For instance, the existing research does not reveal conversational abilities, level of comprehension or whether or not the learner is able to read and write English proficiently. All of these issues are relevant to understanding the success of teaching ESL online. A better understanding of the failure and/or success rates of online learning when compared to traditional teaching methods is needed so that instructors and administrators know whether or not they want to utilize online learning as a curriculum tool. Methodology

For the purposes of carrying out this type of research, the researcher must seek out institutions of learning that currently use online language learning to teach English as a second language. A decision must be made concerning whether or not the research will focus on adult learners or young learners. Once this decision is made, the researcher can proceed by requesting permission to utilize a class or several classes within an institution to carry out the research. Once permission is established the researcher has to determine the type of research that is to be carried out.

The data that needs to be collected will be inclusive of surveys from both teachers and students. The surveys will be designed to assist in the answering of research questions that will be established by the researcher. Generally the surveys will contain a 5-point Likert scale and seek to uncover the feelings of students and teachers concerning online learning.

These surveys can be mailed or presented to participants electronically. Participants will be given a certain amount of time to return the surveys. Once the deadline has passed all of the returned surveys will be gathered and the results will be recorded. The researcher will then be able to use basic statistical computations to determine the overall results of the survey. The results of the survey will provide insight into the success rate of the online ESL programs. The surveys will reveal both the pros and cons of this teaching method and provide greater insight as it pertains to the use of such a method.

In addition to or in lieu of the survey, the researcher can also ask participants to reveal their grades. This might include grade from test and quizzes along with final grades. These grades can be compared to comparable grades of students who are being taught ESL using traditional methods. If the researcher uses this method permission to do so must be granted from the institution. In addition students and teachers must be guaranteed privacy as it pertains to sharing names or any other sensitive information.

Conclusion

The purpose...

The investigation indicates that a greater amount of research is needed as it pertains to the success rates of ESL online. The current research fails to concentrate on outcomes and is therefore incomplete. The proposed research will evaluate whether or not an online curriculum and teaching tool for ESL is beneficial to students. Once the results of the dissertation are known educators will be able to determine whether or not online learning should take place within the context of ESL or if more traditional learning methods are more appropriate.
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