A. An introduction
The usage of computer mediated communication in ESL classroom is essential towards the globalization world. CMC is a platform for student or teacher to communicate with each others in order to access the knowledge. CMC can be defined as communicative transaction that occurs through the use of two or more networked computers. According to Kern (1995) the dominance of teachers and more confident students in discussions is decreased with greater participation of shy students in the text chat environment. (As cited in Nesrin, 2008). According to Beach, Lundell (1998) draw our attention to the literacy practices of young adolescents at home with computer technologies and call for their recognition as skillful readers and writers in the digital world. (As cited in Kok Eng Tan, Abdul Rashid Mohamed, Kim Guan Saw, 2009, p. 149). In order to complete this article review, I have chosen five articles which are related to computer mediated communication (CMC). The five articles are:
1. Improving School English in Malaysia through Participation in Online Threaded Discussion Group
Written by: Kok Eng Tan, Abdul Rashid Mohamed, and Kim Guan Saw
2. Computer Mediated Collaborative Learning within a Communicative Language Teaching Approach: A Sociocultural Perspective
Written by: Long Van Nguyen
3. Computer-Mediated Communication in Foreign Language Education: Use of Target Language and Learner Perceptions
Written by: Assist. Prof.Dr. Nesrin OZDENER, H. Muge SATAR
4. ESL Students' Computer-Mediated Communication Practices: Context Configuration Written by: Dong-Shin Shin
5. Computer Mediated Communication: A Motivational Strategy Toward Diverse Learning Style
Written by: Rusnani Abdul Kadir and Rosseni Din
B. Part 1 Review and summary of the articles
Article 1, Improving School English in Malaysia through Participation in Online Threaded Discussion Group
In the article, the writer focuses on the use of language use by students in online threaded discussion group which the paper will suggest how this form of engagement can be used by the Malaysian teacher concerned with improving school English. At the beginning of the article, the writer stated two research question in the article which is, “How do discursive practices in an ESL writing class affect how students write?” and “How do classroom discursive practices account for writing difficulties?” . However, as the research progressed, the focus was expanded and the writer included the out-of-school writing as well which contribute to the third research question, “What is the role of different Discourses in the construction of the self both in the writing class and in out-of-school contexts?”. In the article, the writer state that they used observation technique and also administered initial semi structured interview followed by two shorter follow up interview. The study subject was 31 students in an urban secondary school in Penang which involve 6-month period of fieldwork. The participants were made up of nine girls and 22 boys including their English teacher. Apart from that, the writer manage to find that students are using English to communicate outside the formal learning context although it is not their first language which brings to the conclusion which is the writer support the use of online threaded discussion group for students as it has more advantage than disadvantage and answered the research questions.
Article 2, Computer Mediated Collaborative Learning within a Communicative Language Teaching Approach: A Sociocultural Perspective
The article aims to discuss the roles of computer mediated collaborative learning (CMCL) in English as a Foreign Language classroom equipped with a communicative language teaching approach. The article also mentioned about the Zone of proximal development (ZPD) which the writer says that it is the base of CMCL. The article main focus moves from an overview of the principal domains of sociocultural theory (SCT) applicable to collaborative second/foreign language learning to the review of the current CLT approach, the main focus of which is the context of Vietnamese language education. In order to execute the plan, the writer has used the genetic methods which consist of four domains, namely microgenesis, ontogenesis, phylogenesis, and sociocultural history. The conclusion drawn from the discussion is that CMCL with its potential benefits is capable of helping resolve certain issues raised by the introduction of a CLT approach into the Vietnamese language classroom, including Confucian educational values, examination-oriented educational system, class management, and authentic communication.
Article 3, Computer-Mediated Communication in Foreign Language Education: Use of Target Language and Learner Perceptions
The article aims to add variety to cooperative learning projects, to place slow learners and students with disabilities in the best possible cooperative learning settings, to enhance the interchange of ideas, and to expose students to the diversity that exists in their school and in our world. In the article, the writer mentioned three research questions which are, what are the experiences of middle grades students as they use computer mediated communication as the primary means to participate in cooperative learning activities for the development of social studies projects?, how do students perceive the use of computer-mediated communication for participation in cooperative learning activities for the development of social studies projects?, and how does the use of computer-mediated communication as the primary means of communication for students in cooperative learning groups influence student social studies achievement?. The writer used multiple ways to investigate which is survey, interview, and students journal. The research was conducted at Dooly Middle School in Pinehurst, Georgia, a rural area with a low socio-economic population using e-mail and an online discussion board to communicate with their assigned group members. The results of this research may further encourage the school to support the use of computer-mediated communication tools, such as email and online discussion boards, in the classroom.
Article 4, ESL Students' Computer-Mediated Communication Practices: Context Configuration
In the article, the writer focuses on how a group of ESL students jointly constructed the context of their CMC activities through interactional patterns and norms, and how configured affordances within the CMC environment mediated their learning experiences. The writer stated three research questions which is, “what kinds of interactional patterns are a group of ESL students jointly constructing?”, “What kinds of interactional norms are the ESL students establishing within computer-mediated social interactions?” and, “How do the ESL students utilize CMC activities for their linguistic, social, and academic goals?”. The writer uses multiple ways of collecting data which is observation, electronically saved chat meeting transcripts, field notes, and recorded class interactions from the FtF class meetings, formal and informal interviews with participants, e-mail exchanges between the teacher and the ESL participants, and survey information that included the participants’ personal profiles. The subject of the study is an intermediate adult ESL class with 16 students at a university in the northeastern United States. All of the participants in the study were ESL students from northeast Asia, with the exception of a single student from Peru. The findings indicate that (a) the constructed interactional patterns and norms of the students’ CMC activities represented group dynamics among the participants, (b) the participants’ roles in joint construction of the activities reflected their language socialization experiences, and (c) the activities provided a way for spousal participants to assume academic identities, while becoming a social space for academic gatherings.
Article 5, Computer Mediated Communication: A Motivational Strategy toward Diverse Learning Style
This study define learning style as the way in which each learner begins to concentrate, process, and retain new and difficult information. It uses the Kolb’s Learning-Style Inventory (LSI). The aim of the study is to explore the various learning styles of Malaysian secondary students. The first objective is to find out if the learning styles of academically good students differ from academically weak students. The writer use inventory in order to gain result from the students which the writer used a sample of 241 students from two urban secondary schools in Malaysia participated in the study. Two classes of students who had performed well and two classes of students who performed poorly in the public examination the year before were selected from each school. The finding of this study shows that secondary school children in Malaysia tend to use reflective observation in their learning mode orientation. From the finding, the writer concluded that the learning styles of these students are of Diverges. Hence, the study suggested that computer mediated communication be used not only to motivate these diverges but also to suit the need of their counterparts.
Part 2 – Your reaction
Computer mediated communication is an interesting topic which is extremely important nowadays. It is aligning with the modern world which gives teacher and students a chance to broaden their style of learning and teaching. For sure, I would that I agree that this topic grasp my attention because as a future teacher and also a student for the mean time, CMC is very helpful towards learning process because as Malaysian, we are bound with the conventional style which are chalk and talk and the teacher are superior which we can’t question their action but only have to follow. CMC will give the students more space and freedom to express, to gain, and to learn in a very exciting and more meaningful way.
As for the studies, from my opinion, it is well conduct by the writer which I can see that they really know on what they are researching. Furthermore, I can see were well planned and execute according to their planning. However, there’s only one problem which are bothering me because all the respondent or subject were used in the studies are from the urban area. What about students who are from rural area which are not exposed to such technologies. Would their finding will be the same or totally different.
C. Conclusion Were there any parallels in the findings of the research?
As a conclusion, the theories, concept, and practices in all of the research show one conclusion which is every finding in the research says that CMC do improve student’s achievement in the learning process. It is a good bench mark for educators and policy makers, so that they will know what is important for them to stress it out for the future generation. As for L2 learner, the use of CMC did help a lot in improving their mastery towards the language because students as individuals are likely using English language even though they are not in the classroom setting. As for Malaysian context, I think that CMC plays a major role in learning because as we can see in 2003 when the ministry of education introduces the teaching and learning of math and science in English (PPSMI) English has become student’s favorite language even though the policy has been abolish recently. CMC give student’s opportunities to negotiate understanding of this new knowledge can significantly enrich this process. In the ‘anytime, anywhere’ configuration of a computer-mediated environment like a course listserv, students have the time and space necessary to engage topics of importance and interest to them and to collaborate in constructing deeper understanding of them. They can post when they like and they can take time and ponder carefully what they want to say so as to make a genuine contribution to the negotiation of understanding at work and feel empowered in the process.
Bibliography
Nesrin, 2008, Computer-Mediated Communication in Foreign Language Education: Use of Target Language and Learner Perceptions, retrieved on 15 February 2011 http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde30/pdf/article_9.pdf
Shin, 2006, ESL Students' Computer-Mediated Communication Practices: Context Configuration, retrieved on 15 February 2011, http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num3/pdf/shin.pdf
Rusnani, Rosseni, 2006, Computer Mediated Communication: A Motivational Strategy Toward Diverse Learning Style, retrieved on 15 February 2011, http://www.ukm.my/penerbit/jurnal_pdf/jpend31_03.pdf
Kok.E.T, Rashid, Kim.G.S, 2009, Improving School English in Malaysia through Participation in Online Threaded Discussion Group, retrieved on 15 February 2011, http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/June_2009_EBook.pdf
Long. V. N, 2010, Computer Mediated Collaborative Learning within a Communicative Language Teaching Approach: A Sociocultural Perspective, retrieved on 15 February 2011, http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/March-2010.pdf
