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LAMBACHER, Stephen G.
Department Aoyama Gakuin University Department of Social Informatics, School of Social Informatics Position Professor |
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| Language | English |
| Publication Date | 2019 |
| Type | Academic Journal |
| Title | Improving the English skills of native Japanese using Artificial Intelligence in a Blended Learning Program |
| Contribution Type | Collaboration |
| Journal | CALL and Complexity–Short papers from EUROCALL 2019 |
| Journal Type | Another Country |
| Publisher | Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium |
| Volume, Issue, Page | pp.327-333 |
| Responsible for | Edited by Fanny Meunier, Julie Van de Vyver, Linda Bradley & Sylvie Thouësny |
| Author and coauthor | Hiroyuki Obari & Stephen Lambacher |
| Details | A constructivist approach to langauge learning can motivate students by activating their brains to create new knowledge and reflect more consistently and deeply on their language learning experience. The present study focused on assessing the use of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) speakers Google Home Mini and Amazon Alexa as part of a blended learning (BL) environment to improve the English skills of two groups of native Japanese undergraduates. Pretest and posttest TOEIC scores, as well as results from a post-training survey, were used in evaluating the overall effectiveness of the program. Gains in TOEIC scores indicated the BL learning program incorporating AI speakers improved the students’ overall English skills, particularly listening comprehension. The results suggest the integration of AI, along with social media and 21st-century skills, may be an effective means to improve the English language proficiency of adult L2 learners. |