Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education (JIRE) Vol. 5, Issue 1, 2015, pp. 1–15 ISSN 2232-0180 Using Web 2.0 to Promote Spanish Language Learning in the Malaysian Context Khong Hou Keat Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia © The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access by Taylor’s Press. Abstract Technology has led to significant transformations in numerous aspects of the knowledge society we live in. It is therefore important for today’s teachers to prepare and adapt themselves adequately to the new educational setting as educational technology gains greater importance in the pedagogical landscape. This paper is intended to provide an introduction to the thriving Web 2.0 that can be used to great effect in language teaching and learning, especially in the context of foreign language. The concept and strengths of Web 2.0 in facilitating Spanish language learning among technical students are discussed with relevant learning theories, competencies, and the evolving roles of teachers and students. Two contextual practices using Web 2.0 are examined and their applications to language pedagogy are elucidated along with the related instructional praxis. The case made is Web 2.0 affords an ideal opportunity to increase student engagement within and beyond the classroom. Limitations of incorporating Web 2.0 as a language support are also presented. The paper concludes that language teachers in higher learning institutions should embrace and make the best of the available technologies to achieve the desired pedagogical goals. Key words: Web 2.0, educational technology, Spanish language teaching and learning, technical education INTRODUCTION To date, technology has significantly permeated almost every corner of the living space, and education is no exception. We are currently witnessing the profound paradigm shift in second language education (Jacobs & Farrell, 2001) as well as a rapid and exponential upsurge in educational technology (Morcillo Herrera, Ivars Ferrer & García Pérez, 2009). This has led to immense transformations in numerous aspects of the knowledge society we live in, namely computer-assisted language learning (CALL), e-learning, and virtual learning environment (VLE), among others. Information and communication technology *Corresponding author: Khong Hou Keat Email: hkkhong@unikl.edu.my JIRE is a publication of the Centre for Research in Education & Instructional Technologies, School of Education, Taylor’s University Sdn Bhd 1 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Khong Hou Keat (ICT) has diffused in a multidirectional manner into classroom routines, including language classrooms (Garrett, 2009; González García, 2011). This phenomenon is evidently fuelled by the fundamental attributes of ICT which underpin many constituent changes of the new paradigm asserted by Jacobs and Farrell (2001). These changes comprise learner autonomy, cooperative and interactive learning, attention to diversity, attention to meaning, and thinking skills. This paper aims to assess one of the leading technological concepts, Web 2.0, and its relevance in facilitating Spanish language learning among Malaysian technical students. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the concept of Web 2.0 within the context of language teaching and learning (LTL) comprising second languages (SL) and foreign languages (FL) domains, and offer some possible practices of this new concept based on the context of Spanish as a foreign language in a technical university. It is hoped that language teachers in higher learning institutions would be able to better prepare and adapt themselves to the new educational setting where educational technology is gaining greater importance in LTL (Cela, Fuertes, Alonso & Sánchez, 2010). THE CONCEPT OF WEB 2.0 Coined by Dale Dougherty, co-founder of O’Reilly Media (O’Reilly, 2005), Web 2.0, a new concept behind the technology crisis that occurred in 2001 (Margaix Arnal, 2007), is a user-generated platform where information is fed into a virtual learning community by means of Internet technologies (Verdier, 2009). Among the various attempts to establish its definition, O’Reilly (2005) defined Web 2.0 as made of people and conserves the “seven constitutive principles”, which Web 1.0 could not deliver (Hernández Santos, 2013, p. 5). These principles include: • the World Wide Web as a working platform: users can work collaboratively instead of just sharing documents. • harnessing collective intelligence: active user participation through open access will lead to the creation of the intelligent web. • database management as a basic competence: users will learn how to manage the massive amounts of data. • end of software release cycle: the dynamic information transforms software into a service that keeps the available data up-to-date and relevant; this increases the accuracy of information on the web. • lightweight programming models: these simpler alternatives reach many more users to facilitate data collection and hence a more intelligent web. • software not limited to a single device: this enables a better flow of information, hence users can use a wider range of devices to access and exchange relevant information. • rich user experiences: better web applications by users will lead to enhanced web usages, therefore the creation of a more intelligent web. 2 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Using Web 2.0 to Promote Spanish Language Learning in the Malaysian Context Hernández Santos (2013) also indicated that the web “has gone from static to dynamic, and always on the move” (p. 4) thanks to “digital activists” (Herrera Jiménez, 2007, p. 21). This web version 2.0 that enhances social interaction among highly participatory users in an authentic context highlights a profound social rather than technological revolution (O’Reilly, 2005). It is therefore imperative to address the relationships between the principles of this concept and the general objectives in LTL as a way to gain more insight into the process of teaching and learning today. EVALUATION OF WEB 2.0 Multidimensional Empowerment The web today has become a dynamic and participatory platform based on open, flexible and user-friendly technologies (Domínguez Fernández & Llorente Cejudo, 2009). In addition to fostering social interaction through synchronous and/or asynchronous communication with native or other students of the same SL/FL, Web 2.0 promotes student participation collectively and more importantly, it is free. In accordance with the underlying principle of constructivism (Herrera Jiménez, 2007), sharing content on any website will break student passivity and hence provide them more opportunities to engage in the target language to induce learning. According to Anderson (2007) and Díaz Sánchez (2010), the web effect and the power of the crowd are not only able to enhance student productivity and creativity, but can also narrow the gap between students and teachers. In this respect, some of the well-known Web 2.0 applications include Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Delicious. Web 2.0 also consolidates collaborative learning among students (García Sans, 2008) as well as among teachers (Montenegro & Pujol, 2010). Relevant Web 2.0 applications such as Wikis, Blog, Webquest, YouTube and Flickr provide a virtual space where participating agents (including students and/or teachers) can access, exchange, select, filter and share knowledge as well as experiences in real time. Moreover, they learn how to manage vast amounts of multimedia content together with others regardless of their spatio-temporal constraints (Area, 2009 as cited in Domínguez Fernández & Llorente Cejudo, 2009). In other words, Web 2.0 is a horizontal open access social space teeming with infinite accessible information (Marquès Graells, 2007). It is hence a potential alternative to the conventional static and unidirectional learning environment to promote anytime, anywhere experiential and participatory learning for everyone. As Soria Pastor (2001) implies, we are witnessing the transition of the classroom and it is no longer the sole setting in LTL. According to Jee (2011), Web 2.0 facilitates the management and fulfilment of new online learning activities as well as the creation of social networking, developing student digital literacy and therefore, empowering their overall competency. Undoubtedly, this also applies to teachers. With reference to the philosophy of Web 2.0 in the construction of 3 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Khong Hou Keat knowledge and social learning processes, the diversity of the innovative technologies is able to accommodate different learning styles found in the classroom (Alvear Saravia & Mora Pedreros, 2013). In other words, Web 2.0 enables constructive changes in students down the learning process. Rodríguez Tapia (2006) affirmed that this allows students to identify and apply different strategies to retrieve information, select learning content, assess their own difficulties, take responsibility for their own learning, and attempt to make quick reactive decisions while working cooperatively, which will in turn lead to learning to learn (Tíscar, 2005). This learner-centred approach is crucial to achieve the desired learner autonomy that represents one of the axiomatic components of successful language learning (Ikonen, 2013; Reinders, 2010; Tanyeli & Kuter, 2013). Web 2.0 and Learning Theories Sobrino Morrás (2011) indicated that none of the ICT tools can be ascribed unequivocally to any of the three major learning theories, namely behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism. The emergence of Web 2.0 has led to the postulation of a fourth theory of learning, connectivism, which is considered as a more pertinent version for the digital age (Siemens, 2005 as cited in Kop & Hill, 2008). However, according to Siemens (2010), instead of completely eliminating the theories and approaches that have worked well in the field of learning for centuries, it is more sensible to retain their values and integrate them judiciously in all possible domains. Siemens (2010) also revealed that the modern knowledge ecology focuses on the social network and thrives on the diversity of knowledge afforded collaboratively across different knowledge nodes (spaces, elements, individuals). To meet the needs of today’s learners, connectivism emphasises the freedom of choice to navigate multiple knowledge domains as well as to use diverse systems and tools that are trademarked for their user-friendliness. According to Kop and Hill (2008), in the connectivist approach, “learning transpires through the use of both the cognitive and the affective domains; cognition and the emotions both contribute to the learning process in important ways” (para. 6). In a nutshell, learning is no longer a linear process but in the form of networking and connecting. It is therefore suggested that the existing educational structures should be revised in order to meet the needs of pedagogical innovations in language teaching (Alemi & Daftarifard, 2010), especially in this postdigital era (Siemens, 2010). General Competences According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR), the main objective of LTL is to enhance the overall development of students and their general competences in becoming proficient social agents who are able to act effectively in everyday communicative situations (Mula, 2002). Mula (2002) also implied that the wide range of possibilities from Web 2.0 provides varied real-world environments for students in which greater knowledge of the world and social and communication skills can be developed through their active participation. Apart from digital competence (Ilomäki, Kantosalo & Lakkala, 2011), Web 2.0 offers the 4 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Using Web 2.0 to Promote Spanish Language Learning in the Malaysian Context possibility to explore various languages and cultures without having to travel physically (Villalba Varona, 2009), thus promoting positive attitudes towards differences and cultural understanding (Trujillo Sáez, 2001). Web tools such as blogs (reading and writing) and podcasts (listening and speaking) foster the development of various linguistic skills (Villalba Varona, 2009). As a consequence, these tools will help generate a legitimate interest in learning, and finally transform students into active members of the community as well as knowledge creators (Castañeda Quintero & Adell Segura, 2011). Roles of Teachers and Students While the student is affected by the new perspectives of LTL, the work of teachers has also undergone a major transformation. Teachers have stopped being a mere transmitter of knowledge and become a mediator in its construction. In the virtual learning environment, teachers also play the part of leader, monitor as well as motivator, assuming the seven roles proposed by Connectivism (2010) in a proactive and self-directed way (Quintana, 2010; Salinas, 2004). This digital evolution demands a new mindset from the teachers. Besides adapting to the rapid change of new teaching practices using ICT, teachers ought to embrace new strategies and assess their own practices through constant reflections (Castañeda Quintero & Adell Segura, 2011). On the other hand, today’s students have grown to be active members of the Internet community, managing online information flexibly and autonomously (Salinas, 2004). Young learners who have been immersed in this atmosphere all their lives are more predisposed to manipulating the latest technologies. This indirectly raises their awareness of being able to learn independently and it turns out to be a stepping stone towards learning autonomy (Chenoll, 2009). Like the students, teachers also can work collaboratively with other peers and experts, exchanging information and experiences in order to expand their dominance in Web 2.0. CONTEXTUAL PRACTICES Considering the advantages of Web 2.0, this section will share two classroom practices that involved the application of Web 2.0. These practices were directed to a group of technical students which consisted of youths and adult beginners, aged 18–23 years. Most students are male because the university focuses on professional technical programmes. It is important to note that the students have very few opportunities to practice Spanish outside the classroom as the Spanish-speaking community in the country is very small. In addition, the students have never been to any Spanish-speaking country; therefore, they have very little exposure to fundamental aspects of the Hispanic language and culture. These practices were carried out in a local technical university where Spanish is a compulsory subject. In this university, the Spanish course consists of 42 contact hours. In the context of learning Spanish as a foreign language, the amount of time allocated is insufficient for an environment that lacks natural exposures to achieve authentic 5 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Khong Hou Keat communicative competence and socialisation (Manga, 2006). Over a 14-week period, students were asked to accomplish various linguistic activities to fulfil the maximum number of hours required. Despite the increased interest in foreign language learning in the country in recent years (Martínez Vellón, 2006), Spanish remains a rarely-spoken language with a low level of research and scarce chances of practice. Among the various tools of Web 2.0, Facebook is the most prominent social network that completely permeates all cultural communication barriers worldwide. Facebook is able to draw students together in collaborative learning networks (Selwyn, 2007). It is also important to note that students today are the key consumers of Web 2.0, especially the digital natives (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005) who are defined by their high dependence on the media and their technological multitasking capabilities (Rosen, 2010 as cited in Mills, 2011). Owing to its competitive advantages (Caldevilla Dominguez, 2010; Kabilan, Ahmad & Zainol Abidin, 2010; Leier, 2011; Mills, 2011; Wu & Hsu, 2011), Facebook has garnered increasing attention in the realm of the LTL today. The main objective of this instructional practice was to provide the target group a conducive platform not only to foster real interactive communication using the target language, but also to neutralise some potential inhibitions that can hinder learning such as fear of failure and anxiety in foreign language learning (Pérez-Paredes & MartínezSánchez, 2001; Wesely, 2012). The development of student communicative competence is paramount in LTL and it usually encompasses four interrelated skills: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discursive and strategic (Canale, 1983). Hence, a class Facebook was created to make the Spanish learning more authentic and interesting as well as to engage students in learning the language outside class time. Below are the communicative goals guiding the development of the class Facebook. LINGUISTIC: To activate student prior knowledge regarding the linguistic features learned such as vocabulary, word and phrase formation, spelling and semantics. SOCIOLINGUISTIC: To expose students to various expressions in different sociological contexts; the adequacy of meaning and appropriateness of the form for different communicative functions. DISCURSIVE: To expose students to different grammatical forms and meanings in spoken or written text in different genres. STRATEGIC: Students can strategically employ verbal and non-verbal communication (emoticons) to compensate for communication failures due to inadequacy in one or more areas of communicative competence. The other Web 2.0 tool chosen to be incorporated in the instructional practices of Spanish language was blogging. It is worth noting that blogging offers great potentials in LTL. Blogging has a natural vocation to be a digital literacy platform and is defined as “the great 6 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Using Web 2.0 to Promote Spanish Language Learning in the Malaysian Context conversation” (Orihuela, 2005 as cited in Herrera Jiménez, 2007, p. 21) across networks. With the many identifying features of Web 2.0, blogging has adequately responded to the demand for continuing education and student-centred learning (Tíscar, 2005). As one of the classroom practices, blogging was used as a collective platform for the target group in order to awaken their interest in reading and writing. According to Tíscar (2005), the collective blog not only encourages collaborative endeavours among students but also reinforces their socialising and dynamic potential, promotes responsibility in terms of online publications as well as generates a sense of equality between teachers and students. Blogging, in fact, offers a wide range of learning possibilities in language classrooms (Herrera Jiménez, 2007). In view of the students’ limited proficiency in Spanish and the constraints of resources and time, the collective blog was delimited according to the following intentions: PRESENTATION: Students introduce themselves in the target language─name, age, origin, languages spoken, interests and why they want to learn Spanish. NARRATOR: The blog can be a class diary. Each student will take turns to write in the diary including what they learned in class, anecdotes that occurred inside or outside the classroom, and anything that students consider meaningful and want to share. TRACKER: Two students will be asked to share two stories from the weekly press, while another two will comment on two websites that they found helpful in their Spanish learning. PRACTICE: The teacher will include practical exercises in the blog to complement classroom learning, for example, if they are learning tenses, a collaborative storytelling can be weaved via blogging. The teacher may commence with the introduction and the students continue the story. ORGANIZER: To remind the group of the tasks to be done and the work scheduled. ASSESSMENT: Both teachers and students hold a common evaluation of the group blog in class. Personal assessments from students are also welcome. These two examples show that Facebook and blogging positively encourage a greater willingness and motivation from the group in the Spanish language learning. In addition, observations reveal that students learned how to act and relate effectively and appropriately in virtual communities as such. In short, these practices render positive learning outcomes in various contexts in which the authentic language immersion is limited as in ours. LIMITATION Web 2.0, in reality, is not without controversy and debate. It is vital to have a clear picture of the constraints and limitations of Web 2.0 in order not to fall into the misconception that Web 2.0 is the panacea for all the challenges posed in LTL. Among the limitations of 7 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Khong Hou Keat Web 2.0 are, access and practical difficulty, excessive digital freedom, lack of control of data and its quality, electronic security, intellectual property rights, academic dishonesty and above all, the lack of a reliable body of empirical research literature related to these limitations. For certain individuals, access to Web 2.0 can be hindered by technical and logistical issues (Blazer, 2008), practical problems associated with digital literacy (Yagüe, 2007) and even by “the technological divide” (Trabaldo, 2004, p. 4). This causes friction for students, teachers and institutions. Besides, possessing much information does not necessarily mean being better informed. The web itself does not guarantee learning. On the contrary, it demands a strong conceptual and technological aptitude from the users. In addition, technological dependence should also be avoided especially among younger learners. Amidst the rapid development of technology and exponential growth in the use of the Internet, digital content including video and audio files, software, graphics, animations and images can become irrelevant to the learning process without proper pedagogical manipulation (Yagüe, 2007). Moreover, parents tend to show a strong resistance towards certain web applications as the open access nature provokes distrust and a sense of insecurity. The democratisation of Web 2.0 to boundless web content may trigger possible violations of intellectual property rights (Alexander, 2006; Anderson, 2007). Web 2.0 has also sparked debates about the lack of awareness of plagiarism and other academic dishonesty especially among university students (Egaña, 2012). As a result, more empirical studies are anticipated to validate the effectiveness of Web 2.0 in the terrain of LTL (Merchant, 2012; Stevenson & Liu, 2010; Wang & Vásquez, 2012; Yagüe, 2007). CONCLUSIONS Student development is a continuous process that can be sustained by various personal or situational motives. According to Marsh (2012), emergent educational proposals are inclined towards learner-centricity that emphasises on inclusion, innovation and integration while promoting competence in rich learning environments. Throughout this paper, the use and importance of Web 2.0 in the process of LTL today are reflected, including two contextual practices and the limitations of the concept. As a result, it can be concluded that language teachers should embrace the advantages of web-based learning as it has become an important component in the ecology of modern living. However, it is not practical to let technology be the only factor of success in LTL. As Contreras Izquierdo (2008) warned, the new technology should only be perceived as another tool in LTL. Web-based instruction is a powerful tool that teachers could count on to complement their usual teaching practices. It can also be used as a ubiquitous instrument for students to interconnect with one another and with the outside world. In sum, Web 2.0 can be an innovative and interactive resource for language teachers and students. 8 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Education Volume 5, Issue 1, 2015 Using Web 2.0 to Promote Spanish Language Learning in the Malaysian Context However, the use of Web 2.0 does not guarantee that students will automatically be able to manage their own learning or achieve learner autonomy without being taught how to manage the information correctly and effectively. In conclusion, the challenges in incorporating the concept of Web 2.0 into the curriculum would include a sound framework that synchronises with pedagogical demands and approaches (Rodríguez Tapia, 2006). It is therefore important that teachers know how to make use of the available web tools such as Web 2.0 for best practices in the teaching and learning of a foreign language, Spanish in this instance. 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