Using the Live ABC Program Makes My ESP Class Come Alive

使用"ABC Program"讓我的ESP課程更加生動活潑

10.6372/JEFLL.200506.0209

莊英慧(Ying-Hui Chuang)；宋心潔(Hsin-Chieh Sung)

communication skills ； multimedia tool ； multimedia teaching

教育暨外國語文學報

1期（2005 / 06 / 01）

209 - 223

英文

近年來，學習英文幾乎已經成了全民運動。處在全球國際化的社會中，嫻熟英語能力有助於彼此溝通，以英文作爲溝通橋樑成爲必然的趨勢。但根據實際的訪查結果，讓我們了解到，對於亞洲的學生來說，雖然已經學習十幾年的英文，但是要在職場上當第二國語言流利地運用，似乎仍然有極大的困難。 基於上述的原因，特別採用活潑新穎的”Life ABC”多媒體教材，透過電腦媒體，讓學生能藉互動式生活化的學習，並藉由不同的角色扮演，以及錯誤的即時糾正，無論聽或說英文的技巧，都可而獲得具體的改善和提升，當英文能力日益增加，對英語的懼怕減少，相對的，以英語溝通的目標，也將水到渠成。同時也因教材內容廣泛豐富諸如：在機場與外國人接觸，商場上的交易，以及電話協商等自然而沒有壓力的情境式互動學習。再者，根據Beauvois的說法，教學者採用多媒體的教學方式，比較能夠提升學習者學習語言的興趣和能力，進而達到預期的目標。 本篇文章，也就是針對使用Life ABC多媒體互動式教材後，學生的接受度及進步的程度作具體的研究分析，以作爲日後教學的依據。

One important goal for studying English is the development of communication skills in order to communicate freely with foreigners. Unfortunately, many Asian students study English for years and never develop this level of communication in their second language. The Live ABC multimedia tool simulates English dialogue via computer, so that students may practice listening and speaking with as much repetition as they wish. The computer may select the role and offer corrections. If words are pronounced incorrectly, a window pops up with the correction. It is claimed that this software catches mistakes and corrects them before they become habitual. Furthermore, as confidence increases, fear of communicating in English is said to dissipate, while general communication needs are addressed and confidence develops. Students gain experience in using English through meeting foreigners at the airport, discussing business, bargaining, and communicating by telephone, all within a non-threatening virtual environment. It has been shown (Beauvois, 1994; John, 1995) that through carefully adapting learner activities to multimedia teaching, teachers can achieve the goal of flexibly meeting individual language learner needs. This article further examines whether multimedia teaching (specifically, using the ”Live ABC” method) makes the study of English as a second language lively enough so as to raise students' level of interest and English-speaking performance.

1. Beauvois, M. H.(1994).E-talk: Attitudes and motivation in computer-assisted classroom discussion.Computers and the Humanities,28,177-190.
2. Beebe, L.,H. Seliger (eds.),M. H. Long (eds.)(1983).Classroom oriented research in second language acquisition.Rowley, MA:Newbury House.
3. Crookall, D. (Eds.),Oxford, R. L. (Eds.)(1990).Simulation, Gaming, And Language Learning.New York:Newbury House.
4. Donna, S.(2000).Teach Business English.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
5. Flowerdew, J.,Miller, L.(1995).On the notion of culture in L2 lectures.TESOL Quarterly,29(2),35-373.
6. Heinich, R.,Molenda, M.,Russell, J. D.,Smaldino, S.E.(2002).Upper Saddle River.NJ:Pearson Education Inc..
7. Jin, L.,Cortazzi, M.,D. Graddol (eds.),L. Thompson, L. (eds.),M. Byram (eds.)(1993).Language and Culture.Clevedon:BAAL & Multilingual Matters.
8. John, M.(1995).Multimedia-why and why not.The Computing Teacher,16-18.
9. Kouraogo, P.(1993).Language Learning strategies in input-poor environments.System,21(2),165-173.
10. Liu, M. F,Littlewood, W.(1997).Why do many students appear reluctant to participate in classroom learning discourse?.System,25(3),371-384.
11. Nunan , D.(1995).Closing the gap between learning and instruction.TESOL Quarterly,29(1),133-158.
12. Turner, J. M.,Hiraga, M. K.,H. Coleman (eds.),L. Cameron (eds.)(1996).Change and Language.Clevedon:BAAL and Multilingual Matters.
13. 林茂松(1996)。中華民國高中高職英文教學現況比較研究。中華民國第十二屆英語文教學研討會論文集，台北:
14. 廖家興(1998)。高師大英語研究碩士論文，未出版。
15. 鄭俊琪(2003)。Live ABC: Business English Conversation。希伯倫股份有限公司。