Communicative Language Teaching Today. Portfolio Series #13.

4. Education and training policy: basic guidelines

Technology has developed immensely and its role in the aspects of learning a language has grown bigger and bigger. Among the university level students, WhatsApp at present is getting into the frontline as one of the most widespread online social networking platforms concerning to language learning. The research work undertaken tries to understand if university level students consider WhatsApp as a significant learning platform that can develop and support their language learning skills. Moreover, , the research work focuses on the routine practices or use of WhatsApp by students. The outcome of the survey data reveals that students consider that WhatsApp may be utilized as a teaching cum learning online platform to assist them in the process of language learning. They also highlighted the necessity of imitating language courses associated with WhatsApp, integration of technology through WhatsApp for the access of class materials with a set of objectives and outcomes explicitly focused on learning language to create meaningful experiences for students. Pedagogically, the study concludes by emphasizing the efficacy and prospective role of WhatsApp in improving the capability of students with regard to learning a language at university level.

WhatsApp: An Online Platform for University-Level English Language Education

This paper is devoted to exploring the way how the mobile instant messaging WhatsApp is deployed to enhance the learning of a second or foreign language. Therefore, this study set out to investigate the empirical studies related to WhatsApp and language learning published in peer-reviewed journals. Thirty-seven studies were selected after a four-phase article identification procedure and a systematic review was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of WhatsApp on language learning. The analysis focused on the keywords, sample sizes, participants, data sets, duration, and language learning benefits of the studies. The results have shown that WhatsApp has been used diversely in language learning. The studies found evidence that WhatsApp can be used to improve the four language skills (i.e. reading, listening, writing, and speaking), integrated language skills, and vocabulary. Moreover, WhatsApp was found to be effective in increasing motivation and language attitudes, fostering learner autonomy, increasing interaction, and lowering language anxiety. The study also provided future research directions and recommendations for practice concerning how to appropriately employ mobile instant messaging in language learning.

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What's up with WhatsApp? A Critical Analysis of Mobile Instant Messaging Research in Language Learning.

La disparition d'un dispositif de francais en ligne et a distance ne peut qu'interroger quand elle a lieu dans le contexte d’une universite ouverte. C’est de cette interrogation que part la presente these situee en sciences de l’education et en didactique des langues et ancree dans le domaine des cultures d’apprentissage, de l’autoformation et du FLE, et dont l’objectif initial etait de realiser l’analyse du declin du dispositif pour essayer d'en comprendre les raisons. Le dispositif ayant ete coordonne, concu et realise par des personnes d’origines europeenne et africaine, prevu pour un public tanzanien, et ayant recu un soutien important de la cooperation francaise et de la hierarchie de son universite d’implantation, l’Open University of Tanzania (OUT), il a, d’abord, fait l’objet d’une reflexion portant sur les cultures et habitudes d’apprentissage au sein de l’OUT afin d’etudier dans quelle mesure une culture pedagogique du Nord, presente a travers les acteurs francais et formes en France, et la culture d’apprentissage des etudiants tanzaniens inscrits a l’OUT pouvait entrer en tension et constituer une cause de la disparition du dispositif initial. A cote de cela, il n’etait pas possible non plus d’obliterer la question de potentielles divergences fatales au sein meme du dispositif de francais, renvoyant a un possible decalage entre les conceptions des acteurs (concepteurs, enseignants et etudiants) pour ce qui concerne l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des langues mais aussi l’apprentissage mediatise par les technologies. Au-dela de l’analyse du declin du dispositif, cette these, en croisant les reponses des etudiants avec celles des responsables et enseignants de l’OUT a permis de mettre au jour, chez les etudiants, des pratiques originales marquees par la culture (d’apprentissage) tanzanienne. Elle revele comment les etudiants reconstituent du presentiel au sein d’une universite ouverte qui prone l’autoformation et propose des enseignements exclusivement a distance. L’etude montre au final, que c’est au niveau micro des conceptions et de l’adhesion des acteurs aux principes initiaux du dispositif que se situent les reels enjeux. L’analyse croisee des resultats de l’etude sur le dispositif de francais (des documents fondateurs du dispositif de francais aux reponses des etudiants et des enseignants) montre que de fortes convergences existent entre le dispositif tel qu’il a ete pense, d’une part, et les pratiques des etudiants de meme que leurs attentes a l’egard d’un dispositif d’enseignement-apprentissage des langues, d’autre part. Mais les tensions se revelent particulierement fortes quand il s’agit d’envisager le numerique dans la formation en francais. L’analyse rend manifeste que ce sont les conceptions negatives des enseignants au regard du numerique en education qui conduisent a l’abandon du dispositif en ligne au profit d’un enseignement en presentiel et que, contrairement a l’institution qui integre les pratiques etudiantes, les enseignants en charge du dispositif de francais ne prennent pas en compte les pratiques et attentes de leur public. Cette etude montre donc que, tout au moins dans le cas etudie, les tensions potentiellement fatales pour un dispositif ne se situent pas dans la rencontre des cultures d’enseignement-apprentissage si, comme, le montre l’adaptation du fonctionnement de l’OUT aux pratiques effectives des etudiants, une volonte d’adaptation est presente permettant d’aller vers une culture commune. Les difficultes apparaissent lorsque les cultures d’apprentissage et les pratiques sont imaginees et/ou projetees a partir d’experiences personnelles et que la mise en avant de ces cultures et pratiques ou non-pratiques imaginees, conduit a l’imposition du dispositif qu’un groupe d’acteurs disposant d’un certain pouvoir entend privilegier.

https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-02393945/document

Eléments de lecture pour une mise en perspective de l’échec d’un dispositif d’enseignement-apprentissage de français en ligne et à distance dans une université ouverte d’Afrique de l’est

Teaching large classes interactively has always been posing great challenges to language teachers in many of the developing countries. This study sought to explore whether the blending of WhatsApp Social Networking Tool (WSNT) in English Second Language (L2) learning class would make the class more interactive. Specifically, the study investigated roles and extent to which WSNT helps in the improvement of English Proficiency. Further, it explored advantages and challenges of using the tool in L2 learning. The study was conducted at one university involving first year undergraduate students who were pursuing different programs, and English grammar course was a compulsory course to them. WSNT was blended in grammar course for a period of one semester. Thereafter, evaluation forms and WhatsApp discussion board were used in data collection. It was realised that the tool plays a great role to the largest extent in helping students learn English interactively and collaboratively. In respect to advantages and challenges, it was reflected that the benefits of blending WSNT in L2 classroom far outweigh the challenges. This implies that WSNT does much good than harm on student’s L2 learning and development. The study concludes that WSNT can be fully utilised for education purposes. The government is therefore urged to provide loans to university students for online mobile learning tools as part of their special faculty requirements. Also, instructors are recommended to adapt the tool synchronously in their courses because the tool is effective at creating interactive learning environment.

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WhatsApp Mobile Tool in Second Language Learning: Opportunities, Potentials and Challenges in Higher Education Settings in Tanzania

English has been used as a medium of instruction in secondary schools and universities in Tanzanian. Pedagogical practice in these levels has however, continued to generate huge challenges in the education system. Considerable amount of time is wasted by students grappling with the language of instruction instead of learning their other subjects. In universities, Communication Skills (CS) course was introduced primarily to enable students apply the existing knowledge of English to particular skills in order to respond to specific academic communicative needs in their disciplines. But, students’ existing knowledge of English at the moment of joining the university, is often so inadequate to have any meaningful application of such knowledge. This happens against the backdrop of a paradigm shift where communicative language teaching (CLT) has currently permeated pedagogical practice globally. In the current study, the researchers undertook to investigate how universities in Tanzania have been able to implement Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in the teaching of Communication Skills Courses. Researchers used qualitative study design through interviews of students and staff, focus group interviews with staff, documentary analyses of CS courses, and classrooms Observations. The findings reveal that inadequacy of CS as competency based course, diversity of students in language abilities and disciplines, localization of teaching material, and instructors’ authority working against students’ autonomy have been compromising students’ development of academic communication competence. The study recommends for a scrutiny of CS curricular to make them more competent based, specific and connected to communication rather than linguistic minutia.

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The use of communicative language teaching approach in the teaching of communication skills courses in Tanzanian universities

Previous studies have been inconsistent in describing tense and/or aspect (T/A) systems in Luguru language and do not satisfactorily explain the differences of the morphological norms that mark T/A in the language. This study aims to describe the T/A system of Luguru as it is used in the verb system, particularly in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. The study applied the Linear Approach in the analysis of T/A. In this approach, tenses are considered as expression of the relationship between speech time and another interval of interest called reference time and event time and Also tense meaning is represented as a sequence of the three time points namely; past, present and future time. Group discussions, questionnaire and interview were employed to collect primary data, from adult native speakers of the language in Matombo and Mgeta wards of Morogoro Rural District. The tools were employed because they correspond to the linear approach and that they are benched in the attitude of the language users. Data were analyzed by the identification of various T/A formatives so as to describe the distinction between them and the classification of morphological forms of tense and aspect in Luguru constructions which was done using linear approach. The study revealed four tense categories marked in the verbal morphology (i.e. remote past, recent past, present and future tenses) and four aspect categories, namely habitual, progressive, perfect and persistent. However, some T/A formatives depend on the three auxiliaries tsaa, maa and -gh’ali to complete their meaning. The study also reveals the prevalence of the difference between absolute and relative perfect marking and a high degree of interaction between tense and aspect.

The classification of morphological forms marking tense and aspect in Luguru

English language and communications skills have undergo tremendous changes in the recent years globally.Increasingly, people realise that they need English language and communication skills not only in employment butalso in full participation in social and political discourses, and Information and Communication Technology. Studieshave shown that while learners have the motivation and innate ability to learn English, there is lack of requisiteopportunities to learn and practice the language. This is because many English language learning proficiencyprogrammes especially in Tanzania are unstructured and not tailored to learners’ particular interests; this is inaddition to using methodologies that emphasize on teaching about language instead of teaching language use. Thecurrent study therefore sought to explore the roles in which universities in Tanzania could play to address the risingmarket demand of English language proficiency programmes with the aim of providing outreach services andgenerate revenue. Face to face interviews, telephone conversations, focus group discussion, questionnaires, anddocumentary review were carried out during data collection. The findings show that the demand for Englishlanguage proficiency programmes in Tanzania is strong. Similarly, the assessment of motivation and expectationindicates that availability of professional teachers and practical sessions, fair fee structure, and learners’ passion forlearning the language were key drivers behind attending the programme. This implies that English languageproficiency is a potential niche market which Tanzanian universities could exploit to meet the rising languagedemands and at the same time generate the much required income.

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Onesmo Simon Nyinondi

Papers

WhatsApp Mobile Tool in Second Language Learning: Opportunities, Potentials and Challenges in Higher Education Settings in Tanzania

The use of communicative language teaching approach in the teaching of communication skills courses in Tanzanian universities

The classification of morphological forms marking tense and aspect in Luguru

How Tanzanian Universities Can Respond to Increasing Market Demands of Specialized Forms of English Language Learning and Communication Skills