TASK 1 (WEBSITE EVALUATION)

Website address:
http://www.soundsofenglish.org/about.htm

Question 1:
What does the application attempt to “teach”?

Answer:
This website is designed as a platform for English Language Learners (especially for those who are learning English as a Second Language) to learn and practice the pronunciation of specific words in English Language. The name of the website itself, www.soundsofenglish.org gave an impression and a brief introduction regarding the website. It is not only focuses on the learners but this website is also providing guidance and assistance to English Language teachers on the techniques of teaching speaking and pronunciation to their learners. Apart from that, this website provides printable exercises to ease the teachers on their teaching. As we all know, speaking and listening are interrelated to each other. In order to excel in speaking a second language, one needs to master his/her listening skills as well. Because of that, this website combined both elements to balance up the skills of the learners to lead them to a better understanding.

There are 6 sections excluded the HOME sections being offered in this website. The ABOUT section is mainly about the introduction of the website to newcomers. It explains all the elements they are about to learn using this platform and any latest updates on notes or exercises for them. As for the LINKS section, the designers have uploaded and provides a lot of links for the learners. It is divided into 2 sections, which are the listening section and the pronunciation section. As for the listening section, exciting materials to be heard are provided such as listening to poetry, songs, radio drama and others as listed in the websites. As for the pronunciation section, learners are able to link to useful sites to learn more about pronunciation. The third section is the HANDOUTS section where the designers have posted numbers of printable handouts for learners and teachers to access to. It is really helpful for those who prefer to learn on paper. Next section is the main section which is the ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION section. This section is divided into 4 elements but only 3 elements can be accessed. This is where learners are able to learn how to pronounce a word and there are figures of correct ways to pronounce it. Other than figures, audios and videos related to it are also provided. As for the ACTIVITIES & EXERCISES section, this is where learners can assess their understanding of what they have learnt from the website by doing the activities provided. TIPS FOR TEACHERS section is very useful and helpful for teachers to find out the most effective ways in teaching listening or pronunciation. Links provided also added more accessibility to the teachers.

Question 2:
What sort of things are the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?

Answer:
As being mentioned above, this website is mainly focuses on teaching the correct pronunciation to English language learners. This website is targeted to the beginner up to the advanced level of proficiency. In order to excel or master in certain things, one must have the intention and the ability to self-motivate themselves. As far as the E-Learning is understood, it is a medium where there is no physical guidance from teachers or peers. It is a self-learning process. According to Steven Donahue, Professor of ESL, Broward Community College, “Succumbing to conventional logic, pronunciation is certainly the one English skills course that must be taught person-to-person or on ground”. He also mentioned on his research that according to the online facilitators, “Anything, including major brain surgery can be taught online”. In my opinion, if the learners themselves are determine to learn something, no matter where or what type of medium it is, they can still excel it. So, in order to learn and understand the content of this website, learners must focus and learn it step by step and be responsible enough to assess themselves by doing the exercises provided.

Question 3:
What sort of computer skills are the application user expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?

Answer:
This website is designed to be as user friendly as possible. While assessing it, I found out that the website is well-organized and easy to access for the newcomers of the website. It is very simple and easy to follow. In relation to that, users are not required to have high level of IT ability to access this website. Users only need internet access, speakers, and compatible software to access to the audios and videos provided. It is much easier if they have printer in order to print the handouts, notes or the exercises given. Other than that, leave it to the website. With one click, information seek are presented in front of the learners.

Question 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?

Answer:
Yes it does. I remembered learning it during my pre-degree program in Malacca. It was my listening and speaking class. My lecturer used the old-version audio (tape) to teach us listening. It worked well for me. As it was my first time using it and we have no other advance sources in listening, I thought it was pretty good and well enough at that moment. Doing exercises after listening to a radio drama or songs really helped me out in understanding the elements efficiently. With the guidance and assistance from my lecturer and the listening program (audio), I managed to go through the course well. I really hope that learners nowadays can make a full use of the advanced material (especially websites and courseware) to upgrade our studies.

Question 5:
Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

Answer:
According to Prof. George E. Hein, Lesley College Massachusetts USA, “People learn to learn as they learn: learning consists both of constructing meaning and constructing systems of meaning. For example, if we learn the chronology of dates of a series of historical events, we are simultaneously learning the meaning of a chronology. Each meaning we construct makes us better able to give meaning to other sensations which can fit a similar pattern.” In relation to this website, it is assumed that learners will learn to speak and listen well, as they speak and listen to all the activities in this website. Good practice and understanding is the main key in order to improve ourselves in whatever we are doing and in this context, in learning listening and speaking (pronunciation).

Other than that, I would like to quote Stephen Krashen’s theory. According to him, “The Acquisition-Learning Theory is the most fundamental of all the hypotheses in Krashen's theory and the most widely known among linguists and language practitioners. The 'learned system' or 'learning' is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge 'about' the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules.” As to relate it to this website, in my opinion learners are acquiring the language by learning the way to articulate and produce sounds of certain words and listen to the correct pronunciations. They learn by acquiring the knowledge from this website.

Question (6):
How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website?

Answer:
According to Bruner, 1986, “Motivation is a key component in learning. Not only is it the case that motivation helps learning, it is essential for learning.” This constructivist is closely related to what I have discussed earlier, whereby learners using this website need to have a high self-motivation in order to succeed.

Other than that, according to Honebein’s, 1996, “Encourage self-awareness in the knowledge construction process (p.11)”. To relate it with this website, it is mainly focuses on the teachers. They have to instill the self-awareness to their learners of the importance of learning the correct pronunciation during their conversation later on.

Question 7:
In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major 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?

Answer:
In my opinion, computer is just an alternative for teachers to seek for improvement in their method of teaching and learning process in the classroom. It is unfair to state that computer is a “master” or even a “slave” to the learning process. Both teachers and computer have their own specialties in contributing to the education sectors. In my opinion again, both teachers and computers are interrelated and rely on each other. In order to improve and create new revolution to the education industry, there is no harm in combining both for the betterment of our future generation.

Question 8:
Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

Answer:
Yes, definitely. I would love to use it for myself. As a second language learner myself, I think it is a good platform for me to learn to pronounce word correctly using this easy way. It offers practical explanation and it allows me to absorb and practice it easily together with the help of the audio, video as well as the figures. It is very user friendly and simple enough for me to understand. If I will be a lecturer one day, I will definitely use and refer to this website as my teaching tools or guidance for me to teach my students.

Question 9:
Recommendation / suggestions?

Answers:
Some of the links are not compatible to open. Maybe the designer needs to update this website in order for the learners to benefit more from it. Other than that, more interesting video should be posted in the website. The designer should consider adding more English Language words so that learners would not have to go to other links. I think that this website can also be used in the classroom or computer labs. Learners can exchange ideas and opinions when they learn with their peers. In addition, with the present of the teachers, learners are able to have a closer guidance from their teachers. In the nutshell, learners are getting more and more advanced sources to learn English Language. It is depending on oneself's determination and motivation to seek for knowledge or just be happy enough to be left behind.

A New Day, A New Start!

Hello People!!

I am Farah Hayati Salim from U8C. Some of you might know me already and I am SURE Dr. Idzham still remember me.. Well, I'm sorry that you have to see me again this semester...hihi

To begin with, I have a few complications last semester which lead me to this semester (haih).. But as refered to the popular saying...'LETS START FRESH!'..

I took this course last semester and to be honest, I was scared like most of you guys. But as time goes by...I found it NOT that difficult and VERY VERY INTERESTING...seriously people....I bet you will have a lot of fun in this class...and...Dr Idzham is very helpful...(Trust me!)

So, I've learned lots of new things from Dr Idzham...such as Hot Potatoes (Hot and Spicy....hihi....it is very fun and totally easy) and you will explore lots of interesting, amazing and fun experiences along the way...

Well, I will do a lot better this semester... Really hope Dr Idzham would not get bored assisting me all over again this semester....hihi.. By the way...thanks a lot for your assistance all this while Dr..

HYPERTEXT & HYPERMEDIA

Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India, on October 2nd 1869. His father died when he was still a teenager. At the age of 13 he married Kasturba Gandhi who was three years younger and the marriage lasts for 62 years until her death in 1944.

As a young man Gandhi left India to study law in London. Then he spent two decades working in South Africa securing rights for Indian expatriates. It was during this time that his political reform through non-violence which he called Satyagraha was born. This movement meant resistance of tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa, total non violence, which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. This way, when he returned to India, Mohandas Gandhi emerged as a political and religious leader in the fight for independence from Great Britain and was accorded the country's Father of the Nation. India freed itself from Britain on August 15th, 1947. Five months later, on January 25th, 1948 Gandhi was shot by a conservative Hindu.

TASK 2 (WEBSITE EVALUATION)

TASK 2 ( ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION)

Website’s address:
(www.app.de.mingoville.com)

Question (1):
What does the application attempt to “teach"?

Basically, this website or application is mainly about learning English Language in a fun and most relaxing way. It is targeted for users aged 4 until 11 years old. I found it very interesting and different from the other normal websites. It is somehow similar to any video games or programs that children normally play on their computer or playstation. That interests me more to explore and access this website.

This website is about a ‘country’ called the ‘Mingoville’ which consist of a species of animal. Users are required to follow and complete the missions given while learning English along the way. There are a lot of interesting activities in each mission. These activities cover the learning process needed; from gathering information, providing explanation, learning new things, completing tasks, gaining feedback and self-motivation. Further explanation regarding the activities in this application will be notified in the next question.

Question (2):
What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to the learning content?

As been mentioned earlier, this website this mainly designed for children aged 4 to 11 years old. It is proven that children are easily attracted to something colourful, imaginative, interesting and animated. These are the factors needed to be focused on in designing a program for children especially when it is related to education. This is what the program is aiming at. It is stated on the first page of the website, ‘English for Fun’!

This application is user friendly and very easy for children to access even without any guidance from their parents or even teachers. Children can even learn it at home during their pastime. The colourful animation makes it very intriguing and it is attention grabbing. The sound effects and various interesting language activities add in the ‘spice’ towards it. The missions that have to be completed indirectly boost up children’s self-motivation to complete all the tasks and activities until the end of the journey. All the tasks provided are related to language learning in a more relaxing way for children. For an example, there are a lot of introduction to new vocabularies, the usage of English language in everyday life and others basic language forms.

Question (3):
What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate / access / use the application?

This application does not acquire complex software of skills in order to operate it. As it is being targeted for children, it is very user friendly. As I have mentioned earlier, it is similar to a computer games children normally play. So, it is easy for them to access this application. They only need to sign up for the game before start exploring. No worries, because the sign up is free. The only problem is, users need to have an email account in order to sign up. After a few minutes, everything is at their finger tip. There is no downloading needed for this website. It is ready to access.

Question (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 remembered a few incidents using this kind of method of teaching and learning process. The first incident was when one of my fellow classmates conducted her microteaching where she used a game called ‘Varmin’. It is actually a normal computer game but she transformed it as a part of her lesson in teaching direction. I found it very amusing and different.

Later, when I performed my practicum in school, I adapted her method and used it in one of my class. It worked and my students loved it and found it easier to understand the lesson. Maybe this method will not be applicable to all subjects, but it is something different for future teachers to instill it in nowadays advanced minded learners.

Question (5):
Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

According to Paul Bloom, a Professor of Psychology at Yale University, “Normal children learn tens of thousands of words, and do so quickly and efficiently, often in highly impoverished environments. He argue that word learning is the product of certain cognitive and linguistic abilities that include the ability to acquire concepts, an appreciation of syntactic cues to meaning, and a rich understanding of the mental states of other people.” Through my analysis, I found out that this website focus more on gaining and learning new words through the tasks given.

Other than that, obviously, there is communicative language teaching theory as well. The website activities focus on all of the components including grammatical, discourse, functional and they are given opportunities to self-learning with a guidance of their teachers and parents.

Question (6)
How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website?

Social constructivism views each learner as a unique individual with unique needs and backgrounds. The learner is also seen as complex and multidimensional. Social constructivism not only acknowledges the uniqueness and complexity of the learner, but actually encourages, utilizes and rewards it as an integral part of the learning process (Wertsch 1997). In relation to this website, users are required and trained to push themselves to the limit and self-realizing their inner capability. In completing the missions and tasks provided, users are motivated to learn English at the same time.

According to the social constructivist approach, instructors have to adapt to the role of facilitators and not teachers (Bauersfeld, 1995). For this website, teachers are able to monitor and facilitate their students and still creating the interesting environment for the learners to learn English.

Question 7
In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major 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 my opinion, computer is just an alternative for teachers to seek for improvement in their method of teaching and learning process in the classroom. It is unfair to state that computer is a “master” or even a “slave” to the learning process. Both teachers and computer have their own specialties in contributing to the education sectors. In my opinion again, both teachers and computers are interrelated and needed each other. In order to improve and create new revolution to the education industry, there is no harm in combining both for the betterment of our future generation.

Question 8
Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

Well, as for me, if I am not going to be a primary school teacher, I will definitely use it for my children. I found it very interesting to instill the interest for children in learning the English Language. It is the most effective way without forgetting the ‘manual’ alternative as well, such as books and etc.

Question 9
Suggestions/Recommendations.

In my opinion, the only flaws that I can trace is, the lack of variety in terms of the level of proficiency. It will be widely access if this website offers missions and tasks for different level of proficiency such as the three basic levels; beginner, intermediate and advanced learner. It may be more challenging yet fun for users from all over the world to sign up and explore the website.

I AM BLOGGING!!! whoa...

Hey evry1....Assalamualaikum..!!!

Welcome 'home' guys!!! Kindda weird to be sitting as students again right? kiki... Well, the new semester has begun.. lets do our best for this semester!! Chaiyo! Chaiyo!

To begin with, I am Farah Hayati bt Salim, from U8D. Look at my title people! Yup! I AM BLOGGING!! I never thought that someday, i'll be typing or blogging or posting this kind of thing in this so called blogspot. Hurm...you may laugh if you want to...but it is the truth! I never...I repeat...N-E-V-E-R...had created a blog before..

I would like to thank Dr. Hj Izaham and this TSL 641 course for introducing me to this new 'world' called blogspot...cewah!! To be honest, i can describe myself as an adequate person in terms of how 'savvy' i am with technology. I'm still learning and absorbing any new information from my peers.

Things (or software or program or...etc) that i used to use (or create or post or...etc) are listed below:

(a) Microsoft Office (Word, Power Point, Excel, Notebook, Publisher)
(b) Internet
- surfing for information; academic or non-academic
- yahoo, google, msn
- email (send greeting cards/ flash/ share pictures)
- yahoo messenger
- downloading songs/videos/movies/pictures
- friendster, myspace, facebook, youtube
- currently learning how to use this 'blogspot'

Hurm...that's all??? Well, i think so.. i hope to learn and explore a lot more new programs in this course. From the explanation of the course work given by Dr Izaham juz now, it kindda scares me...huhu.. Really hope...i mean...really WISH that i manage to go through this course with the assisstance of Dr Izaham.. Insyaallah... Well, that's all i guess... Till we meet again in my next blog...wuuhuu...!!! I AM BLOGGING Y'ALL!!!

Sayonara people......!!!