Application of Media in an ESL Environment

Abstract

All too often, EFL programs focus on developing students’ language ability without concern for providing meaningful content. A previous paper by Nanni and Sangar (2014) demonstrated a technology-based approach to addressing this shortcoming, a semester-long project that fosters collaborative learning and integration with the wider community. This project has since evolved, and continues to work in the confines of an EFL program at a Thai University. One of the developments was in the area of collaborative process, which was modified to make student groups smaller and more efficient, the focus being on evolution not revolution. This has led to a better quality project being delivered by the students. Another evolution of the project involves the recognition of the student's work through a designated YouTube channel. This increases their motivational levels, and the quality of work presented has improved over the year. Furthermore, the project is now being looked at to be included in more advanced levels of the EFL curriculum, with the focus of not only enhancing the students English capabilities but also of helping tackle the issue of plagiarism. With the opening of the ASEAN economic and trade community in 2015,the underlying theme of the project continues, which is the advancement of student language skills through the use of social media platforms and also being engaged citizens of the ASEAN community. In this paper, two teachers involved in designing this project will provide and discuss the results achieved through the enactment of this project.

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Author Information
Rahul Sangar, Mahidol University International College, Thailand
Alexander Nanni, Mahidol University International College, Thailand

• Category: e-Learning and Collaborative Learning

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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