Saturday /
March 15, 2014
Week 2 of
Semester 8
Hello
readers! I hope you are doing great and in a pink of health. The world’s
climate has been angry to us when no drops of rain falls these days which makes
us easier to get sick. Therefore, two most important things of all that you
must know; 1) put your face mask on and 2) get yourself hydrated. It is because
haze has been covering up the blue-ish skies.
Alright,
this entry will be looking closely to an ESL website (as stated below) and thus
evaluating the website according to the specifications given in TSL641 course:
Evaluation:
ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION
Q1:
First
and foremost, Edufind.com is a website of a collection of free English language
tools and references for English learners, English teachers and also users of
the English language. It attempts to equip English learners with its English grammar
guide across the usage rules and examples of both correct and incorrect usage. In
conjunction to this matter, it provides the learners/visitors with short
interactive English exercises test mastery in order to test the grammatical
concepts ranging from lower-intermediate level to advanced level. The immediate
feedbacks will be given promptly for each question in which they do not have to
wait until the whole set of test is completed.
Q2:
In
regards to learning the content of the website, learners or visitors do not
have to do any registration or payment to access it. The website has made
everything accessible in which learners and visitors can get them at any time
at all cost. In other words, it is easier, safer in terms of money and faster.
Q3:
The
most intriguing part while browsing this website is it successfully reminds me
of one particular thing; English classes
with my Chinese and Malay teachers at tuition center and at school back then.
This memory is reinforced even more when I did some of its exercises to develop
more empathic understanding and evaluation toward this website. For instance, I
did exercise on “Past Tense and Past Participle Forms”. I recall how my Chinese
teacher at her tuition center trained me to memorize the tenses form ranging
from present tense to past participle. I was in primary school of that time. Her
effort eventually worked when I started to understand how to construct English
sentences with grammatically acceptable. Later, when I moved to upper secondary
school years, I had a Malay teacher who illustrated timelines as a mechanism to
indicate the context when past tense and past participle forms are used. As a
result, I still remember what I memorized when I was 11 years old.
Q4:
Based
on my evaluation so far, there is no activity provided on the website that
cannot be done in a textbook or workbook. Basically, the activities constructed
are in multiple choices questions (also found in workbook). If yes, I believe
it is only a matter of using technology in this case. In details, the
activities are already linked to the answers or feedback like scoring which
they can do it manually on workbook.
Q5:
After several times analyzing which theory of language learning is applied onto this website, I have come to a conclusion that it is prominently employing the "Traditional Grammar" approach. As aforementioned above, major components of this website are looking closely at the English grammar rules, illustrating the correct and incorrect usage. it includes topics like parts-of-speech, tenses, to-infinitive, clauses and direct and indirect speech. Therefore, there is no communicative learning takes place among the learners or visitors. However, this website allows its learners or visitors to practice "Independent Learning". They do not necessarily have to have teachers or facilitators next to them explaining what it is or what it is not when this website has already provided explanation for each sub topic before they can embark on to its exercises.
Q6:
Another
point to be added, this website fulfills the criterion of offering its learners
or visitors the potential for language learning. Looking at the aims of this
website itself has already answered how it fulfills the criterion. It offers
the learners or visitors the opportunity to strengthen grammar knowledge of
English. Thus, it develops their confidence to use English extensively in time,
improving their proficiency from lower to better, from intermediate to
advanced. After all, the exercises are a mere form of drilling for learners. Thus,
it is impossible if they do not learn the targeted language once they complete
the exercises.
Q7:
There
are two possibilities that affect the use of this application in my future
work. If I am destined to work in language area or to become an educator, I
would love to use this app to assist my teaching or language programs. I believe
this app will become a great assistant when I incorporate technology in my teaching
processes or language programs. Instead of using the conventional way of
learning like papers, workbook and so forth, I look forward to use computer in
my classroom. It does not only arouse the students’ interest, but most
important thing, it helps me to monitor my students’ achievement accurately. Nonetheless,
if I am destined to work in other fields, I may not use it. Again, it depends
on the nature of work.
By,
nadzirahnohh
2010839908
ED220
8B
