compared three online L2 programs against current L2
pedagogy. Rod Ellis (2005) offers a framework of 10 guiding principles for successful
language acquisition based on various shared theories. In considering these principles,
an analysis of Lai et al.s (2011) implementation of an online task-based learning
program and Lees (2007) desktop videoconferencing project offer insight into the
effectiveness of these environments. Finally, Fall et al. (2007) suggest an online test as a
way to simplify the assessment of oral language proficiency.

Literature Review

Principles of Second Language Acquisition
The field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is one that is relatively young as
compared to the domain of applied linguistics. The majority of the research done in this
field has been founded on the effectiveness of different instructional methods. In an
attempt to synthesize the variety of theoretical perspectives in the field of SLA, Ellis
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establishes a set of ten guiding principles for successful language pedagogy in his article,
Principles of instructed language learning (2005). There are many controversies
surrounding areas of focus in this field, such as implicit vs. explicit language learning,
focus on grammar convections vs. conversational tasks, and the efficacy of corrective
feedback. However, Ellis (2005) drew upon these arguments, as well as various
theoretical perspectives of a wide range of SLA researchers (i.e. Krashen (1981), Hatch
(1978), and Foster (2001)) in creating his principles. Ellis derived these principles from
various theoretical perspectives of a wide range of SLA researchers, offering a broad
insight into the acquisition of a L2.

Principle 1 insists on a focus-on-forms where grammatical rules and formulaic
expressions are key in allowing for students to internalize and analyze materials
throughout their language learning. Ellis justifies this by stating formulaic expressions
may also serve as a basis for the later development of rule-based competencies
(p.211). Alternatively, Principle 2 stressed a focus on meaning, which carries various
connotations. First, is the semantic meaning, where vocabulary and grammatical
structures are at play. Secondly is pragmatic meaning, where the focus is on contextual
communication and task-based use of language. While both are important focuses, Ellis
deems the later to be more functional in the development of L2 learners. Principle 3
considers both Principles 1 and 2 in suggesting that instruction should focus on form
through focused tasks. This would involve students engaging in lessons built around a
focused task (p.213) where there are options for both language input and output.
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Principle 4 describes the importance of balance in developing both implicit and
explicit knowledge. Where explicit is the more simple of the two, focusing on acquiring
knowledge of grammar rules and vocabulary, directing more implicit knowledge would
allow for the student to acquire a more fluent understanding of the L2.

Ellis (2005) identifies the need to account for students built-in syllabus (p.216)
in Principle 5 where L2 learners follow a natural and fixed order of stages of acquisition
as they master grammatical structures. In order for students to successfully draw up
their built-in syllabus, they must be exposed to high-quality and comprehensive input,
as noted in Principle 6. If learners do not receive exposure to the target language they
cannot acquire it (p.217). Alternatively, Principle 7 states that successful L2 learning
requires that students have opportunity for output, or production of the target language
in order to allow for syntactic processing. Principle 8 coincides with the notion of
language input and output as it identifies the need for opportunities to interact in the
target language.

Principle 9 takes into account a broader educational philosophy of the
personalization of learning. It identifies the need for instruction to meet the individual
needs of the various learning styles and aptitudes for learning, while maintaining
student interest and motivation.
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Elliss 10 principles conclude by focusing on both free and controlled production
assessment tasks. Ellis (2005) identifies free constructed, or performance based
assessment as more authentic means of evaluation L2 acquisition.


Learning by Doing
The following set of articles provides examples of online L2 learning
environments. The majority of the studies in this field are qualitative and the literature
is narrative and informative. They are compared to Ellis 10 principles of L2 learning in
order to gauge their effectiveness in the L2 classroom.

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has been implemented in various Foreign
Language (FL) classrooms over the past decade. In their article, Task-Based Language
Teaching in Online Ab Initio Foreign Language Classrooms, Lai, Zhao, and Wang (2011)
set out to evaluate the implementation of this top-down teaching technique in an
American public virtual high schools Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) classrooms.
Their study focuses on gauging students and teachers perspective as well as any issues
involved in the implementation of TBLT. Through surveys and interviews with the
students and instructors, Lai et al. (2011) determined that students reacted positively to
their experience with TBLT online. Analyses of students performance at the end of the
semester also reveal that this teaching method provided for the students successful
learning experiences.
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Much of Lai et al.s study was in line with what Ellis would consider as sound L2
pedagogy. The series of pre-task, during- task, and post task activities consisted of both
form-focused and meaning focused lessons as identified in Ellis principles 1 and 2 (Ellis,
2005). Usually, the pre-tasks involved input-based lessons and the during-tasks involved
output-based activities affording to the students opportunities to interact with their
peers or instructors. This sequence of lessons and activities demonstrates Principles
7,8,and 9 (Ellis, 2005).

The course involved both asynchronous and synchronous components, as
afforded by the course management system (CMS). Online resources such as e-
textbooks, Chinese podcasts, and Chinese character learning software, as well as weekly
hour-long small group meetings were all components of this course. Despite their
exposure to quality Chinese resources, the information and directions offered on the
CMS were all in English. Had the course material been offered in Chinese, the TBLT
syllabus would have better met Ellis Principle 6, which states successful instructed
language learning requires extensive L2 input (Ellis, 2005, p.217).

Lai et al. (2011) identified the lack of paralinguistic clues as a challenge for some
students. Other challenges identified in their study include the inability to create
collaborative tasks due to the inflexibility of the online classroom. Lai et al. also
identified some students lack of appropriate independent work strategies and skills as
difficult as these students became unmotivated as the tasks became more demanding.
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Despite these challenges, Lai et al. reported positive reactions from both ab initio L2
learners as well as the instructors who implemented the TBLT syllabus in to their course.
Not only did students report having positive perceptions towards their Chinese language
learning experience, but they identified a positive shift in mindset towards L2 learning.

Similar to Lai et al.s TBLT syllabus, this project is very much in line with Ellis
(2005) principles of language learning. Some of the challenges identified in Lai et al.s
article, however, were addressed in Lees article Fostering Second Language Oral
Communication Through Constructivist Interaction in Desktop Videoconferencing (2007).
The sampling consisted of eighteen Spanish L2 learners who all reported to be at the
intermediate level of Spanish language proficiency. The study also included eighteen
expert Spanish speakers from a northeastern state university in the United States who
consisted mostly of students of English as a Second Language or instructors at the
university. Lees article reports on the implementation of a One-to-One Desktop
Videoconferencing Project (p.637) aimed at offering to L2 students a collaborative
synchronous learning environment where they can work towards constructing meaning
and building appropriate communicative language skills.

This project was comprised of two tasks requiring the L2 learner and the expert
speaker to solve a problem collaboratively. These tasks afforded for extensive target
language input and output as the L2 learner worked through the communicative task via
one-to-one videoconferencing software (Principles 6 and 7). When the tasks require the
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L2 learner to ask a question, they are developing their competencies in creating
formulaic expressions (Principle 1) while processing the meaning of what is said by the
expert speaker and what the task is demanding (Principle 2). In order to communicate
fluently with the expert speaker, the L2 learner will develop more implicit language
knowledge (Principle 4) while relying on their built in syllabus (Ellis, 2005, p.216) as
they process various grammatical structures (Principle 5). The nature of the task itself
fulfills Principle 8, which states, the opportunity to interact in the L2 is central to
developing L2 proficiency (p.219). The L2 learners proficiency was assessed via
recorded clips during their videoconferencing sessions. This form of assessment allows
for the evaluation of free constructed response, as identified in Principle 10.

Where Lai et al.s (2011) study failed to provide students with appropriate
paralinguistic cues, Lee (2007) accounted for this by establishing her project around
one-to-one videoconferencing software. Lee also addresses Lai et al.s issue concerning
the lack of opportunities for students to collaborate effectively by creating problem-
solving tasks that the pair of L2 learner and expert speaker had to solve together. One
downfall to this project is that students partook in only two videoconferencing sessions
over the semester. Having more opportunities to interact in task-based communicative
activities with expert or native speakers would allow for a broader development of the
target language.


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Assessment of Second Language
Fall, Adair-Hauck, and Glisan (2007) took a more narrow focus in their report
Assessing Students Oral Proficiency: A Case for Online Testing. The article reports on
Pittsburg Public Schools Oral Ratings Assessment for Language Students (PPS ORALS)
project, which effectively eases the task of large-scale oral language testing district
wide. This framework tests students L2 oral proficiency at two levels, Novice and
Intermediate, by engaging them in 10 tasks that elicit specific oral responses. These
online tasks test students ability to apply learned vocabulary, and basic sentence and
grammatical structures based on aural and written English-language prompts and simple
visual clues. The students are prompted to press a record button and respond to the
tasks within a 60-second timeframe.

While there is benefit to having common oral production assessments
throughout the school district, PPS ORALS fails to account for the assessment of free
constructed language, as identified in Ellis (2005) Principle 10. Prompting the student in
English to respond to controlled tasks does not allow for an authentic, conversational, or
implicit use of the language. The assessment of a more whole language proficiency
would be accurate if the students were engaged in a more interactive task.

Conclusion
After considering this set of articles, the potential of online L2 learning is clear.
Lai et al. (2011) demonstrate the importance of having task-based learning activities in
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L2 learning environments in order to allow for sufficient input and output in the target
language, developing students explicit and implicit knowledge. Lees (2007)
videoconferencing project afforded students with paralinguistic cues and a more
interactive and collaborative learning environment. Fall et al. offer ideas as to how to
ease the task of oral language assessment and the importance of district-wide common
tests. In comparing these articles to Ellis (2005) 10 principles of language learning,
aspects of the projects are clearly effective. However, further research in their efficacy
in a wider range of proficiency levels, as well as means in which to assess more free
constructed language use would offer more insight into the effectiveness of online
language learning.












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References
Ellis, R. (2005). Principles of instructed language learning. System (33)2, 209-224.
Retrieved March 23, 2012, from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0346251X05000138

Fall, T., Adair-Huack, B., & Glisan, E. (2007). Assessing students oral proficiency: A case
for online testing. Foreign Language Annals (40)5, 377-406. Retrieved March 23,
2012, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2007.tb02865.x

Foster, P. (2001). Rules and routines: a consideration of their role in task-based language
production of native and non-native speakers. In: Bygate, M., Skehan, P., Swain, M.
(Eds.), Language Tasks: Teaching, Learning and Testing. Longman, London, pp. 75
97.

Hatch, E. (1978) Apply with caution. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 2, 123143.

Krashen, S. (1981). Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning.
Blackwell, Oxford.

Lai, C., Zhao, Y., & Wang, J. (2011). Task-based language teaching in online ab initio
foreign language classrooms. The Modern Language Journal (95)Supplementary
Issue, 81-103. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01271.x

Lee, L. (2007). Fostering second language oral communication through constructivist
interaction in desktop videoconferencing. Foreign Language Annals (40)4, 635-
649. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2007.tb02885.x