Pronunciation Achievement in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Classrooms

Abstract

The current mixed method study investigated the use of synchronous/asynchronous computermediated communication as a method of L2 pronunciation achievement among medical students during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. In so doing, the study utilized an experimental comparative design with two groups of 17 participants. There were two types of tests in this study: word stress test, and a semi-structured interview. The results showed the positive effect of computer mediated communication in pronunciation development among students of medicine. Moreover, the findings revealed more positive effect of synchronous computer mediated communication-oriented instruction compared with asynchronous computer mediated communication-oriented instruction on medical students' English language pronunciation development. It can be concluded that computer mediated communication especially synchronous mode is effective for pronunciation development of medical students since technology provides the opportunities through which medical students can notice the gaps in their current English language and thus produce modified output.

Synchronous computer-mediated communication in pronunciation teaching: A survey study

“…The more time students spent at home taking virtual sessions, the more they advocated for synchronous sessions. These results are in line with those studies that endorse a balance of both asynchronous and synchronous activities, and/or a deep analysis of the students' needs to assure learning when taking courses online (Hodges et al, 2020;Moser et al, 2021;Quesada Vázquez, 2021;Rapanta et al, 2020;Zeinali et al, 2021a). Nevertheless, only 25% of the students who took the pronunciation courses online participated in the study.…”

“…SCMC seemed to boost students' learning process, as lectures activated students' interplay and reinforced teacher-learner communication, which allowed collaborative learning, extemporaneous discussion and instant feedback. These findings reinforced Zeinali et al (2021a;2021b), who found synchronous pronunciation teaching more effective than F2F or ACMC, and further underpins other studies that highlight the social presence of the teacher in distance learning (Juárez Díez & Hinojosa Hernández, 2021;Lin, 2015;Nguyen, 2020). ACMC measures, such as narrated PowerPoint presentations, were also highly rated.…”

“…On the other hand, combining both asynchronous and synchronous teaching techniques brings the possibility to use a wide range of activities that students will find beneficial: while asynchronous activities can boost self-study, critical thinking and individual feedback, among others, online meetings can enhance discussion, collaborative thinking and instant feedback. In fact, some researchers suggest that balancing these two methods of distance learning might help students make the most of their time, organize content, and apply different studying skills to meet their learning goals successfully (Moser et al, 2021;Zeinali Nejad et al, 2021a). Therefore, using both techniques stands out as the most suitable method to deal with online classes (Zeina et al, 2021b).…”

“…In this case, then, opting for asynchronous group and individual activities so that everybody has the time to work on the task and the teacher has the time to correct seems to be a better choice. In fact, experts agree that asynchronous computer-mediated communication (ACMC) is traditionally more dominant in online learning (Zeinali Nejad et al, 2021a;2021b). However, relying mainly on asynchronous activities might be dangerous, as it might jeopardize the interaction between the students and the teacher, or among learners themselves, which can be particularly detrimental for social learners.…”

“…Since the pandemic arrived quite abruptly and unexpectedly, teachers did not have time to get ready for the change. In fact, in the beginning many of them did not have the experience, training and technical support to carry out their teaching properly (Bao, 2020;Hodges et al;Zeinali Nejad, Golshan & Naeimi, 2021a;Quesada Vázquez, 2021;Rahiem, 2020;Rapanta et al, 2020). Guaranteeing that virtual teaching methods supported different learning styles was not an easy task indeed.…”