Ministry of Science, Research and Technology
Allameh Mohaddes Nouri University
(Non-Governmental, Non-Profit)
Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
English Department
The Role of CALL in Facilitating the Reading Ability of EFL Learners
Supervisor:
Dr. Karim Shabani
Advisor:
Dr. Amir Marzban
THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
ALLAMEH MOHADDES NOURI UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
NOUR, IRAN
NOVEMBER, 2014
(در فایل دانلودی نام نویسنده موجود است)
تکه هایی از متن پایان نامه به عنوان نمونه :
(ممکن است هنگام انتقال از فایل اصلی به داخل سایت بعضی متون به هم بریزد یا بعضی نمادها و اشکال درج نشود ولی در فایل دانلودی همه چیز مرتب و کامل است)
ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to determine the role of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in facilitating the reading ability of EFL learners. It was hypothesized that CALL wouldn’t have significant impact on reading comprehension. The participants in this study were 60 students selected randomly from the EFL learners from an English language institute. The participants were the Iranian male and female intermediate EFL learners with the range of 18 to 22 years of age. They shared the same linguistic and cultural background and their first language in the research was Persian. The participants completed pre-intermediate level and passed the placement test at the intermediate level. Quantitative method and true experimental design was used to explore the effects of CALL on the participants’ reading ability compared to traditional method of teaching reading. The tools for collecting quantitative data in this study included a pre-test and a post-test. All the participants were randomly assigned to a control and an experimental group. The experimental group studied with a CALL program through doing some exercises. The control group went through a traditional method of teaching reading in a classroom. The results showed that using computer in the class had a positive impact on reading ability of EFL learners. The result of this study can be considered a contribution in the latest way of teaching reading to the speakers of the other language
and also the results of current study may be beneficial to teachers of foreign languages (particularly Iranian teachers) in that they can benefit from innovative ways of teaching reading by CALL program and helping the learners to understand the reading text better.
Keywords:
Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Reading, EFL context.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Abstract 6
List of Tables. 9
List of Abbreviations and Transcription Conventions. 10
0.1.Introduction. 12
1.1. Introduction 23
2.1. Introduction. 57
62
3.1. Introduction. 63
. 68
102
List of Tables
List of Abbreviations and Transcription Conventions
SPSS = Statistical Package for Social Science
EFL = English as a Foreign Language
CALL = Computer-Assisted-Language-Learning
ICT =Information and Communication Technology
Introduction
0.1 Introduction
The spread of computers in educational contexts changed the realm of language teaching so dramatically that it seems necessary to language teachers to think about the implication of computers for language learning (Warschauer, 1996).
As Hardisty and Windeat (1989) state, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) aims to describe the use of computers as part of a language course. During the last decade, Studies have illustrated how computer technologies support meaningful and comprehensive educational experiences. Although many organizational and educational settings still privilege the notion of face-to-face classroom instruction, there is nowadays a steady rush and enthusiasm for computer-oriented learning. The global popularity of the computer over the past decade has brought about the innovative uses of computers in educational and foreign language teaching and learning (Belz & kinginger, 2003); with the advance of the technology, more interactive uses of CALL and the increase in the integration of various evolved (Pusack & Lotto, 1990).
CALL is a relatively new academic field that includes highly interactive and communicative support for different language skills including extensive use of the internet. It is a new issue in both computer and linguistic science which offers good promises to teachers, material developers, linguists, and computer researchers. Hence, there are various peripheral applications for computers in the educational domain. In the EFL settings, CALL programs can improve the learning speed, individualized instruction, administration, and efficiency the notion of using computers in foreign language learning and teaching was brought about by the rapid advent of overwhelming computation (Chambers & Davies, 2001). Therefore, language instructors had to adapt their teaching methods to the new ways of FL instruction using computers. The computer focuses on the user’s progress, the possible mistakes, and problems and leads the learner to adapt its pace to the learner’s and learning results she/he has achieved.
As it is known, English has four main skills namely: Listening, Reading, Speaking and writing. The main goal of teaching these skills is to enable students to interact successfully with native and non-native users of English in a variety of social and academic settings.
Reading is considered as the most important skill. Reading is an essential skill for students which enable them to acquire knowledge and develop their academic areas. The essential aim of teaching reading is to train students to read efficiently and quickly in order to get information and meaning from the written material with full understanding and enjoyment.
Reading is one of the crucial language skills for EFL language learners, for academic success, and for professional development. It is widely known that learners learning style and pace of learning can vary significantly even if they belong to the same language learning groups. Even, during the classes dealing with reading comprehension, learners cannot develop their skills as they have to wait for their classmates to complete the assigned task to all learners. The application of computers help students work at their own pace through which teachers can assess the needs and problems of ability to select the type of reading comprehension test based on their preferences, CALL activities are also more interesting, challenging, and motivating which improve the learners’ participation and attention.
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