Application of Virtual Team-working in Teaching Productive Skills to Iranian EFL Learners | Chalak | Theory and Practice in Language Studies

Application of Virtual Team-Working has provided opportunities to
solve the limitations of the traditional ways of teaching and learning.
This study investigated, how using virtual team-working could affect
teaching productive skills of Iranian EFL learners. A group of 30
Iranian upper intermediate female EFL learners, aged 18-31, in Isfahan
Air Base were arranged in two groups. They set up their virtual groups
and continued team-work activities during 6 weeks. This study employed a
triangulated research approach involving questionnaires, pre/post
productive tests, observation, and interview to increase the reliability
of the study. Pre/Post productive tests were used to compare the
participants’ speaking and writing productions before/after the project,
and they were evaluated based on the comparison of their mean scores by
Matlab software. A chi-square test was run for each test to see whether
the differences between observed and expected results were significant.
The results showed that the mean scores of the participants in the
posttest were significantly higher than that in the pretest in
experimental group. Moreover, the attitudes of the participants towards
using virtual team-working were surveyed by using questionnaires. The
results of this study may benefit teachers, students, and those involved
in teaching and learning.

productive skills; virtual team-working; technology; Whatsapp and Viber; Iranian EFL learners

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