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TURNING A MULTIMEDIA LANGUAGE LAB INTO A 

POWERFUL LEARNER-CENTRED TOOL 

 
Cécile Gabarre 

cecile@fbmk.upm.edu.my, 
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia 

   

 

Serge Gabarre 
serge@fmbk.upm.edu.my 

Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia 
 

 

Abstract:  

In a learner-centred approach, lecturers constantly adapt their teaching methods to better 

suit their students‟ goals and needs.  Ideally, the gathering of information relies on three 

channels: questionnaires and surveys, learners‟ log book and course evaluation.  

However, these methods can be time consuming or even impossible considering the 

nature and size of the class or even the constraints of limited contact hours.   

 

Keywords: Computer assisted language learning, individualisation 

 

 

In this paper, we will describe and analyse how a multimedia language lab proved to be a powerful and 

enjoyable investigation and teaching tool (Stepp-Greany, 2002).  The experiment was conducted with a 

multi-ethnic group of 21 learners in their second semester of a B.A. French Degree.   

 

How could we assess learners‟ progress, strategies, motivation and inhibitions as well as provide suitable 

individual learning solutions in just 42 contact hours?  With these objectives in mind, we used the 

technology provided to create a virtual space within the course where each individual, learners and 

lecturers could interact.  The project relied on five components: French as the language of 

communication, Internet access for support resources, the Dokeos e-learning platform, Sanako Lab 300 

and Media Assistant Solo.  The answers to the earlier questions were obtained through students‟ feedback 

during their participation in forums and lab discussions.  These findings were further consolidated with 

interviews and data.     

 

Turning a multimedia language lab into a powerful learner-centred tool 

 

Ideal versus Real 

In a learner-centred approach, lecturers constantly adapt their teaching methods to better suit their 

students‟ goals and needs.  Therefore, one of the keys to a successful learner-centred pedagogy is data 

collection as investigating learners‟ expectations, inhibitions and achievements throughout the learning 

process provides guidelines and constant feedback on the popularity and efficiency of courses.  To remain 

consistent with this pedagogy, learners should ideally be guided during a preliminary interview or 

questionnaire enabling both the institution and the learner to determine which methods and environments 

would be the most suitable. They would subsequently be oriented towards a successful and fulfilling 

learning experience.  “Offering learners a chance to introduce themselves and voice their priorities and 

concerns would also encourage them to take an active part in the learning process from the beginning” 

(Conrad & Donaldson, 2004).   

 

The perfect enrolment would offer every pedagogical combination and media at the disposal of learners 

and lecturers.  In an ideal world, one would not suffer from lack of budget, equipment or staff and good-

will would be as natural as motivation and dedication.  So, how do we, language lecturers living in the 

real world, cope with our complex situations for better learning?  This article could not and does not 

mailto:cecile@fbmk.upm.edu.my
mailto:serge@fmbk.upm.edu.my


AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) Vol. 4 No.1 October 2009 Cécile Gabarre and Serge Gabarre 

68 
 

intend to find a solution to all limitations lecturers or learners may be facing but rather give an example of 

how technology, namely a computer lab and forums, can help alleviate some difficulties.    

 

Our reality  

In our case, we conducted an experiment with a multiethnic group of 21 learners in their second semester 

of a B.A. French Degree.  Among other requirements, they had to attend a 10-hour per week intensive 

language course based on Connexion 1 over 14 weeks.  We were to teach this course 3 hours a week in 

partnership with two other lecturers.  It was our first contact as lecturers with this study group and we 

wished to enter or establish a learning community (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004; White, 2003): a crucial 

step known to facilitate language exposure and skills.   

   

At this stage, students were in a transitional academic phase which prompted them to reflect on their 

learning experience and objectives.  After two semesters, the system allows students to drop out of the 

French program and to enroll in another major if their results are not satisfactory, a situation which, on 

average, concerns two learners out of a maximum of 25 per intake.   

 

It is also at that time that learners have to choose a minor program.  This represents a turning point forcing 

all learners to reflect on what they have learned so far and on how this knowledge may help them in their 

lifetime.  Which field combined with their skills in French would prove to be worthwhile in the job 

market?   

 

Furthermore, starting from the third semester, more content and specialty French courses are added to the 

curriculum.  From our experience, we could not help but notice a strong anxiety towards these new 

courses which needed to be addressed if not completely solved. 

    

Since learners were all thinking about their achievements we could not miss this opportunity to investigate 

and share their ideas and concerns.  The strategy adopted was to initiate a dialogue among and with 

learners which could enlighten us on their learning perceptions while assessing and developing language 

skills merging both Piaget‟s and Vygotsky‟s perspectives. 

 

Our objectives through the creation of this environment were to assess learners‟ progress, strategies, 

motivation and inhibitions as well as provide suitable individual or collective learning solutions.  Could 

we manage this ambitious goal in 42 hours and stay in line with the course learning outcome? (Bennet, 

Marsh, & Killen, 2008; Conrad & Donaldson, 2004)? 

 

The digital language lab: 

Our limited face-to-face hours naturally led us to seek a virtual environment in a blended learning 

framework where all learners and lecturers could meet and interact at any time to discuss the course 

content or any topic they wished to develop.  It was agreed that learners would have access to the course 

e-learning platform for one hour once a week in a multimedia language lab.  The e-learning environment 

would probably be new to learners and this experience would also provide opportunities for its discovery 

with both in-class and distance tutorials (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004).    

 

The project relied on five components: French as the language of instruction, Internet access for support 

resources, the Dokeos e-learning platform, Sanako Lab 300 and Media Assistant Solo. 

 

The multimedia language lab consisted of the teacher‟s master-computer along with 28 student stations all 

equipped with a computer connected to the Internet and with Microsoft Office 2007.  Students‟ stations 

were arranged in seven oval tables of four.  Because the Sanako Lab 300‟s program connected all 

computers and acted as an internal network, activities or programs could be launched and monitored from 

the teacher‟s desk using an active window graphically representing the classroom (figure1).  Coupled with 

Sanako Media Assistant Solo (figure 2), a sophisticated laboratory program installed on all computers and 

headsets with microphones, learning configurations were endless.  Individual or collaborative learning 

either through pair or group discussions or telephone conversations could be carried out with learners 

being partially or completely controlled, guided or let free to complete an activity.   



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) Vol. 4 No.1 October 2009 Cécile Gabarre and Serge Gabarre 

69 
 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1 

http://www.logikelectronic.com 

Figure 2 

http://www.its-educational.biz 

 

For this project, we also relied on the Dokeos e-learning platform; managed by the faculty‟s ICT centre.  

The platform featured course description, links to external sites, document sharing, tests, forums, chat, as 

well as access monitoring tools.  The on-line course was configured to be in French.  Forums were chosen 

for their interaction-friendly environment and their popularity among learners (Gerbic, 2005; Tu, 2001).  

Self- support resources such as online dictionaries, translators or the reviewing tools of the word processor 

were also made available to learners, thus acting as a safety net in which the lecturer would also 

synchronously tutor the learners‟ message postings during lab contact hours (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004).    

 

The initiation of a dialogue in the target language about issues such as the language itself or the learning 

process combined with the introduction of self- learning tools would, so we hope, lead to more active and 

resourceful learners.  We were also seeking learners‟ perceptions toward learning French.  What in their 

opinion was difficult?  Which questions did they have concerning their future courses, career prospects?  

 

Data and learners‟ feedback collected during their participation in forums and lab discussions were 

consolidated with questionnaires distributed at the beginning and at the end of this course as well as with 

questionnaires and observations obtained during content and specialty courses which the same learners 

subsequently attended.  

 

Steps toward interactivity 

The first step was to verify that learners knew about the e-learning platform managed by the faculty.  We 

launched the project in the first week by showing them the platform‟s home page with the log-in and 

password fields.   Surprisingly, they were discovering it.  We started with a tour of the features of the 

online environment showing them its potential for learning and communicating.  A rationale explaining 

what we would be doing and its purpose was given to better associate learners to the learning process 

(Geer & Au, 2002).  What amazed them the most was the notion that we would upload our teaching 

documents to the course portfolio. Excitement grew even bigger, when we explained that we would use 

the multimedia language lab to communicate within the forums during the first hour of the Thursday 

class.  The novelty and reality of the activity was appealing.  They were going to be involved in practicing 

their French for the first time.  This was a new experience due to the scarcity of opportunities to speak the 

target language in Malaysia, especially in the context of learners not confident enough to explore beyond 

the campus or their learning group (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).   

 



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Presentation 

Bonjour, je m'appelle Clara.  […] J'apprends le francais à l'université. J'apprends le e-learning aujourd'hui. 

C'est intéressant pour moi. (Hello, my name is Clara.  I learn French at the university.  Today, I am 

learning about e-learning.  It is interesting for me.)
1
 

Auteur:Clara  - 2008-01-11 11:25 Répondez sur ce message 

 
 

The second step was for learners to register on the platform.  We guided them by showing each phase 

using the LCD projector and the interactive whiteboard while they logged in on their own station.  Even 

with a face-to-face and synchronous tutorial, registration was not so simple and it was easy to spot 

learners with technical inhibitions.  Immediate help from the lecturer or their friends was encouraging.  

During the course, few technical problems were encountered but none of them prevented the activity to go 

on.  Some learners had forgotten their ID or password to log in and when no reply came from platform 

administrators, learners simply created a new account to the platform and to the course.  Sometimes 

documents would not open directly from the site so learners had to download them on their desktop prior 

to accessing them.  Most questions related to inserting French accents, internet links or pictures were 

addressed by the lecturer.   

 

re: Valérie  
Madame, je ne sais pas comment télécharger l'image dans ici. T___T (I don’t know how to download the 

picture here.) 

Auteur: Valérie  - 2008-01-17 10:33 Répondez sur ce message 

 
 

Learners managed fairly well with the lab learners‟ interface.  The lecturer would launch all computers 

from his or her desk and the learner‟s lab assistant program would automatically open.  Once learners had 

understood how to navigate within the course on the platform and how to use the help provided such as 

internet websites with on-line dictionaries, translators, self-grammar learning drills and lessons or the 

language reviewing tools of the word processor, they simply called the lecturer whenever they needed by 

pressing one button.  The lecturer could assist them by speaking using the headset and also by controlling 

their keyboard and mouse to point to specific parts of their written production.   

 

Learners are usually afraid to speak in front of the whole group.  They are shy to express themselves in 

the target language or they are afraid to ask questions pertaining to specific material taught because they 

dare not be seen as criticising the lecturer or slowing down the group (Liu & Jackson, 2008; Macintyre, 

2007; Gerbic, 2005; Hu, 2002; Chan, 1999).  In the lab, learners gradually built confidence with one-to-

one discussions with the lecturer or during group discussions.   

 

The third step was the launching of the forum activity.  Two forums had previously been created, 

“Présentations” where learners had to post a self introduction message and “Questions” where they could 

ask any questions about the course.  Later on, toward the end of the course “Coqalane”, a recreational 

forum where everyone could discuss about anything was also launched.  The lecturer always posted the 

first messages in each forum acting as sample messages to initiate and trigger interactions, encouraging 

learners to follow the path created (Holmes & Gardner, 2006; White, 2003; Geer & Au, 2002).  

 

In the “Présentations” forum, learners had to introduce themselves by creating a new thread using their 

names in the title.  They could also reply under someone else‟s presentation.  This was the most successful 

forum in terms of interactivity and learner-centred data collection.  The forum analysis provided us with 

                                                           
1
 English translations and notes whenever necessary were added to learners’ messages in the forums for the 

purpose of this article. 

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valuable information pertaining to learners‟ level, progress, feelings of joy or distress as well as concerns.  

It allowed us to reach the group and each individual establishing a unique relation of proximity with 

learners which led to accurate guidance whether they needed help, advices, and revisions or to be pushed 

forward.   

 

We synthesised 335 messages over 14 hours into three research perspectives: perceptions of learners 

about the creation of a virtual community in French, knowledge gains in terms of language and cultural 

acquisition and finally an insight on the building mechanism leading to their anxiety.   

 

Potential of a virtual community 

The perception of roles in the Malaysian academic learning environment tends to isolate the lecturer by 

placing him or her on the knowledge pedestal.  Hence, learners would not utter a word unless encouraged 

to do so.  This attitude can be misleading and is often distressful for a native lecturer (Tweed & Lehman, 

2002).  Language teaching and learning methodologies are embedded within cultural behaviours.  In our 

case, we were in the murky waters of an estuary where a western turbulent river met the eastern sea of 

wisdom.  On one hand, the lecturer wanted learners to speak, to voice their opinion, to be able to play any 

simulation for the sake of competence-driven language teaching as described by the European framework 

for languages (CEFR).  Furthermore, in western thinking, one learns from one‟s mistakes.  This is what 

we, as lecturers are here for, to guide learners‟ steps and make them stronger.  On the other hand, our 

audience will tactfully utter a comment only once they are completely sure of the answer in order not to 

disappoint the lecturer but also out of respect. 

 

The first contact hour is disorientating for both sides.  This is when the lecturer meets 21 pairs of eyes 

following his or her every move, listening and recording his or her every word when all he or she craves 

for is a word.  This is the time to create a community of knowledge where all cultural barriers can be 

lowered to allow interactions based on understanding each other‟s difficulty in adapting to this new 

context.  Learners need to accept being destabilised for the sake of learning the target language because 

speaking a language is based on cultural codes.   

 

We wanted to see if participating in a virtual community would accelerate the transitional phase process.  

Since learners felt more comfortable with writing we decided to instigate interactivity through forums 

(Gerbic, 2005; Meskill & Anthony, 2005; Tu, 2001).   

 

Results were amazing.  The first messages were carefully prepared using the spelling checkers or on-line 

translators with learners seldom asking for direct help from the lecturer.  Every week, improvement on 

speed and on spontaneity could be observed as if learners were getting carried away and forgot about the 

class context.  They would post messages to their friends and to others in the class whom they did not 

know very well, seeking new relationships or teasing each other.  The lecturer would reply with a few 

lines under each presentation asking questions or precisions to keep the discussion going following the 

learners‟ interests and progress.  Learners would also directly communicate with the lecturer by sending 

messages to his or her presentation thread.  Popularity grew because interaction never ceased and because 

the lecturer would always reply immediately during or right after class.  During the week, the lecturer 

would also have to check for late or additional messages.  Learners expressed themselves freely even if 

the environment was public to everyone in the course.  In the following message, Isabelle explains how 

her timidity prevented her from saying hello to her lecturer outside of the class.  She would have enjoyed 

meeting her lecturer and deeply regrets her fear.  

 

Bonjour,madame 
 Madame, je vous ai vus avec monsieur aux Mines vendredi dernier où je suis allé voir le film avec mes 

amis. J'étais timide pour vous saluer. (Madam, I saw you at Mines Shopping Mall  last Friday where I 

went to the cinema with my friends.  I was too shy to say hello.) 

Auteur: Isabelle- 2008-03-06 10:33 Répondez sur ce message 

 

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Learners who seemed out of reach and totally absent or left out from the class appeared on the forums as 

active as the rest.  When we took the course we had been informed about two learners experiencing 

difficulties and being on the borderline.  As it turned out these students appeared very competent and their 

participation certainly did not reflect their previous marks.  Had forums succeeded where traditional 

teaching and assessment had failed?  Forums tend to encourage silent learners and give everyone an equal 

opportunity to participate (Tu, 2001).   

 

After a month, as early as the fourth class, learners felt so confident and at ease that they were using the 

course “Présentations” forum to communicate freely among themselves.  They would send memos and 

reminders to each other regarding college or campus activities.  The real world completely entered the 

virtual world transforming what could have remained a simulation into a full potential communication 

tool (Yang & Chen, 2007; Montada, 1999).  The following exchange occurred on the 14
th
 of February and 

involved message posting about the organisation of a university show between learners involved in the 

event.   Stéphanie sent a reminder to Clara who then contacted Clément about the meeting.  The time gap 

between interactions can be explained with learners being also busy sending Valentine‟s Day messages.    

 

re: macaz meeting 

Clara reçois-tu le mémo aujourd'hui? (Clara, have you received today‟s memo?) 

Auteur: Stéphanie - 2008-02-14 10:33 Répondez sur ce message 

cc  
peux j'avoir une discussion avec vous avant notre réunion ce soir? (Can I see you before tonight meeting?) 

Auteur: Clara - 2008-02-14 10:43 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: cc  
d'accord... mais apres réunion avec Soon ... Environ 11 heures de la nuit... d'accord? çava? (Ok.  But after 

the meeting with Soon… around 11 pm.  Ok?) 

Auteur: Clément - 2008-02-14 11:03 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: re: cc  
non..comment 10h à front kiosk? D‟accord? (no, how about 10 pm in front of the Kiosk?) 

Auteur: Clara - 2008-02-14 11:27 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: re: re: cc  
non parce que il y a une réunion avec soon à 10 heures dans aspirasi za'ba...  (no because we are meeting 

with Soon at 10 pm in Aspirasi za‟ba.) 

This discussion clearly shows learners wishing to use French on a daily basis thus increasing their 

exposure to the language.  In this conversation, learners are able to pass information, to make an 

appointment and to negotiate in the target language in line with the CEFR recommendations.  

 

Learners’ perception of language and cultural acquisition 

Everything being in French, exposure to the target language was greater than during a traditional language 

class (Nissen, 2007; Cha & Myint, 2006; Meskill & Anthony, 2005; Germain & Netten, 2004; Blignaut & 

Trollip, 2003; Atlan, 2000).  Learners were pushed to write as well as to read in French.  Interactions with 

the lecturer through the headsets also involved oral skills.  Discussions rapidly moved from self 

introduction towards broader topics such as language and cultural differences.  Learners really got 

involved and took an active part in discussions.  They were curious and dared to ask many questions 

(Hung & Chen, 2001).   

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AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) Vol. 4 No.1 October 2009 Cécile Gabarre and Serge Gabarre 

73 
 

 

re: re: re: Malaysia  
Pourquoi les français aiment-ils manger du pain ? et parler du temps ? (Why do French people eat bread 

and speak about the weather?) 

Auteur: kevin - 2008-03-06 10:23 Répondez sur ce message 

bonjour madame, comment vous allez? 
bonjour madame, c'est bien apprendre français avec vous...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...... […] je  suis étudiant et 

j'apprends le français.  je le prends  parce-que je veux apprendre un autre langage. je l'aime 

beaucoup. Madame, j'ai question pour vous... -- comment augmenter mon français?? (Hello.  I like 

learning French with you…My name is Alex.  I am a student and I am learning French.  I took French 

because I want to learn another language.  I like it a lot.  Madam, I have a question.  How can I improve 

my French?)   

Auteur: Alex - 2008-01-11 11:30 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: Oh là là  

Je ne peux pas me prononcer comme le tigre gémissant des mots comme quatre, anniversaire.  Je confonds 

avec la prononciation française qui joint les mots beaucoup, c‟est difficile….(I cannot pronounce words 

like a crying tiger such as “quatre”,  “anniversaire”.  I am confused with the French pronunciation which 

links words, It’s difficult.” 

Auteur: Andrée - 2008-01-17 10:41 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: Valérie  

Bonjour Madame! Comment améliorer le français pour écouter? Je peux à peine comprendre ce qu'il a dit. 

Ma compétence écoutante est très mauvaise. Quelle voie peut améliorer la compétence écoutante et la 

compétence à l‟oral? Merci Madame. =) (How can I improve my listening comprehension?  My listening 

skills are bad.  Which way can I improve my listening and oral skills?) 

Auteur: Valérie - 2008-02-21 10:11 Répondez sur ce message 

 
 

They also asked for help regarding learning strategies.  Most requests pertained to pronunciation and 

grammar.  Learners were more concerned about perfectionism than communication, a tendency which 

reflected the high grammatical content of the French 1 and 2 courses.  Even though the textbook was of 

the communicative trend, tests and exams were still almost solely assessing grammar with tricky exercises 

focusing on the main points studied.  Competence in communication only accounted for 30%.  Because of 

lack of contextual practice, learners tended to rely on memorization when they could not understand 

notions.  A 10-hour course a week is intensive and it is easy to become confused.  As a result, learners felt 

they could not cope with grammar.   

 

Apprendre le Français efficacement? 

Comment apprendre le français efficacement ? Mon français très faible particulièrement ma grammaire  L 

(How can I learn French efficiently?  My French is weak particularly my grammar.) 

Auteur: Lydie - 2008-01-31 10:36 Répondez sur ce message 

 

vacances... 
Bonjour Madame....  

Je suis  allé à Hadyai, Surat Thani, Had Rin, Sri Thanu and Thong Sala. Avez-vous été à Bali?  Madame, 

Je suis très lent dans l'étude du français et oublie toujours la grammaire, avez-vous une idée en étude de 

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74 
 

cela vite? Et comment  parler couramment français ? j‟espère vraiment que je peux parler le français. (I 

went to…..  Have you been to Bali?  Madam, I am slow to study French and I always forget the grammar, 

do you know how I could study this faster?  How can I speak French fluently?  I really hope to be able to 

speak French?) 

Auteur: Lydie - 2008-02-28 10:27 Répondez sur ce message 

 
 

 

The grammar content of these messages was very good for the course‟s level; however Lydie was 

obsessed with her grammar.  Other learners expressed the same inhibition toward grammar but Lydie‟s 

case was different.  Others would successfully memorize grammar points and logically come up with the 

correct answers in test exercises whereas Lydie would make some mistakes.  In a communicative context, 

Lydie would have done very well as demonstrated in the forums.  Her test results did not correspond to 

the quality of her participation in class.  She thus felt somehow frustrated and blamed her inability to 

master the grammar.  Through forums, she became more confident and asked focused questions whenever 

she could not understand something in the course and tried to practice within the forums.  In the message 

below, Lydie summarised how she understood the system of tense formation and applied it in some 

sample sentences.   

 

expliquez moi ..madame 
Bonjour madame…  

Structurer une phrase pour  présent: Je vais aller à cinéma. Je conjugue seulement  VAIS, c'est correct ?  

Structurer une phrase pour passé composé: Nous avons fait du vélo à Melaka. Je conjugue  AVONS et 

FAIT.     

Structurer une phrase pour futur : J‟irai à Penang le mois suivant. Je conjugue seulement  IRAI ?  

Je ne suis toujours pas vraiment sûre pour le conjuguer.  

Auteur: Lydie - 2008-03-27 10:30 Répondez sur ce message 

 
 

Forums encouraged learners to use structures and vocabulary studied in the textbook by sending messages 

about related topics.   

 

The lecturer‟s presentation and postings would follow the course synopsis and be adapted to each 

learner‟s interests so as to trigger messages where key notions would be used (Nissen, 2007; Meskill & 

Anthony, 2005; Germain & Netten, 2004; Atlan, 2000).  For example, conversation about holidays or 

Malaysia would bring learners to use space related prepositions and pronouns.  Expressing themselves 

about what they liked or hated would enable the lecturer to verify that the infinitive was being correctly 

used.  Questions on what they did during the weekend or what they would be doing for Chinese New Year 

would imply conjugating verbs with the right tenses.   

 

Correcting methods differed according to learners.   Some learners clearly asked to be systematically 

corrected.   

 

Bonjour... 
Bonjour… 

Je‟mappelle Lydie.  […] J‟aime manger des speghatties à la bolognaise, la cuisine japonise, la cuisine 

coreen et la cuisine de mon père . J‟aime le français  mais ce difficile. Je n‟aime pas les chat, 

mais….j‟ai un chat, il s‟appelle Paco . 

P/S: Mme Cécile, correct ma grammaire et ma phrase, s‟sil vout plaît.  Merci…(Madam, please correct 

my grammar, thank you.) 

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75 
 

Auteur: Lydie - 2008-01-17 10:25 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: Bonjour...  
J'aime beaucoup ta présentation.  Ton français est bien.  Voici les corrections.  Si tu ne comprends pas, 

pose-moi des questions. (I really enjoyed your presentation.  Your French is good.  Here are the 

corrections.  If you do not understand, ask me questions.) 

Je‟mappelle (m'appelle) Lydie.  […] J‟aime manger des speghatties (spaghettis) à la bolognaise, la cuisine 

japonise (japonaise), la cuisine coreen (coréenne) et la cuisine de mon père . J‟aime le français  mais 

ce c'est difficile. Je n‟aime pas les chat(s), mais….j‟ai un chat, il s‟appelle Paco . 

P/S: Mme, corrigez ma grammaire et ma phrase, s‟il vous plaît.  Merci… 

Quelles sont les spécialités de ton papa? (The lecturer finishes with a question related to the learner’s 

message to keep the conversation going and not to end up with corrections.) 

bonjour!! 

Bonjour. Mon prenom  français est Clément. J' habite à Klang, Selangor. J' ai vingt ans. Je suis chinoise de 

malaisie.  

Auteur: Clément - 2008-01-11 11:52 Répondez sur ce message 

 

Bonjour Clément! 
[…] Tu es chinois (chinoise, c'est pour les filles).  (chinois… chinoise is for ladies). 

Auteur: Cécile Gabarre - 2008-01-11 13:09 Répondez sur ce message 

 

Others preferred to be indirectly guided.  The lecturer would then reuse the same structures or words in 

the correct way.  Tutorial was also given by guiding learners with headsets and by controlling their mouse 

or keyboard.  For learners with pronunciation inhibitions, the lab was the perfect tool as they could 

directly ask the lecturer whenever they had any doubt or needed practice.   Links to self on-line help 

addressing grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation were also uploaded to the platform which learners 

could access anytime.  Games or karaoke dictations were particularly appreciated.   

 

huhaha  

Bonjour à tous...je m'appelle Océane..[…] J'aime manger le chocolate. [..] Ma mére est une ménagère. 

Auteur: Océane - 2008-01-11 11:21 Répondez sur ce message 

 

Bonjour! 
Je mange beaucoup de chocolat.  Quel est ton chocolat préféré?  J'aime le chocolat noir avec beaucoup de 

chocolat par exemple 70% ou 75%.  Quand tu dis que ta maman est ménagère, tu veux dire qu'elle est 

femme au foyer?  (housewife?) 

Auteur: Cécile Gabarre - 2008-01-11 13:38 Répondez sur ce message 

 

 

At the end of the course, learners were more confident and could interact on the various topics required by 

the curriculum.  They could also use what they had studied in other contexts and demonstrated more 

autonomy.  They were still relying on the lecturer for advice to find some learning materials but could 

manage on their own to communicate with others using translators, dictionaries or correctors (Germain & 

Netten, 2004; Atlan, 2000).   

 

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AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) Vol. 4 No.1 October 2009 Cécile Gabarre and Serge Gabarre 

76 
 

When interacting on forums, learners seldom mechanically copied and pasted content from the Internet.  

Instead, they would rather adapt the content to their situation.  Copying complete web pages is a common 

observed practice for assignments such as PowerPoint presentations.  This could be interpreted as a sign 

that learners were not scared or stressed in forums interactions to lose points because of their mistakes 

which is encouraging in terms of anxiety management. 

 

Anxiety’s building mechanisms 

We have already mentioned some academic inhibitions regarding language acquisition. Simply being 

asked about their fears already helped learners to feel better.  As for lecturers, they could redesign their 

approach to address most of the problems.  A few lines on learning strategies or materials, such as how to 

improve reading or listening skills were sufficient in most cases.   

 

Yet, for some learners, their fear of being scolded for making a mistake prevents them from taking part in 

class activities.  Motivation tends to proportionally decrease as they become left out of the group.  These 

satellite learners because they learn outside the group, trying to manage on their own did quite well in the 

forum activity.  It gave them an opportunity to start afresh with a new lecturer and through a new project.  

Unfortunately, affective and practical inhibitions (Liu & Jackson, 2008; White, 2003) were too great and 

they did not continue with the program.  However, we do hope that they gained in self-esteem realizing 

they could communicate in French and thus, that they had not lost a year as they did manage to learn a 

new language.  The message below illustrates perfectly the dilemma for learners with low marks.  Should 

they try harder or should they give up in favour of a more strategic program where they could obtain 

better grades? 

 

Malaysia  
Pour votre avis quels sont les avantages si nous, des Malais apprenons la langue française ?  Pouvez-vous 

dire que les occasions nous attendent-elles si nous avons étudié la langue française dans ce pays? 

(According to you, what are the advantages for us to learn French?  Do we have opportunities in this 

country?) 

Auteur: kevin- 2008-03-21 10:24 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: re: Malaysia  
Mais j'a entendu dire que la plupart des sociétés se déplacent à d'autres pays comme la Thaïlande et le 

Viêt-Nam. Quel est votre commentaire de cela ? (I heard that most companies were moving to other 

countries like Thailand or Vietnam?  What is your opinion regarding this matter?) 

Auteur: kevin- 2008-03-26 15:41 Répondez sur ce message 

 

 

The bulk of anxious messages were about learners‟ fear before and after exams.  In fact, the majority of 

learners are terrified by exams.  They are exhausted with all the memorization and during examination 

periods, they suffer from practical inhibitions.  They cannot cope with their academic duties such as 

exams, college activities and personal life as illustrated in the following messages. 

 

re: je vais aller mourir!!!! 

[…] je ne vais pas bien, parce-que je n'ai pas le temps de finir mes devoirs...... j'ai beaucoup d‟activities 

dans cette semaine et je suis tellement fatigué.... alors, j'ai dormi toujours dans la classe...... SAVE 

moi!!!!!!!! je suis tension..... (I am not feeling well because I don’t have time to finish my homework.  I 

have a lot of activities this week and I am so tired… so I always sleep in class.  Save me.  I am stressed.) 

Auteur: Alex - 2008-01-24 10:23 Répondez sur ce message 

 

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AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) Vol. 4 No.1 October 2009 Cécile Gabarre and Serge Gabarre 

77 
 

re: Haiz..... 

Madame, comment vous vous résoudez le stress? je suis stresse récemment parce que il y a beaucoup d‟ 

animation dans ma résidence... Aujoud'hui est le jour de valentine, Je ne célébre pas parce que j'ai 

beaucoup de cours et aussi animation dans ma résidence... :(... C'est mon premier jour de valentine... Mais 

bon... (Madam, how do you manage stress?  I have a lot of activities in my college.  Today is Valentine’s 

day but I cannot celebrate because I have a lot of classes and activities in my college.  It is my first 

Valentine...but well...) 

 
Auteur: Clément - 2008-02-14 10:29 Répondez sur ce message 

 

 

Learners keep building stress once the exam is over waiting for results afraid of low marks and of 

disappointing their lecturers.   

 

Je m'appelle Géraldine 
Bonjour. […]  J‟ai horreur les examens mais j' espère pouvoir obtenir „„„1e bon résultant dans l' examen. 

(Hi, I hate exams but I hope I can have good results.) 

Auteur: Géraldine - 2008-01-11 11:39 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: re:  
Oh là là! Je ne sais pas le résultat d‟examen encore mais je pense que ce n‟est pas bon. (I don’t have the 

results yet but I think it is not good.) 

Auteur: Gabrielle - 2008-03-06 10:39 Répondez sur ce message 

 

 

Initially learners were anxious about the new specialty and content courses.  Answering their questions 

and explaining what they would learn and achieve reassured them.  Those courses were designed in 

accordance with their level of French and they would gain the required skills progressively.  Showing 

them sample material or the manual also helped.  Open discussion alleviated their stress and 

questionnaires distributed at the beginning of these courses showed no sign of anxiety.  Learners were 

also quite calm before the final exams compared to their seniors.  Having initiated this dialog and 

knowing the better learners did have a positive impact of the preparation of the course planning on several 

aspects such as the choice of approach, materials and methods of assessment.  Consequently, learners felt 

prepared and ready.  As can be seen in the following examples, almost all learners asked the lecturer for 

advice regarding their minor courses.    

 

re: madame  
Je ne sais pas le résultat parce qu‟il est ne parait pas…Madame, est-ce que Français du tourisme et de 

l'hôtellerie et aussi Français pour les sciences et techniques sont difficiles ? J‟ai peur de tout. (I do not 

have my results yet.  Madam, are French for hospitality and French for sciences difficult?  I am scared of 

everything) 

Auteur: Stéphanie - 2008-03-06 10:34 Répondez sur ce message 

 

re: Océane 

Alors, c'est la fin du semestre. Merci madame pour des leçons intéressantes. Si vous voulez me parler 

pendant les vacances, vous pouvez m‟appeler .=D A semestre prochain ;D (So it is the end of the semester.  

If you want to talk to me during the holydays you can call me.  See you next semester.) 

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Auteur: Océane - 2008-04-16 11:15 Répondez sur ce message 

 

 

re: re: re: Bonjour!  
[…] Madame, j'ai une question. Après nous graduate, quel travail nous pouvons faire? Je suis inquiéte. 

hehe....  (I have a question.  What job can we do after we graduate? I am worried.) 

Auteur: véronique - 2008-01-24 10:24 Répondez sur ce message 

 

 

Competence is today‟s keyword meaning knowledge is no longer measured in terms of memory capacity 

but rather in terms of adaptability to new situations and environments.  Thus, the ability to speak a 

language would be determined by the accuracy and speed an individual might demonstrate in a given 

situation.  Therefore, assessment should follow the trend and offer real task-solving where learners could 

use their thinking and planning skills as well as their cultural and language skills.   

 

As some learners pointed out, the lab activity taught them how to use forums, platforms and computer 

software.  Incorporating ICT in the curriculum gave learners the experience of real communications in the 

target language which would definitely be useful in the working world.  They have done it for 14 weeks 

so they could do the same in a working environment.  Hopefully, all these strategies combined with real 

practice will contribute to better prepare them for the job market. 

 

Questionnaires pertaining to the learners‟ appreciation and knowledge of French language were given 

before and after the course.  They were asked to rate their appreciation on a scale of 1 to 4, where 4 

represents a high understanding and 1 a low one.  The pre-course score was 3.3, while the post-course 

score was 3.5 which shows only a small increase, as the students already had an above average liking of 

the language.  Regarding their knowledge of the language, using the same scale, a score of 2.6 was 

obtained prior to the course while a score of 3.1 was reached after the 14 weeks of instruction which 

denotes a marked increase.  Learners gained assurance in their knowledge in French which is a crucial 

step towards autonomy as confident learners tend to hesitate less and engage more readily in active 

learning.   

 

Conclusion 

The objectives of this research have been met.  Learners‟ progress, strategies, motivation and inhibitions 

were indeed assessed from the first week onwards.  This combination of on-line forum discussions and 

digital lab face-to-face tutorial allowed lecturers to evaluate learners‟ levels, strategies and inhibitions 

without any anxiety or work overload as compared to a test or a log book.  

 

Data was also immediately available and the statistical tools of the platform provided immediate 

feedback.  Hence, adjustments for each individual were rapidly made according to their interests, level 

and learning strategies.  Motivation was enhanced by the popularity of ICT and by learners‟ willingness to 

communicate with each other.  Learners were also happier to finally be able to talk to the lecturer.  They 

felt more motivated to learn and developed communicative skills in the target language. 

 

This research was carried out in a fully equipped digital language lab.  However, the same experience can 

be conducted in a regular computer lab connected to the internet.  Courses and forums can be created 

freely with open source CMS providers such as Moodle.  Tutorials can be provided on-line through 

forums and face-to-face interaction, with the lecturer assisting learners in a traditional way.  In a blended 

learning mode, tutorials during lab hours and forum moderation could also be carried out by senior 

learners.   

 

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Finally, one may wonder what happened to the forums once the course was over.  Well, with the end of 

the semester, all learners went back home where most of them did not have any internet access.  The 

community was a learning community and from previous research we did observe that learning stopped 

during the holidays (Gabarre & Gabarre, 2007).  The element keeping forums alive was the fact that 

interactions happened face-to-face when learners were in the lab.  Once learners had left the campus, only 

one learner continued to send messages to the lecturer.  The positive side is that 19 of them came back all 

eager to start the new semester and ready to study for their new content and specialty courses with an 

open mind, confidence and no fear.   

  

 

 

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