engleski

Implementing the online community tool SocialGO in teaching English as a foreign language: An action research perspective

Online community tools have recently been receiving attention by instructors who use internet-based technology in teaching. Owing to their functionalities for users (e.g. personal profile, forum discussions blog, video upload etc.), they create a potential for the enhancement of students’ linguistic and metacognitive competencies, as well as of their motivation to improve language skills through interaction and collaboration in a shared online space. Moreover, students can also use such tools to exchange feedback on peer work and critically evaluate course assignments. In an ESP course they can contribute to expanding students’ knowledge of core subjects in addition to facilitating academic and generic skills integrated in language syllabi. This paper presents experiences with using the online community tool SocialGO in teaching English as a foreign language in a hybrid Business English course. By introducing the online community tool the following issues related to students were addressed: 1) motivation for participation in course activities and interaction with peers ; 2) awareness of the interconnection between various course activities and their relevance. It was hypothesized that conducting pedagogical activities complemented by participants’ informal interaction via an online platform would be beneficial for their written and oral competences as well as for ESP vocabulary expansion and concept development. Furthermore, written and spoken interaction was intended to support group atmosphere and encourage students’ reflection on their own work. The project implementation is discussed within the action research framework. Our account of the project thus includes problem identification, hypothesis formation, formulation of a plan to address those issues, action taken, observation of results and reflection of outcomes (Nunan, 1992 ; Nunan and Bailey, 2009). The steps of the first cycle of the research are presented in detail. Finally, the authors’ interpretation of the outcomes of the implemented strategies is collated with the students’ quantitative evaluation of individual activities.

hybrid Business English course ; online community tools ; action research

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