the effect of aural exercises on the acquisition of L2 prepositions*

*working title

Introduction: why study prepositions? Very few studies have been done

regarding the acquisition of prepositions.

For example, in regards to the prepositions por & para in Spanish, there only exist three published studies (Guntermann, 1992a; Lafford & Ryan, 1996; Pinto & Rex, 2006).

There are NO studies specifically related to the use of CALL in regards to prepositions.

Introduction: why use podcasts? As mentioned in much of the CALL

literature, the use of technology in the areas of Listening and Speaking is often ignored.

Due to this fact, there is a serious lack of literature concerning aural input.

One of the objectives of the current study is to add to the current knowledge in this area.

Methodology: research questions1. Is there a significant difference in the correct

use of prepositions between students who receive supplementary aural input via podcasts and those who do not?

2. Can previous experience with Spanish be considered a contributing factor in the potential effectiveness of the podcast technology?

3. Can the effects of the supplementary podcasts be generalized to all prepositions or is it limited in its scope?

Methodology: participants

The participants will include four groups of students at the undergraduate Spanish 1 & Spanish 2 level (1130 & 1131 at the University of Florida).

Considering that a full class consists of 25 students, there are expected to 100 participants.

Two groups will serve as experimental groups while the remaining two will serve as control groups.

Methodology: study design

The study contains a mixed methodology design in which students will complete written activities and questionnaires.

As mentioned in the Hansen-Smith article (?, check again), CALL literature can benefit from studies using a mixed methodology.

Study design: pre-program

Students will be given a series of pre-tests to adequately measure knowledge of prepositions before completion of the study. Pre-tests will include the following:

Cloze activities targeted to measure knowledge of prepositions; an example can be viewed here.

A language background information form to garner specific knowledge of the linguistic backgrounds of the participants.

Study design: experimental program Student groups will be divided into

experimental and control groups:

Students in the experimental group will receive a set of supplementary podcasts throughout the course of the semester, in which they will complete the following activities: Listen to a pre-recorded podcast. Complete a written activity in which they

will answer questions in Spanish.

Study design: experimental program Student groups will be divided into

experimental and control groups:

The students in the control group will not receive the supplementary activities, although they will complete the following activities: Read a transcript of the pre-recorded podcasts

that the experimental group will hear. Complete the same written activities (in

Spanish) as the experimental group.

Study design: post-program

As a final activity, participants will complete a set of cloze activities similar to the ones they completed prior to the experimental period, as well as a questionnaire regarding their experience.

Once all activities (pre-, during, and post-program activities) have been collected from the participants, each activity will be coded and analyzed for patterns.

Conclusion: final thoughts & concerns The current design study is in need of an

appropriate forum within which the students can complete their activities.

The use of edublogs.org, mainly because activities can be password protected. RSS feeds? What is necessary in a study concerning podcasts? Is it fair to present reading activities to the control group? Should they be timed? How can that be done?

Ideas on presenting activities to students? Locations? Forums?

Conclusions: final thoughts & concerns Certain limitations are anticipated in the

study, such as the differences between classes and individuals.

Teaching styles, language use in the classroom, number of participants that actually complete activities, appropriate ways to ensure student participation, difficulties related to the level of the students (1130 vs. 1131, for example).

Ideas for limiting the effects of these and other similar variables?