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Ecological Analysis of EFL Learners’ Online Communication

Journal Name:

  • Dil ve Edebiyat Eğitimi Dergisi

Publication Year:

  • 2013

Keywords (Original Language):

Author NameUniversity of Author
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Abstract (Original Language): 
The present study explores an ecological analysis of the online communication of 24 university students in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in China. Over the course of two semesters, the students posted blog entries on a shared website accessible to their classmates. Ecological analysis of the students’ online communication was conducted within the Community of Inquiry (CoI) conceptual framework, which allowed the careful consideration of the social contexts of learners’ blog communications. The analysis revealed favored communicative functions (CFs) employed by the participants, elucidating the ways in which they realized their social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence in the blog community. The findings reveal that the Chinese EFL students tended to employ a variety of recognizing and context-setting CF patterns in their online communication. The results further indicate that among the three major participatory roles outlined within the CoI framework, the learners realized the social presence aspect of community most clearly. It is suggested that ESL or EFL instructors can implement a variety of interventions in order to facilitate each learner’s online presence and successfully address environmental factors, such as the ready availability of technology. Specific communicative functions (CFs) that instructors can teach to English language learners in order to help them develop successful online presences are also outlined. It is argued that some important by-products of this effort are the fostering of a more engaged and supportive classroom community and the overall improvement of participating students’ online and face-to-face communicative competence.
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REFERENCES

References: 

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2013, Dil ve Edebiyat Eğitimi Dergisi, 8, 9-22.
2013, Journal of Language and Literature Education, 8, 9-22.
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(Note: The research is financially supported by self-determined and innovative research funds of WUT.）

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