O uso de tecnologias digitais para o desenvolvimento de habilidades orais em inglês: um estudo de caso no contexto acadêmico

Abstract

This case study aims to investigate students' perceptions of the development of oral skills in an English for Academic Purposes course. The study intends to identify how technologically mediated activities contribute to the development of these skills. Eleven students participated in two activities aiming to develop oral skills, a traditional oral presentation, and a computer-mediated activity, a video-pitch production, in order to compare these experiences and identify the learning strategies applied, the obtained gains, the perceptions about the feedback of colleagues and feelings related to the practice of oral communication. The data were generated through three instruments: questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and reflective reports produced by the participants. Based on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, second language learning strategies and studies about the emotions influence on second language learning, the data analysis showed that the computer-mediated activity afforded the use of more diverse learning strategies, with similar gains obtained in traditional face-to-face activity, with a lower level of anxiety. These results suggest that the technological tools present complementary benefits to traditional practices in developing oral skills, providing a more positive experience in which coping with negative feelings do not overshadow the focus on learning.