Two Patterns of Teaching English and their Effects on Learning

【Abstract】Online teaching requires online social learning based on social interaction to be effective. The main aim was to empirically ascertain the effect of the computer-based learning of English as a Foreign Language against the traditional way of face to face teaching and learning. This new knowledge can be used to support and improve the quality of educational design. It explores the relationship between research， teaching， and tasks， and shows how research and on-line learning and teaching can mutually inform each other.

【Keywords】task-based ；online teaching；interaction；learning methodology【中圖分類號】G424 【文獻標識碼】B【文章編號】2095-3089（2012）21-0110-02

Current literature about university teaching argues that online teaching requires online social learning based on social interaction to be effective. This implies a shift in pedagogy based on engagement and collaboration， instead of trying to reproduce face-to- face teaching， in online environments. However， when a university adopts an e-learning platform （or Learning Management System， LMS）， most teachers tend to reproduce their traditional teaching， delivering， through the LMS， educational material. This essay will explore factors which influence university teachers to adopt teaching models based on online social interaction （OSI） when an e-learning platform is used to complement undergraduate classroom teaching. Online teaching model adoption is considered in the framework of technology adoption and post-adoption behavior.

Two seemingly disparate research disciplines can be coalesced to develop an effective pedagogical framework for educational design in the context of networked learning. That contention is grounded in， and inspired by， the rapid developments in educational technologies which have greatly changed the landscape in teaching and learning in higher education over the last decade. It attempts to add to the corpus of contemporary learning theory which sees students not merely as passive recipients of knowledge， but as active participants in the learning process， having much greater control over their selection of technological learning tools， learning resources and learning methodologies. This is very much in line with the shift from the traditional focus on content design and knowledge transmission towards a more student-centered design for knowledge co-construction， a development which demands the type of new thinking about the design of learning tasks and learning resources contained in this study. Also set out are new lines of action for the fashioning of a collaborative learning environment， for community interaction and the sharing of knowledge， and for promoting good teaching and learning practice. The central argument of the essay is that such pedagogical goals may be attained by juxtaposing the theories of Systemic Functional Linguistics （hereafter SFL） and pattern languages. These have not， thus far， been used in combination. SFL is a well established theory in the study of language， and is used in this thesis to help analyze and classify discourses produced and shared by teachers and students in networked learning. Pattern languages have their origin in architecture. Design patterns can be used as a means of representing and sharing important and specific empirical research results and design experiences.

This new knowledge can be used to support and improve the quality of educational design. The study has two central components. The first uses the SFL theoretical framework to demonstrate how text is used as a key medium in networked learning. In other words， it is argued in this section that the quality of texts has a direct impact on the quality of learning and learning outcomes. The quality of text is assessed by means of a detailed discourse analysis of selected texts. This process involves deconstructing， identifying and capturing the linguistic resources and language strategies used in the texts. The detailed discourse analysis also illustrates and reveals how language is used in the construction of knowledge and the promotion of collaboration in teaching and learning.

The second component will focus on the argument that SFL provides valuable language knowledge which can be represented by using Alexander’s design patterns. New knowledge encoded in these design patterns can be used by teachers and designers as reusable and shared resources to help them improve their design work.

The study is aiming at interpreting and analyzing the phenomena resulting from the participants' perceptions of the real-time， web-based instructional program. It also examines the role of instructors and learners， and an instructor's competence for instruction in a foreign language learning environment.

The empirical research is carried out in three phases. The first involved a） the identification of text patterns of discourses used in networked learning based on detailed discourse analysis； b） Interviewing experienced academic staff to identify their perspectives on good online teaching practices and success factors. The second phase involved using the data which emerged from these interviews and discourse analysis to model illustrative patterns. In the third （validation） phase the patterns are reviewed by two groups of academic staff， with the aim of improving these patterns. Improved patterns will be then tested on a group of educational design students for their usefulness and application.

It is concluded from this research that it is possible to develop design patterns which ensure the best use of linguistic resources in both the teaching and learning process. Finally， it is argued that the combination of SFL and pattern languages provides a promising theoretical framework for the complex and demanding task of educational design.

Future research could make use of such a framework to explore a fuller application of the pattern- based approach for the representation of new knowledge for educational design. Suggested additional research directions include finding new ways of capturing a new pedagogical approach to mobile learning and blended learning. Also， a promising direction could be the use of SFL Appraisal theory （Martin， 2000） for the investigation on how students construct interpersonal relationships （appraise peer work） in online joint projects.

The methods which is mentioned above examines recent proposals for on-line learning and teaching approaches to instruction .It is going on to examine a number of potential problems with on-line learning and teaching， and then proposes the goals of accuracy， complexity-restructuring， and fluency as the most relevant for on-line learning and teaching instruction proposes a framework for the implementation of on-line learning and teaching instruction which draws upon relevant theory and research， and which organizes the methods by which such instruction could be put into practice in such a way as to minimize problems， and maximize the probability that all above goals can be achieved.

This research explores the relationship between research， teaching， and tasks， and shows how research and on-line learning and teaching can mutually inform each other and illuminate the areas of on-line learning

and teaching course design， methodology， and assessment when used alongside the traditional classroom teaching.

CALL （Computer Assisted Language Learning） is a specific tool which has the potential to address some of the issues English pronunciation teachers face， such as low student motivation and low English pronunciation proficiency. A number of recommendations will be made for the effective use of CALL. Students will give several detailed suggestions in regard to the computer software functions which can help them to learn more effectively， and the teachers also can address some issues which need to be considered when using CALL.

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