Abstract
Whether it is to improve one’s job opportunities or understand the lyrics of your favorite KPOP band’s latest single, the importance of knowing a second or third language is becoming more vital. Despite foreign languages being a compulsory subject in many countries’ K-12 education, many language learners are unable to exceed low intermediate speaking proficiency. So, individuals are seeking to find ways to improve their speaking proficiency. Nevertheless, there are many different modalities for language learning, such as asynchronous courses, traditional synchronous university courses, foreign language housing, studying/living abroad, intensive language courses, social media platforms, and mobile applications for language learning (MALL). A meta-analysis was conducted to help learners and educators discover the most effective modalities for improving speaking proficiency. In total, 21 empirical studies involving 1,919 second and foreign-language undergraduate learners have been reviewed. These studies are selected from Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Google Scholar. The findings of the meta-analysis indicated that the variable which influences gains in speaking proficiency the most was not the instructional modality. Instead, the amount of time spent utilizing the language directly correlated to the learner's speaking proficiency. Therefore, more research needs to be performed focusing on the influence of the time variable in language learning.
Author Information
Allison Lauren Segal, University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea
Paper Information
Conference: ACEID2023
Stream: Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL)
This paper is part of the ACEID2023 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Segal A. (2023) Speak Better: A Meta-Analysis of Language Learning Modalities for Improving Speaking Proficiency ISSN: 2189-101X – The Asian Conference on Education & International Development 2023 Official Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2023.70
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2023.70
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