Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios
Date of Award
7-8-2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Granting Institution
Lynn University
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)
Degree Program
Global Leadership
Department
College of Education
First Advisor
Cheryl J. Serrano
Second Advisor
Adria Karle
Third Advisor
Judith Strother
Abstract
An increasing number of private and public organizations and educational institutions are incorporating Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) technology into either their traditional classroom setting, or online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) training programs. In the role of facilitating students' learning, it is important for all stakeholders of ESP training programs to investigate the effectiveness of implementing online learning CALL systems into the distance learning environment and the traditional classroom environment of the programs. In order to determine the "effectiveness" of a corporate ESP training program, the approach for this study was to evaluate trainees' pretest and posttest scores related to the ESP training program.
The experimental group of this one group pretest and posttest design study was a group of 18 Chinese adult male trainees enrolled in a flight academy's Aviation English training program that implemented with online learning CALL technology blended with an instructor, in central Florida. The intervention of the study was the implementation of online learning CALL technology blended with an instructor in the classroom environment. The length of the intervention was eight weeks of Aviation English training that implemented blended learning instructions. In addition, a survey instrument was developed to collect data on students' basic information, attitudes toward learning English with CALL technology, motivations for study English, and their perceptions of CALL technology as facilitating interactions among students. The surveys were completed by the students before and after two months of intervention.
The study found that within two months of the implementation of the blended learning in the Aviation English training program, participants had significant improvement on their test scores. Participants in the study generally had positive attitudes toward learning English with CALL, before and after two months of the Aviation English training program. They also had positive perceptions of CALL technology in facilitating interactions in the classroom, before and after the training program. The study also found that participants who had positive perceptions of CALL in facilitating interactions in the classroom tended to have positive attitudes toward using CALL in learning English.
Recommended Citation
Chiu, C. (2004). Effectiveness of Implementing Computer-Assisted Language Learning Technology in the English for Specific Purposes Training Program [Doctoral dissertation, Lynn University]. SPIRAL. https://spiral.lynn.edu/etds/82
