Self-study language learning software for upper-intermediate (B2) adult learners of English: do existing products meet the requirements?

Abstract

Predkhidana diplomova prace se zabYva soubory programu, ktere jsou urceny pro stredne pokrocile (B2) studenty anglictiny a ktere predstavuji ucebni pomucky pri samostudiu anglickeho jazyka. Prace nahlizi moznosti techto softwaru v kontextu vyuky dospelych. Jejim cilemje podat celistvY pohled na problematiku vyuziti pocitacu ve vYuce. Aby bylo mozne zjistit, zda-li soucasne softwary splf1uji to, co vyrobci slibuji, byl vypracovan seznam kriterii, podle kterych byly vyhodnoceny ctyfi na ceskem trhu dostupne vYrobky: ceske produkty Anglicky efektivne, Anglicka gramatika od firmy Landi a Anglictina Elements pro stredne pokroCile od firmy Langmaster International, dale program Tell Me More (7.0) Anglictina 3 od firmy Auralog, ktery pro ceske samouky adaptovala firma Leda, a take svetove vyznamny produkt Rosetta Stone U.K. English Level 3 od americke firmy Fairfield Language Technologies. Program Tell Me More byl navic testovan po dobu jednoho mesice v autentickem prostredi. Prestoze ma kazdy jednotlivY program specificka pozitiva, je zrejme, ze uplny uspech v samostudiu, ktere je zalozeno vyhradne na praci s temito programy nelze ocekavat. Prace se dale snazi formulovat moznosti vylepseni, s jejichz pomoci by vYukove programy mohly slouzit k samostudiu v rozsirenem smyslu, t.j. studium, v kterem by studenti...

This thesis examines comprehensive self-study software packages for upper-intermediate (B2) learners of English, in the context of adult language learning and computer-assisted language learning. The aim is to provide a holistic perspective. To determine whether contemporary self-study software is likely to deliver on its producers' promises, a list of evaluation criteria is elaborated and used to evaluate the newest versions of four products that are available on the Czech software market: Anglicky efektivne a Anglicka gramatika by the Czech company Landi, Anglictina Elements pro sti'edne pokroCile by Langmaster Intemational which is a Czech based company as well, Tell Me More Anglictina 3 by the French company Auralog and adapted for Czech leamers by the Czech publishing house Leda, and finally Rosetta Stone U.K. English Level 3 by the American company Fairfield Language Technologies. In addition to the theoretical evaluation, one ofthe products (Tell Me More) was subjected to a one-month trial in an authentic context. Although, each program has its strong points, it is pointed out that success can not be expected from leaming that relies exclusively on these self·study materials. The thesis concludes by proposing improvements with which learning software could be successfully used in self-study settings...