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Abstract
The study investigates the use of the hybrid method in the teaching and learning of English reading for speakers of English as a second language. Through an interview, a questionnaire and class observation, the research seeks to investigate the benefits and drawbacks that the hybrid model would possibly bring to the course.
Key Words Hybrid course, EFL, ESL, reading course, CALL
Introduction
With the development and wide use of the computer and Internet, more teachers have turned to technology to help the instruction or assessment of their courses. Due to the increasing desire for multimodal, flexible education models at American universities over the past 30 years, hybrid or blended classes have arisen as a way of combining face-toface interaction and online tools (Caulfield, 2011). According to the literature, research on hybrid courses mainly focuses on the following aspects: the students' self-efficacy (Hsu & Sheu, 2008; Yeou, 2016), the comparison between hybrid and traditional classes (Abdullah, 2018; Cubillos, 2007; Scida & Saury, 2005) or the design or challenges of hybrid courses in general (Caulfield 2011; Sanders, 2005). When it comes to using hybrid courses for language instruction, the research centers mainly on courses designed for native speakers or the teaching of foreign languages with the hybrid method (Abdullah, 2018; Gascoigne & Parnell, 2013). Due to the increasing number of online and hybrid classes at American universities in recent years (Lederman, 2018), university-bound students in Intensive English Programs (IEPs) could benefit from early introduction to the online learning model. Unfortunately, very few studies have been conducted on the use of the hybrid model in the teaching of English as a second language. In this preliminary study of a hybrid ESL reading course at an American university, we aim to better understand the effectiveness of the hybrid method for this population of students. We hope our findings will not only fill a gap in the study of hybrid teaching for ESL classes, but will also benefit those who teach similar courses at other institutions.
Research Questions
1. In what ways does this hybrid reading course meet the needs of multilingual graduate students?
2. How did the students perceive the effectiveness of the hybrid reading course?
Methods
In order to answer the above questions, we conducted a...