a) Title: Voice-Blog: The Exploratory of Language Learning
b) Journal: Volume 13, Number 2, June 2009
c) Author: Yu-Chin Sun from the National Chioa Tung University. The study was about using the voice blog as a
stepping to an intensive study of language learner speaking skills. Yu-Chin Sun is an associate professor at
Institute of Teaching English to speakers of other languages at National Chioa Tung University, Taiwan. Her
research interests include computer-assisted language learning, academic writing and speech instruction.
d) Link: http://Ilt.msu.edu/vol13num2/sun.pdf
B. Summary of the article
a) The aim of the research:
The aim of the research was to see whether voice-blog could trigger interest and can it boost students' self esteem
public speaking. The program was introduced because the researcher wanted the students to share their though
with the public freely and without hesiatation. It was also introduced a new possible media where the students can
complete their assignment within their own time and space. It is very self-regulatory where the students needed to
learn how to use the voice-blog without given specific instruction.
b) The methodology:
The methodology of this research was qualitative and quatitative. The researcher did both because she wanted the
jest of the matter. The survey was about the students' attitude towards the use of voice-blog and the interview
mainly about students' learning process in relation to the blog, the related learning strategies, the difficulties
encountered and the solutions to the difficulties. The researcher also used the Likert-Scale for the questionnaires.
The researcher requested about 15 voice blog and 5 voice responses by the mid-term semester and a total of 30
voice-blog and 10 responses by the end of the semester. The researcher also tried to make the task easy as the
researcher allowed the students to say whatever themes and topic that came up in their mind.
c) The subject/sample:
The subject of the research were 46 college students in Taiwan in two-oral communication classes that being
taught by the researcher. They were chosen because of their limited usage of English though they had been
learning the language for 9 years. They were from different courses such as mechanical engineering, electronic and
etc. 15 female and 31 male students were chosen for this research which an average age of the student was 20.76
years old. They also never study or being abroad.
d) The findings of the research:
It showed a positive movements because the students did not see voice-blog as a tool of learning but also a media
that can make them communicate with people outside their classroom and campus. It also motivated the students
to do well in their English class and it triggered the students' interest in communicating with the language first-
speaker. the voice-blog also managed to enhance students' interest where most of the students did enjoy
themselves while completing the task.
e) The major idea(s):
The major idea that the researcher wanted to get across was using the latest multimedia could bring benefits for
students. The students also would gain new knowledge and experience when they got the chance to speak directly
to the language first-speaker and actually could learn from them. It also encouraged the students to express and
shared their thought with worried that they being judged by others. it also encouraged collaboratives learning with
their peers. It is very crucial for yongsters nowadays to express their thought as they would be the future leaders.
C. My reaction:
I really the research because I think it is an interesting topic to talk about. As we know, CALL subject is the only
reason why I own a blog. Other than that, I am preferred to use IM, YM and mobile phone to get my message
across. This is a good way to introduce modern technologis to novice users. I think this would be a good topic for
further research to acknowledge the society about the importance of technologies. and how it can benefits us. I am
hands down not a technoo freak but I can see where the research coming to. It is pretty easy to understand and it
shows the methods and the result clearly. I think it is well-conducted research because it follows the step. It started
from planning , brainstorming and the result as how the system could work within a subject. The researcher gave
total freedom to the students' on what them that they wanted to upload and just imagined if the class consisted of
24 students, definitely we will get 24 different theme and opinions or ideas. It is a good research also because the
research used both qualitative and quatitative methods so that the reseacher could define the research better. The
implication of this research would be hopefully in future, there will be more class that will use technologies as such
because it really fun and I personally that students like me will definitely love the ideas of having voice-blog as
assignment. It is not easy to grab teachers or lecturers attention when you have another 24 students to attend to.
This programme could cater the students need in extra attention. It will be a good way to communicate one by one
based on both parties time pace. It also would encourage students to plan their time ahead in order to complete the
task and and could result in the students would be a good time manager of their own study. Malaysian education
nowadays is very exam-oriented where the students only study because they want to pass the exam and not a life-
learning, this assignment would be a good for them to share their understanding of a subject and it is really hands
with the "world without border" now. They can surf the web looking for material and they share it using voice-blog. It
is also very cheap and does not cost a lot of money such as using mobile phone and etc.
Nur Fazleen Badrul Zaman
2005755436
