Language Learning Experiences of ESL Students Engaged in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

Abstract

The advent of the Internet, computers, and other commonly available digital technologies has brought language teaching and learning into a new era of class interactivity and communication. With the phenomenal uptake of L2 learners to the technological affordances of the emerging CMC tools, language learning landscape has gradually changed. Understanding what and how students experience in learning L2 through these communication tools is necessity to address issues that have risen in the 21st century. This study aimed to explore the language learning experiences of ESL students as they engaged in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). The participants were composed of eight multilingual ESL students, coming from Myanmar, China, Russia, and Indonesia. The participants were carefully selected using the purposive sampling technique. The study used transcendental phenomenal design to explore the learning experiences of the participants. Data gathered were carefully recorded, transcribed, coded, analyzed, and interpreted. Results revealed that ESL students experience familiarity with the CMC platforms/tools and learning structure, interaction through posting and commenting, and learning challenges, which include difficulty in reading on-screen and lack of immediate corrective feedback from the facilitator.It also indicated how language skills such as reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary and noticing are enhanced through CMC tools.