The impact of the Internet on English language teaching : a case study at a Thai Rajabhat University

Noytim, U

The impact of the Internet on English language teaching : a case study at a Thai Rajabhat University

Noytim, U

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2006

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Noytim, U
dc.date.accessioned	2007-06-29T05:35:30Z
dc.date.accessioned	2012-12-15T03:53:24Z
dc.date.available	2007-06-29T05:35:30Z
dc.date.available	2012-12-15T03:53:24Z
dc.date.issued	2006
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/20339
dc.description	University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education.
dc.description.abstract	This research was conducted in the English Department of a provincial Thai university. It seeks to address the tension between the priority accorded to English by the Thai government and the relatively low levels of English of most Thai people. The study investigates the potential of the Internet to support students’ English language development, in particular the capacity of the Internet to support students’ English reading development. The research was located in Central Thailand at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University (NPRU), my own work place. Here I investigated students’ Internet practices and the potential offered by one English language program that incorporated use of the Internet. My focus on this one program enabled me to address questions about my own teaching practices, and about the implications of incorporating the Internet for program design and teaching. The research itself was conducted in two stages. Stage One was an ethnographic investigation of students’ current Internet practices, both in and out of University. Outcomes from Stage One then informed the development of an English language program that incorporated extensive use of the Internet. This program was implemented and evaluated in Stage Two of the research. Outcomes from Stage One of the research revealed that the University students had low overall levels of Internet use, low levels of computer and Internet skills, but generally high levels of interest and enthusiasm, and a belief that the Internet could play a positive role in supporting English language learning. Outcomes from Stage Two confirmed that the Internet was potentially a powerful resource for teaching English. However, they also showed that if the Internet was incorporated fully into a program, rather than simply tacked onto a traditional program, then a major rethinking of program design and pedagogical practices was necessary. The implications of such changes in program design and teaching are addressed in the thesis.	en_AU
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)	en_AU
dc.language.iso	en	en_AU
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/20339/2/02whole.pdf
dc.relation.replaces	http://hdl.handle.net/2100/384
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/ppc
dc.subject	English language.	en_AU
dc.subject	Teaching.	en_AU
dc.subject	Internet.	en_AU
dc.subject	Thailand.	en_AU
dc.title	The impact of the Internet on English language teaching : a case study at a Thai Rajabhat University	en_AU
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access

Abstract:

This research was conducted in the English Department of a provincial Thai university. It seeks to address the tension between the priority accorded to English by the Thai government and the relatively low levels of English of most Thai people. The study investigates the potential of the Internet to support students’ English language development, in particular the capacity of the Internet to support students’ English reading development. The research was located in Central Thailand at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University (NPRU), my own work place. Here I investigated students’ Internet practices and the potential offered by one English language program that incorporated use of the Internet. My focus on this one program enabled me to address questions about my own teaching practices, and about the implications of incorporating the Internet for program design and teaching. The research itself was conducted in two stages. Stage One was an ethnographic investigation of students’ current Internet practices, both in and out of University. Outcomes from Stage One then informed the development of an English language program that incorporated extensive use of the Internet. This program was implemented and evaluated in Stage Two of the research. Outcomes from Stage One of the research revealed that the University students had low overall levels of Internet use, low levels of computer and Internet skills, but generally high levels of interest and enthusiasm, and a belief that the Internet could play a positive role in supporting English language learning. Outcomes from Stage Two confirmed that the Internet was potentially a powerful resource for teaching English. However, they also showed that if the Internet was incorporated fully into a program, rather than simply tacked onto a traditional program, then a major rethinking of program design and pedagogical practices was necessary. The implications of such changes in program design and teaching are addressed in the thesis.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/20339