IPRC - 2015
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/156
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Item Using Windows Speech Recognition Tool to Improve English Speaking Skills of Undergraduates Learning English as a Second Language(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Lakshani, W.G.J.Undergraduates who pursue their main stream studies in English find the ability to express themselves in English imperative not only for day-to-day communication in the academic setting but also as a prerequisite skill as future professionals. However, many students complain of being extremely nervous and apprehensive when assigned speaking tasks and consequently switching back to express themselves in the first language. The key objective of this empirical research is to test the usability of Windows Speech Recognition Tool as a resource to improve English speaking skills of undergraduates in an ESL context. The Windows Speech Recognition Tool is a program originally designed by Microsoft to command personal computers with the users‘ voice and to dictate voice to word documents. It was hypothesized that the practice gained by learners when interacting with the computer in English speaking tasks would pave the way to communicate with peers and mentors in English more confidently. A sample of 30 undergraduates who had scored comparatively low marks for the speech component in an English language test was selected. An induction was given to the students about the use of the speech recognition tool, for instance, the correct use of microphone and the need to pronounce words correctly in order to be recognized by the tool, etc. Subsequently, each student was assigned an array of tasks to be completed at their own pace. These assignments consist of activities that require the use of speech recognition tool in order to comment on videos, describe given pictures, and to give instructions to carry out medical tests, etc. The scripts of the speech that the students produce are recorded by the tool and the students are given feedback for improvement accordingly. The students face a speech evaluation test conducted by the mentor at the end of the course. These marks will be comparatively analyzed using the t-test strategy with the marks of the pre-test.Item Integrating Computer Assisted Language Learning in the English as a Second Language Class Room(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) YapaArachchi, Y.A.G.S.The rapid advancement of technology has changed the way the world operates. Technology has invaded the every facet of human lives. Reformation of various kinds is taking place in the field of educationdue to modern technology.Integrating computer technologyinto education is the latest trend in the modern world.With technological development, computer technology has been incorporated in language learning and teaching.The objective of this research is to investigate whether Computer Assisted Language Learning(CALL) is effective in improving the four areas of language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking in English as a Second Language class room (ESL) with a special reference to selected undergraduates of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The data was gathered through a questionnaire of thirty two items and conducting a Pre-test and a Post-test during the CALL programme in the Language Laboratory of the Department of English. Each skill was tested in the Pre-test and the Posttest separately through the use of CALL. According to the findings of the questionnaire 100% of the participants agreed that CALL is an effective way of learning a language in ESL class room. The research findings from actual class room tests showed that 88% of the participants could improve speaking skills, 74% of students could develop listening skills and 64% of the students could improve reading and writing skills. Out of the number of fifty students 82% of them could improve their language proficiency through the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning.The research findings prove that CALL provides a better learning environment, helpful in improving the four areas of language skills of the learners in the ESL classroom.Item Error Analysis on the Usage of Prepositions by the ESL Learners in Writing Tasks(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Jayasinghe, R.R.This study examines the patterns of three types of errors: omission errors, substitution errors and addition errors in the usage of prepositions by ESL (English as a Second Language) leaners in writing tasks. The study investigates the following: whether the school children in lower grades tend to omit prepositions more often than in higher grades whereas in higher grades, they substitute prepositions more often than in lower grades; whether omission errors are more in [+Functional] prepositions than in [+Lexical] prepositions; and whether the category criterion will be preserved in substitutions. Sinhala speaking ESL learners make errors in prepositions mainly due to cross-linguistic differences between their first and second languages, and as a result, many difficulties occur in ESL teaching. A pool of 260 Sinhala students from four grades (Grade 4, Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 10) of two government schools in Sri Lanka participated in this study, and the Survey Method was followed to collect data. A picture story writing task where prepositions needed to be abundantly used was administered to these students and they were instructed to identify the story depicted in the pictures and to present it in writing. The errors in each prepositional category: Adverbial prepositions, Semi-lexical prepositions, Particles and Functional prepositions were counted. Each error was further categorized as omission, substitution and addition. Percentage of each error type in each grade was calculated to find out which error types were most frequent and for which category. Substitution errors were further analyzed to see whether substitutions respected categorical distinctions. Quantitative analysis was carried out using SPSS 2012, and interaction effects and category-wise analysis were computed. Findings concluded that there were more omission errors in the lower grades and more substitution errors in higher grades, and the learners generally respected the category rule in their substitutions. These findings can be used in the ESL classroom to facilitate teaching English prepositions.Item An attitudinal study on perceptions of group work when teaching English as a second language in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Silva, K.S.R.Since the 1980s, Sri Lanka, following trends in language teaching and learning in the West, has adopted the Communicative Approach in its endeavor to teach English as a second language to its student population. Group work is one of the strategies used under the Communicative Approach and its use in teaching English as a second language has been firmly established by sound pedagogical arguments. Past research has showed the benefits of group work, but there is also a body of evidence which implies that group work may not yield the same positive results in non-Western contexts as in Western contexts. While the reasons for this suggestion include many practical difficulties such as lack of resources and large classes, there also seems to be attitudinal issues regarding group work which are culturebound. It is suggested by the body of research that due to cultural notions such as adherence to adult authority, expectations of teacher roles and preference for accuracy over fluency, students might not have positive attitudes about group work or the benefits it provides for their learning. Several studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of the Communicative Approach in Sri Lanka, but there is a serious dearth of studies which directly examine students‘ attitudes about group work. Since learners‘ attitudes are a major determinant of the success of a teaching strategy, this study explores Sri Lankan students‘ attitudes about group work. A questionnaire is distributed to a sample of 50 students, and the data collected is analyzed quantitatively to find out whether Sri Lankan learners have positive or negative attitudes regarding group work. The findings of this study shed light on the attitudes about group work among Sri Lankan students in particular and Asian students in general.