International Jl.

on E-Learning (2009) 8(1), 107-126

The Impact of Teleconferencing with

Native English Speakers on English Learning
by Taiwanese Students

WEN-CHI WU
Chien-Kuo Technical University, Taiwan
Vivwu123@ctu.edu.tw

MICHAEL MAREK
Wayne State College, USA
mimarek1@wsc.edu

Because there are few native speakers of English in Taiwan,

students of English in Taiwan are often poorly motivated, hav-
ing few opportunities to develop their skills and learn about
American culture outside of class. Recent advancements in
distance education allow live audio and video teleconferences
via the Internet, a technology that has the potential to connect
native English speakers with students learning the language.
This paper presents initial findings from an ongoing pilot pro-
ject in which Taiwanese students of English as a Foreign Lan-
guage (EFL) interact with an American via “live” Internet tele-
conferencing, followed by one-on-one discussion. Quantita-
tive and qualitative methodologies were used to evaluate
changes in student motivation, confidence, and ability result-
ing from the presentations via the Internet. After the telecon-
ferences, all three factors increased at a modest level, with
motivation increasing most, followed by confidence, and abil-
ity. Students appreciated the American cultural information
contained in the presentations and the ability to hear authentic
American pronunciation and usage, and found the experience
of talking with the American via the Internet to be less stress-
ful than expected. This technique holds potential for signifi-
cant increases in student motivation, confidence, and ability.

For the majority of the world, including Taiwan, English is taught in class-
es called English as a Foreign Language (EFL). These classes are usually in
108 Wu and Marek

an environment that neither provides meaningful interaction with native

speakers nor materials for the target culture (Huan, 1989; Kwon, Shih,
Renandya, & Koike, 2000). The lack of a surrounding community of English
speakers outside the classroom increases the challenge for EFL instructors
immensely (Parker, Heitzman, Fjerstad, Babbs, & Cohen, 1995). In its place,
teachers must be creative in identifying and maximizing opportunities for
authentic interaction, including utilizing online and multimedia resources.
The opportunity for communication in authentic situations and settings,
especially with native speakers, is a major factor for second-language acqui-
sition by adults (Snow, 1987; Spolsky, 1989). The challenge for EFL profes-
sionals and students in Taiwan is not the lack of desire to learn English but
the lack of a consistently available authentic language-learning environment
to supplement in-classroom learning (You, 2003). A major part of any effec-
tive learning environment is identifying students’ reasons and motivations for
studying the subject, creating curricula and opportunities to meet these needs,
and maximizing available resources to stimulate interest and confidence.

Weak Motivation and Low Confidence among Technical

University Students in Taiwan
Many researchers have pointed to passive learning attitudes and weak
learning motivation as the primary cause of lower proficiency among techni-
cally oriented Taiwanese students (Lescano, 1995; Reynold, Zetlin, & Wang,
1993; Yang, 1996). There has been a general lack of discussion about the pas-
sive learning environment, which employs outdated, teacher-centered method-
ologies (Wu & Bright, 2006), and has not encouraged faculty-student dialogue
about reasons to study English or what possibilities might exist for Taiwanese
EFL students to become engaged in the broader culture of the world.
There are two types of motivation relevant to foreign language acquisi-
tion (Gardner, 2001). The first, instrumental motivation, deals with the
learner using the language as a tool for practical purposes, such as getting a
job or passing a course. The second, integrative motivation, deals with the
learner's desire to be engaged with the target language and culture. Gardner
said that integrative motivation is the better predictor of success in learning
a foreign language. Wen (1997) explained that the reason for this is that the
learner not only wants to be competent in the language but also wants to
achieve “psychological integration” with the language’s native speakers. In
other words, learners must be interested enough in the target language and
culture to put effort into their learning.
The typical learning environment in Taiwan, however, appealing only to
instrumental motivation, makes it difficult to master a language in terms of
speaking and listening (Yang, 2001). Hung (1996) found that students of
technical schools had little or no confidence in any of the four areas of learn-
ing English – reading, writing, listening and speaking. They felt they had
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 109

been abandoned by the whole educational system. He pointed out further

that Taiwanese technical university students were instrumentally motivated.
As a result, the reasons they used any technology online or engaged in con-
versation with native English speakers online were to advance their learning
in order to meet the objectives of a class assignment, to get a better job, or
to finish requirements for degree programs.
The scrutiny of methodology is important because of the findings of a
Wall Street Institute survey of 16,000 randomly sampled working people in
seven Asian countries, including 2,000 in Taiwan, in April 2005 (Wall Street
Institute, 2005). The survey of the participants’ confidence in their own Eng-
lish use and ability found that Taiwan was last – far behind mainland China,
Thailand, Japan, and South Korea, which all utilize methodologies that sim-
ulate the native EFL environments of India, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

E-Learning Solutions to Increase Motivation and Confidence

Increasing student motivation through active learning and through dialogue
about the purposes for learning can increase both learning effectiveness and
efficiency. Taiwanese educators are seeking new techniques to arouse student
interest in learning and trying to create an environment where learners will be
continuously motivated to learn utilizing new technology (Bottino, 2004). As
Fox (1998) stated, the Internet offers EFL students what is missing from their
environment: “practical real life language experience, providing students with
functional communicative experiences that serve the learners’ needs as well as
motivate them to use English in their daily lives” (p. 1). In American educa-
tion, where teleconferencing technology has been available since 1975, online
collaborative learning has become extremely important and increasingly com-
mon (Juell, Brekke, Vetter & Wasson, 1996; Tiene & Ingram, 2001; Wheeler,
Valacich, Alavi, & Vogel, 1999). Although, few instructors in Taiwan are
familiar enough with the technology to utilize it in their curricula, the coun-
try’s growing demand for contextually based English-learning makes telecon-
ferencing a viable and potentially popular tool.

Creating a More Authentic and Active Learning Experience

Currently in Taiwan, the demand for the teaching of English far outstrips
the supply of instructional programs and effective teachers, especially native
English speakers. Proficiency in the English language has been a mark of
learning, social status, and success. Moreover, methodologies over-rely on
rote-memory entrance exams and on two ineffective traditional teaching meth-
ods (Wu, 2006) – concentration on grammar and word-by-word translation –
and there is a strong need to begin encouraging teachers to consider both e-
learning and learner-centered approaches. Research has shown that besides
promoting active learning, e-learning allows students to be more creative and
to learn quickly while creating a more fun and creative learning environment
110 Wu and Marek

compared with instructor-led learning (Cross, 2001; Grimson, 2002). E-learn-

ing and learner-centered approaches can go hand-in-hand and hold promise for
increasing both the efficiency and effectiveness of EFL. But, Taiwanese stu-
dents do not all come to acquire e-learning with sufficient motivation.
Because they are embedded in a stereotypical EFL environment, Taiwanese
students rarely enter English-language study with the prerequisites for integra-
tive motivation, and consequently, effective learning. Only creating an envi-
ronment as close to the target culture as possible enables students to really learn
English (Ying-Wen Tsai, in Lin, 2003). Online learning, including authentic
interaction with native English speakers, can provide a solution, but the pre-
requisite is students’ motivation to see the potential long-term value of learning
English for membership in the broader international community, giving them
integrative motivation and resulting in improved confidence and ability.

Increased Motivation and Confidence Lead to Increased Ability

Clèment and Kruidenier (1985) pointed out that self-confidence can be
defined as a lack of anxiety while communicating in the second language
and that it is measured by the learner’s self-rating of proficiency. This, in
turn, affects motivation and use of the language in a multi-cultural setting.
In addition, Horowitz, Horowitz, and Cope (1986) stated that anxiety in sec-
ond-language use is usually restricted to speaking and listening skills,
reflecting the learner’s fear of spontaneous interactions in the target lan-
guage. Labrie and Clèment (1986) supported the assumption that students’
motivation directly impacts confidence, and that motivation depends on the
outcome of interactions and contact within the target language. If learners
have the opportunity to have contact and use the target language, and the
quality of the contact is high or pleasant, then the frequency of contact deter-
mines self-confidence. “A high frequency of positive contacts will lead to
greater self-confidence than a low frequency of negative contacts…. the
resulting self-confidence is the immediate determinate of motivation to learn
and use the second language” (Labrie & Clèment, 1986, p. 270).
Williams (1993) discovered in a dual quantitative-and-qualitative-
method study of a Japanese EFL environment that increased integrative
motivation leads to active learning behaviors, normally lacking in tradition-
al Asian classrooms, which increases learners’ second-language proficiency.
It does so by involving students in their own learning, keeping them inter-
ested in their studies, and giving them real, applicable, and immediate
opportunities to practice the new behaviors and skills.

THE STUDY OF TELECONFERENCING

This study assessed the perceptions of the students’ increased integrative
motivation, confidence, and communication ability in using English, and
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 111

focused on increasing student understanding of Western culture to boost

integrative motivation. It gathered student perceptions of the e-learning
environment, evaluated student confidence in, and fears of, communicating
with native speakers, and explored ways to overcome obstacles to effective
and efficient e-learning.
As Yang (2001) stated, “The Web serves as an intrinsically motivating
device and a natural platform for the development of the five Cs (communi-
cation, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities) advocated by
the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages” (p. 156).
While much research has been conducted proving that increased motivation
and confidence lead to increased ability, few studies have been done mea-
suring the impact of utilizing native speakers through teleconferencing. In
2006, the writers designed a study to examine the impact of two-way inter-
active teleconferencing via the Internet on changes in student perceptions of
confidence, proficiency, and motivation by providing students with a regu-
lar and consistent opportunity for real-life interactions with native speakers.
This article reports the findings of this study.
The study was limited to the students' own perceptions of change in motiva-
tion, confidence, and ability. It focused on students at technically-oriented insti-
tutions who were not English majors, because those majoring in English find
interactions with native English speakers more accessible and consistently avail-
able due to their school program and personal interest. However, students major-
ing in English may also benefit from the findings of this study. The data provid-
ed by this study may be useful to faculty and administrators in redesign of pro-
grams and facilities. This study may also produce a set of guidelines and “best
practices” for instructors developing Internet teleconferencing for EFL instruc-
tion. To these ends, the following research questions guided the course of study:
1. To what extent did conversing with a native English speaker via
teleconferencing impact students’ perceived motivation and inter-
est, ability, and confidence in using English?
2. What differences existed in the students’ perceived integrative
motivation to learn English after conversing with a native English
speaker via teleconferencing based on
a. gender
b. age (under or equal to 22, above 22)
c. program type (Day and Evening School)
3. What differences existed in the students’ perceived change in their
English ability after conversing with a native English speaker via
teleconferencing based on
a. gender
b. age (under or equal to 22, above 22)
c. program type (Day and Evening School)
112 Wu and Marek

4. What differences existed in the students’ perceived change in their

confidence after conversing with a native English speaker via tele-
conferencing based on
a. gender
b. age (under or equal to 22, above 22)
c. program type (Day and Evening School)
5. What were the relationships among perceived changes in the stu-
dents’ motivation, ability, and confidence after conversing with a
native English speaker via teleconferencing?
6. How did students describe the experience of conversing with a
native English speaker via Internet teleconferencing?

METHODS
The current study was performed as part of an ongoing series of planned
teleconferencing sessions between non-English majors at one technology
university in Taiwan and an American liberal arts college faculty member.
Both the Taiwanese and American faculty members are recent graduates of
the same American doctoral program in adult education that stressed learn-
er- centered instruction and deemphasized lecture, memorization, drill, and
passive learning. The Taiwanese colleague is seen by students as knowl-
edgeable and enthusiastic about America. The American colleague teaches
in a college Mass Communication program and is experienced at being “on
camera” in broadcasting settings.
Two teleconferencing sessions were held during the fall semester of 2006
in which the American professor (the second researcher) presented topics
related to American culture and communication styles, followed by a period
of student discussion and question-and-answer with the American. The
researchers then collected both quantitative and qualitative data from the
participating students. The students were enrolled in English classes taught
by the first researcher, and may be considered part of a local study. Bernard,
Abrami, Lou, Borokhovski, Wade, & Wozney (2004) stated that local stud-
ies boast the advantages of controlling for variability, potentially giving a
clear picture of the online learning experience, and focusing on the specific
characteristics of the delivery mode, in this case, teleconferencing.

Teleconference Methods
The development of the presentations involved two major steps, beginning
with an assessment of the technical environment. For the presentations in this
study, the collaborating teachers used the consumer system SKYPE
(skype.com). Due to time zone differences, the American and the Taiwanese
classes were 13 to 14 hours apart in their local times. The American connect-
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 113

ed to the teleconferences from home because the classes fell in mid-evening,

in the middle of the night, or in the early morning hours in the United States.
The Taiwanese classes met in an on-campus computer lab. The teacher's
computer in the lab made the connection to the American, and the screen of
the teacher's computer was reproduced on a large projected display as well
as on the individual student computers in the lab. Wall-mounted speakers
and a common microphone allowed for all students to hear the American and
for the Taiwanese teacher to control the flow of the conversation and assure
equal opportunity for students to participate.
During the second step of development, the two faculty members collab-
orated to carefully plan the overall strategy of the teleconferences and the
individual lessons. The American developed a presentation of approximate-
ly 30 minutes for each round of teleconferences, with feedback from the Tai-
wanese teacher. The subject of each presentation was specifically tailored to
interest young adults and highlighted American culture, traditions, and
vocabulary. The Taiwanese teacher would then pre-teach the material to
facilitate the lesson and ease the students’ conversational anxiety.
The students were also provided a written copy of the presentation in
advance, along with an mp3 audio recording of the text. In the recording, the
words were pronounced slowly, similar to the Voice of America “special
English” transmissions. The Taiwanese teacher reviewed the advance text
with students, emphasizing the new vocabulary and meaning of phrases. In
the live teleconferences, the American teacher delivered expanded versions
of the presentations, adding multimedia material to enrich the text, while the
Taiwanese teacher translated or clarified meaning as needed. For a period of
about 70 minutes following each presentation, Taiwanese students, either as
individuals or in small groups based on their comfort levels, asked the
American questions or replied with comments regarding the presentation.

Research Methods
To investigate the student perceptions of how their motivation, confi-
dence, and ability changed as a result of the teleconferences, as well as to
understand comprehensively their ideal and authentic on-line learning envi-
ronment, a dual approach of quantitative and qualitative methodologies was
adopted. The quantitative survey was created by the researchers from a
review of the pertinent literature, including Gardner’s (1985) Atti-
tude/Motivation Test Battery, Zeng, Liao, Xu, and Wu’s (2001) survey of
students’ English learning achievement, and the 1997 survey conducted by
the California Foreign Language Project (Silva, 1997).
The survey instrument was comprised of 35 items that were divided into
three major sections, each related to student perceptions of change in moti-
vation, confidence, or ability resulting from interaction with a native speaker
via the Internet, and a fourth demographic section. Responses to each ques-
114 Wu and Marek

tion were given via a five-point Likert-type scale categorizing the change as
significantly reduced, somewhat reduced, not at all, somewhat increased, or
significantly increased. Section A dealt with integrative motivational factors
and interest in learning English, including topics such as how did conversing
with a native English speaker change your motivation to study English, your
desire to study abroad, or your motivation to converse with foreigners by
using visual and audio Internet tools? Section B asked about students about
their ability to use English, including topics like how did conversing with a
native English speaker change your ability to understand English in conver-
sations with Native speakers, pronounce English words more accurately, or
speak English with your English instructors? Section C examined students’
confidence in using English and multimedia and in traveling abroad, includ-
ing topics such as how did conversing with an English native speaker change
your confidence when you hear English spoken by native speakers, speak
English with other students, or think about study abroad. Section D asked for
students’ demographic information, including gender, age, program type (day
or evening school), major, and degree sought.
To ensure the reliability and internal validity of the survey instrument,
four Taiwanese faculty members, proficient in quantitative instrument
design, completed and commented on the wording, organization, and appro-
priateness of the questions. In addition, a pilot study group of 30 students
was administered the survey for critique. The survey was then revised based
on the comments of both groups.
To assess the internal consistency of the survey, Cronbach’s Alpha values
were computed. Compared to a minimum required value of .70 considered
evidence of reliability (Cronbach, 1975; Segars, 1997), the Cronbach’s
Alpha value for the survey, α = .95, was considerably higher, indicating the
strong reliability of the survey, and the Alpha value for each learning factor
also surpassed .70, ranging from .87 to .91. Table 1 shows the results of the
reliability of the survey.

Internal Reliability for the Various Types of Learning Factors

Table 1

Learning Factors Cronbach's Alpha Value

Overall Survey .95
Survey Section A: Motivation .88
Survey Section B: Ability .87
Survey Section C: Confidence .91
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 115

In addition to the quantitative data and their context, 11 EFL students were
interviewed to identify perceptions of obstacles and opportunities in the e-
learning environment and to provide suggestions for improving the online
learning environment. The researchers developed their qualitative protocol
based on the literature review included earlier and their personal experiences
with the lesson plans. After the researchers agreed to the questions in English,
the Taiwanese researcher translated them into Chinese and administered them
to 11 students, who had previously given their permission.
The qualitative protocol primarily addressed Research Question 6, “How
did students describe the experience of conversing with a native English speak-
er via Internet teleconferencing?” The qualitative methodology, by its nature,
required that the interviewer be able to follow interesting avenues of question-
ing and not be completely tied to previously prepared questions. The following
topics served as a starting point and guide for the qualitative interviews.
1. What did you like about the classes in which you talked with a
native speaker via the Internet?
2. What did you NOT like about the classes in which you talked with
a native speaker via the Internet?
3. How did the recording and text you received in advance improve
your experience?
4. How could the “live” classes with the native speaker be improved?
5. What, specifically, did you learn from your experience with a native
speaker in this class?
In the qualitative content analysis, the interview answers were reviewed,
sorted, and scrutinized for themes and concepts, thus allowing description
and exploration (Berelson, 1952; Tesch, 1990). Phenomenology, that pro-
vided the framework of the qualitative research method, examines a partic-
ular phenomenon as it appears through human consciousness (Spiegelberg,
1984; Thompson, 1990). It assumes that the conscious understanding of an
experience or phenomenon is the only certain way to really know it. As such,
humans must also recognize the perceptions that lead them to awareness of
the phenomenon (Scannell-Desch, 1999).
The quantitative and qualitative methodologies in this research project
reinforced each other, exploring the topic more thoroughly and deeply, with
the qualitative interviews providing an opportunity to delve into partici-
pants’ perceptions of the online learning experience. The experiences of Tai-
wanese students at one technical university interacting live with one Amer-
ican via the Internet may not be able to be generalized to students who are
in other settings or who are learning other languages. However, this study
may provide a framework for analysis of other settings.
116 Wu and Marek

Participants
The quantitative sample consisted of 240 students; 222 surveys were
deemed complete and useable. Students were also asked to indicate their will-
ingness to participate in the qualitative potion of the study; 25 students vol-
unteered, 11 were interviewed at random, at which point the researchers felt
that the data were saturated. The students selected for in-depth interviews
were contacted by phone asking for their further participation, and underwent
one in-depth, face-to-face or telephone interview based on the interview pro-
tocol. Their confidentiality was secured by assigning pseudonyms at the time
of their agreement to participate, for use through the period of data collection
and analysis. The qualitative interviews were conducted in Chinese, and the
transcribed results were translated by the Taiwanese researcher into English
for analysis. The translation was conducted to be as literal as possible.

Data Analysis
The software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used
to analyze the quantitative data. To answer Research Question 1, the com-
posite means were calculated for each of the three sections on the survey
instrument to determine the level of changes in students’ perceived motiva-
tion and interest, ability, and confidence in using English and the Internet.
For Research Questions 2, 3, and 4, a series of t tests was conducted to deter-
mine whether differences existed among student populations in gender, age,
and program type on perceived change in motivation (Q2), in ability (Q3),
and confidence (Q4). Research Question 5 examined the relationship among
students’ perceived motivation, ability, and confidence by using Pearson’s r
coefficients. The associations among the three were calculated to determine
how strongly they were related to each other and whether that correlation
was positive or negative.

Results
The data were analyzed based on each of the research questions. Partici-
pants’ demographic data are presented in Table 2. The means calculated for
each section on the survey – integrative motivation, ability, and confidence
– were 3.84, 3.52, and 3.60. These results respectively indicate that the moti-
vation of students to study English and interest in the English class, their
self-rating competence in using English, and their confidence in the use of
English and technology all increased. Among the three components of learn-
ing English, their integrative motivation increased the most with the highest
mean score, M = 3.84 (see Table 3). For a preliminary study of only two sets
of interactions, it would be unlikely to expect a change that could be docu-
mented to a high degree of significance. Table 3 does, however, show a
change perceived by students after only two teleconferencing experiences.
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 117

Student Demographic Information

Table 2

Student Demographics Number Percent

Gender Male 84 40
Female 124 60
Age 22<= 142 68
>22 66 32
Program Type Day 117 56
Evening 91 44

Means for Each Section

Table 3

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

Section_A: Motivation 208 1.62 5.0 3.84 0.49
Section_B: Ability 208 1.50 4.9 3.52 0.44
Section_C: Confidence 208 1.67 5.0 3.60 0.49

Student Motivation and Interest in Relation to the Demographic Information

A series of t tests was conducted to determine if the differences existed in
the integrative motivation of students to study English and interest in their
English class by gender, age, and program. The findings showed that the
gender variable did impact motivation with a statistically significant differ-
ence of p = .000; however, neither the independent variable age, p = .176,
nor program type, p = .465, demonstrated a significant difference for moti-
vation. Therefore, female students perceived more of a change in their moti-
vation and interest compared to their male counterparts as a consequence of
live teleconferencing with a native English speaker.

Student Ability in Relation to the Demographic Information

The findings showed that none of the demographic variables had a statis-
tically significant effect on students’ perceived change in their ability of
English use, with p = .110 for gender, p = .585 for age, and p = .184 for pro-
gram type. Gender, age, and program type did not affect the students’ per-
ceptions of their changes in ability resulting from the live teleconferencing
with a native English speaker.
118 Wu and Marek

Student Confidence in Relation to the Demographic Information

Based on the findings of the statistical analysis, the participants’ gender had
a statistically significant effect on student confidence in the use of English and
technology, p = .008; however, variables of age and program type yielded no
significant difference in student confidence. The finding revealed that the
female students perceived a greater change in their confidence than did the
male students as a consequence of live teleconferencing with a native English
speaker and regardless of whether they were traditional students, attending
day school, or nontraditional students, attending night school.

Correlations Among the Three Components

Further analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among the
three components – motivation, ability, and confidence – in the current study
(see Table 4). It revealed that the three components correlated positively
with each other at the .000 level of significance, indicating that if one of the
three components increased, the other two also increased. For example, as
students’ motivation increased, their ability and confidence increased too.

Qualitative Findings
Eleven students responded to voluntary qualitative interviews in order to
answer Research Question 6, “How did students describe the experience of
conversing with a native English speaker via Internet teleconferencing?”
Five were female day students, under 22 years of age, two were male day
students, under 22 years of age, and four were in night school, two males
over age 22 and two females under age 22.
Most of the students interviewed listed primary things they liked about
speaking with a native English speaker, such as hearing the most accurate usage
and pronunciation, the improvement in their listening comprehension, and the
authentic information presented about American culture. Interviewee 1 said,
“Talking with a native speaker via the Internet allows me to get familiar with
the accurate accent and speed, and to have a chance to encounter a native

Summary of Correlations
Table 4

Section-A Section-B Section-C

Section-A 1 - -
Section-B 0.597** 1 -
Section-C 0.682** 0.829** 1
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 119

speaker of English as well, because I seldom had a chance to encounter native

speakers of English before this.” The answers confirmed other research indi-
cating that most students have few opportunities to talk with native speakers.
The students appreciated the Internet teleconferencing learning style,
calling it fun and relaxing. “I think teleconferencing is quite a different way
learn English and I like it a lot,” said Interviewee 10. Many reported initial
nervousness in anticipation of their requirement to converse with the native
speaker, but most found it to be less stressful than they expected. The
answers suggested that the students found their interaction with the Ameri-
can via technology to be less stressful than if he had been present in their
classroom in person. Interviewee 8 said, “I feel no pressure and no tension
and maybe it has a lot to do with the fact that I did not actually see the native
speak in person, so I did not feel so nervous.” Students also appreciated the
direct role that their teacher played during the teleconferences, helping them
construct the grammar and vocabulary needed for their questions and in
understanding the native speaker's pronunciation and vocabulary. This sup-
port from their teacher, they said, reduced their apprehension and stress.
They liked the understanding of American culture they gained from the
sessions. “The materials help me a lot [to] understand [the] American’s cul-
ture and American people,” said Interviewee 3. Interviewee 4 elaborated,
“...[the American] mentioned some American events, like parades, about
which I had no idea before class and I had only seen in movies. I thought the
parade showed up only in the movies and I did not realize that there was a
parade really going on in America.” Interviewee 7 found the instructional
material about American holidays interesting, saying, “You can get an idea
of what Americans do and eat, where they go, how they celebrate during the
holiday seasons, which are quite special to me.”
Students also appreciated hearing the pronunciation and usage of the Amer-
ican during the teleconferences. Interviewee 3 made this point saying, “When
talking with a native speaker of English, I get to listen to his pronunciation and
pick up the most accurate usage of English, because when talking to a non-
native speaker, I am not so sure whether his or her pronunciation is accurate.
On the contrary, Americans’ pronunciation is the most accurate one.”
There were no overtly negative comments about the instructional design
of employing Internet teleconferencing for language instruction. The stu-
dents indicated their motivation to continue using the Internet teleconfer-
encing learning style by requesting frequent similar interaction in the future.

DISCUSSION
It is notable that students in this study perceived an increase in motiva-
tion, confidence, and ability in their study of English as a Foreign Language,
although they had only participated in two teleconferences with a native
120 Wu and Marek

speaker of English. Integrative motivation increased most, followed by con-

fidence. The increase in ability, as perceived by the students, was the least
of the three factors, but still noticeable.
Motivation, confidence, and ability are interrelated (Clèment & Kruidenier,
1985). Motivation can change rapidly, but ability takes more time and effort. In
addition, confidence is based on the other two factors because it leads to
decreased student anxiety. All three factors, motivation, confidence, and abili-
ty, stem from the experiences of the student, both in and out of the classroom
and increasing or decreasing as the result of positive or negative experiences.
The e-learning teleconferencing experience presented a low-anxiety environ-
ment for students to pursue integrative, motivated abilities and gain confidence.

Interest in American Culture

Students participating in the qualitative interviews made clear that they
had significant interest in the American culture, leading them to respond pos-
itively to the teleconference sessions and the subsequent question-and-
answer sessions. It is no wonder that integrative motivation increased the
most because the classroom texts, presentation materials, and photographs
used in the teleconferences were of American origin. As such, the lessons
provided opportunities that are rare for Taiwanese students to utilize cultur-
ally authentic materials and speak one-on-one at their own pace with a native
speaker about topics interesting to young adults. The increase in integrative
motivation of the students resulting from their teleconferences caused them
to want to be more connected to the American culture and individual Ameri-
cans. Because integrative motivation is seen as the key to language acquisi-
tion, lesson plans with a strong focus on American culture translate into
stronger integrative motivation for students and can result in a willingness to
continue learning the language outside of the classroom and in the long run,
after the class is over. The qualitative interviews indicated that the emphasis
on discussing American culture during teleconferences with native speakers
of English was important to the success of such experiences for students.

Interest in Authentic Pronunciation and Usage

One of the primary benefits cited by the students of the teleconference
instructional design was that they had the opportunity to learn authentic or
accurate American pronunciation and usage. Knowing that the students were
hearing correct American usage increased their confidence in the content of
the lessons and in turn, the confidence in their own understanding, with
increased motivation and ability.

Student Nervousness Versus Relaxation

The students often framed the perceptions of their distance learning expe-
rience in terms of how nervous or relaxed they were while speaking with the
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 121

American. Students made references to nervousness at knowing that they

would be required to speak with the American. They found the experience
to be less intimidating because their teacher was present and provided assis-
tance with vocabulary and grammar. It is a broad goal among EFL teachers
in Taiwan to find ways to reduce student anxiety about learning English as
a means of increasing their self-confidence. At the same time, innovative
teachers also strive to promote scaffolding, a form of social interaction that
promotes learning. Scaffolding fosters collaboration, respect for one’s own
and others’ ideas, and the construction of meaning from previous experience
(Lee, 2003). Roehler and Cantlon (1997) determined that social interaction
is vital to the language-learning process, and the use of scaffolding in the
classroom is a definite advantage. Furthermore, motivation depends on the
outcome of interactions and contact within the target language. Therefore,
strong interactions and contact with native English speakers in a setting that
produces low anxiety can be considered an ideal environment. The students
found both criteria to be true in their Internet teleconferences.

Differences in Male and Female Student Motivations

Female students perceived more of a change in their motivation and inter-
est compared to their male counterparts as a consequence of live teleconfer-
encing with a native English speaker. The women appeared to feel more of
an affinity for other cultures and languages than their male classmates. Fun-
damentally, males may be more instrumentally motivated than females in a
technical university setting. Taiwanese society encourages males to adopt a
more utilitarian orientation and to pursue goals with definite extrinsic and
tangible outcomes, such as position and salary.
Female students also perceived a greater change in their confidence than
the male students did as a consequence of live teleconferencing with a native
English speaker, regardless of whether they were traditional or nontradition-
al students or whether they attended day or night school. Taiwanese females,
as well females in many cultures, are generally less apt to participate vocal-
ly in a mixed-gender class (Canada & Pringle, 1995). Taiwanese females are
also less encouraged culturally to address strangers than are males. By struc-
turing the event to allow males and females an equal chance to speak with
the American teacher, females had the chance to participate at their own
comfort level and observe their ability level and motivation increasing.
Female Taiwanese students surpass male students in their perception that
it is important to learn English (Wu, 2006), possibly symptomatic of con-
temporary Taiwanese female entrance into typically male, technically ori-
ented careers. As women enter male-dominated majors, such as computer
science, engineering, and business, the women may believe that they need
skills that male competitors cannot offer, such as English. Technical fields
have a reputation of being analytical, rational, and mathematical, all of
122 Wu and Marek

which have traditionally been considered in Taiwan to be in the male

domain. Use of language has not been a traditional content focus in the
male-dominated technical engineering fields and women may see language
skills as a way of distinguishing themselves from male job competitors.
However, as globalism continues, it is likely that the gender differences, as
well as the primary curricular foci in technical fields, may shift, increasing
the importance of skills in global communication, if not the English lan-
guage, for all students. An increasing global demand for highly skilled work-
ers will also likely increase demand for women in technical fields, conse-
quentially reducing gender differences on the importance of communication
in global business.
The current study revealed that the three components correlated positive-
ly with each other at the .000 level of significance, indicating that if one of
the three components increased, the other two also increased. The increase
in motivation resulted from a combination of interesting subject matter, an
engaging format (technology), and an environment in which their anxiety
was minimized through advance preparation, with their Taiwanese teacher
serving as an immediate resource.

Motivation and Ability

Both instrumental and integrative types of motivation are important for lan-
guage acquisition. Through a carefully planned curriculum using Internet tele-
conferencing, this study showed that the integrative motivation of students
increased from what we would expect to be a relatively low starting point,
helping them reach the desirable goal of strong motivation in both categories.
The final goal of EFL instruction is to elevate the level of student profi-
ciency or ability. The increase in motivation perceived by students should
lead to long-term increases in proficiency and confidence. This increase in
proficiency will, in turn, reinforce the motivation to continue learning Eng-
lish, even after the class is complete. The parallel increase in confidence of
the students will also result in an increased likelihood that the students will
continue developing their English skills after the class is complete.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND FURTHER RESEARCH

This preliminary study of the technique of using Internet teleconferenc-
ing to allow Taiwanese EFL students to interact with a native speaker of
English indicated that further exploration of the technique and refinement of
the lesson plans is warranted. The findings of this study lead to the follow-
ing recommendations for practice:
1. Internet teleconferencing to enrich regular classroom EFL instruc-
tion can be a viable technique that merits further study. This pre-
liminary analysis of initial exploration of the technique suggests
The Impact of Teleconferencing with Native English Speakers 123

that it can strengthen the motivation of students, leading to

advances in their confidence and ability.
2. Such lesson plans should emphasize authentic explorations of Amer-
ican cultural elements of interest to the population of students. This
study revealed that hearing native pronunciation and usage is desir-
able, but the students also appreciate information on the lifestyles of
the people whose language they are studying. Therefore, carefully
aligning the teleconference topics with student interest is an impor-
tant consideration in planning such teleconference lessons.
3. The qualitative findings indicate that local teachers should be
actively engaged with students during teleconferences to assist in
translation, formulation of grammar, and to generally reassure the
students required to interact in a foreign language. This “safety net”
significantly reduces the level of student anxiety, allowing them to
concentrate more on the content of the lesson. When students per-
ceive that the interaction with the native speaker is worthwhile and
the interaction environment is comfortable, student motivation is
likely to be highest.
4. Curriculum for Internet teleconferences should be planned to
strengthen integrative motivation, while the overall class should
retain those beneficial elements that encourage strong instrumental
motivation. In this way, the Internet teleconferences should enrich the
regular instruction rather than overwhelm or replace it. The strongest
synergy of instructional techniques appears to result when the tele-
conferences are used to stimulate motivation, while students contin-
ue to engage in structured study of vocabulary, syntax, pronunciation,
and other traditional elements of language instruction in Taiwan.
The writers suggest the following specific areas of further research:
1. A study could compare changes in motivation, confidence, and abil-
ity between classes presented with traditional teacher-centered ped-
agogy and classes using Internet teleconferences.
2. Research could explore student reactions after additional telecon-
ferences.
3. A study could compare the benefits to motivation, ability, and con-
fidence multiple teleconferences in a given semester.

CONCLUSION
The growth of technology, Internet interconnectivity, and the global mar-
ketplace in the 21st Century will provide both growing needs and expanding
opportunities for people of different cultures and languages to interact.
124 Wu and Marek

Where citizens have not had the opportunity to learn English as a Second
Language (such as in Taiwan), technology can also provide opportunities for
students learning English as a Foreign Language.
This current empirical study informs the challenges EFL learners and
instructors face in Taiwan – the lack of authentic learning environments and
low student motivation, confidence, and ability in English learning. It also
offers an approach to overcome the primary obstacle to English learning and
instruction in Taiwan – communication with a native English speaker. This
study has demonstrated that innovative use of technology, along with care-
fully planned lessons focused to student interests, can make a long-term dif-
ference in growth of student motivation, confidence, and ability.

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