ESL Website Evaluation

1. 1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?

Based on the website, www.englishclub.com, the applications are specially designed for the learning of English as a second language, so most of their student visitors are non-native speakers, whereas their teacher visitors may be native or non-native speakers. It also attempts to serve as resources for both teachers and learners. Teachers can get access to many examples of examinations and tests based on English language. Apart from that, teachers can also view examples of lesson plans and get teaching tips from the website. The forum itself is very useful towards the teacher where they can discuss online on teaching-related issues. Several applications are provided and their focus are mostly on English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, online ESL games and ESL quizzes, ESL learning aids, online tests, etc. The most interesting application in the website is the use of English for business purposes.

I can conclude that most of the activities provided are focusing on the use of English for examination, daily life usage and self improvement, be it for teachers or learners. This indicates that the application is trying to “teach” both teachers and learners that online applications can be made useful for teaching and learning purposes through the experiential learning, learning motivation, increase in authentic materials for study, greater interaction between teachers and learners, independence in global learning and lastly, global understanding. In conclusion, language learning via computer applications could provide second language learners and teachers more independence from classrooms and allowing learners the option to work at any time of the day, achieve great understanding and success with a considerably lower cost.

2. 2. What sort of things is the application users expected to do with regards to learning the content?

First of all, the website is the world’s premier free website for teachers and learners of English. Therefore, there’s no obligation in registering or sign up for an account in the website.The website is easily accessible by everyone, regardless of the level of proficiency in English. All the visitors need to do is to pick any areas in favour to them, such as learning and teaching English, English references, English resources, etc. Apart from that, visitors are also welcomed to join in the forums, create their own blogs, answer quizzes and chat with other English learners to enhance their language proficiency. All the applications are very user-friendly and visitors will find them very interactive and interesting. However, it is very crucial for visitors to determine their level of English first before they proceed to all those mentioned activities as to ensure that they will pick the suitable activities and materials so they won’t be experiencing any kind of confidence and motivation loss in learning the English language. Most importantly, user are not required to be of an expert level when accessing the applications in the website. All they have to do is pick and click and they will get all the information needed.

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

As I have mentioned earlier, application users are required to be of an expert level in order to operate/access/use the application. Basically, by accessing the applications in www.englishclub.com, users are expected to be able to use computer-based technologies to manipulate, create, store and retrieve information to express ideas and communicate with others. However, the most basic skill needed by users is the skill and knowledge in computer operations and concepts. By this, I am indicating skills such as ability to identify hardware components(mouse, keyboard, monitor, earphones, etc), identify cursors, recognises the typical features of the applications and discriminate in the choice of applications for a given purpose. Other than that, users are also advised to gain knowledge on the Internet features such as the general structure of a web address, key words in simple search, interprets information from a website and also determine whether information is current, accurate and reliable.

4. 4. While you are "playing"/"accessing"/"assessing" the application, does it remind you of anything you do in classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?

While I was “playing”/”accessing”/”assessing” the application, I found several similarities with things/activities that I do in my classroom. Most of the applications remind me of my Pre-TESL years when I was still preparing myself four years ago. We were taught mostly on how to listen, speak, read and write. Even the activities are almost the same and it makes me ponder of whether my lecturers had been referring to this website last time. We had been doing a lot of activities that are similar to the applications, where we have to do things that are related to real life activities and also for academic purposes. However, during my self-study, I have been to a lot of websites during my four years being involved in the learning of English as second language. Whenever I was looking for information that is related TESL subjects, I had bumped into several applications that are similar to what is provided in www.englishclub.com. It helps me a lot in expanding my knowledge towards the learning of English. I am exposed to a lot of beneficial information and also good practices by referring to such websites. Apart from that, blogging has been somewhat a trend nowadays where all people are being so critical on what to write in their website and also on the feedback towards their writing. Looking at one of the applications provided by English Club, which is ESL Blog, i find it very interesting as people are able to write freely and thus, increasing their level of motivation in using the learned language.

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

There are many theories used in the application, but I found several interesting theories to be highlighted from it. One of the theories is Community Language Learning, where the application acts as educational resources for language learning on the web. The users act as collaborator where they collaborate with each other. This can be seen through the construction of personal blogs by users in www.englishclub.com. They choose to develop what aspects of a language they would like to learn. Such theories can easily be seen with the internet growth and boom of social networking technologies.

Besides that, in the Learning English Vocabulary page, students are exposed to new vocabularies, new ways of using English in daily life, new slangs and idioms through the examples given. If the users proceed to the quizzes right after seeing the examples in the application, it can be referred to the theory of Total Physical Response.They learn as they do. In this theory, new things are being presented primarily without telling students the meanings or the usages. Normally, in classroom, students are introduced to to new things with action by the teachers and students are required to discover the meaning by trying to understand the use and also the words by themselves.

When accessing the application, users are expected to navigate themselves through the application by themselves without guidance from anyone. They have to pay extra attention to the directions, questions and instructions in order to proceed with all the activities. They are also learning via the feedback given by the application everytime they go through the exercises. According to Brown(2001), Silent Way occurs when the students learn by themselves without explanations from the teacher. By accessing the application, users have proved that they had to examine and discover the new information and knowledge on their own without the help of their teachers or anyone else.

Drilling is also one of the method used in the application as it provides numbers of exercises and quizzes for the users to practise the knowledge that they have gained from the application itself. In my opinion, some drilling exercises can be very helpful but use them appropriately. Drilling can turn out to be a convenient utility when it comes to practising and revising the already acquired grammar and vocabulary.

Other than that, most exercises and activities provided in the application, such as Business English, ESL Chat, English For Work, ESL Magazine and many more relates to our daily life activities. This support the theories of Cognitive-code Approach where English is being taught inductively.

6. 6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website?

Constuctivism. The term refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves. Each learner, individually or socially, constructs meaning as he/she learns. Several constructivist principles have been practised in the chosen website. One of them is learning is an active process and not a passive acceptance of knowledge. In the website, users are required to be active by playing the games or attend to the exercises by themselves. They have to incorporate all the knowledge that they have gained by themselves into the games, quizzes and exercises.

Besides, another principle by constructivist theorists is that learning is a social activity. Our learning is associated to many other human beings such as our teachers, peers, our family as well as casual acquaintances, including the people before us or next to us. This is in conjunction with the idea of progressive education, which recognizes the social aspect of learning and uses conversation and also the interaction with others. In the chosen website, there are few activities which require users to interact with each other and gain the knowledge through social learning.

According to constructivist theorist, motivation is a key component in learning. It helps learning and is broadly used to include an understanding of ways in which the knowledge can be used. In the website, all the exercises and quizzes put high emphasis on our motivation towards learning the language. We can do as many mistakes without being humiliated, instead, we are being motivated to do better for the next try. Besides, the use of website as a medium to teach and learn English itself is a good source of motivation for both teachers and learners.

Therefore, in this chosen website, www.englishclub.com, I’d say that the constructivist theory of learning has been applicated in many kind of ways. The users or learners can be independent in searching for their own knowledge, while teachers can also improve their level of knowledge by themselves, just by referring to the exercises, resources and all the information provided in the website.

7. 7. In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on 'whether the computer was "master" or "slave" to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation - was the computer a replacement for teacher, or merely an obedient servant to students?

In my humble opinion, the computer is neither a the “master” or “slave” to the learning process, be it for the students or the teachers. As the name of this subject goes, Computer Assisted in Language Learning, I would refer to the computer as being an assistant to the teachers, as well as the students. It is providing a lot of information for both teachers and learners in many ways.

It can somehow replace the teacher when students are learning online, but there are still few setbacks that are stopping the computer from being the “teacher”. Such setbacks can be related to the psychological relationship that may occur between teachers and learners. In many ways, real teachers can do a lot better in term of providing the learners with motivations, advices and knowledge.

However, it doesn’t mean that the computer is a “slave” to the learning process. This is because the computer itself is capable of providing a lot of help and knowledge to both teachers and learners. Despite being controlled by humans, computers are able to assist the learners into shaping their knowledge of the targeted language gradually. Although there are limitations in the learning of English via computers, it can be of many great advantages if used in proper ways. Learners and teachers can’t simply view the computers as their “slave” just because they are in control. Instead, they should start looking at it as a great source of knowledge that is available whenever they need assistance in their learning process.

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

Based on all the activities, information and many other activities that are provided in the website, it’d be a big waste for me if I do not use this application for my future work. Firstly, I can focus on my own self-improvements as I can refer to many resources that are being provided in the website. As a future English teacher, it’d be great if I can prepare myself with all the information before I go into the classroom. Since I am going for my practicum next semester, I’d be more than glad to get my students involved with the use of Internet and computer in learning English as their second language. Although it depends on the level of my future students in English, I truly believe that such experience will be a remarkable memory for them in learning English in school. Perhaps, I’ll build a similar website myself, in accordance to my future students’ level of English to ensure that they are comfortable in using the applications. I might as well integrate local taste into the website to make it more interesting. Until then, I’d be sure to prepare my future students into using the applications that are provided in the website. Learning English through computers is indeed a very interesting way in getting the students to have higher motivation in learning the language. I really hope that this website will still be available when I’m going to be in the teaching career in the future.

9. 9. Suggestions/Recommendations.

I am no expert to rate the website professionally, but in my humble opinion, this website is indeed very useful and resourceful for both teachers and learners of English language. I could not agree more to all the exercises and information provided in the website. Despite being very simple, it can contribute to a greater level of knowledge among the learners. The games and quizzes can be very motivating for the students for its interactivity. The blogs and all the other social linkings can be very authentic for the learners as they always look forward to learning the English language for authentic use.

However, as time is passing by, the learners level of knowledge towards the technology is increasing rapidly as well. I believe that the webmaster should take this into consideration and improve the website from time to time. Apart from that, the games and quizzes can be very cliche in some ways as most students are exposed to all these, and they are always expecting new things.Students nowadays, they are very wealthy at mind, and they can be very critical towards a lot of things in their surrounding. The webmaster should take the improvement of the exercises, games and quizzes into consideration. I’d suggest that instead of having the blog application which is very interesting to most people, the webmaster can also integrate the use of social networking application into the website. This had been done by other websites, although not related to the English learning process, but is proven to be very interesting and the process of learning and gaining knowledge can turn to a viral process.

Other than that, maybe the webmaster should take into consideration about the visual graphics in the website itself. I am referring this to the learner’s section as most learners are more interested in learning when visual aids are being provided as well. Besides that, this website can somehow be very confusing towards people who are not used to the use of Internet and such. Therefore, the webmaster can also simplify few buttons and links in the website and make the website more accessible to all kind of people, be it the young ones, the old ones, the beginners and the experts.