Collaborative early EFL reading among distributed learners: A simulation pilot study

Abstract

It is widely accepted that reading provides important opportunities for second language (L2) development, however, in Taiwan sources of L2 input are often limited for learners in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. This problem is compounded by environmental constraints such as students’ diversity in reading abilities, the socio-economic gap between urban and rural students, class sizes, time constraints and available resources, and dealing with these constraints effectively requires new pedagogies and tools. We designed a wireless peer-assisted leaning system for early EFL reading to enhance online collaborative EFL reading and provide EFL learners with an opportunity to teach and learn with each other. In this study we examine the use of this wireless reading system in a conventional EFL class to simulate a distributed learning situation. The results suggested that wireless EFL reading may emerge as a flexible and portable solution to the pedagogical challenges that exist in conventional EFL reading and teaching environments.