ABSTRACT
This Research has been carried out to find out about the effectiveness of using CALL in Classroom teaching. This research was done in my school, which is a rural school and has several preuniversity classes, where the learners are from the non English speaking families and school is the only place they acquire the second language. In the beginning when I took over the class, the learners converse with me only in Malay, and very few learners spoke in Manglish (Malay English). I tried different styles and methods of teaching to make them acquire the language. My aim was to make them conversant in the language, so I applied the four main skills in language in my Teaching Listening, speaking , reading and writing) CALL is one of the most easiest and effective method which I found out during my university days where most of the second language learners in my class improved after few following the CALL lessons. This experience gave me hope to teach the rural learners and to train them as competent learners in English. During most of my CALL lessons, the learners were my target and my complete attention was on the learners learning style. I focus on their learning by guiding them and giving instructions. Few catch-up very fast but many of them needed my assistance, I went from one student to another and gave them my full attention on how to get information from the internet and how to be smart learners. After 5 to 6 lessons only, many of them learnt how to retrieve information from the particular websites.
By the time they were able to get the information themselves, they were competent in the speaking, reading and writing skills. Through reading only they were able to retrieve information from the search engines. The learners improved overall in CALL class. Not only in the language based subjects but in almost all subjects. These learners were able to solve the problems which once they found as unsolved.
The learners improved their vocabulary, word power, pronunciation, enunciation as well as language proficiency. They were independent learners and able to complete any assignment with the aid of Computers. CALL had given them vast exposure about Global learning and most of these learners at present pursuing the Tertiary education in local universities. CALL had given them a new way of thinking and analyzing and had helped them to be independent and confident learners.
1. Reflection: Teaching and Learning
First I was a bit restless when I face the non English Speaking group of learners who used only Malay when converse with me. The sentences which were uttered by them were “Kami tak erti cakap orang putih” which means “we can’t understand English” I introduced different styles and methods to help them acquire the language and to become fluent in it. One of my approaches was CALL. The four main skills, I had used in this CALL known as Speaking, listening, reading and writing. When I gave the learner’s instruction, they were able to follow, Listening and speaking skills were the main skills practiced in this method. While they learners searched for the information online, they were reading the articles and they manage to get information and were able to complete or write their essays.
Unknowingly the four main skills were explored by the learners and this had really helped them to write better essays and to produce quality assignments through CALL lessons.
Teacher’s role in a CALL lesson is very important and the teaching and learning is ‘learner centred’. A CALL classroom teacher need to be very active and should be able to move fast to help the students who need the teachers guidance. Those learners, who are unable to find or search the websites or to find the topics which they need to identify, need to be alert all the while. None of the learners should be neglected. Negligence could make the child to feel low spirited or not bothered by the teacher. So, a CALL lesson teacher need to possess high self esteem and highly motivated so he or she could motivate the learners to perform better and to produce high or better marks.
- Issues.
Learners were helpless, to do certain assignments and they approached me during a
CALL class, I showed them and even guided them how to find related sites and how to do certain assignments. Many of the learners were unable to communicate in English; they spoke in Malay in the beginning. Only few learners manage to use few English words and spoke in Malay. Almost all these learners are from the Felda area, where these learners are unable to converse with anyone in English. Only during MUET lesson they were able to hear English words spoken. I realized they needed lots and lots of motivation and pushu
3. Objective:
The reason why I’m introducing or sharing this CALL methodology with others is, because this method is proven to be very effective when applied in classroom. Learners are very confident to learn and they showed progress in their studies. Independent learning occurs, learners are more confident with this method because many unsolved problems and questions were solved by using this method, retrieving of information and ideas from the websites and getting related notes for the unsolved problems and questions from particular sites had given these learners satisfaction.
Learners are given simple ideas related to the topic and were guided, to search for the sample essays and notes, which they need to do an assignment. The group which, I had introduced this CALL system is the form six learners. Those students who were timid and were not brave enough to approach or ask anyone to clear their doubts.
My approach was more like peer tutoring; I gave them a topic to find on the search engine, for example; Aquaculture, some manage to find it, some unable to find and asked me to help them? I ran to them and searched for the topic, they were happy. When I managed to get for them, my steps were simple when I explained to them, I typed the topic on search engine and showed them, more speaking and listening activities, took place during this step. Learners were more confident when they were guided to retrieve information them selves.
4. The Aim of this research
The aim of this research is to increase the number of high achievers and to help the learners in general to perform better through independent learning. In this CALL classroom, a teacher’s attitude and behavior is very important to motivate the learners. The teacher, learner relation ship is so close that, the teacher dedicated herself or himself as a peer when teaching these learners. A teacher who teaches this subject need to be an active person and fast moving individual so he or she could run to the learners when they need her or his guidance. Being a CALL teacher is quite tiring and interesting at the same time, because the learners always need the teacher around them, as long they need her service.
A teacher who applies CALL in her lessons can bring vast changes, in her learners’ behavior and attitude. The teacher not only guides and teaches them the search engines on “how to search for information and to retrieve information from the web but also motivates them and gives them strong influence of being independent learners. In few months of following a CALL classroom lesson the learners found to be very confident learners who had improved their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. These preuniversity learners had been trained to be tertiary level learners when
They followed few of the CALL lessons. From time to time the learners were given few tasks such as writing few assignments on the topics given to them.
Learners are able to be evaluated, able to perform better and able to find information for the problems or question thrown to them.
TARGETED GROUP
4.2 The targeted group of learners are lower six students who are from non English speaking Environment. Some of them are from, Gunung Besaut, and some from The Felda Trolak, few of them from the Towns surrounding areas, almost all of them are from the non English speaking homes and surroundings. These groups of learners are from two different classes where each class consists of 23 students; these learners are from the villages and isolated Felda schemes.
5. Research: How it was carried out
Learners were questioned if they could follow the instructions given to them. Their reply was this.
Ex: 1.Could you please show me how to get this note?
Ex: 2. How to get notes for this question?
Ex: 3 I’m looking for some notes for this essay, could you please show me how to get the notes?
Ex: 4 Teacher please show me how to search ideas for my journal.
The research was carried out through observation and constructivism, how the learners search for the information on the web. I questioned them and through my observation and when I notice them searching for the relevant information. The first few attempts were failure. The learners were unable to find the important sites which they needed, and they requested my help and asked me to show them or to type, My approach was , showing them and guiding them to search for ideas. This is how I showed them to search for information by typing on the search engine;
Ex: 1.
Environmental issues + Land slide
Ex: 2
Sample article + Harvesting Rain
Ex: 3
Sample essay +Bio technology
The action carried out
First the learners were guided to retrieve information on certain topics.
Few learners asked me how to find meanings for certain words and I told them that they should go to the on line dictionary, and they asked me how? I told them to type on search engine as how it’s shown below:
Ex: 1. online dictionary + Merriam Webster
Some asked me how to find sample essays or articles; this is how it was shown on search engine as it is displayed below.
Ex: 2.sample essay + unforgettable memory.
One of the student asked how to search for a map and this is how it was shown to him.
Ex:3 Map+ Pacific Islands
Action, observation and evaluation carried out.
i. Observation
First I let the learners to search the information themselves without guidance, few of them manage to get the result and manage to find what they were searching for.
But few of them tried and tried, but their attempt was not fruitful. At last they asked me to guide them, but I gave them some clues about the search engine, and explained to them that they could choose either this way or that way. I motivated them to try different methods and approaches to find what they were looking for.
The learners were not bored even though they tried many times. One matter that I realized from my observation was that the learners were not bored and fed up when dealing with machine (computer) for longer hours.
ii. Reflection
After few CALL Lessons, I noticed ample of positive attitude and behavior among the learners. Their language, I mean their spoken English was much better with proper usage of words and pronunciation. They had acquired better Writing than earlier. They sound more confident and able to carry out the task given to them.
5.4.2
Activity 2
I. Observation
Online articles and news are considered good reading materials, Learners were interested to read simple reading passages, On line articles are good source of reading materials and these articles are suitable to use for the upper classes reading session.
i. Reflection
Those learners who were exposed to read online journals and articles found to be more fluent and able to express their view compared to those who are not exposed to reading online articles or journals. The frequent online readers found to be independent learners and able to do any assignments on their own. But those who had not exposed to reading online articles or journals were seen as dependent learners and they depend on their peers for everything. These dependent learners were found to be comfortable when doing group assignments but the independent learners were very comfortable being themselves doing the task alone.
5.5 Reflection based on Research
i. I evaluated the learners after few CALL lessons by giving them some questions of retrieving information from online articles and journals. Learners were able to answer the questions easily.
Another approach is by giving few topics and asking the learners to find facts related to the topics given to them. Learners were able to find what was asked.
One more approach was asking learners to do individual presentation in class. Learners carried out the task without difficulty.
My last attempt to test them was, I asked them to write a spontaneous essay and the learners manage to write the essay within the time.
ii. I realized that the CALL system of teaching and learning benefit the learners a with Global knowledge , improving writing skills, speaking activities, as well as reading skills, where the learners were able to enunciate well and accurately.
iii. Overall this CALL lesson has made the learners highly motivated and had given them more confident to learn their subjects without any difficulty. The result of their online learning had made them better learners Holistically, When the STPM results were out, those who had used the retrieving information from online resources for learning and made it a habbit, found to produce very good results and made their way to University.
6. My next research is about using CALL in Reading. I’m going to discuss about different methods, ways, approaches and styles of reading, which could make a reader, enjoy reading and benefit from it. This method could / might attract the non native learners of English to learn and enjoy reading in English.
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