Choose a topic of your interest and write your own entry concerning L2 teaching and learning. Be sure to ask a few questions. You also need to comment on your peers' postings.
I am interested in the future of web-based teaching for a foreign language classroom and its efficacy if put into use. Per Lina's article, it suggests that there are actual benefits to this type of exposure for students, mainly the development of intercultural awareness and cross-cultural communication. From a student's standpoint, I do think that this type of interaction promotes an exchange that allows the student to have an independent and personal exchange with both a native speaker and their culture. Also, online forums do foster an open opportunity for dialogue and feedback that many individuals may be too hesitant to put forward in a classroom setting. I think that online forums such as blogs and podcasts allow an individual personal time in order to write consistently and offer their understanding of either culture or the foreign language. To reference Krashen's theory of "input hypothesis" that we can acquire language when we are exposed to a skill level that is higher than our current proficiency. I think that this theory is factual in terms of web-based teaching experiences. I think that a student, with little or no foreign travel experiences, can engage in an online forum and be able to adapt to the situation, setting, competency level and begin to acquire co-dependently an overall understanding of a different culture. I think this limited amount of exposure is even more than the individual has access to and therefore is beneficial. Also, the individual who gets involves in this type of classroom learning, will eventually learn over time and statistically speaking, the regular interaction will lead to a more adjusted cultural awareness. Krashen's theory also comments on a student's anxiety level, defensive position and confidence. I think that an online forum, which utilizes video capability, can deter a student from hesitation to interact. I also think that a student who faces an online exchange experience can feel more confident about themselves given their capability to join and facilitate the experience. Also, a student who relies on defense mechanisms could not withstand the online forum and therefore this provides a significant environment in which a student can set and establish personal goals. I also think that the online web-based interaction would be beneficial for adult learners of a second language. The adult learner could be introduced to this learning environment as easily as a school-aged learner and this type of learning can be categorized as a formal learning environment. I would ask how do you integrate an adult learning into this type of learning environment? Also, I would ask if peer review and feedback are more beneficial to a student or less?
Web based learning is a concept that I think is something that has a lot of potential to be a efficient way to conduct a foreign language classroom. I agree with your thoughts that web based interaction promotes an learning experience that allows the students to have an independent and personal exchange with both a native speaker and their culture. I also agree with you that the online forums like blogs and podcasts are an efficient way to allow for students to write about/communicate what they have learned in regards to either the foreign language or culture. I had never thought of the idea that web-based learning would be a great way to lesson anxiety and make students feel more confident about themselves but that is something that I would agree with now putting more thought into it. Web based learning I think has potential to be a very good way for adults who decide to later on in life learn a foreign language. This is because if it's all online, adults would not have to fit a specific class lecture in their already busy schedule, they could do the assignments on their own volition. To answer your question on peer review and feedback. I think that they are very important especially in a classroom that is podcast, video based because it allows students to exchange ideas and teach each other, I think that the best way to learn something is to teach it to others.
While it is true that a highly motivated student could see quite a gain from using online resources to immerse themselves linguistically, I could see less motivated students struggling to stay engaged and to stay in the target language. But with a pen pal system like that which we saw in Professor Lee's class, I see a great use of technology to encourage kids to immerse themselves a little more in the target language.
It may be easier to integarte adults in this environment, as there are plenty of ways to connect online that aren't always age appropriate for younger students such as dating websites and the like. Also, adults can find podcasts and other forms of entertainment which also are not always appropriate for students.
Today I am going to talk about the importance of technology in the classroom and use the new program VoiceThread as an example. VoiceThread is a audio recording technology that used for making audio recordings in the target language. In Lee's 2nd article, the author reports on a class that's curriculum was based on student's making "news stories" using pictures and animations with programs like iMovie that is then narrated using VoiceThread. Some topics were assigned by the professor and others were up to the students. The great benefit of the students being able to choose their own topics is that it gives them a sense of pride in their topics because it could be on anything that they find interesting (Like woman's rights or sports). With the news stories that each student made the other requirement was to reply to each post in a blog format. This allowed for listening comprehension and reading/writing skills. The fact that VoiceThread puts emphasis on speaking, listening, reading, writing, current events and academic creativity shows just how much potential technology can have on a class and it's students. If teachers educated themselves more about how technology works and how to use it; we could potentially see a whole evolution on how foreign language is taught. A question that I would like to hear others opinions on is; should universities have classes for its students pursuing degrees in foreign language education have classes on how to use technologies like VoiceThread, similar to how business schools have classes on how to use Exel?
To answer your question, I do think that universities should offer classes on how to use technologies in a foreign language classroom. I think that this instruction would promote the study of foreign language and raise its importance among academics. In a separate class, I have read articles that contested the importance of a liberal arts education. I think that the study of foreign language is important the for the American economy and society. In order to make the study of a foreign language a more competitive field of study, technology should be taught so that these students can have the same international opportunities and technological drive as others. I think that blogs are a very good addition to a foreign language classroom because it opens discussion for personal opinion and allows for personal growth. I think that if foreign language programs looked at business school models, related to technology use and using a foreign language in the workforce, that would be a good integration point. I think that VoiceThread seems like a good approach to a foreign language classroom. This type of instruction and activity is beneficial as the student needs to be comfortable speaking out loud. Also, the application of listening to the tapes can be used for further instruction and potentially for future types of employment, as in a governmental setting.
Very interesting point you bring up, Bryce. Students studying to be teachers of second languages should be not be taught how to use programs such as VoiceThread. Learning the actual target language and the methodologies to teach it should be the main focus in university teaching courses. It should be up to the institution at which he is going to teach technological competence.
The advents of computer mediated communication (CMC) computer-assisted language learning (CALL) offer many novel and facile ways to learn a language. No longer is classroom instruction necessary to master a second or a third language. One can now acquire fluency of a tongue by using a website that we all know: Youtube. Think about it — there are likely thousands of grammar lessons ranging from beginner to advanced for hundreds of languages; plenty of movies, music videos and illocution lessons to collect meaningful input; as well as listen-and-repeat speaking exercises. As we read in Professor Lee’s articles, there exists numerous web tools to assist in all four skills of language acquisition — listening, speaking, reading and writing. If these technologies keep improving, which they certainly are going to do, what will the role of the teacher be in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? I reckon sooner than later most jobs that we can think of will be completely mechanized and that the majority of learning (schooling) will be done at home via the internet. If this is the case, classroom learning as we know it will be obsolete and pointless. The teacher will be diminished to a mere technician that instructs the student how to utilize such technology. The only teaching that will be recognizable today will be done through the laptop much like VIPKID, which uses a flipped classroom model. Given all this, where do you see the teaching profession in the future? Those of us that are studying to be teachers, are you okay with the possible prospect of your future profession? Is there anything we can do to preserve the current teaching methods? Should we preserve the current way? Do you agree that learning a language will be (or is already) totally computer based?
I think that your opinion regarding the teaching profession is accurate and in America, this is an issue that we should pay attention to. I think that in general, in order to stay competitive and industrial as a nation (that is based on Capitalism) we should continue to invest in the profession of teaching. I think in order to avoid the actual classroom becoming obsolete, we should try to keep that the basis for education. I think that we should incorporate computer-based teaching into the classroom in order to facilitate international and diverse interaction. I think that one day computer-based activities could dominate the curriculum but those would include a teacher's instruction with a model of learning and lesson plan. I think the role of the teacher would be to facilitate international forums for students to engage in online conversations and group learning activities. I think this approach to foreign language instruction would facilitate a more stable job for teachers and future teachers, along with foreign language students.
I would have to disagree with your statement that "No longer is classroom instruction necessary to master a second or a third language". I do think that yes, it is true that YouTube is a wonderful source of materials to learn various grammar concepts and watch movies; but this is definitely not a sufficient way to "master" the language as a whole. The classroom setting allows for things like asking questions, practicing speaking in the target language and at least in my opinion the most superior way to actually absorb the information that is being taught. YouTube is more of a great resource for teachers to use to help educate their students. I am excited to be studying foreign language education at a time where we are starting to see the influence of technology in the classroom. I am also excited to see what level of technology is going to be at by the time I start teaching and where it's going to be at by the time I'm finished because I think it will only make the job easier and the education a more fun process; but it is not something that I think will be able to replace teachers.
Bryce, I think you have made a good point. Technology will NEVER replace classroom learning. Despite the fact that classroom learning has its limitations, there are many advantages of having face-to-face interaction and exchange. Teacher's presence is also the key for active learning. On the other hand, digital technologies, such as synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) via videoconferencing with native speakers are very beneficial for students to "use" L2 outside the classroom.
I doubt these technologies will ever reach the point where they can accurately, 100% imitate the effect that a great classroom teacher can have on a student. The problem with these online resources is that they will only take you as far as you choose for them to take you. While the same can sometimes be said about a classroom teacher, there are things that human interaction can do to promote interest and motivation that a computer simply can't do. A teacher can share an experience such as the loss of a mother, a teacher may have been raised in a poor neighborhood with not a dime to his name, a teacher may have struggled or persisted through high school. These are things that, although not always explicitly stated, are explicitly known by students. We know that our teacher is human and shares the human experience and that alone makes a teacher more likely to be able to leave some sort of impact on us which may alter the course of our entire lives.
Yes I do agree that these are some really great technologies to use as a classroom tool, but not as a curriculum. If you ever did step foot into a class which was instructed in the manner you described, where teachers merely instruct you how to utilize technology, you would see how meaningless such an environment feels. I have taken two such courses and neither time did I gain anything more than knowledge. Neither time did I exit on the last day of class having been impacted in a way that has left me with some greater emotion. The type of emotion which can only be elicited by an instructor who has shared some vital life experience and can therefore relate to me on a personal level and with whom I can relate to on that same level.
I disagree with the fact that technology will indeed replace the role of a teacher or a classroom. It is important that the role of a teacher is to guide, evaluate your skills and certain teach in a way that technology will not be able to do so.
although I disagree with the fact technology will completely replace the use of teachers and classrooms. I can definitely see it happening since we have seen what happened with certain jobs and services. A lot of things now have been replaced by technology. It is fair to say that the job is not 100% well done with technology but since it saves companies money and consumers find it more convenient, most people go along with it. These are the reasons why I can see it happening in the future
Children deserve to be taught in an environment conducive to learning. By this, I refer to an environment in which the students are actively engaged and involved in the classroom. One in which student participation and creativity is encouraged more so than that of the teacher. Child centered learning is key to student success, especially in foreign language. Planning is still absolutely necessary, as is teacher instruction, but I think instruction should be kept to a minimum, with grammar points having allocated the largest amount of time during instruction. Students need to be given the reigns over the classroom and a role of leadership during discussion and for curriculum creation. Of course they should be unaware of the former, but through their actions, likes and dislikes, the teacher should form some sort of guide as to where the classroom will be headed and how they will get there.
Teachers must allow students to have as much creative and artistic control as possible so as to stay true to the creative processes of the students. Allowing students to actively engage and learn through the context of their own creative bubble is key, rather than forcing students to learn in a box. One great way to promote this natural learning process is through project based learning, in which students are given an overarching question to answer, for example, "what was the Western world's/US involvement in the Bolivian water crisis. Students can answer this question through essay, interview, satirical video, music video, hands on research, etc. The point is, it's up to the student how they want to attack this important question and obviously for high schoolers we would do something more age appropriate.
Obviously, projects can't always fit in so nicely during the course of foreign language curriculum. If we were learning about something as concrete as the subjunctive tense or impersonal A, it wouldn't be so easy to incorporate a question to be asked. Although we still could ask a cultural question and simply grade the response on the accuracy of the use of the grammar that had been taught. But what we also can do is involve some authentic source as we've done in the PACE model to show these grammar points in context.
We could start by showing a song which serves to show the use of the subjunctive. To further incorporate the student, we could give them a list of songs (previously discovered by us, the instructors) which also serve to show the use of the subjunctive. We then give students the choice of which song from the list they want to use to create a music video in which they can do whatever they want in a small group of course. Every time the subjunctive is used, the students are to superimpose a textbox which describes that use of the subjunctive. For example, the song says "Quiero que tu me des un beso." The students describes this as being a want, or better said, a command.
There are many ways we can incorporate the students' learning processes into the course of our curriculum, but we as teachers need to be willing to give students more artistic control over the classroom. By doing that, students will certainly be more actively engaged and at their creative peak. During this time, I believe the things they learn are much more likely to leave an impact on the students and therefore be remembered in the future.
Do you all think that giving students more artistic and creative control over projects and classroom learning would help them better learn cultural points? Can the same be said for grammar points?
If they are given all this control during projects, will they abuse the free time that would be necessary during class? And if so, what could be done to make sure students stay on task?
I think it is a good idea to have students establish and maintain more artistic control over projects during classroom learning time. I think that would allow students of all artistic ability to actually be more creative because they would be expressing an idea to a peer, who would be prohibited from negative commentary. I think with this approach it is beneficial to define peer review and feedback: both of which are not automatically negative. I do think that students retain information better when the lesson or class is memorable. In terms of grammar points, I think that with added creative elements in the classroom, the grammar instruction would be more easily understood because the classroom is actually effective. I think you bring up an important point regarding the abuse of free time. Class participation as a grade can actually eliminate this concept for most students. I think that the abuse of free time is a deterrent the student should either meet personally with the professor or should meet with an advisor. I think it is the professor's responsibility to identify a student who is abusing free time and report that appropriately. I think there should be a university guideline that states students need to adhere to classroom protocol and if free time is abused, it will be monitored and systematically acknowledged. I do agree that a more creative classroom might become a more open and receptive classroom, which creates a better environment to learn and personally develop.
I agree with you that child centered learning is one of the best means of educating foreign language students. Your thoughts on that the majority of time that is spent instructing should just be on grammar points and the rest of learning be based around the personalities of each individual student and classroom. Your thoughts on open ended assignments to answer an overarching question, I think is a very good idea and a way I hope to run my own classroom in the future. To touch upon your questions. I do think that giving students more artistic and creative control over projects and classroom learning would better help them learn cultural points because allowing for students to be creative and be in charge of their project gives them a sense of pride for their work that I think is very important if you want the students to actually take something from your lesson. As long as the teacher still has guidelines for whatever assignment it is to be centered around some cultural point. In regards to your question about free time. I think that it is very possible that less motivated students may abuse the free time given but it is just dependent on how the teacher runs the class room and makes sure that students stay on task, almost acting as an adviser.
When it comes to the use of technology in education particularly in foreign language teaching, I find it fascinating. Technology has changed the way we teach and learn foreign languages; especially in developed countries where there is ample access to the latest technology. The benefits of new technology in language learning are immense. I personally used technology as a way to test my skills or trying to find my weakness in a specific area. According to Gary Motteram who wrote an article on the benefits of new technology in language learning, he argue that digital technologies are ideally placed to help teachers working with learners, and learners working independently, to do the necessary ‘languaging’ that makes their language development possible. Motteram stresses the fact that we are talking here about doing things with language rather than just learning about language. He argues that learners can’t simply develop based on input. We must engage with other people using that language, and try to make meaning together. It is really important to stress the fact that no matter how important or useful technology is in learning new languages, it may not replace the real world experience. The fact that we have to immerse ourselves in the culture, speak with native speakers. Also, this real world experience will definitely enhance our listening and speaking skills. According to Motteram another area that technology supports very effectively is project work. According to Motteram, we have always tried to encourage learners to learn about things through language. Getting learners to do work about topics that are of interest to them, or topics that are taught in other parts of the curriculum is a great way to improve their skills. This is a technique that I used for myself. I have a great passion for international relations. By reading and watching international news in Creole, French, Spanish, and Italian, that kept my interest going in learning more and more about the language in order to understand what is being said.
I do appreciate your acknowledgement of developed nations and in the future, if technology becomes a larger part of the worldwide classroom, I think it is essential to identify the needs of developing nations. I do think that online communicating can be considered authentic interaction and real world experience. We must consider a sustainable approach to the teaching of foreign language though. I think this particular study needs to maintain itself in order to be applicable and competitive and that includes the immersion of technology into the classroom. It also means developing a standard to communicate internationally with students and faculty so that this course of study is as documented and researched as other studies. I think immersion is a key concept, which historically and typically implies a foreign experience. We could strive to create the online classroom forum as immersion.
Very true -- the use of technology such as CMC and CALL can never replace face to face interaction with NSs. That being said, Valery, how can the role of technology in language learning be improved in developing countries such as Haiti? Do you have experience in L2 learning or teaching in Haiti?
PERHAPS technology will never FULLY replace classroom learning. However, I foresee a trend in the not-so-distant future in which classroom learning is reserved for the economically privileged and where public education is carried out nearly entirely through the internet without necessitating a classroom. The parents of the generation that follows the Millennial, interestingly dubbed the Homeland Generation ("Homeland", 2014) by Strauss & Howe, will be prone to staying home with their children and "gravitating towards activities like home-schooling" ("Homeland", 2014), and although private preschool enrollment has skyrocketed ("Homeland"), only "parents with means are willing to shell out major bucks to send their kids to the best preschools ("Homeland"). Accordingly, only the wealthy and the fortunate will be able to afford private education, while all others will be have to choose between the ebbing public school systems and home-schooling, but because Generation-X mothers are blogging about "shielding children from dangers that never used to be an issue... ensuring that they never go outside unaccompanied" ("Homeland"), it is fair to predict that there will be more Homelanders home-schooled than any other of the current Turning's (see Strauss's & Howe's "The Fourth Turning" below) generations (Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials, Homelanders). This will naturally impact teaching position prospects negatively. Consequently, with less demand for teachers and more demand for CMC and CALL tools, less money will be invested into teacher training while more will be invested into further developing computerized learning tools. As a result, classroom teaching will be strictly designated for private institutions where only the affluent attend. This will, however, give way to greater methodological experimentation, and just maybe, the language teaching community will once and for all unearth the perfect language learning methodology.
Source(s): Howe, N. (2014). Introducing the Homeland Generation (Part 1 of 2). Forbes.
Strauss, William, and Neil Howe. The Fourth Turning: an American Prophecy. Broadway Books, 1998.
I am interested in the future of web-based teaching for a foreign language classroom and its efficacy if put into use. Per Lina's article, it suggests that there are actual benefits to this type of exposure for students, mainly the development of intercultural awareness and cross-cultural communication. From a student's standpoint, I do think that this type of interaction promotes an exchange that allows the student to have an independent and personal exchange with both a native speaker and their culture. Also, online forums do foster an open opportunity for dialogue and feedback that many individuals may be too hesitant to put forward in a classroom setting. I think that online forums such as blogs and podcasts allow an individual personal time in order to write consistently and offer their understanding of either culture or the foreign language.
ReplyDeleteTo reference Krashen's theory of "input hypothesis" that we can acquire language when we are exposed to a skill level that is higher than our current proficiency. I think that this theory is factual in terms of web-based teaching experiences. I think that a student, with little or no foreign travel experiences, can engage in an online forum and be able to adapt to the situation, setting, competency level and begin to acquire co-dependently an overall understanding of a different culture. I think this limited amount of exposure is even more than the individual has access to and therefore is beneficial. Also, the individual who gets involves in this type of classroom learning, will eventually learn over time and statistically speaking, the regular interaction will lead to a more adjusted cultural awareness.
Krashen's theory also comments on a student's anxiety level, defensive position and confidence. I think that an online forum, which utilizes video capability, can deter a student from hesitation to interact. I also think that a student who faces an online exchange experience can feel more confident about themselves given their capability to join and facilitate the experience. Also, a student who relies on defense mechanisms could not withstand the online forum and therefore this provides a significant environment in which a student can set and establish personal goals.
I also think that the online web-based interaction would be beneficial for adult learners of a second language. The adult learner could be introduced to this learning environment as easily as a school-aged learner and this type of learning can be categorized as a formal learning environment.
I would ask how do you integrate an adult learning into this type of learning environment? Also, I would ask if peer review and feedback are more beneficial to a student or less?
Web based learning is a concept that I think is something that has a lot of potential to be a efficient way to conduct a foreign language classroom. I agree with your thoughts that web based interaction promotes an learning experience that allows the students to have an independent and personal exchange with both a native speaker and their culture. I also agree with you that the online forums like blogs and podcasts are an efficient way to allow for students to write about/communicate what they have learned in regards to either the foreign language or culture. I had never thought of the idea that web-based learning would be a great way to lesson anxiety and make students feel more confident about themselves but that is something that I would agree with now putting more thought into it.
DeleteWeb based learning I think has potential to be a very good way for adults who decide to later on in life learn a foreign language. This is because if it's all online, adults would not have to fit a specific class lecture in their already busy schedule, they could do the assignments on their own volition. To answer your question on peer review and feedback. I think that they are very important especially in a classroom that is podcast, video based because it allows students to exchange ideas and teach each other, I think that the best way to learn something is to teach it to others.
While it is true that a highly motivated student could see quite a gain from using online resources to immerse themselves linguistically, I could see less motivated students struggling to stay engaged and to stay in the target language. But with a pen pal system like that which we saw in Professor Lee's class, I see a great use of technology to encourage kids to immerse themselves a little more in the target language.
DeleteIt may be easier to integarte adults in this environment, as there are plenty of ways to connect online that aren't always age appropriate for younger students such as dating websites and the like. Also, adults can find podcasts and other forms of entertainment which also are not always appropriate for students.
Today I am going to talk about the importance of technology in the classroom and use the new program VoiceThread as an example. VoiceThread is a audio recording technology that used for making audio recordings in the target language. In Lee's 2nd article, the author reports on a class that's curriculum was based on student's making "news stories" using pictures and animations with programs like iMovie that is then narrated using VoiceThread. Some topics were assigned by the professor and others were up to the students. The great benefit of the students being able to choose their own topics is that it gives them a sense of pride in their topics because it could be on anything that they find interesting (Like woman's rights or sports). With the news stories that each student made the other requirement was to reply to each post in a blog format. This allowed for listening comprehension and reading/writing skills.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that VoiceThread puts emphasis on speaking, listening, reading, writing, current events and academic creativity shows just how much potential technology can have on a class and it's students. If teachers educated themselves more about how technology works and how to use it; we could potentially see a whole evolution on how foreign language is taught. A question that I would like to hear others opinions on is; should universities have classes for its students pursuing degrees in foreign language education have classes on how to use technologies like VoiceThread, similar to how business schools have classes on how to use Exel?
To answer your question, I do think that universities should offer classes on how to use technologies in a foreign language classroom. I think that this instruction would promote the study of foreign language and raise its importance among academics. In a separate class, I have read articles that contested the importance of a liberal arts education. I think that the study of foreign language is important the for the American economy and society. In order to make the study of a foreign language a more competitive field of study, technology should be taught so that these students can have the same international opportunities and technological drive as others. I think that blogs are a very good addition to a foreign language classroom because it opens discussion for personal opinion and allows for personal growth. I think that if foreign language programs looked at business school models, related to technology use and using a foreign language in the workforce, that would be a good integration point.
DeleteI think that VoiceThread seems like a good approach to a foreign language classroom. This type of instruction and activity is beneficial as the student needs to be comfortable speaking out loud. Also, the application of listening to the tapes can be used for further instruction and potentially for future types of employment, as in a governmental setting.
Very interesting point you bring up, Bryce. Students studying to be teachers of second languages should be not be taught how to use programs such as VoiceThread. Learning the actual target language and the methodologies to teach it should be the main focus in university teaching courses. It should be up to the institution at which he is going to teach technological competence.
DeleteThe advents of computer mediated communication (CMC) computer-assisted language learning (CALL) offer many novel and facile ways to learn a language. No longer is classroom instruction necessary to master a second or a third language. One can now acquire fluency of a tongue by using a website that we all know: Youtube. Think about it — there are likely thousands of grammar lessons ranging from beginner to advanced for hundreds of languages; plenty of movies, music videos and illocution lessons to collect meaningful input; as well as listen-and-repeat speaking exercises. As we read in Professor Lee’s articles, there exists numerous web tools to assist in all four skills of language acquisition — listening, speaking, reading and writing. If these technologies keep improving, which they certainly are going to do, what will the role of the teacher be in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? I reckon sooner than later most jobs that we can think of will be completely mechanized and that the majority of learning (schooling) will be done at home via the internet. If this is the case, classroom learning as we know it will be obsolete and pointless. The teacher will be diminished to a mere technician that instructs the student how to utilize such technology. The only teaching that will be recognizable today will be done through the laptop much like VIPKID, which uses a flipped classroom model. Given all this, where do you see the teaching profession in the future? Those of us that are studying to be teachers, are you okay with the possible prospect of your future profession? Is there anything we can do to preserve the current teaching methods? Should we preserve the current way? Do you agree that learning a language will be (or is already) totally computer based?
ReplyDeleteI think that your opinion regarding the teaching profession is accurate and in America, this is an issue that we should pay attention to. I think that in general, in order to stay competitive and industrial as a nation (that is based on Capitalism) we should continue to invest in the profession of teaching. I think in order to avoid the actual classroom becoming obsolete, we should try to keep that the basis for education. I think that we should incorporate computer-based teaching into the classroom in order to facilitate international and diverse interaction. I think that one day computer-based activities could dominate the curriculum but those would include a teacher's instruction with a model of learning and lesson plan. I think the role of the teacher would be to facilitate international forums for students to engage in online conversations and group learning activities. I think this approach to foreign language instruction would facilitate a more stable job for teachers and future teachers, along with foreign language students.
DeleteI would have to disagree with your statement that "No longer is classroom instruction necessary to master a second or a third language". I do think that yes, it is true that YouTube is a wonderful source of materials to learn various grammar concepts and watch movies; but this is definitely not a sufficient way to "master" the language as a whole. The classroom setting allows for things like asking questions, practicing speaking in the target language and at least in my opinion the most superior way to actually absorb the information that is being taught. YouTube is more of a great resource for teachers to use to help educate their students. I am excited to be studying foreign language education at a time where we are starting to see the influence of technology in the classroom. I am also excited to see what level of technology is going to be at by the time I start teaching and where it's going to be at by the time I'm finished because I think it will only make the job easier and the education a more fun process; but it is not something that I think will be able to replace teachers.
DeleteBryce, I think you have made a good point. Technology will NEVER replace classroom learning. Despite the fact that classroom learning has its limitations, there are many advantages of having face-to-face interaction and exchange. Teacher's presence is also the key for active learning. On the other hand, digital technologies, such as synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) via videoconferencing with native speakers are very beneficial for students to "use" L2 outside the classroom.
DeleteI doubt these technologies will ever reach the point where they can accurately, 100% imitate the effect that a great classroom teacher can have on a student. The problem with these online resources is that they will only take you as far as you choose for them to take you. While the same can sometimes be said about a classroom teacher, there are things that human interaction can do to promote interest and motivation that a computer simply can't do. A teacher can share an experience such as the loss of a mother, a teacher may have been raised in a poor neighborhood with not a dime to his name, a teacher may have struggled or persisted through high school. These are things that, although not always explicitly stated, are explicitly known by students. We know that our teacher is human and shares the human experience and that alone makes a teacher more likely to be able to leave some sort of impact on us which may alter the course of our entire lives.
DeleteYes I do agree that these are some really great technologies to use as a classroom tool, but not as a curriculum. If you ever did step foot into a class which was instructed in the manner you described, where teachers merely instruct you how to utilize technology, you would see how meaningless such an environment feels. I have taken two such courses and neither time did I gain anything more than knowledge. Neither time did I exit on the last day of class having been impacted in a way that has left me with some greater emotion. The type of emotion which can only be elicited by an instructor who has shared some vital life experience and can therefore relate to me on a personal level and with whom I can relate to on that same level.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/12/28/article-1342152-0C9791B2000005DC-396_634x408.jpg
DeleteI disagree with the fact that technology will indeed replace the role of a teacher or a classroom. It is important that the role of a teacher is to guide, evaluate your skills and certain teach in a way that technology will not be able to do so.
Deletealthough I disagree with the fact technology will completely replace the use of teachers and classrooms. I can definitely see it happening since we have seen what happened with certain jobs and services. A lot of things now have been replaced by technology. It is fair to say that the job is not 100% well done with technology but since it saves companies money and consumers find it more convenient, most people go along with it. These are the reasons why I can see it happening in the future
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DeleteChildren deserve to be taught in an environment conducive to learning. By this, I refer to an environment in which the students are actively engaged and involved in the classroom. One in which student participation and creativity is encouraged more so than that of the teacher. Child centered learning is key to student success, especially in foreign language. Planning is still absolutely necessary, as is teacher instruction, but I think instruction should be kept to a minimum, with grammar points having allocated the largest amount of time during instruction. Students need to be given the reigns over the classroom and a role of leadership during discussion and for curriculum creation. Of course they should be unaware of the former, but through their actions, likes and dislikes, the teacher should form some sort of guide as to where the classroom will be headed and how they will get there.
ReplyDeleteTeachers must allow students to have as much creative and artistic control as possible so as to stay true to the creative processes of the students. Allowing students to actively engage and learn through the context of their own creative bubble is key, rather than forcing students to learn in a box. One great way to promote this natural learning process is through project based learning, in which students are given an overarching question to answer, for example, "what was the Western world's/US involvement in the Bolivian water crisis. Students can answer this question through essay, interview, satirical video, music video, hands on research, etc. The point is, it's up to the student how they want to attack this important question and obviously for high schoolers we would do something more age appropriate.
Obviously, projects can't always fit in so nicely during the course of foreign language curriculum. If we were learning about something as concrete as the subjunctive tense or impersonal A, it wouldn't be so easy to incorporate a question to be asked. Although we still could ask a cultural question and simply grade the response on the accuracy of the use of the grammar that had been taught. But what we also can do is involve some authentic source as we've done in the PACE model to show these grammar points in context.
We could start by showing a song which serves to show the use of the subjunctive. To further incorporate the student, we could give them a list of songs (previously discovered by us, the instructors) which also serve to show the use of the subjunctive. We then give students the choice of which song from the list they want to use to create a music video in which they can do whatever they want in a small group of course. Every time the subjunctive is used, the students are to superimpose a textbox which describes that use of the subjunctive. For example, the song says "Quiero que tu me des un beso." The students describes this as being a want, or better said, a command.
There are many ways we can incorporate the students' learning processes into the course of our curriculum, but we as teachers need to be willing to give students more artistic control over the classroom. By doing that, students will certainly be more actively engaged and at their creative peak. During this time, I believe the things they learn are much more likely to leave an impact on the students and therefore be remembered in the future.
Do you all think that giving students more artistic and creative control over projects and classroom learning would help them better learn cultural points? Can the same be said for grammar points?
If they are given all this control during projects, will they abuse the free time that would be necessary during class? And if so, what could be done to make sure students stay on task?
I think it is a good idea to have students establish and maintain more artistic control over projects during classroom learning time. I think that would allow students of all artistic ability to actually be more creative because they would be expressing an idea to a peer, who would be prohibited from negative commentary. I think with this approach it is beneficial to define peer review and feedback: both of which are not automatically negative. I do think that students retain information better when the lesson or class is memorable. In terms of grammar points, I think that with added creative elements in the classroom, the grammar instruction would be more easily understood because the classroom is actually effective. I think you bring up an important point regarding the abuse of free time. Class participation as a grade can actually eliminate this concept for most students. I think that the abuse of free time is a deterrent the student should either meet personally with the professor or should meet with an advisor. I think it is the professor's responsibility to identify a student who is abusing free time and report that appropriately. I think there should be a university guideline that states students need to adhere to classroom protocol and if free time is abused, it will be monitored and systematically acknowledged. I do agree that a more creative classroom might become a more open and receptive classroom, which creates a better environment to learn and personally develop.
DeleteI agree with you that child centered learning is one of the best means of educating foreign language students. Your thoughts on that the majority of time that is spent instructing should just be on grammar points and the rest of learning be based around the personalities of each individual student and classroom. Your thoughts on open ended assignments to answer an overarching question, I think is a very good idea and a way I hope to run my own classroom in the future.
DeleteTo touch upon your questions. I do think that giving students more artistic and creative control over projects and classroom learning would better help them learn cultural points because allowing for students to be creative and be in charge of their project gives them a sense of pride for their work that I think is very important if you want the students to actually take something from your lesson. As long as the teacher still has guidelines for whatever assignment it is to be centered around some cultural point. In regards to your question about free time. I think that it is very possible that less motivated students may abuse the free time given but it is just dependent on how the teacher runs the class room and makes sure that students stay on task, almost acting as an adviser.
When it comes to the use of technology in education particularly in foreign language teaching, I find it fascinating. Technology has changed the way we teach and learn foreign languages; especially in developed countries where there is ample access to the latest technology. The benefits of new technology in language learning are immense. I personally used technology as a way to test my skills or trying to find my weakness in a specific area. According to Gary Motteram who wrote an article on the benefits of new technology in language learning, he argue that digital technologies are ideally placed to help teachers working with learners, and learners working independently, to do the necessary ‘languaging’ that makes their language development possible. Motteram stresses the fact that we are talking here about doing things with language rather than just learning about language. He argues that learners can’t simply develop based on input. We must engage with other people using that language, and try to make meaning together.
ReplyDeleteIt is really important to stress the fact that no matter how important or useful technology is in learning new languages, it may not replace the real world experience. The fact that we have to immerse ourselves in the culture, speak with native speakers. Also, this real world experience will definitely enhance our listening and speaking skills. According to Motteram another area that technology supports very effectively is project work. According to Motteram, we have always tried to encourage learners to learn about things through language. Getting learners to do work about topics that are of interest to them, or topics that are taught in other parts of the curriculum is a great way to improve their skills. This is a technique that I used for myself. I have a great passion for international relations. By reading and watching international news in Creole, French, Spanish, and Italian, that kept my interest going in learning more and more about the language in order to understand what is being said.
I do appreciate your acknowledgement of developed nations and in the future, if technology becomes a larger part of the worldwide classroom, I think it is essential to identify the needs of developing nations. I do think that online communicating can be considered authentic interaction and real world experience. We must consider a sustainable approach to the teaching of foreign language though. I think this particular study needs to maintain itself in order to be applicable and competitive and that includes the immersion of technology into the classroom. It also means developing a standard to communicate internationally with students and faculty so that this course of study is as documented and researched as other studies. I think immersion is a key concept, which historically and typically implies a foreign experience. We could strive to create the online classroom forum as immersion.
DeleteVery true -- the use of technology such as CMC and CALL can never replace face to face interaction with NSs. That being said, Valery, how can the role of technology in language learning be improved in developing countries such as Haiti? Do you have experience in L2 learning or teaching in Haiti?
DeletePERHAPS technology will never FULLY replace classroom learning. However, I foresee a trend in the not-so-distant future in which classroom learning is reserved for the economically privileged and where public education is carried out nearly entirely through the internet without necessitating a classroom. The parents of the generation that follows the Millennial, interestingly dubbed the Homeland Generation ("Homeland", 2014) by Strauss & Howe, will be prone to staying home with their children and "gravitating towards activities like home-schooling" ("Homeland", 2014), and although private preschool enrollment has skyrocketed ("Homeland"), only "parents with means are willing to shell out major bucks to send their kids to the best preschools ("Homeland"). Accordingly, only the wealthy and the fortunate will be able to afford private education, while all others will be have to choose between the ebbing public school systems and home-schooling, but because Generation-X mothers are blogging about "shielding children from dangers that never used to be an issue... ensuring that they never go outside unaccompanied" ("Homeland"), it is fair to predict that there will be more Homelanders home-schooled than any other of the current Turning's (see Strauss's & Howe's "The Fourth Turning" below) generations (Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials, Homelanders). This will naturally impact teaching position prospects negatively. Consequently, with less demand for teachers and more demand for CMC and CALL tools, less money will be invested into teacher training while more will be invested into further developing computerized learning tools. As a result, classroom teaching will be strictly designated for private institutions where only the affluent attend. This will, however, give way to greater methodological experimentation, and just maybe, the language teaching community will once and for all unearth the perfect language learning methodology.
ReplyDeleteSource(s):
Howe, N. (2014). Introducing the Homeland Generation (Part 1 of 2). Forbes.
Strauss, William, and Neil Howe. The Fourth Turning: an American Prophecy. Broadway Books, 1998.
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