خلاصة:
This experimental study attempts to see whether incorporating supplemental podcasts into the blended module of second language (L2) vocabulary teaching and learning leads to better learning outcomes in comparison with other common teaching and learning methods as self-study and conventional. To that end, undergraduate students from Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences were summoned up via an announcement to take part in the study. Volunteers were homogenized via Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and were then randomly divided into three groups to learn English vocabulary items via three different scenarios during 32 sessions. The collected data from the participants’ answers to the attitude questionnaire and interview as well as the data from assessing their performance throughout the course were analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. The analysis of the data revealed that the podcast-mediated blended L2 learning scenario appeared as the most successful scenario in L2 vocabulary learning. Consequently, it could be concluded that providing miscellaneous practicing opportunities for students would facilitate learning process and contribute to learning improvement.
ملخص الجهاز:
Among different language skills and components, podcasting has been mainly exploited by a number of scholars in training specific language skills, such as pronunciation (Knight, 2010; Lord, 2008; Powell, 2006), oral and aural skills (Abdous, Camarena, & Facer, 2009; Chan, Chi, Chin, & Lin, 2011; Hawke, 2010; Hoven & Palalas, 2011), speaking and listening strategy training (Ashton-Hay & Brookes, 2011; Cross, 2014; Li, 2012; Rahimi & Katal, 2012), and reinforcing students‟ vocabulary learning (Borgia, 2010; Putman & Kingsley, 2009).
Moreover, diverse affordances of podcasting have paved the way for its application for the purpose of increasing students‟ motivation (Bolliger, Supanakorn, & Boggs, 2010; Stanley, 2006), promoting intercultural exchanges and listening comprehension (Lee, 2009; McBride, 2009), developing pragmatic competence/awareness (Guikema, 2009), and supporting learners with learning disabilities, and non-native learners in distance learning or blended programs (Sloan, 2005; Walls, et al.
In the same way, podcast-mediated teaching and learning has been employed to support course materials with supplemental podcasts to develop students‟ proficiency in English (Istanto, 2011; Lee & Chan, 2007; Stanley, 2006).
In this round, which was implemented in the extramural situation, the students were indeed expected to register and log in to the LMS, where automatic download of each podcast lesson was provided in spaced intervals through RSS feed on their desired ICT-based tools, urging them to regular interval study (Thornton & Houser, 2001) of the supplementary part of the teaching resources closely integrated with the course content.