Finding a voice in the digital classroom: The effects of asynchronous discussion on language acquisition and communication apprehension among secondary ESOL students in South Texas

Date

2010

Authors

Hill, Laura A.

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Abstract

Students who are classified as ESOL at the secondary level may face various factors that prevent participation in class thus inhibiting second language acquisition. The purpose of the study was to determine if asynchronous discussions (ASD) affected the second language acquisition of secondary ESOL students. The researcher examined the effects of ASD in an online ESOL language community (All English All the Time) on improving writing skills and communication apprehension of a non-probability sample of English Language Learners at the secondary level. The results of the study confirm the fact that ASD may encourage informal communication and that further study on various forms of computer assisted language learning may prove useful to the successful acquisition of a second language.

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Keywords

english as a second language, secondary education, distance learning, educational technology, language aquisition

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