This study allowed pairs of English language learners, a class in Turkey and a class in Spain, to have synchronous audio communication over the Internet. One component of the study had a quasi-experimental research design with two English oral communication classes in turkey. The class who received CMC integrated instruction formed the experimental group and the class who followed regular English oral communication instruction constituted the control group. | Does Communicating Online With Other English Speakers Hinder Or Improve Learners' Speaking Skills? Does Communicating Online With Other English Speakers Hinder Or Improve Learners' Speaking Skills? Gölge Seferoğlu Middle East Technical University Faculty of Education Department of Foreign Language Education 06531 Ankara, Turkey golge@ Abstract fundamental question which CALL researchers have been trying to answer has This study allowed pairs of English been whether or not technology improves language learners, a class in Turkey and a language learning (Fotos & Browne, 2004; class in Spain, to have synchronous audio Warschauer, 2004). communication over the Internet. One Some of the previous studies displayed component of the study had a quasi- how learners improve their grammatical experimental research design with two competence and lexical knowledge through English oral communication classes in negotiated input, corrective feedback, and Turkey. The class who received CMC modified output, using a variety of integrated instruction formed the modification devices during their networked experimental group and the class who negotiation. “However, one area that remains followed regular English oral both problematic and contentious is that of communication instruction constituted the oral language development” (Nunan, 2005, control group. Oral proficiencies of the p. 2), although technological advances and learners were measured at the beginning particularly the Internet presents vast amount (pretest) and at the end of the study (posttest) of opportunities for improving learners’ oral through elicited 5-minute speech samples skills. As Cziko and Park (2003) highlight, from each learner. Quantitative analysis “Until quite recently, indicated that the difference between the synchronous audio and video posttest scores of the experimental group communication required special and control group was not statistically software and hardware along significant at p .
