英语论文网

as students only need to attend the session. The digital language lab is offered as a facility for enhancing students' learning experience.

One of the software which IEC students are using in UTM digital language lab is 'Tell Me More'. It is part of IEC students self access program that they do some activities once a week. In this software, there are nineteen models of activities with different pedagogical objectives. The activities develop all the English proficiency skills. For instance, some of the activities develop listening and speaking skills, some of them develop reading and writing skills.

Since Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is one of the higher institutions of learning in Malaysia which has focused on technology, it is important to promote technology in all courses especially in English language learning. IEC is aimed to enhance students' proficiency level of English for different skills include: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Moreover, the technology hopefully can encourage students' performance not only in their courses, but in their future careers.

This study aims to examine the issue of learning styles to investigate and estimate students' preference for activities in digital language laboratory. The research is focused on intermediate students because this course has introduced English language learning software programs 'Tell Me More' in which the students are able to carry out different activities provided in the learning laboratory at their own preference.

1.3问题陈述——Problem Statement

Nowadays, English language is one of the most important language in our life rather than our mother language. Already in ESL and EFL classroom there is a high-level of attention to teaching and learning strategies to have effective learning. ESL/EFL teachers should have knowledge about students' differences in learning, the appropriate teaching methods, and scholars' preferences and at the same time choosing the required teaching materials based on learners' needs in the educational setting. There is also high-level consideration about teaching and learning styles in academic environments. The emergence of the technology is also the alternative that is hoped to be used to attract students' attention.

Some English language learners faced difficulties in acquiring concepts and materials of the course lectured in English after they start their study as a master or PhD student. This seems to be one of the problems that international students face in UTM. In addition, students need to be able to write high quality research and do acceptable presentation in English.

Many learners do not engage in the self access program and the students' attendance at digital language lab is low. Some IEC students who attend at lab do not take the activities seriously, so they do not complete 'Tell Me More' activities before the end of semester. The Learners skip some session or have many unfinished activities. The activities may be difficult for some students or easy for some of them.

There is a need to know the suitability of the activities in 'Tell Me More' software in developing UTM students' English language skills while the high achievers in digital lab are the students who are doing the activities. The important point is a need to have a clear feedback on the software and activities use in the digital lan