I am a simple person..friendly, happy go lucky, love to make silly jokes, sometimes lost in my own world, a bit sensitive and love to make friends around..thank you.
Over the last thousands of years, cats have pretty much handled their breedingthemselves. In the beginning, they were used for one purpose – hunting and killingrodents. As the years progressed, we began to breed cats more to our liking. Nowadays, there are several different breeds of cats – which you can tell if you look closely.
There are some cat breeds that have roots going back quite a bit in history. Some Japanese breeds, such as the Japanese Bobtail, can be traced back more than 1,000 years in history. These cats were very common and well known throughout Medieval Japan. Now days though, they are all but a myth throughout Japan and the entire world.
The more common cat breeds that are found in North America include the alley cat, long haired cat, and Persian cat. Siamese cats are also common, although they are well known to be destructive and to have a foul temper. Persian cats are very popular, proving to be loving companions. Persian cats can be very expense, depending on where you get it and what type of Persian cat it is.
Alley cats are the most common in North America. There are actually several different breeds, although most of us just refer to them as alley cats. They make good pets, although there are literally thousands of them in existence. Cats are known to breed more than any other pet, and they will continue to breed until they are stopped. Alley cats are among the most bred, as there are hundreds of thousands of cats that are homeless – and have nothing to do but breed.
The look of the cat is the easiest way to tell what breed he or she may be. Some people choose to go by color, although color isn’t as easy to identify. Different breeds of cats have different looks, such as the Siamese and Persian cats. Siamese cats are almost always black, and easy to identify by their color and their eyes. Persian cats on the other hand, are easily identified by their body type and their hair.
Over the years, there has been quite a few breeds come along. Cats were one of the first pets, and easily one of the most popular. Millions of people around the world own cats, with many people preferring a cat over any other pet – including dogs. No matter breed of cat you get – you’re sure to get a pet that make for a great companion for years and years to come.
a. Title: Teaching EFL to the iGeneration: A Survey of Using YouTube as Supplementary Material with College EFL Students in Taiwan
b. Journal: Computer Assisted Language Learning - Electronic Journal/ CALL-EJ Online, Vol. 10, No. 2, February 2009.
c. Author’s Information: Brent Kelsen, bkelsen@hotmail.com, a former Lecturer at the International Language and Cultural Center at Yuan Ze University, Taiwan - interested in student motivation, the use of technology in education, collaborative learning and second language writing.
Link:http://callej.org/journal/10-2/kelsen.html The article or research paper is basically about an exploration of the benefits of using YouTube as part of supporting materials for EFL students in Taiwan. It mainly discusses on how learners can utilize the technology to improve their language learning inside and outside the ESL classroom.
B. Summary of the Article
i) The aim of the research:
The aim of this research was actually to explore the advantages of YouTube as online authentic materials, in supplementing the regular staffs and resources available for students in EFL classroom. The benefits would merely be focused on the students; where the researcher was interested to discover what have motivated the EFL students to study English by using YouTube and at the same time studied how the technology helped them improved their English. The scope of measurement would “gauge the students’ perceptions of using YouTube as a supplement to the regular class materials with regard to five aspects: i) making classes more interesting, ii) being relevant to course materials, iii) being beneficial to language learning, iv) motivating students to learn in class, and iv) motivating students to use the material to learn English outside of class.” (Kelsen, B., 2009)
ii) The methodology:
In order to gather valid data(s) for the research, Brent Kelsen had conducted surveys on EFL students from two conversation classes in a private university in northern Taiwan, on the first and last day of the conversation class of the Fall semester in year 2007. The procedures of the surveys considered the use of 2 sets of questionnaire; one was distributed on the first day of the class while another was distributed on the last day of the class, the use of same textbook and materials in both classes, and lastly the use of a number of video clips from YouTube website that related to certain topic selected from their textbook.
iii) The subject/ sample:
The students who participated in the study were ranged from 19 to 21 years of age and came from two sophomore conversation classes that consisted of 31 and 38 students, respectively and all together would be 69 students. From the biggest number of the sample, 52 of them were male while another 13 were female. All of the students “were chemistry majors from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and their mother tongue was Mandarin”.
iv) The findings of the research:
First Day of Semester Survey
In general, almost all students from the two conversation classes found that they had accessed to computers outside the classroom and used to YouTube website before. Besides that, the students were also likely to respond that they were accessing to YouTube website for entertainment rather than for the purpose of education or learning English.
Last Day of Semester Survey
The result on the final day of the study showed that the number of students who accessed to computers outside the classroom and used to YouTube website before had increased for both male and female students. Similarly, majority of the respondents also agreed that accessing to YouTube website was actually an interesting, relevant and beneficial activity to their English learning process. However, least respondents agreed that using YouTube materials would be motivating for the learning process within and outside of the classroom. In a nutshell, the students mostly gave positive comments regarding the use of YouTube website in their EFL classroom and agreed that the technology has helped them learn English in a more natural and fun way where they would have much opportunity to experience self-directed learning rather than depending more on teacher-centered type of learning.
v) Conclusion:
As conclusion, from the overall results of the surveys, it could be hypothesized that YouTube website is totally helpful to be used as authentic material input and as a motivational tool for EFL students in learning the language. However, the learning process will be more meaningful and effective if teachers and students can collaborate or involve together in utilizing the online materials in more creative ways that would enhance the learning outcomes as well as provide a positive classroom environment.
C. Personal Reflection
The research has totally captured my interest since I am quite used to the YouTube website, especially for entertainment, educational, and informative purposes. Honestly, these online materials are very interesting and beneficial not only to ESL/EFL students but also to the teachers. The visitors of the website just need to type any topics or key words that related to their interest on the spaces provided and the website will provide the video clips in second. For instances, students can search about accurate English pronunciation or English grammar there and tens of result will appear. Same goes to the teachers where as language instructor, they can utilize the materials in many ways such as an alternative for students’ learning staffs, or as other choices of effective teaching methods to students. To illustrate, when I did my practicum before, I found that YouTube website was really helpful in providing the essential video clips that related to the learning syllabus, especially when it came to the literature lesson and the students loved them so MUCH!
Personally, I would like to voice out my opinion that the research was well conducted after I have gone through its report thoroughly. The researcher has came out with clear objectives or purposes for the research that helped audience to comprehend it clearly. Furthermore, conducting a research is not an easy task but the researcher managed to build a systematic research method that not merely depended on questionnaires but also considered the integration of the YouTube website itself as supplementary materials during the English lessons throughout the semester, of which would lead to valid findings as the study consumed a range of time; from the first day of the conversation class until the last day. However, perhaps this research can be improved in future such as through conducting test for the respondents in order to discover how much the online materials has helped them improve their English language.
This research somehow can lead to a vast changing to the use of online materials in assisting the teaching and learning process of ESL in this country in future. It is undeniable that many teachers already integrated the technology in their ESL classroom but still many would leave behind and they really need extra exposure to the effective use of this technology so that they can utilize it to the maximum. But still, teachers play important role here because a good classroom environment exists when there are feedbacks and guidance from teachers during the learning process.
As suggestion, YouTube website does not only serve as supplementary materials for students and teachers but it also leads students and teachers to get involve in cyberspace where communication over networks occur; of which can encourage the learners to participate in conversation with people all over the world, express and exchanging their ideas, share their thoughts and concerns, as well as getting valuable feedbacks and opinions from others that will benefit them from numerous aspects.
Hot Potatoes...all that I can say about this application is that it actually so so so 'HOT' as its name. Well, I am quite surprised and impressed at the first stage when I realized that there is such application for language activities. Sometimes I also wonder how people create such tool..and I believed that there would be more interesting and wonderful applications for creating language learning materials and activities, but to make thing simple, just let it be to those who are computer geeks because they are always great at designing IT applications.
Each application (or anything that is created by human) actually has its own pros and cons. After few weeks exploring into this quite famous application where I have learned on how to use J-Cloze, J-Match, and J-Mix; I finally found that it is very useful, helpful, multi-functional, creative, interesting, fun, and flexible. For examples, I just need to type the text(s) at the spaces provided and the application will do the rest such as jumble up the texts or rearrange the texts in non-sequencing order. Furthermore, this application also can be designed with various colours, animation, wonderful backgrounds and so forth. However, despite of its undeniable strengths, Hot Potatoes application also got its own weaknesses. First, for illiterate computer user like me..I would like to say that this application is quite complicated to be used and if I were to be good at it I need to call a personal mentor or instructor who can teach me slowly step by step on how to make use of it or otherwise I would rather suggest to use simple worksheet rather than got headache with it. Second, it is less user-friendly. What I mean by less user-friendly here is that this application actually easy for designing learning materials but the processes required are a little bit tricky, especially when it comes to publish the materials on the web. For instances, those who want to use this application should be among the people who are so patient (unless if the person is computer geek) because they have to always use trial-and-error method until the materials are successful published on the web; because if there is certain mistake occurs at the setting then the materials might not work properly or it may cannot be used at all.
Above all, still this application brings many advantageous than its disadvantageous. I think I may use this application as part of alternatives to design learning materials for my future students later on, Insya'Allah...
The website that I have chosen to be evaluated is Dave’s ESL Café (www.eslcafe.com)
1)What does the application attempt to “teach”?
Learning a language via online websites usually does help second language learners a lot in improving their accuracy and competency of the targeted language. As a matter of fact, most ESL websites usually offer language learning activities that encompass four fundamental skills which are reading, writing, listening and speaking. No doubt, the same focus is given by this website. However, Dave Sperling, the developer of the website, is found to stress more on speaking and writing skills where main attention are given to pronunciation and grammar areas. For instances, this application attempts to teach learners or users basically on how to develop grammatical sentences in English through learning the grammar rules and functions based on the explanation and various examples given. Besides that, it also teaches the users on how to pronounce the English alphabets properly and accurately through clear visual and oral demonstration in a form of video such as through browsing the cursor to “STAFF FOR STUDENTS” heading and click on the “Pronunciation Power” button. Thus, by exploring this approach, users or second language learners would find it a bit easy for them to learn to move their lips and tongue in order to produce the sounds of English word properly.
In addition, what makes this website is so interesting, special and flexible is because it has not only been developed with attempt to teach second language learners but, also to teach second language teachers with various teaching alternatives and techniques that can make their second language teaching process meaningful and achieve the intended learning objectives. For examples, teachers can browse to “STUFF FOR TEACHERS” heading and click on the “Idea Cookbook” sub-heading where; at this site, teachers would find loads of useful information on the numerous interesting teaching methods that can be developed as effective learning activities for their lesson plan. Last but not least, there are also some useful classroom management tips for teachers to refer to as guidance when dealing with indiscipline learners and most of them are found to be very effective!
Even though almost of the materials provided in the website are not been categorized according to the levels of the learner such as beginner, intermediate and advance, but still the teaching process that takes place is arranged in a sequence order; which is from the basic knowledge until the critical one, especially in terms of grammar aspect. Thus, it somehow leads the learners to develop their cognitive ability in learning the language step by step through experiential learning.
2)What sorts of thing is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?
With regards to learning the content, user is expected to do a number of things. Let say if the user is a second language learner, what she should do firstly is to browse to the “STAFF FOR STUDENTS” heading or button and from there she is expected to learn the grammar lessons first before further with other categories listed under the heading. There, she can browse the cursor to Parts of Speech category, Tenses category, Verbs category, Vocabulary category, Sounds and Spelling category, and lots more which according to the learners’ main interest. There are notes with clear explanation and examples provided under each of the categories in order to assist the learner to comprehend the basic things that she should know in acquiring the language. However, the site developed for the lessons is found to be less user-friendly where it requires the user to move forward and back in order to review each note; which might result in time-consuming and a bit tiring for illiterate computer user. Then, if the learner is curious about something related to the language, she also can click the “Help Center” button and writes her question over there for more satisfied feedback.
After that, the user can choose whether she wants to proceed to the next categories or want to move directly to the “Quizzes” button. At this site, the quizzes are divided into a number of different categories such as Geography, Grammar, History, Reading Comprehension, Writing, People, and others; where it enables learner or user to assess herself according to her self-interest or self-significance. By the way, for the less literate computer users, they do not have to be worry on how to make use of the site because the way to answer the quizzes is so easy where they just need to click on one of the round columns served next to the answers and finally press the “submit” button to check the result after they finish answering all the questions. However, as it is the only format designed for the quizzes so it perhaps becoming quite boring for visual type of learners as it lacks of pictures, symbols, graphs and soon to attract the learners to focus answering the questions.
3)What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?
Dave’s ESL Café is a website that indirectly developed for less illiterate computer users because the users are expected to have at least basic computer knowledge or skills in order to access to this application. For instances, they should know how to browse the curser to the desired button, able to move onto the next page or go back to the previous one, know how to play a video, to pause, to stop, and to rewind, to increase the video’s volume, to turn the video’s screen mode into full screen mode or to turn back to the normal mode; especially the videos for learning English pronunciation.
Then, the users are also expected to have ‘hyperlink’ skills so that they know how to open the links provided at the website or which link should they refer to for certain topics or categories as usually most of the links provided are beneficial to the learners’ knowledge and information. Besides that, they also should know how to open the link in new tab or window so that they can refer to it anytime they want without going back and forth to the same page.
4)While you are “playing”/ “accessing”/ “assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?
I would like to state here, ‘absolutely yes’.Actually, parts of the reason for why I have chosen this website to be assessed is because it reminds be back to my primary school era where the way my English teacher explained the rules and functions of the grammar lessons just like what have been stated in this site; even though it is not as detail as that. The way it has been presented, step-by step; does really help me improve my understanding regarding the correct grammar usages.
Besides that, this application also comes with various interesting categories and one of them is ‘Food’ category where it shares on how teachers can make use of some interesting recipes for their teaching lesson plan. Incidentally, it recalls my memory back to my school age where I had learnt on how to write essays about cooking based on the given recipes by our teacher.
Furthermore, the videos present in this website also contain quite similar format or function with the Windows Media Player software available in my laptop. It is very user-friendly and easy to be used. Thus, I do not have much problem to operate the application.
Apart from that, when I went through the application I found that the process took place just more or less same with what I have done during my self-study such as I have to click certain links, figure out by myself what is the function of certain buttons, where should I press when I need help, how to cancel a particular operation, and others.
5)Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/ or teaching underlying the application?
There are few theories that I found much more related to the language learning and teaching underlying this application. One of them is the concept of Zone of Proximal Development as proposed by Lev Vygotsky in his theory on social constructivism. In this concept, he believed that children problem solving skills for difficult tasks given can be improved with the guidance and assistance of adults or more-skilled children. However, when apply for this scope; it could be interpreted that the second language learning process for less literate computer user can be improved with the help of the teacher.
Another theory related to this is Sensory Stimulation Theory where it stands on the principle that effective learning takes place when the senses are stimulated (Laird, 1985). This theory believed that learning process would greatly occurs if multi-senses are stimulated such as through a greater variety of colours, appropriate volume levels, facts presented visually, use of a variety of techniques and media. All these criteria are actually available through the learning process at a website where the students are able to learn in a new encouraging virtual environment of visualizing, listening, practising, pronouncing and so on.
6)How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?
It would be appropriate if I start with the definition of constructivist theory first. Constructivist theory is actually a theory proposed by a Russian psychologist named Lev Vygotsky who argued that children would build more organized, reasonable, and realistic concepts as a result of conversation with competent helper. Above all, this theory is more or less explaining about how people be acquainted with what they know and it centred at problem-solving aspect. Some of the concepts that quite famously debated under this theory are Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) concept, Scaffolding concept, and Language and Thought concept. ZPD and Scaffolding concepts are simply about amount or adjustment of guidance and assistance that have been given to a child in order to help them solve certain task or improve their learning performance. Meanwhile, under the Language and Thought concept, Vygotsky believed that speech is not only used for social interaction but it also helps young children plan, direct, and monitor their behaviour in solving tasks. He categorized this characteristic as ‘private speech’.
Now, this ‘private speech’ term is some more related with the learning process via internet or online where learners usually involve in collaboration process when it comes to online discussion and so forth. The social interaction here does not only mean to happen orally but it can also happen within the learners’ mind. For instances, I could say that in the website, Dave has developed good constructivist learning environment as in most topic or category published at the site encouraged users to participate or take part in the discussion or forum designed for the application so that they can motivate their minds to generate ideas, thought, or opinion as response to the other comments or ideas posted by the other users. Through this way, they will indirectly develop their thinking skills in gaining new knowledge or by coming out with solution or recommendation for particular issues or problems.
7)In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major a debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation – was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
In relation to my evaluation, it is obviously unfair to state that computer can replace the roles or functions of teachers but I would rather in a positive manner perceive computer as “buddy” for students and “maid” for teachers. There are several rational and logical reasons behind my answers. First of all, as we all know, computer is developed by human and we always work hard in order to upgrade its function to the maximum; but still here, we are the creator of the computer. Therefore, there must be limitations and weaknesses with it. I would like to state here that whatever things that we developed usually have their pros and cons. If we think from positive sight, computer does help us a lot in carrying out our daily tasks where it saves our time, budget, improve our self-learning skills, makes our work at ease and so on. However, on the other hands, computer also limits our virtual learning process where sometimes the feedbacks given by computer do not really convey what are we intended to achieve or in other words; sometimes computer could not give us appropriate and valid answers to our questions like what human can do. Furthermore, computer also unable to portray sense of humour, emotion or facial expression to us which sometimes very useful in dealing with particular situations.
In similar, as human, we also have our own weaknesses and limitations and that is why we create computer. Thus, it is important to bear in mind that technology is always moving with the era and what teachers can do here is to use or manipulate the technology as effective as they can while at the same time assist the students to improve their performance based on dual learning process; which is through self and mentor-guided learning.
8)Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
In my opinion, I would like to say ‘Yes!’. There are several rationales for why I am willing to use this application in my future work. First and foremost, as future English teacher, this application would benefit me a lot in terms of diverse aspects such as discipline aspect or classroom management aspect which not only with respect to language teaching and learning solely. For instances, I can create various teaching materials based on the information given in this website which can grab my students’ interest and motivation towards the learning process of the language.
Second, this application is very user-friendly and flexible where I do not have to be a computer geek in order to use it. Just by clicking few buttons on the website and everything would be at my fingers. Besides that, I also do not need specific time or special venue to use it. I can bring my laptop to a wireless zone and access the website any time that I want.
Last but not least, the website is much cheaper and affordable compared to the courseware and I can have it at good price for long term usage. Apart from it, it also effective to be used as it has been developed by language specialist who already expert in the field.
As for suggestion, more images, animation pictures and variety designs of exercise can be add to this website so that the learners are not tied up to only one type of assessment which may becoming dull and boring.At last, I also would like to recommend the future second language teachers as well as second language students to make use of this website to the maximum as it can help improve the language teaching and learning performance. However, it does not mean that we have to leave the traditional way of teaching, it just that we have to know how to balance it.
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