Effects of mobile-assisted blended learning (MABL) on improving university students' intelligibility and comprehensibility in English speaking

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Learning speaking has always been a challenge to many language learners in EFL contexts due to the lack of practice and exposure. Various studies have incorporated numerous methods, tools, and strategies to resolve this. A prominently popular emerging concept of these is the implementation of mobile devices, but its flexible and ubiquitous potential is far from being realized in many classroom environments. The main cause of this can be attributed to its many challenges, including scheduling issues and developing an appropriate model for the EFL context.
This study implemented a mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) approach that utilized a social networking medium with blended learning. The study aimed to propose a solution to overcome the contextual limitations of insufficient practice and exposure in Korean EFL learners. The purposes of the study were: 1) to investigate students’ perspectives on mobile-assisted blended learning (MABL); 2) to examine the effects of MABL implementation on improving students’ English speaking proficiency along with intelligibility and comprehensibility and their elements; and 3) to examine whether the students’ participation frequency rates in MABL activities influences students’ English speaking proficiency.
In order to obtain appropriate data pertaining to the above purposes, the research collected both quantitative and qualitative data from 189 students. Quantitative data collection included using a questionnaire and an experiment, where the students were split into control and two experimental groups. Each experimental group was exposed to different types of treatments. The first was treated to a blended learning environment, while the second was exposed to a MABL environment. The qualitative data featured classroom observations, bi-weekly reflective journals, and interview data. Quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS, and the qualitative data were coded inductively and presented descriptively.
The main findings of the study are as follows. First, the students reported very low previous mobile app and SNS experiences for language learning. The students also showed very positive perspectives of MABL activities and interaction types. Second, statistically significant improvement was found only for the MABL implementation groups in terms of overall proficiency. The blended learning implementation was effective only for intelligibility and its elements when investigated in more detail. The MABL treatment was effective for both intelligibility and comprehensibility and all the elements except for segmental accuracy. Third, the students showed higher participation frequency rates for classroom activities and lowest for mobile discussion. Upon investigating the focus groups’ participation frequencies in detail, students with higher participation frequency in MABL activities appeared to improve their speaking proficiency more.
Implications of the study are discussed for the appropriate implementation of MABL based on the results from both experimental groups. Due to the changing nature of students who are now more apt at using mobile devices than ever before, a need to appropriately and sufficiently distinguish MABL implementation seems necessary. A more streamlined timeframe of MABL implementation, a larger scale experiment featuring learners in other proficiency levels with contextual modifications to the models, and a thorough investigation into how students behave and communicate in MABL environments are suggested for future research.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

말하기 학습은 연습 부족과 노출 부족으로 인해 특히 외국어로서 영어 환경에서 많은 언어 학습자들에게 많은 어려움을 주고 있다. 이를 개선하기 위해 수많은 방법, 도구 및 전략을 사용한 연구들이 진행되었다. 이중 관심이 계속해서 증대되고 있는 학습 방법은 모바일 장치를 사용한 언어교육이다. 언제 어디서나 영어 교수 및 학습을 수행할 수 있는 장점과 유연성을 가지고 있지만 실제 환경에서 그 잠재력이 실현되지 않고 있다. 주요 원인은 스케줄링 문제와 외국어로서 영어 상황에 적합한 모델 개발의 부재를 포함한 많은 문제 때문이라고 할 수 있다.
본 논문은 모바일 언어학습(MALL)과 블렌디드 러닝을 결합하여 영어 학습자들의 환경적 한계를 극복할 수 있는 답안을 제안한다. 본 논문의 목적들은 다음과 같다: 1) 모바일 블렌디드 러닝(MABL) 구현에 대한 학생들의 관점 조사, 2) MABL을 사용한 영어교육이 학생들의 말하기 숙련도 및 그 요소를 향상시키는지에 대한 조사와, 3) 학생들의 MABL활동 참여도가 학생들의 말하기 능력에 미치는 영향의 조사이다.
위 목적들을 충족시키기 위해 189명의 대학생들로부터 양적과 질적 자료를 수집했다. 양적 자료는 설문지와 학생들을 통제반, 제1실험반, 제2실험반으로 나누어 실험연구로 수집하였다. 제1실험반은 블렌디드 러닝 환경에 노출되었으며, 제2 실험반은 MABL 환경에 노출되었다. 질적 자료는 수업관찰, 학습일지, 인터뷰 자료로 구성되었다. 양적 자료는 SPSS를 통해 분석하였으며, 질적 자료는 개방적으로 코딩되었다.
주요 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 학생들은 모바일 언어학습과 소셜네트워킹서비스(SNS) 언어학습에 관한 사전경험에 아주 낮게 보고한 반면, MABL활동과 상호작용에 대해서는 매우 긍정적인 관점을 보고하였다. 둘째, MABL 실험은 제2실험반에 적용한 MABL 환경에서만 통계적으로 유의미한 말하기 능력 상향을 보였다. 더 자세히 조사한 결과, 블렌디드 환경이 명료도와 관련된 요인에 효과적으로 나타난 반면, MABL환경은 명료도와 이해도에 효과적으로 나타났으며, 분절 정확도 요인을 제외한 모든 요인에 효과적인 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 학생들은 교실 내 활동의 참여 빈도가 가장 높았고, 모바일 토론의 참여 빈도가 가장 낮았다. 포커스 그룹의 참여 빈도와 시험 점수를 자세히 조사한 결과, 학생들의 MABL활동 참여가 시험 점수에 향상적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.
두 실험반의 연구결과를 바탕으로 효과적인 MABL구현이 논의되었다. 그 어느 때보다 모바일 기기 사용에 능숙한 학생들로 인해 MABL구현은 적절하고 충분한 구분이 필요 된다고 본다. 향후 연구에는 보다 체계적인 MABL 사용의 연구기간, 표준화된 과정에서의 대규모 실험, 그리고 모바일 환경에서의 학생들이 어떻게 행동하고 소통하는지에 대한 철저한 조사가 제안되었다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
• 1.1 Background of the Study 1
• 1.2 Purposes of the Study 6
• 1.3 Significance of the Study 7
• 1.4 Structure of the Study 10
• 1.5 Definitions of Terminology 12
• CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 15
• 2.1 Changing Concepts of Speaking Proficiency 15
• 2.1.1 Issues in Teaching and Learning Speaking in EFL Contexts 15
• 2.1.2 Solving the issues of Teaching and Learning Speaking in EFL Contexts 18
• 2.2 Proficiency in English Speaking 20
• 2.2.1 Factors Affecting Intelligibility 22
• 2.2.2 Factors Affecting Comprehensibility 25
• 2.2.3 Intelligibility and Comprehensibility 27
• 2.3 Activities for Speaking Proficiency 30
• 2.3.1 Information Gap 32
• 2.3.2 Role-play 33
• 2.3.3 Storytelling 35
• 2.3.4 Presentation 36
• 2.4 Assessment of Speaking Proficiency 38
• 2.4.1 Communicative Competence Assessment 40
• 2.4.2 ACTFL Guideline 43
• 2.4.3 CEFR Guideline 45
• 2.4.4 IELTS Speaking Test 47
• 2.4.5 Assessment of Intelligibility and Comprehensibility 50
• 2.5 MALL and Blended Learning 53
• 2.5.1 MALL for Speaking 55
• 2.5.1.1 Background and Issues of MALL 57
• 2.5.1.2 MALL and Synchronous Communication 58
• 2.5.1.3 MALL and Asynchronous Communication 60
• 2.5.2 Blended Learning as an Environment for MALL 62
• 2.5.2.1 Background and Issues of Blended Learning 63
• 2.5.2.2 Enhancing Blended Learning 67
• 2.5.2.3 Transforming Blended Learning 70
• 2.5.3 Mobile Assisted Blended Learning 73
• 2.5.3.1 Concept of MABL 74
• 2.5.3.2 Previous Studies of MABL 74
• 2.5.4 MABL Model for Speaking Instruction 78
• 2.6 Summary of Literature 81
• CHAPTER 3 DESIGN OF THE STUDY 83
• 3.1 Research Questions 83
• 3.1.1 Main Research Questions 83
• 3.1.2 Sub-Research Questions 84
• 3.2 Participants 85
• 3.3 Data Collection Instruments 88
• 3.3.1 Quantitative Data Collection 89
• 3.3.1.1 The Experiment 89
• 3.3.1.2 The Questionnaire 126
• 3.3.1.3 Participation Frequency of MABL Activities 128
• 3.3.2 Qualitative Data Collection 130
• 3.3.2.1 Classroom Observations 130
• 3.3.2.2 Reflective Journals 131
• 3.3.2.3 Interviews 133
• 3.4 Procedures 134
• 3.5 Methods of Data Analysis 138
• 3.5.1 The Questionnaire 138
• 3.5.2 The Experiment 139
• 3.5.3 Participation Frequency of MABL Activities 142
• 3.5.4 Classroom Observations 143
• 3.5.5 Reflective Journals 145
• 3.5.6 Interviews 146
• 3.6 Overview of Research Methodology 148
• CHAPTER 4 RESULTS OF THE STUDY 150
• 4.1 Students’ Perspectives on MABL Implementation 150
• 4.1.1 Students’ Experiences on MALL 151
• 4.1.2 Students’ Perspectives on MABL and MABL Activities 160
• 4.1.3 Students’ Perspectives on MABL Interactions 181
• 4.2 MABL and Improving English Speaking Proficiency 196
• 4.2.1 MABL and Improving Intelligibility and Comprehensibility 207
• 4.2.1.1 MABL and Improving Intelligibility 208
• 4.2.1.2 MABL and Improving Comprehensibility 214
• 4.2.2 MABL and Improving the Elements of Intelligibility and Comprehensibility 223
• 4.3 Students’ Participation Frequency on MABL Activities 244
• 4.3.1 Participation Frequency for Experimental Groups 245
• 4.3.2 Participation Frequency for Focus Groups 251
• 4.3.2.1 Participation Frequency of the First Focus Group 253
• 4.3.2.2 Participation Frequency of the Second Focus Group 260
• CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY 269
• 5.1 Perspectives on MABL Implementation 269
• 5.1.1 Previous Experiences on MALL 269
• 5.1.2 Perspectives on MABL and MABL Activities 270
• 5.1.3 Perspectives on MABL Interactions 272
• 5.2 Improving English Speaking Proficiency through MABL 274
• 5.2.1 Improving Intelligibility and Comprehensibility through MABL 275
• 5.2.2 Improving Elements of Intelligibility and Comprehensibility through MABL 278
• 5.3 Participation Frequency and MABL Activities 280
• 5.3.1 Overall Participation Frequency for MABL Activities 280
• 5.3.2 Focus Group Participation Frequency for MABL Activities 282
• 5.4 Beneficial Aspects of MABL 284
• 5.5 The MABL Treatments 287
• 5.6 The MABL Model 289
• 5.6.1 Important MABL Activities for Speaking 290
• 5.6.2 The Optimal MABL Model for English Speaking 292
• CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION 296
• 6.1 Main Findings of the Study 296
• 6.2 Implications of the Study 299
• 6.3 Limitations and Suggestions of the Study 302
• REFERENCES 305
• APPENDICES 332
• Appendix A: Questionnaire in Korean 332
• Appendix B: Questionnaire in English 334
• Appendix C: Reflective Journal 336
• Appendix D: Transcripts for Excerpts 337
• Appendix E: Classroom Observation Checklists 340
• ABSTRACT IN KOREAN 342

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