Web-Based English as a Second Language Instruction and Learning: Strengths and Limitations Free

The increasing use of personal computing and the Internet makes available a new set of instructional possibilities. Web-based language instruction offers various innovative alternatives to conventional modes of language learning. Second language (L2) acquisition is a complex process that requires extensive exposure to the target language within a wide variety of authentic auditory, verbal, and written contexts, so new forms can be constructed and incorporated into the learner’s linguistic repertoire (Chomsky, 1959). As the Internet has become more readily accessible, institutions have extended the use of online language materials and course delivery systems (Chapelle, 2001; Liu, Moore, Graham, & Lee, 2002).

Statistics regarding the increasing number of foreign-born U.S. residents demonstrate the present growth in demand for schools to provide English as a second language (ESL) programs at all levels of instruction. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that in 2004, 34 million U.S. residents were foreign-born, a 2.3% increase from 2003, representing 12% of the nation’s total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). Waters (2007) reports that between 1989-1990 and 2004-2005, enrollment of ESL elementary and secondary school students increased 150%, from 2 million to more than 5 million. Consequently, using the appropriate tools and technologies that help teach English as a second language has become critical. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to analyze the strengths and limitations of Web-based instruction to determine what principles and practices are most effective with ESL students.

Most ESL learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds generally reveal different learning strategies, attitudes, and motivations. In traditional language classroom settings, ESL learners are constantly exposed to communicative tasks in which they are expected to demonstrate their language competence in front of others. In such situations, self-consciousness and the fear of making mistakes can cause strong feelings of frustration and anxiety. The Affective Filter Hypothesis of L2 acquisition proposes that negative emotions such as anxiety or simply lack of confidence can function like a filter that blocks the language acquisition process. Therefore, for optimal learning to occur, the affective filter must be weak (Krashen, 1982).

Web-based language instruction can promote independent learning in a nonthreatening environment. Seferoglu (2005) analyzes ways computers allow learners to enjoy privacy while practicing foreign sounds and words which facilitates the mastery of communicative skills. Learners can imitate native speaker models of pronunciation while acquiring contextualized listening skills, readily available at any time. Even introverted learners can listen to their voices and use self-correction methods without being witnessed by anybody else. Online language instruction can provide a sheltered learning environment conducive to improvements in learners’ pronunciation. Learners can practice at their own pace and then demonstrate their newly acquired language skills without experiencing intense feelings of anxiety.

The adaptation of traditional language instruction to an online environment provides ESL learners with abundant opportunities for the acquisition and mastery of challenging English patterns. When compared to receptive skills, productive skills such as speaking and pronunciation have been proven to be a much more difficult process, and learners usually do not have natural exposure to the target language out of the classroom (Seferoglu, 2005). Computer-mediated instruction can facilitate exposure to the target language by acting as a tool to increase verbal exchange (Green, 2005). In online settings, ESL learners can interact with other learners and perform a variety of verbal language functions by asking questions, giving responses, sharing opinions, making suggestions, and correcting themselves and each other. This interactivity would add the human element that computer-assisted learning components lack. Students and language instructors would be able to communicate with each other across geographic boundaries mostly through synchronous or asynchronous communications (Dekaney, 2003). In synchronous communications, users carry out discussions using the technology at the same time (e.g., instant messaging or chats). In asynchronous communications, users transmit information at different times (e.g., messaging on electronic discussion boards and e-mail). Electronic discussion boards are now being used to provide a natural language learning environment that promotes learners' social interaction and creates an authentic discourse community (Al-Jarf, 2004).

When providing online instruction, it is essential to take into consideration the students’ individual leaning styles. Arnette, 2000 stresses that when the appropriate learning environment is provided, learners can choose the best time for them to practice without embarrassment, practicing as many times as necessary until mastery is attained. Web-based instruction and other technological resources give language learners the flexibility to select their own learning material adapted to their individual interests and capabilities. Therefore, instructors should introduce flexible, resource-based ways of learning which enable greater learner control and autonomy (McDonough, 2001).

The rapid increase of global educational opportunities is constantly breaking geographic boundaries. Electronic modes of instruction that are commonly used to deliver education at a global level generally require the use of the English language. Online learning provides an equal opportunity for learners with different cultural backgrounds and personalities, thereby diminishing apprehension as well as increasing involvement in the use of language. Within this context, the Web can be a significant resource to obtain English language proficiency. Furthermore, computer-mediated interactions between users in different locations present possibilities for academic and professional advancement (Wang & Sutton, 2002).

The acquisition of a foreign language requires a language-rich environment in which learners are continuously exposed to productive skills. McDonough, 2001 refers to the extensive variety of approaches online programs offer as a way to provide engaging multiple-format methodologies to language learning. Such applications contain humorous clips, colorful graphics, motion pictures, video, and sound, all integrated into real-life settings. In addition, language learners have limitless access to videotaped instructional sessions, notes, PowerPoint presentations, podcasts, tutorials, practice exercises, and assessments, among other learning materials that generally provide immediate feedback minimizing the possibility of acquiring inaccurate language patterns.

Another way to improve L2 language skills using the Internet is electronic mail. Exchanging e-mail can be a productive, creative, and motivating communicative way to learn and apply writing abilities in L2 environments (Arnette, 2000). The use of the Internet serves as a virtual moderator between the learner and the world, shaping and expanding L2 knowledge of English patterns. While writing e-mail, learners can build vocabulary and master grammatical forms required for successful communication. Since the use e-mail to communicate has become so widespread, ESL learners can practice their English writing skills in various contextualized real-life environments.

The Web offers language instructors an array of possibilities to create teaching resources. There is a wealth of easily accessible, user-friendly information on the Web for instructors to develop online materials or integrate existing language learning activities into their lessons. Morrison (2002) identifies accessibility—24-hour independent access to course information, renewability—updating course material, and adaptability—modifying Web-based activities to provide attention to students’ special needs, as some of the multiple advantages to designing online interactive language learning activities. Web pages that meet accessibility guidelines for individuals with disabilities should also be considered, so that students with special needs are not ignored. It is important to mention that the integration of Web-based language instruction also demands teacher expertise in the use of technology, which can be acquired through hands-on training programs (Torres-Velasquez, 2006).

Despite its rising popularity, Web-based language instruction has also been subject to extensive criticism. Mason, Manton, and English (2005) affirm that inequitable access and failure to keep pace with technology represent aspects of concern, since this situation has created a divide among learners. This division predominantly affects economically deprived learners who do not have full access to technology at institutions or at home. For learners with disabilities, it could also be difficult to participate in activities that require the use of technology because some instructional settings do not have the equipment compatible with their learning or physical needs ( Jerome & Barbetta, 2005).

In terms of the benefits of student interaction using the Internet within culturally diverse environments, Kramsch and Thorne (2002), question the assumption that computer-mediated communication naturally helps learners to understand their cultural conditions of language use and to build a global common ground for intercultural understanding. In their study of French-American telecollaboration, they found that students faced intercultural misunderstandings based on the limited knowledge of the “different social and cultural conventions under which each party is operating” (p. 90) and “very little awareness that such an understanding is even necessary” (p. 98).

Although some language instructors acknowledge the variety of authentic audiences the Internet provides, they fear certain online contexts such as blogs may contribute to “the demise of the written word.” These instructors have noticed that students’ blogs show a great deal of slang, graphics, as well as fewer prepositions and capitalizations (McPherson, 2006). These emerging patterns could be particularly problematic for L2 students since they may still be trying to incorporate new language patterns and are not able to discern correct usage. It is interesting to note that while some researchers assume that e-mailing has promoted a lack of seriousness regarding writing usage (Burns, 2006), others consider that Internet writing is just adapting some inconsequential changes (Goldstein, 2005).

E-mail has become an accepted means of communication between university students and their professors. However, many ESL students seem to ignore certain e-mail etiquette rules, probably because of lack of experience or because they have never been exposed to such rules. According to Biesenbach-Lucas (2007), reports of faculty disturbed by the frequency, content, and linguistic form of their ESL students’ e-mail messages are common. Aspects such as inappropriate salutations, abbreviations, spelling and grammar errors, impolite tone, proficiency level, length, and e-mail etiquette rules often result in negative assessments of the students’ personalities.

Some scholars regard the use of the Internet as inapplicable in terms of optimal instructional practices. Mason et al. (2005) claim that the Internet can divert learners from their work, promote superficial and injudicious reasoning, substitute social interaction, and lead to short-term memory problems as well as difficulties concentrating. Once submerged in the cyberworld, learners tend to procrastinate and waste time while surfing, looking for unrelated information, or playing computer-generated games instead of focusing on their learning tasks. Some critics observe that through the use of the Internet, students have access to undifferentiated information. If learners are not able to distinguish accurate from inaccurate, outdated from updated sources of information, they could apply erroneous data to their learning tasks (Moreno & Valdez, 2005). From a cognitive and psychological perspective, Schwartzman and Tuttle (2003) maintain that since computers are incapable of transmitting emotions, a variety of essential cognitive functions such as decision making, perception, and meaningful learning, among other complex tasks, may not be properly developed. Consequently, the lack of personal interface while interacting with technological devices could interfere with creativity, an essential component in L2 learning.

Another important aspect to consider regarding online language instruction is the problems that may emerge from Webbased testing. Familiarity with computers, typing speed, and accidental double-clicks are just a few of the many factors that can negatively affect students’ scores. Download times, complexity of the page, computer speed, server failure, browser incompatibilities, and a series of other situations could affect students while taking timed tests. Some online tests require considerable student expertise because of their sophisticated design. Instructors consider that cheating, confidentiality, and item exposure are also great sources of concern in facilities that are not monitored or supervised (Roever, 2001). Some scholars also claim that for those students whose expertise is not optimum, the integration of computer-mediated instruction has resulted in high levels of anxiety (Matsumura & Hann, 2004).

The convergence of constructivism, as a learning theory, and technologically advanced instructional practices in second language acquisition, have gained increasing attention (Wang & Sutton, 2005). Language is assumed to be individually constructed by incorporating meaningful associations obtained through past experiences into an existing set of linguistic elements; therefore, integrating constructivist perspectives into L2 acquisition can serve as a theoretical foundation for the implementation of effective instructional practices (Liu, Moore, Graham, & Lee, 2002). Piaget (1929) refers to learning as an active process of accommodation and assimilation in which new ideas or concepts are constructed through the exposure to new experiences, based on current and past knowledge. Piaget’s theory of learning has been of vital importance on the development of current constructivist positions. Piagetian principles focus on learners’ freedom to achieve meaning construction through personal experiences as well as collaborative peer interactions as an individual process. As a result, learners can assert absolute ownership of their knowledge construction capabilities. The role of technology would then be to provide additional opportunities to learn and practice the new language in real-world contexts (Green, 2005).

In language learning, the use of the Internet represents a significant element of technology that supports the constructivist learning theory. In one exercise, multiplechoice questions to check comprehension and vocabulary are presented. If answered correctly, a piece of a puzzle shows. Then, the completed puzzle becomes an authentic picture related to a certain culture linked to a relevant site on the Internet, so the learner can go exploring topics related to that culture. This exercise provides the learner with opportunity for cognitive discovery and the construction of meaning (McDonough, 2001). In addition, learners have access to thousands of valuable language learning activities, drills, tutorials, and quizzes that facilitate practice in reading, speech, grammar, and writing, the four literacy skills necessary for language acquisition.

In terms of cognitive constructivism, Jonassen, Peck, and Wilson (1999) agree with constructivist views that knowledge is constructed by the individual, rather than transmitted to the individual for the construction of meaning. They stress that sense-making develops through inferences that have been built and tested by means of sensory experience, a crucial element in L2 acquisition. In this view of learning, it is assumed that one individual cannot fully understand anything in exactly the same way that another individual understands it. Meaning making, Jonassen (1996) explains, is at the core of constructivist philosophy. Taking this theory into consideration, Winn (2002) notes that instructional technologists design sophisticated language learning and teaching tools that integrate a variety of learning styles.

Elaboration theory and cognitive flexibility theory both relate to views of learning within the framework of Web-based instruction and learning. Elaboration theory (Reigeluth) refers to the organization of course materials and serves as a prescriptive framework for selecting, sequencing and organizing instruction. According to this theory, in order to attain optimal learning, instruction should be organized in increasing order of complexity (Reigeluth, 1992). Cognitive flexibility theory (Spiro) addresses learning and instruction in complex and ill-structured knowledge domains. The theory addresses advanced learning, the development of flexible cognitive representations, and the ability to use knowledge adaptively. It was formulated to support interactive technologies that provide a case-based approach to knowledge acquisition, including hypertext and Web-based instruction (Spiro, Collins, Thota, & Feltovich, 2003).

The potential to integrate effective Webbased instruction into ESL courses for their immediate application can add a valuable new dimension to language teaching and learning. Web-based instruction offers a variety of content, approaches, and media that allow flexibility. It also offers a great number of meaningful activities, often available at no cost, designed according to different learning styles and within productive, authentic contexts. The Web is an innovative tool for language teaching that presents both strengths and limitations. Unconstrained access to Web resources breaks the limitations of time and space, presents a flexible platform for learning, and offers engaging structures for active, authentic, student-centered learning. It facilitates a collaborative language learning in which ESL learners may even become willing collaborators in the construction of knowledge. Of the many available options, instructors should select the appropriate technology that meets practical instructional objectives, definite application of instructional materials, and active learning within pedagogically and scientifically sound contexts.