ERIC Number: EJ1107959
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1832-4215
EISSN: N/A
Why Tweet When You Can Bubble? Students' Perceptions of a Voice Microblog for the Development of Their L2 Spoken Production Skills
Davies, Renaud Jonathan
JALT CALL Journal, v11 n3 p213-233 2015
This study explores the role voice microblogging-based activities play in developing learners' spoken production skills. The study involved 33 low-intermediate level university students majoring in English at a private university in Japan. The voice microblogging application used in the study was Bubbly, a cross-platform social networking application that allows users to share short 90-second voice messages with fellow users. Findings, based on an exploratory factor analysis coupled with group interviews, suggest that tasks using Bubbly are beneficial for students' oral performance as they help to provide extra practice for speaking. Furthermore, results clearly show that the application's social and technological affordances help to raise students' level of motivation, engagement and confidence. It can be concluded that voice microblogging tasks along with Bubbly's various affordances offer several benefits to the blended oral communication classroom.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Student Attitudes, Educational Technology, Electronic Journals, Electronic Publishing, Web Sites, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Majors (Students), Language Skills, Skill Development, Computer Mediated Communication, Oral Language, Factor Analysis, Speech Skills, Affordances, Learning Motivation, Self Esteem, Verbal Communication, Educational Benefits, Blended Learning, Online Surveys, Likert Scales, Qualitative Research, Statistical Analysis
JALT CALL SIG. 1-6-1 Nishiwaseda Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-8050, Japan. e-mail: journal!jaltcall.org; Web site: http://journal.jaltcall.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A