Pragmatic Competence Through A Voice-Driven Video Learning Interface

In the fourth article, "Facilitating Development of Pragmatic Competence through a Voice-driven Video Learning Interface", the writer Gabriel Culbertson studies the effect of video learning in developing pragmatic competence through a voice-driven system based on repeating phrases out loud from any video with 27 participants, to show that participants use the voice-driven system more than a text-based system. In the introduction, the writer defines pragmatic competence, as sensitivity to meanings expressed by tone and word choice. Pragmatic input and gaining pragmatic competence are rarely established through traditional classroom activities that constrain both the quantity and the quality of learners’ participation that depends mainly on repetition.
The findings showed the need for more effective tools mainly those that focus on pragmatic competence. Design: it is challenging to use materials designed for native speakers, so there is a need for more accessible authentic materials. The design is inspired by: availability of You Tube videos on internet, importance of oral phrase-repetition, and the preference of speaking to typing through the use of flashcard systems. Websites provide additional features, game features, saved history and recently viewed pages. Field study was used to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of this system and since culture is essential in pragmatic learning, different videos adequate to each culture were employed. Then participants used both speech and typing interface. Finally, usage frequencies were analyzed using linear mixed regression model showing no significant differences and concluding that speech interface is more useful than typing interface. As to limitations, speech recognition technology and machine translation needed more accuracy and correctness feedback while videos should have been optional and matched to learners' interests. Learners' limitations: no quantitative evidence but qualitative evidence on gaining competence Conclusion: important method that
It is a purely academic research where the researcher used numbers, dots, bold-typed minor subtitles in addition to a very skillful and clear use of titles and subtitles so that any scholar may refer to one of the subtitles, such as Method, Purpose or Results easily without reading all over the paper. Under the subtitle Methods for instance, the researcher uses subtitles (4.1 participants; 4.2. instruments; 4.3. data collection procedure; 4.4. analysis). Such division helps in locating topic sentences and formulating the implied main ideas smoothly and efficiently. Compared to article 5, The Case of Hedging, which throws a plenty of examples, and article 4, ..Video Learning Interface, which adds more pictures, tables and figures, the headings here are more economically used to serve general meaning.
Different word structure rules. As a scientific presentation of information, the language structure, syntax and lexis, is direct. The jargon is not complicated. Sentence patterns vary mostly among cause effect, definition, and compare contrast. This is evident in the use of logical connectors. There is a clear use of Passive Voice as the researcher was writing about a research done by a group of people. This is clearly evident in the results and the methods headings. Linguistic criticism: the linguistic