An Investigation of Undergraduate Students' Use of Communication Skills in Online EFL Learning
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2024
Abstract
This study aimed at exploring the level, preference, and use of communication skills among undergraduate students in an online EFL learning context and to examine whether there are significant differences according to their gender and mode of study. A survey method was applied through quantitative data collection. For this purpose, a questionnaire was distributed to 200 undergraduate students at a public university in China. The communication skills inventory consisted of 26 items, which were developed based on previous studies. Factor analysis was conducted to assess the reliability and validity. Findings indicated that the undergraduate students had a medium level of communication skills, with intercultural skills ranking the highest, followed by production and reception communication skills. In addition, there was no significant difference in the usage of communication skills among undergraduate students in terms of gender, but there was a significant difference in terms of the mode of study. Students used more communication skills in synchronous than in asynchronous online learning.
Keywords
communication skills, undergraduate students, online EFL learning, communication skills inventory
Divisions
Literacy
Publication Title
SAGE Open
Volume
14
Issue
4
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Publisher Location
2455 TELLER RD, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91320 USA