Mogućnost primene tehnologije Veb 2.0 u nastavi gramatike engleskog jezika

Abstract

This doctoral thesis is a theoretical and an empirical research describing and examining a certain number of technological tools known as Web 2.0, which might improve the process of English language teaching (ELT) considerably. Furthermore, the possibility of their application in the process of teaching the grammar of English language as a foreign language has been attempted by means of three tools, PBworks, Hot Potatoes and Dvolver. With the aim to illustrate the use of Web 2.0 in ELT, the possibility of applying the mentioned tools in the process of teaching a single grammar segment, the meaning of modal verbs, has been tested at the tertiary level of academic studies at two English language departments. Since this research is designed both as a theoretical and an empirical investigation, several objectives had to be set including a theoretical review as well as an empirical validation of the hypothesis at the level of applied linguistics. A detailed review of theoretical approaches and techniques as well as their importance in the area of ELT methodology has been provided in the second chapter. In addition, the chapter provides a review of methods and techniques used in the process of teaching English language gramar in general, of modal verbs in particular and a review of the relevant literature related to the application of Web 2.0 tools. The third chapter presents the experiment conducted to illustrate the application of the suggested Web 2.0 tools in a real teaching context along with an adequate analysis of the collected results. The conclusions drawn from the collected and analysed results are presented in the fourth chapter. In order to support the conclusions, apart from the data collected in the experiment, another set of data collected from a questionnaire completed by the participants in the experiment has been provided in this chapter. Finally, a section on practical suggestions related to a broader application of Web 2.0 tools in ELT has also been included here. Based on this research, the hypothesis defined at the beginning of this doctoral thesis could be confirmed completely. The basic hypothesis that Web 2.0 tools as one type of technology used in the ELT process, that this process can be improved considerably and that the performance of the students can be furthered could be confirmed as well. Moreover, it could be confirmed that due to being accessible and easy to use, Web 2.0 tools can be incorporated in the ELT process rather quickly and easily, thus contributing to the improvement of the process and facilitate student performance in all areas of contemporary English language. Based on this doctoral thesis, especially on the segment included in the research, it has been possible to identify and define several critical points related to the application of Web 2.0 tools. The collected results and the conclusions drawn from them may serve as an incentive in the further development of a system of application of technology in ELT in a broader and wider sense.