Developing ELP Students’ Reading Skills through a Blended Learning Approach

Year 2018, , 389 - 407, 26.09.2018

Chams Eddine Lamri Hafida Hamzaoui

https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.464204

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Algerian law students are required
to read and comprehend legal texts written in English in order to obtain
managerial and regulatory rules knowledge. However, despite the efforts done by
English for Law Purposes teachers, students still have language difficulties in
general and are not able to comprehend texts related to their specialty in
specific. Two main reasons are at the source of this problem: the limited
instruction time and students’ lack of motivation. Hence, this paper reports on
an experimental study undertaken with nineteen 1^st year law Master’s
students who have learned English for at least 10 years and whose proficiency
level is estimated to be intermediate. The experiment consisted in teaching
them English using the blended approach via a Moodle platform. This ELP blended
course based on Content and Language Integrated Learning approach, aimed to
develop their reading comprehension. The results showed that this teaching
approach was interesting at two levels. First, it allowed students’ exposure to
a wide variety of law texts and related activities in spite of the low time
load allocated to English teaching. Second, it raised students’ motivation as
they could have access to many activities in their free time, select the ones
to deal with, have feedback and discuss their difficulties with their mates or
their instructor. Moreover, findings revealed that students involved in the
experiment obtained higher scores in reading tests than the students who were
not. The main conclusion drawn is that the blended approach combined with CLIL
helped ELP students to develop their content knowledge and improve their reading
competence in a short span of time.

Keywords

ELP teaching, reading skill, blended approach, CLIL, Moodle platform

References

• Adegboye, A. O. (1993). Proficiency in English language as a factor contributing to competency in Mathematics. Education Today, 6(2), 9-13.
• Benrabah, M. (2007). Language in Education Planning in Algeria:Historical Development and Current Issues. In Language Policy. (2007)6; 225-252. Springer.
• Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge, U.K: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.
• Clark, R. C. (2002). The New ISD: Applying Cognitive Strategies to Instructional Design. ISPI Performance Improvement Journal, 41(7), 10-16. doi:10.1002/pfi.4140410704
• Coleman, H. (2010). The English Language in Development. A paper commissioned by the British Council. Retrieved on Dec 9, 2014 from https://www.teachingenglish.org. uk/sites/teacheng/files/UK011-English-Language-Development.pdf
• Dale, E., &Chall, J. (1995). Readability Revisited: The New Dale-Chall Readability Formula. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Brookline Books Inc.
• Davies, F. (1995) Introducing Reading. London: Penguin Books.
• Denning, J. (2008).Guide to Education Research for Journalists. The Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Teachers College, Columbia University. Retrieved from, http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/experimental-method-1512721.html Department of Education and Training. (2003). Blended Learning, NSW Department of Education and Training.
• Gordon, D. C. (1966). The Passing of French Algeria.London: Oxford UniversityPress.
• Hamzaoui, H., &Lamri, C. (2011). An English course for Algerian Law and Administrative Science students.ESP Across Cultures, 8, 23-43.
• Hans,A.,& Hans,.E.(2013).Role of Computers in Reading Skills. IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 15, Issue 4 (Sep. - Oct. 2013), PP 15-19 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.Iosrjournals.Org
• Heinze, A., & Procter, C. (2004) Reflections on the Use of Blended Learning, Education in a Changing Environment Conference Proceedings, 13th-14th September 2004.f
• Kotzer, S., & Elran, Y. (2012). Learning and teaching with Moodle-based e-learning environments, combining learning skills and content in the fields of Math and Science & Technology. In Proceeding of 1st Moodle Research Conference (pp. 122-131). Crete- Greece: Heraklion.P122
• Lalima,*., & Kiran, L. D.(2017). Blended Learning: An Innovative Approach. Universal Journal of Educational Research 5(1): 129-136, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2017.050116
• Marsh, D. (2012). Blended learning: Creating learning opportunities for language learners. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Marques, O., Woodbury, J., Hsu, S.,& Charitos, S. (1998). Design and Development of a Hybrid Instruction Model for a New Teaching Paradigm. Proceedings of 28th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Moving from 'Teacher-Centered' to 'Learner-Centered' Education, 1, 90-94. doi: 10.1109/FIE.1998.736810 .
• Miliani, M.(2003).Foreign Language Teaching Approaches, Methods and Techniques. Oran: Dar El Gharb.
• Milone, M. (2008). Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures for Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade. Consortium On Reading Excellence. Califorina. Arena Press.
• Procter, C. (2003). Blended Learning in Practice. In Inaugural Education in a Changing Environment conference. Salford, University of Salford,.
• Tabory, E., & Tabory, M. (1987). Berber unrest in Algeria: lessons for language policy. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, Volume 1987, Issue 63, Pages 63–80, ISSN (Online) 1613-3668, ISSN (Print) 0165-2516, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl.1987.63.63.( 26 January 2016)
• Tesser, C.C. (2005). The Role of Building Reading Comprehension. Retrieved on Nov 3, 2012from, http://apcentral.collegeboard.com /apc/public/repository/Spanish_Lang_.pdf
• Thorne, K. (2003). Blended learning: how to integrate online and traditional learning. London: Kogan Page Limited.
• Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD). (2012). Blended learning A synthesis of research findings in Victorian education 2006-2011. Retrieved from, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/about/research/blended learning.pdf
• Watson, J. (2008). Blended learning: The convergence of online and face-to-face education. Vienna, VA: North American Council for Online Learning.