A quick recap:

• Learning a FL ---> intellectual, professional and personal reasons

• Advances in technology ---> English is everywhere!

• ICT tools ---> powerful ally

• What are ICT tools?

• How are they related to FL teaching/learning?

• Are prospective teachers prepared?

• What factors can be involved in the uptake?

Results of a research on the use of ICT tools in Letras Inglês programmes

Fernanda Ramos Machado

Cultura Inglesafernandarmachado@hot

mail.com

Table of Content:

• What are ICT tools? • What does the literature say?• What were my research questions?• What was the methodology adopted?• What did I find?• What are some conclusions and implication?• What can we do by ourselves and what can

we do now?

What are Information Communication Technologies?

Forms of technology that are used to transmit, store, create, display, share or exchange information by electronic means.

This broad definition of ICT includes such technologies as radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer and network hardware and software; as well as the equipment and services associated with these technologies, such as videoconferencing, e-mail and blogs. (UNESCO, 2006)

What are the new technologies associated with computer?

• Websites• Blogs• Webquests• Podcats• Wikis

• Foruns wikis• Portfolio digital• Movie maker• PowerPoint• MsWord

What does the literature say?

Potential of ICT tools: affective benefits

• Increase motivation (real communication X role play, satisfaction, mastery of technology skills)

• More engagement in the learning process• Increase confidence as become more independent learner

(Greany, 2002)• Increase interaction (student-student, student-teacher)• Help them learn the material• Improve the quality of their work

(Lowerison et al, 2006)

• Offer a more anxiety-free environment, specially for communication

(Young, 2003)

Potential of ICT tools: linguistic benefits

• Writing skills (more complex sentences and language functions, fluidity, accuracy, grammar, vocabulary and disclosure)

• Reading skills (comprehension)• Oral skills (pronunciation) • Listening skills (understand more, identify different accents)

(Beauvois, 1998; Conole, 2008; Brandl, 2002; Goanzales Bueno, 1998; Machado, unpublished)

What factors can influence on the uptake of ICT tools?

• Lack of training, • Problems in infra-

structure, • Poor technical

assistance, and• participation from

school administration members and teachers

And still: Beliefs!

“most research on computers has concentrated on another set of attitudinal dimensions, often neglecting to explore the issues related to personal beliefs and self-confidence which may lead to these attitudes”

(Levine & Donitsa-Schimidt, 1998)

Beliefs teaching practicesInfluence learning practices

- guide and be guided by action- change as experience new things- socially constructed

Research Questions:1) Do professors of Letras Inglês programmes make

use of ICT tools in the courses they teach? If so, which ICT tools do they use?

2) What beliefs do students and professors of Letras Inglês programmes have towards the use and integration of ICT tools in these programmes?

3) What is the relationship between the use of ICT tools in Letras Inglês programmes and the beliefs of professors and students towards this use?

Methodology:Context: Letras Inglês programes of

UFSC, UFMG and UFRJParticipants:Students 48 (43 UFSC; 5 UFRJ)Professors 9 (5 UFSC; 3 UFMG; 1 UFRJ) Instruments:- Online open-ended questionnaire (48;

9)- Online semi-structured interview (6; 3)- Self-report (1; 2)

Data analysis:

A long and careful process of reflection, subjective interpretation and construction of meanings (Allwright & Bailey, 1991; Dörnyei, 2007) from the triangulation of data.

- identification of ICT tools - identification and categorization of beliefs- comparison between beliefs X reported

use

What did I find?Yes, professors use some ICT tools.

ICT tools UFSC

E-mail 5

Websites 3

Software (ppt; wordsfast; hotpotato; W media player; Audacity)

3

Discussion groups 2

CD-ROMs 2

DVDs/DVD players/ videotapes/television

2

CDs/CD players 2

Voice recording equipments (Lang. Lab)

1

Videos from YouTube 1

Total: 9

With what purposes?Email: • general communication with students • solving doubts about the discipline • posting of material • out of class discussion of theoretical issues • practice writing

Websites:• to advise student in academic writing • present information about academic writing • introduce students to academic papers available online • teach students to evaluate the trustfulness of websites

Software:• students recordings and practice of perception • present the subject being taught • create activities to assist students with conjunctions,

transitions, punctuation

Discussion Groups:• to point important issues to be studied • discuss the order of presentations and next activities with

students

CD-ROMs:• practice listening • present material in classrooms without internet connection

DVDs:• illustrate the content of the discipline allowing to make

relations

CDs:• practice listening

What about the beliefs?

Overall, both students and professors hold predominantly positive beliefs towards the

reported use of ICT tools in the course.

Categories Professors’ beliefs

Complement learning Facilitate collaborative construction of knowledge (DG)

Complement teaching Optimize explanation of content with visual aid (software)

Enhance linguistic skills

Help to improve listening (DVD)

Interaction Asynchronous interaction between professorXstudent at best time and place (DG)

Motivate learning Can be motivating for students (website)

Access to information Good source for research (website)

Categories Students’ beliefs

Complement learning Adapt to students with different learning styles (DG); allow students to go deeper in the content (websites)

Contact with authentic language

Favour the use of the target language in real situations (e-mail, DG)

Enhance linguistic skills

Assist in the perception of sounds and intonation of words (CD-ROMs)

Interaction Allow closer contact between studentsXstudents and studentsXprofessors (DG)

Motivate learning Students get more interested and involved in his own learning process (DVD)

Access to information Provide a lot of information and material (website)

What about the relation between ICT use and belief?

Good degree of coherence between what they say they do and what they believe.

Reported use of ICT tools

Beliefs

P4:DG to complement the course

Facilitate collaborative construction of knowledge

S19: websites suggested by professor

Allow going deeper in the content

Some Conclusions:

- ICT tools are being used- Mostly positive beliefs towards the use- Negative beliefs mostly related to limitations- Good degree of coherence- Mostly simple ICT for linguistic skills- Should be explored more during the

programmes- Courses on language teaching and learning with ICT- Educate professors on the use of ICT

Pedagogical Implications:Students claimed that professors use only the more simple tools

(DVDs, CDs, CD-ROMs and recording equipment from the language lab) to help students develop their linguistic skills.

The same students also stated that the internet is an endless plethora of possibilities and that they use it all the time to practice pronunciation and improve vocabulary, listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.

In the face of this, professors may wish to learn more about their students’ out of class use of ICT tools and try to bring those experiences to the language classroom.

What can we do by ourselves?

“Be the change you want to see in the world”

(Gandhi)

- Keep committed to education- Keep motivated and motivate the ones

around you- Share knowledge- Learn about new technologies by ourselves,

by talking to peers, with our students, participating in events, reading about the subject

What can we do NOW?

• Brainstorming of ICT tools and how they can be used to improve linguistic skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing).

“Não é no silêncio que os homens se fazem, mas na

palavra, no trabalho, na ação-reflexão”

Paulo Freire