Reflections on Language Learning and Technology 2

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Messaging, Gaming, Peer-to-Peer Sharing: Language Learning Strategies & Tools for the Millennial Generation

Summary

Instant Messaging and Mobile Communication

Instant messaging (IM) is a good form of communication. Nowadays we have AIM in the United States ; and in the rest of the world, MSN .It has particular language usages, for example short utterances and the use of abbreviations; that is why that IM provides informal conversations. Many IM programs also support audio exchanges and video as well. Many language instructors are sending their students out to find IM partners, because they recognize that it is a very useful tool for learning.

The use of mobile phones, by way of short message service (SMS) is also a support of language learning. In Europe, the EU has funded a major initiative called m-learning which uses mobile phones to reach young adults who have not done well in traditional learning environments. The purpose is that they can engage young learners when they can do it (a time and a place away from formal institutional setting), but it has to be related to their preferences. The m-learning has incorporated a learning management system and speech/text tools. Some projects of m-learning are a Finish language learning program of grammar and pronunciation and Java-based review exercises. Another use of the mobile phone is called moblogging or mobile blogging; it is about that you can post to a blog from a digital camera, PDA, or cell phone.

Peer-to-Peer Networking and the iPod Phenomenon

The initial popularity of the iPod was due to peer-to-peer (P2P) networks (FastTrack, Gnutella, Bittorrent). It is used as a means to find and exchange resources and for helping in improving pronunciation. Since 2001 iPods have additional capabilities like personal calendars, games, and notes. The language teachers are very interested in the notes function.

Gaming
Educators are very interesting in gaming because it consumes a lot of time of young people. Some researches that are studying this phenomenon have found some surprises.

Constance Steinkuehler discovered that multiplayer online games are a good way for socialization, enculturation ,and learning because it provides for example identity work and rich meaning-making.
Rebecca Black has observed some participants in a Web community about animé fans, and she has discovered that through this site, there is a good deal of reading and writing. In this site the participants have to create a “fanfiction”. The stories have Japanese or Chinese backgrounds, but they have to be written in English by non-natives. Black argues that this kind of website can be helpful for adolescents-especially marginalized people- owing to that they construct and develop community, and it is a good way for self-improving .
Some games used for language instructors are: SIM COPTER that is a basis for giving directions and writing and Zip and Terry designed to teach children English.

Reflection

These kinds of technologies are very useful for our students because we have to recognize that they know more about these topics.

I agree with the use of msn and mobile phone for learning a language due to the fact that the students feel more comfortable when they talk to a foreigner than with a teacher in a regular class, but we have to be very careful about the use of this method because on the web there are dangerous people .

The iPods are another good for teaching , but we have to know that this kind of technology is very expensive in countries such as Chile.

From my point of view , the games are the best way for learning a foreign language due to the fact that they are cheap , entertaining , and dynamic. A part from that, they provide socialization, enculturation ,and the most important thing: self-improving; but we have to be careful about the time that the adolescents spend on those type of activities.

Chiquillos' Blogs

Sue: http://susanachileteach.blogspot.com/
Pamela: http://pamelachileteach.blogspot.com/
Francisco H: http://fhauyon.blogspot.com/
Carolina: http://carolinateachings.blogspot.com/
Abbie: http://abbielucay.blogspot.com/
Claudio: http://floricuervo.blogspot.com/
Pilar: http://ewusemester.blogspot.com/
Francisco: http://learninginthestates.blogspot.com/
Paulina: http://pauinewu.blogspot.com/
Nina: http://learningfaraway.blogspot.com/
JC: http://juankspace.blogspot.com/
Marian: http://marianelace.blogspot.com/
Felipe: http://studyinginewu.blogspot.com/
Sandra: http://sandrainus.blogspot.com/

Group Activity (Salaberry)

Overhead projector for 4th grade, secondary school

Me can show different pictures to them about famous people, and they have to describe them.

We can make a karaoke activity, where can show them the lyric of a song trough the overhead projector.

We can show them different pictures and they have to create a story.

We can use pictures as a support for what are you telling them in order that they can understand what you are saying.

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Dorm phonics Technique Activity

It's kind of hard to think of an activity that can be meaningful for 2 Graders of Secondary school.

We decided to make the students getting relaxed with relaxing music and with their eyes closed. While they are with their eyes closed the teacher has to start speaking about a topic for example: "imagine you are in the beach, it is a sunny day and so on..." When they open their eyes, the teacher has to ask the students to write an essay about how they felt during the activity.

************************************************************************************* Telephone

Through TELEPHONE we can encourage students to practice their speaking and listening comprehension, making them to work in pair in order to improve their speaking and listening performance focused on producing a cohesive and coherent oral discourse.

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Radio Broadcast for 8th GRADE ELEMENTARY (IN CHILE)

The idea of this activity is to create something for the students using radio broadcast.The idea is a radio show in which students have to give the schudele for the week, and they can choose a topic for developing, specially related to braaking news and things that can be interesting for everyone. It is not marked, because each group has to present one a week (monday), and is has to be presented for the class, not for the school (students could feel ashamed)

Labor Day, holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September to honor the laborer.In most other countries–and among the leftists in the United States and Canada–May Day (May 1) is celebrated instead.

Why is Labor Day celebrated on September 1st in the US?

http://usa.usembassy.de/holidays-labor.htm
http://wilstar.com/holydays/laborday.htm

Main characteristics of this day (at least 4)

http://dol.gov/opa/aboutdo/laborday.htm
http://labor-day-weekend.com/labor-day-history.htm
http://wilstar.com/holydays/laborday.htm

When did this celebration start?
http://usinfo.pl/aboutusa/holidays/labor.htm

Reflections on Language Learning and Technology

The Internet as a Glocal Discourse Environment
A commentary on “Second Language Socialization in a Bilingual Chat Room” by Wan Shun Eva Lam and “Second Language Cyberhetoric : A study of Chinese L2 writers in an Online Usenet Group “by Joel Bloch

Summary

This article provides the most important aspects of Internet:

The Internet as an informal learning environment for English as L2: In Lam´s contribution , two students improve their English through extensive participation in a chat room with other Chinese from various parts of the world. The language used in the chat room is a hybrid vernacular variety that has little connection with the language used in schools. As we know Internet offers a potential for language socialization and language learning. For this reason it gives the immigrants an opportunity of language socialization in a less stifling environment than that of the school.

The Internet as an identity forming discursive space: Through Internet Immigrants have the opportunity to express themselves, and engage in a dialogue with a global audience. In the two articles ,young Chinese immigrants learning English as a second language are in the process of constructing their individual and collective identities through Internet , because it provides the opportunity to take part of a virtual community for language practices , socialization, and for building identities.

A global-local dialectic: The concept of “glocal” is a mixture between the words “global” and “local” , and it is a descriptive term for what is happening in the world today. Robertson has coined the term “glocalization”, which he describes as “the universalization of the particular and the particularization of the universal”, with the local appropriating elements of the global which are of use, while employing at the same time strategies to retain its identity.


Reflection

As we saw in this article, the use of Internet is increasing . It is is shown as a tool that can change everything because it gives us the opportunity to be in contact not only with our relatives, but also with people from another country; for this reason we can say that it can help us to preserve our heritage due to the fact that we can take part of a virtual community when we are far away from home.

Apart from that, it is also important the term “glocalization” because it is clear that the world is changing, nowadays we can have products of another country, especially from China; that is why that we are interesting in knowing this new culture , in fact we acquire some aspects of it but without losing our original roots.

From my point of view as a prospective English teacher , Internet has a huge value because as I wrote before, it can be a support for us due to the fact that the students prefer having classes more technological , for example using the chat rooms, blogs, chatter bots, etc.; because they feel more comfortable and motivated to learn a second language. Apart from that they can socialize with other people and have fun.

Technology

Technology has three different approaches: Technofile (people tihnk that technology is magic), Instrumental (they consider texhnology as a tool), and Critical ( who think that technology creates a new environment). Apart from that, Technology can help us to learn more easily, and finally it produces globalization.

My goal for this class

Conditions for Optimal Language

www.britishcouncil.org/kids.htm

Interaction : In this website there is no interaction because you can only play games, listen to a song and practice your listening, etc.; but you can not share what you have learned with other students through this website.

Authentic Audience: You can not appreciate authentic audience in this website due to the fact that there is no anybody to listen to you , the only person that is allowed to do it is the teacher that is guiding you to do the activities , but it is a just a little help.

Meaningful activities-student: All the activities are very meaningful for kids and teenagers owing to the fact that they are very interesting, entertaining and useful, because through a song you can put in practice your listening, reading for every son has its letter, grammar cause this website can help you to be more accurate, and you can add a lot of vocabulary. But it is not all, apart from that, you can have fun!

Exposure to varieties of language: The students are exposed to a lot of different kind of activities to learn English and to improve it. You can find out English through a song, a game , a story , a picture, etc.

Right amount of time: All the activities are designed for kids and teenager that is why that they have to be short in order that the students do not get bored.

Feedback: It has some quizzes in which you can receive the correct answer for each question.

Use of styles: this website is especially for people who prefer listening and watching.

Use of personalities: through this website shy students can improve their English skills like extrovert people, because they do not have to interact with classmates and the teacher , for this reason they feel more comfortable.

Motivation: this website is a good tool to help the teacher to make the class more dynamic and interesting for the student due to the fact that it has many topics for every student , for example sports, food, animals, cloths, etc.

Student-centered: All the activities are centered in the students because the teacher is only a guide who helps them when they have a doubt about something related to this website.

Teacher support: As I said before the teacher is only a guide .

Multimodality: You can show information related to the English topics through songs, games and pictures. It is a good way to change the routine where the teacher only speaks in a regular class.

Comfortable Environment: this website has everything to have a nice environment because nobody is putting you under pressure to answer a question , or makes you to do a boring workshop; for the contrary you can work by yourself in a class or at home.

To integrate the Skills: It integrate listening, reading, grammar , and writing (because I found it today)skills. There are no opportunities to develop speaking because there are no activities to do it.

Clear Objectives: I would recommend that the teacher has to give the objectives before starting the class in order that the students can focus on one topic, but the website present the objectives clearly.

The Blogs

The bloggs are a wonderful way to teach, especially for teenagers because they love everythig about tecnology. These tools are very useful due to the fact that you can make your typical class