Speaking with their fingers - online
This study looks into the usage of an online forum towards promoting use of the English language among engineering undergraduates at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Eleven undergraduates from different engineering disciplines participated in an online forum discussing on various topics of commo...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
2010
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/3824/ http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/3824/1/MOHDSA~1.PDF |
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| Summary: | This study looks into the usage of an online forum towards promoting use of the English language among engineering undergraduates at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Eleven undergraduates from different engineering disciplines participated in an online forum discussing on various topics of common interest over a period of twenty two weeks. An asynchronous online platform was used as the instrument of research and data was collected using document analysis, observation and interviews. Findings reveal that the various participants despite their differences in academic, proficiency and ethnic backgrounds were encouraged by the freedom of use both for academic and socializing purposes. They freely and openly indulged in online communication activities using the English language more frequently and extensively. Participants also used various linguistic features when communicating online. The platform, thus, proves beneficial and may serve as a very useful tool towards assisting students to improve proficiency of the English daily. |
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