Applying a framework for psycholinguistic environment design to an online synchronous language learning course: Virtual language learning - Japanese in the Cal State University

Abstract

Can an online synchronous language course provide the psycholinguistic environments considered necessary for language learning? “Virtual Language Learning- Japanese” was the product of a content base developed at the turn of the millennium in the pursuit of developing language learning courses among California State University (CSU) campuses that would use synchronous and asynchronous delivery modes via internet technologies. That project sought to enhance and strengthen existing programs in order to maximize cost effectiveness and enrollments for strategic and less commonly taught languages. However the psycholinguistic support for learning from the materials and approach to instruction for the course developed in that project have not been reviewed. This study reviews the course, “Japan: Land and People” that has persisted from that project and is currently offered in synchronous online mode from California State University, Monterey Bay to students from around the CSU system, through the lens of Doughty and Long’s (2003) framework of Methodological Principles for Computer Assisted Language Learning. The framework’s 10 principles are identified, and are related to Second Language Acquisition theory and research findings. After exploring the principles and their basis, the paper explains the organization and motivation of the course, and a detailed description of a single lesson from the course is provided. The lesson is then reviewed from the perspective of the methodological principles. This study concludes that incorporating synchronous technology based learning with robust backend data driven tools to assist the instructor in classroom decisions successfully meets the psycholinguistic requirements for language learning.