Improving learners' oral proficiency using online recording tools

This paper looks at the relationship between ESL learners’ oral proficiency and the use of online recording tools and feedback from their instructor over a 14-week period. It also examines how the independent learning and assessment framework can help build learners' autonomy. To some extent, the success of this implementation is dependent on how well learners apply metacognitive strategy because it requires them to build their linguistic competency through their self-assessment and self-evaluation as they identify their own difficulties from their own recordings. Because the audio clips are recorded, they can play them repeatedly to spot their own errors. Social-affective strategy is also used when they share their clips with others for peer reviews. When I was training my secondary four students for oral exams 2 years ago, I instructed them to send me audio clips of their reading (usually of a short prose) and a 10-minute long recount/narration guided by structured questions based on a picture. The materials used are past year 'O' level oral exams. I didn't think of those objectives mentioned in the article (fostering learners' autonomy) when I rely on ICT affordances. It was really for a practical reason -- time. I saved on time when I can assess students' audio clips at my own free time instead of having them seated in front of me at a pre-arranged time and venue. After reading this article, I think I will perhaps have them evaluate one another's audio clips or do a guided self-assessment based on a checklist.