Speak English : a collaborative language learning system using design thinking in second language education : an exegesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

The desire to communicate and converse in a second language is often hampered by students’ lack of confidence, low motivation, passivity, unwillingness to take risks and/or over-reliance on contrived teacher-directed activities. This aim of this project, therefore, is to design a learning system that addresses these difficulties and thus helps English language learners improve fluency. The project highlights a clear connection between design thinking and cooperative language learning, with both pedagogies promoting collaborative, real-life, team-based approaches. This, in turn, suggests that incorporating design thinking into educational design can help learners overcome the obstacles identified above and thereby become more fluent and confident when conversing. Given this, the project involves designing and prototyping a cooperative language learning system drawing on the pedagogies of design thinking and design thinking for education. This Speak English system is based on a process of ‘problem framing’ that aims to improve communicative English competence through the motivational, risk-taking, ideational and iterative aspects of design thinking . The final design system consists of prototyped examples of instructional language learning materials, including an app, a learners’ booklet and worksheets. An accompanying explanatory poster and an animated overview of Speak English illustrate how the system works and how communicational language learning activities are initiated. As it stands, the initial Speak English system provides the basis for future integration of design thinking concepts (such as problem framing) into language learning pedagogy and materials design.