Blog Post 3:Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

The dominance of technology in our society today has enhanced many more convenient forms of communication compared to the traditional pen-and-paper snail mail way of communication which existed since years ago. Believe it or not, even the email is getting outdated in the world that we live in today. This is mostly because people of today’s society prefer to have instantaneous reply from their recipients. This revolution is somewhat associated to a term classified as Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

What is Computer Mediated Communication?

According to Levy (1997), Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) can be defined as “concerned with communication between two or more participants via a computer covering technological platforms such as e-mails, bulletin board, discussion list and computer conferencing, both text- and video-based”. In other words, CMC is a form of communication between two or more individuals through the computer and internet. In this technological era, CMC is widely used by many educators to guide their students in understanding and learning subjects. The application of synchronous and asynchronous CMC in a language classroom will be discussed.

Application of synchronous CMC

A study was carried out at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) among 70 English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student. A synchronous online communication via LAN Chat Enterprise was used for this study. Students were asked to discuss the given topic based on the topics in the textbook using the interactive chat program.

According to Chun (1994), the development of language production and ideas among students can be seen from this study.

• The teacher was aware that both weak and better students had equal opportunity to use the language.
• There is an increase in learner production rather than teacher-centered discourse.
• Students were able to communicate with their own thoughts before expressing them in written form.
• Students could question, reply and comment on the opinion of the peers instantly.
• Students often spent time on clarifying and elaborating their ideas for their peers to grasp, which helps students in academic writing.
• Students who are verbally weak in the language could speak their mind through chatting.
• Students were less conscious of the teacher’s presence, which enhances their creative and critical thinking to produce to ideas.

 

Application of asynchronous CMC

Based on a research carried out at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), the usage of CMC can be seen in a language classroom among the English for Civil Engineering (ECE) students. In this study, a total of 73students and one English language teacher were required to carry out an asynchronous online discussion forum via the CMC bulletin board.

From the research, both teacher and students gave a positive and favourable feedback to the task conducted.

• There were interaction between the teacher and students via comments and corrections.
• The students were able to observe their language output and then have the opportunity to edit their writings.
• The teacher could monitor the students language output and have them improve the problematic forms in their writings.
• The students were able to get a faster feedback on their writings from the teacher.
• The students find the CMC bulletin board a relaxed environment to post their writings.
• The CMC bulletin board encourages more participation among students, especially among the weaker ones.
• The students could go at their own pace to dwell on their writings and improve their writings.

Conclusion

Overall, the usage of synchronous and asynchronous CMC in a language classroom is flourishing. Teachers and students are able to interact with each other on a closer level. Teachers can monitor the writings of their students and help them improve in the usage of a language. Students on the other are able to get a quick response from their teachers regarding the writings. This is normally difficult to do in a classroom as teachers have to rush for time and they are unable to pay attention to each and every student at the same time. Students can always observe their writings and correct the problematic structures with their own pace. The application also encourages students to think before writing, which gives them more time to think on their ideas and ways to present it. The wide usages of CMC in language classrooms help students in language production and improve themselves in language acquisition.

Reference

1. Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan, Norizan Abdul Razak, Mohamed Amin Embi.2008. Readings in Online Language Learning and Teaching.
2. Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan, Norizan Abdul Razak, Mohamed Amin Embi. 2006.Online Teaching and Learning in ELT
3. Maiko Hatta.2003. Using Computer Mediated Communication in Second Language Classrooms. http://www.osaka-ue.ac.jp/gakkai/pdf/ronshu/2003/5403_ronko_hata.pdf  [5 March 2010]

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