Students' experiences and perceptions of anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence in speaking English during task-based language learning activities in second life: the case of METU

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2012

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Kamalı, Tuğba

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3D virtual worlds are emerging distance education technologies that offer collaborative learning environments and provide effective ways to apply task-based activities. The aim of this case study was to examine the contribution of task-based language learning in 3D virtual worlds to speak English as a foreign language among university preparatory class students in terms of anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence. Therefore, different English speaking practice tasks/activities were designed in Second Life. Participants had different roles based on the determined tasks and had speaking experiences with native speakers, friends, and instructors of METU preparatory school. Fifteen upper-intermediate level preparatory class students in the Department of Basic English at Middle East Technical University participated in the study which comprised a four week time span in May 2011. Data of the study included the qualitative data, gathered from the interviews. Those interviews were administered after the study to understand the effectiveness of task-based language learning in Second Life for students' anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence towards speaking English. According to the results, this study revealed important findings for language education field. The results of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of task-based language learning in Second Life environment which had positive impact on students. In this respect, it is suggested that the Second Life experience provided students to gain motivation and self-confidence and overcome their anxiety related problems towards speaking English. Therefore, this study may offer an insight for further studies to investigate the effectiveness of 3D virtual environments in language education, especially in Turkey.

Subject Keywords

English language, Language and languages, Second Life (Game)

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614045/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/21341

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

T. Kamalı, “Students’ experiences and perceptions of anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence in speaking English during task-based language learning activities in second life: the case of METU ,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2012.