Thinh Le

Bio: Thinh Le is an academic researcher from University of Canterbury. The author has contributed to research in topics: Computer-mediated communication & Foreign language. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 3 publications receiving 9 citations.

The relationship between willingness to communicate and social presence in an online English language course

Abstract: Vietnamese high school students have few opportunities to use English outside class and in class they are often reluctant to speak in class. This paper describes and explains the students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) and relates this to varied perceptions of social presence. Eighteen high school students in Vietnam took a six-week online course using Facebook and Skype. They were interviewed individually before and after the course about their experiences, focusing on their perceptions of their own WTC. The results show that the students were more willing to use English spontaneously in the online environment in contexts where they perceived that they had less social presence. Text and audio chat were felt to be less face threatening than video chat, and consequently, students were more willing to speak in conditions of lower social presence. It can be concluded that the more social presence students felt they had in the online environment, the less their WTC. This was true for both synchronous and asynchronous online environments. Allowing students to control their social presence in online communication can embolden shy students and increase their WTC.

Voice Recording in second language outside the classroom: Process and product

Abstract: In Vietnam, English is a foreign language. Therefore, students do not have many opportunities to practise speaking outside the classroom. Inside the classroom, teachers focus on teaching grammar explicitly. To enable students to practise their speaking skills, Facebook closed groups were employed as a learning platform. Seventeen students were asked to record their speech on suggested topics, post them on Facebook closed groups and comment on their friends’ works within six weeks. The first and final recordings were employed to analyse in terms of fluency and complexity. These students were also interviewed after the course. They supposed that voice recording enabled them to have opportunities to practise their speaking skills. The first and final recordings showed that students improved their fluency and lexical complexity but not for syntactic complexity.

The Effect of Learner Training on the Use of Digital Tools to Support English Writing Skills

Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of learner training for CALL general use tools on students whose digital literacy is lower than that assumed by the New Zealand university system they are prepar ...

Understanding willingness to communicate in L2 between Korean and Taiwanese students

Abstract: This study examined Korean (n = 143) and Taiwanese (n = 261) EFL students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings. Follow-up interv...

The effect of training in Mobile Assisted Language Learning on attitude, beliefs and practices of tertiary students in Pakistan.

Abstract: ............................................................................................................................. x Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... xii List of abbreviations .................................................................................................... xiii Glossary ......................................................................................................................... xiv Publications arising from this thesis to date ........................................................ xviii Conference presentations during my PhD journey .............................................. xix Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.

A multimodal approach to higher order literacy development of low-level EFL university students in Japan

Abstract: This mixed methods study investigates the effect of a multimodal reading intervention on EFL reading achievement and intercultural awareness of students (n = 20) at a Japanese university. A cross-c...

Using a Program Based on Embodied Learning and Online Task Activities For Developing Student Teachers' EFL Critical Listening Skills and Willingness to Communicate

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using a program based embodied learning and online task activities in developing student teachers' EFL critical listening skills and willingness to communicate.The design of the study was a mixed research methodology. It combined both quantitative and qualitative methods of collecting data. The participants of the study were fifty (N= 50) students enrolled in the third -year English section at the Faculty of Education, Benha University, Egypt. They were tested before and after the treatment. They were taught through using embodied learning and online task activities The instruments of the study included an EFL critical listening skills test, an EFL willingness to communicate scale and a semi-structured interview.The results of the study revealed a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the study participants in the pre and post administrations of the EFL critical listening skills test and willingness to communicate scale in favor of the post administrations. These results were ascribed to a program based embodied learning and online task activities.