E-learning Constructive Role Plays for EFL Learners in China’s Tertiary Education

Recently, speaking has played an increasingly important role in second/foreign language settings. However, in many Chinese universities, EFL students rarely communicate in English with other people effectively. The existing behavioristic role plays on New Horizon College English (NHCE) e-learning do not function successfully in supplementing EFL speaking classes. The present study aims at investigating the implementation of constructive role plays via NHCE e-learning and its effect on Chinese EFL learners’ speaking in college English classes. Speaking pretests and post-tests, student role play recording analysis, student questionnaires, and student interviews have been employed to collect data during the 18-week instruction period. Results show that the e-learning constructive role plays have positive effects on improving students’ speaking in terms of language quality and language production, and students express positive opinions towards the implementation of e-learning constructive role plays. The findings from this study are Asian EFL Journal. Professional Teaching Articles. Vol. 49 January 2011 2 directly beneficial to other researchers aiming at developing students’, as well as teachers’, L2 speaking instruction.