Papers by Katharine Brown
The EuroCALL Review, 2010
Institutions are increasingly turning towards online foreign language courses, yet there are almo... more Institutions are increasingly turning towards online foreign language courses, yet there are almost no guidelines for their development and implementation. Because there is significant research on online education and instructed second language acquisition (SLA)—but very little on the intersection of the two—this article emphasizes the importance of considering research from both fields for the successful design of online foreign language instruction. Empirical evidence from distance and blended learning, applied linguistics, and SLA research is considered as the article presents four guiding principles of online foreign language course design:1) follow principles of SLA; 2) establish a sense of community; 3) choose relevant and appropriate technology and content; and 4) provide students and instructors with adequate training. The discussion of the third principle includes an overview of the technological and pedagogical options available for online courses and makes specific recomm...
Journal of Second Language Studies, 2019
Working memory, which accounts for the ability to process information in the face of interference... more Working memory, which accounts for the ability to process information in the face of interference, is critical to second language acquisition (SLA) and use. The interaction of working memory capacity (WMC) with specific pedagogical interventions is a logical place for empirical SLA research, both to examine the cognitive processes underpinning second language performance and to identify instructional treatments that may serve learners differently based on their WMC. This study considers WMC along with two different types of pre-task planning time (guided and unguided) as predictors of the attempted accuracy and fluency of learners’ discourse. Seventy-two intermediate ESL students from seven classes at a community college participated by completing two different working memory span tasks, as well as two different “There-and-Then” oral story-telling tasks. The treatment condition of the story-telling tasks was manipulated so that learners’ performance could be considered in terms of p...
Technology-mediated TBLT, 2014
This chapter describes and evaluates an intermediate online, task-based Chinese course through an... more This chapter describes and evaluates an intermediate online, task-based Chinese course through an analysis of learner performance on the course tasks and assessments, including the performance-based assessments (PBAs) developed specifically for the course. After a brief consideration of online instruction and task-based language teaching (TBLT), the online TBLT course is described in some depth and the technology-mediated pedagogic tasks and associated PBAs are presented. The findings from these tasks and assessments are then reported, followed by a discussion of what the outcomes data revealed about online language instruction, TBLT, and technology-mediated tasks. The goal of this research is to evaluate this particular course in order to provide insights into how best to structure and assess learners during online foreign language classes, offering a model for instruction as well as empirical findings related to the effectiveness of both online and task-based foreign language courses.
Blended Learning: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications
This chapter outlines practical findings from the emerging body of research on Mobile-Assisted La... more This chapter outlines practical findings from the emerging body of research on Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). After briefly situating the conversation within a framework of how best to use technology for language instruction, the chapter opens with a review of what we know about how to use mobile technology for language learning. Then, the discussion turns to how to best apply these findings in various instructional contexts, including K–12, higher education, and workplace training. By the end of the chapter, students will have both a solid understanding of how mobile technology can facilitate second language learning as well as concrete examples of how to develop and execute a mobile language learning strategy in various educational contexts.
Language Teaching Research, 2014
The need for foreign language education in the US has increased in recent years, and teaching met... more The need for foreign language education in the US has increased in recent years, and teaching methods based on traditional textbooks are unlikely to meet the real-world needs of current learners. As a response, interest in Language for Specific Purposes programs has grown and so has Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) methodology. This article describes and evaluates a recently developed, task-based Spanish course for a governmental agency, which was put in place to help employees conduct their jobs more efficiently. Three exploratory empirical studies undertaken to evaluate this program are presented and discussed: (1) a pilot study comparing the oral proficiency of students in the grammar-based course and students in the TBLT course; (2) a study to establish whether the students’ overall proficiency had improved as a result of the TBLT program; and (3) a qualitative study of students’ perceptions about the Spanish TBLT program. The results indicate that the task-based course not o...
Language Teaching Research, 2013
Language learners with high working memory capacity have an advantage, all other factors being eq... more Language learners with high working memory capacity have an advantage, all other factors being equal, during the second language acquisition (SLA) process; therefore, identifying a pedagogical intervention that can compensate for low working memory capacity would be advantageous to language learners and instructors. Extensive research on the provision of planning time before non-native speakers complete various oral and written tasks in the target language suggests that planning time might provide the processing support needed to overcome the constraints of low working memory capacity. This article reports on an empirical aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) study of the interaction of working memory capacity and pre-task planning time with a population of English as a second language (ESL) learners in the USA. Learners were asked to complete two different oral, monologic, picture-guided narratives in two conditions: with pre-task planning time and without pre-task planning time. Th...
The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Technology, 2022
Language Learning & Technology, 2011
Katharine B. Nielson University of Maryland Many language training software packages are intended... more Katharine B. Nielson University of Maryland Many language training software packages are intended for self-study and marketed as complete language learning solutions; however, little is known about how well they work or under what conditions they should be used. This article reports on a research study conducted at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language that explores the way adult learners use Rosetta Stone and Auralog’s TELL ME MORE—two popular, commercially available, technology-mediated self-study packages. Volunteers from different United States government agencies agreed to use these programs according to each manufacturer’s usage guidelines and to complete regular assessments to document their language proficiency throughout the study. The most striking finding was severe participant attrition, which was likely due to a variety of technological problems as well as the lack of sufficient support for autonomous learning in the workplace. This lack of co...
Empirical research has established that for online language programs to be successful, they must ... more Empirical research has established that for online language programs to be successful, they must be tailored to adults’ needs, focus on the tasks the learners are expected to accomplish, and be easy to access and use. Despite this, millions of working adults are attempting to improve their English skills using materials that do not meet these criteria. Voxy, an educational technology company offering English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, has developed an integrated mobile and web-based language learning product based on recent research in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and online learning, which is designed specifically to maximize adult learners’ potential for successful language learning. Recent empirical examples illustrate Voxy’s theoretical underpinnings as well as its potential for success as a language learning solution for working adults.
The Cambridge Handbook of Task-Based Language Teaching
The EUROCALL Review, 17. (with K. Nielson), 2010
Institutions are increasingly turning towards online foreign language courses, yet there are almo... more Institutions are increasingly turning towards online foreign language courses, yet there are almost no guidelines for their development and implementation. Because there is significant research on online education and instructed second language acquisition (SLA)-but very little on the intersection of the two-this article emphasizes the importance of considering research from both fields for the successful design of online foreign language instruction. Empirical evidence from distance and blended learning, applied linguistics, and SLA research is considered as the article presents four guiding principles of online foreign language course design:1) follow principles of SLA; 2) establish a sense of community; 3) choose relevant and appropriate technology and content; and 4) provide students and instructors with adequate training. The discussion of the third principle includes an overview of the technological and pedagogical options available for online courses and makes specific recommendations for teachers, administrators, and designers. This section includes a discussion of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and web-conferencing software; a review of the research on computer-mediated communication (CMC) as well as information on how to choose appropriate tools to facilitate CMC; a discussion of how to incorporate relevant audio and video into online courses; and a discussion on simulations and virtual worlds. All of these recommendations are based on educational, educational technology, and second language research findings on how to maximize language learning.
International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC)
This case study provides an overview of Voxy’s language-learning platform and the needs analysis ... more This case study provides an overview of Voxy’s language-learning platform and the needs analysis conducted to determine the content required for its “English for Software Engineering” course, which received a 2018 International E-Learning Award in the Business Division. This study documents Voxy’s methodology and theoretical underpinnings. Further, the report outlines the rationale behind using authentic, real-world content, how the company identified the English skills that software engineers require to do their jobs, and how a team of working software engineers provided both guidelines and raw materials to help develop the course content.
(TTO 82131) College Park, MD: U. of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language (with Nielson, K, & Pinckney, K.), 2009
ducational institutions have been turning to online distance courses as a way to solve problems o... more ducational institutions have been turning to online distance courses as a way to solve problems of space
and time; Internet-based learning programs do not require classroom space, can be accessed at any time,
and allow students and instructors to work independently. Despite these important advantages, there are
many issues associated with such courses that potentially affect their successful implementation. The following
technical report discusses different models of online courses, reviews characteristics of effective programs, and
explains how distance courses can be designed to teach foreign languages successfully. Finally, some of the
potential challenges of teaching at a distance two less-commonly-taught-languages (LCTLs), Arabic and
Chinese, are considered.
Handbook of Research on Mobile Learning in Contemporary Classrooms, 2000
Language Learning Technology, Oct 1, 2011
... Jones (2007) mentions Auralog's TELL ME MORE and Rosetta Stone in his review of trends i... more ... Jones (2007) mentions Auralog's TELL ME MORE and Rosetta Stone in his review of trends in self-paced instruction, stating that ... products do not incorporate a number of the aforementioned research-based insights (eg, the need for culturally authentic, task-based activities) that ...
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Papers by Katharine Brown
and time; Internet-based learning programs do not require classroom space, can be accessed at any time,
and allow students and instructors to work independently. Despite these important advantages, there are
many issues associated with such courses that potentially affect their successful implementation. The following
technical report discusses different models of online courses, reviews characteristics of effective programs, and
explains how distance courses can be designed to teach foreign languages successfully. Finally, some of the
potential challenges of teaching at a distance two less-commonly-taught-languages (LCTLs), Arabic and
Chinese, are considered.
and time; Internet-based learning programs do not require classroom space, can be accessed at any time,
and allow students and instructors to work independently. Despite these important advantages, there are
many issues associated with such courses that potentially affect their successful implementation. The following
technical report discusses different models of online courses, reviews characteristics of effective programs, and
explains how distance courses can be designed to teach foreign languages successfully. Finally, some of the
potential challenges of teaching at a distance two less-commonly-taught-languages (LCTLs), Arabic and
Chinese, are considered.