English Pedagogy3
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Video and young learners 1 Lynn Gallacher, British Council This first article will give an introduction to some of the issues surrounding video with young learners. It will discuss the benefits but also the potential drawbacks of using video, the different roles video can take and then present criteria for selecting videos. Some ideas for the kinds of video suitable for young learners are also given. . The second article 'Using video in the Classroom' will take a look at pre-viewing, while-viewing and post-viewing video activities and will be supported by 3 lesson plans illustrating these activities. * What are the benefits of using video in the classroom * Drawbacks * Role of video * Criteria for selecting video * Video types * Further reading and bibliography What are the benefits of using video in the classroom? Learners aged 3 - 8 * Children enjoy language learning with video * 'One of the aims of teaching English to young children is to instil in them the idea that language learning is a happy experience, and video creates an attractive enjoyable learning environment.' Tomalin (1991: 48) * Video is an effective way of studying body language * Younger language learners are still learning about the world around them. * Children gain confidence through repetition * Young children love to hear stories again and again and the same goes for video. By watching a video several times children can learn by absorption and imitation. All Young Learners * Video communicates meaning better than other media * Video presents language in context in ways that a cassette can't. Learners can see who's (or what's!) speaking, where the speakers are, what they're doing, etc. All these visual clues can help comprehension * Video represents a positive exploitation of technology * Teenagers, in particular, have a positive attitude towards television and video. It is seen as being 'modern' compared to books Top of page Drawbacks There are however a couple of potential pitfalls that teachers should watch out for. * Passivity Children are used to passively watching TV at home on the sofa. Teachers should try to avoid learners 'switching off' in class when the video is switched on by providing stimulating activities where the child can interact with and learn from the video. * Parents This is linked to the above. Some parents may get annoyed when hearing their child has spent the class watching the TV 'as they can do that at home.' This can be prevented by ensuring that time actually watching the video is kept to a minimum and also by the children having something concrete to show to parents connected to the video: a worksheet, picture etc. Top of page Role of video Once the decision has been made to use a video in class, thought should be given as to what purpose the video is being used for i.e. the role of the video. The way the video is used and the materials prepared for use with the video will depend on the role the video is to take. Below are four possible roles for video. ( Adapted from Willis' 6 roles for video 1983: 45) * Developing listening skills Listening for global understanding, listening for detail.
Transcript of English Pedagogy3
Video and young learners 1Lynn Gallacher, British Council
This first article will give an introduction to some of the issues surrounding video with young learners. It will discuss the benefits but also the potential drawbacks of using video, the different roles video can take and then present criteria for selecting videos. Some ideas for the kinds of video suitable for young learners are also given..The second article 'Using video in the Classroom' will take a look at pre-viewing, while-viewing and post-viewing video activities and will be supported by 3 lesson plans illustrating these activities.
* What are the benefits of using video in the classroom
* Drawbacks
* Role of video
* Criteria for selecting video
* Video types
* Further reading and bibliography
What are the benefits of using video in the classroom?
Learners aged 3 - 8
* Children enjoy language learning with video
* 'One of the aims of teaching English to young children is to instil in them the idea that language learning is a happy experience, and video creates an attractive enjoyable learning environment.' Tomalin (1991: 48)
* Video is an effective way of studying body language
* Younger language learners are still learning about the world around them.
* Children gain confidence through repetition
* Young children love to hear stories again and again and the same goes for video. By watching a video several times children can learn by absorption and imitation.
All Young Learners
* Video communicates meaning better than other media
* Video presents language in context in ways that a cassette can't. Learners can see who's (or what's!) speaking, where the speakers are, what they're doing, etc. All these visual clues can help comprehension
* Video represents a positive exploitation of technology
* Teenagers, in particular, have a positive attitude towards television and video. It is seen as being 'modern' compared to books
Top of pageDrawbacksThere are however a couple of potential pitfalls that teachers should watch out for.
* PassivityChildren are used to passively watching TV at home on the sofa. Teachers should try to avoid learners 'switching off' in class when the video is switched on by providing stimulating activities where the child can interact with and learn from the video.
* ParentsThis is linked to the above. Some parents may get annoyed when hearing their child has spent the class watching the TV 'as they can do that at home.' This can be prevented by ensuring that time actually watching the video is kept to a minimum and also by the children having something concrete to show to parents connected to the video: a worksheet, picture etc.
Top of pageRole of videoOnce the decision has been made to use a video in class, thought should be given as to what purpose the video is being used for i.e. the role of the video. The way the video is used and the materials prepared for use with the video will depend on the role the video is to take. Below are four possible roles for
video. ( Adapted from Willis' 6 roles for video 1983: 45)
* Developing listening skillsListening for global understanding, listening for detail.
* To provide information To provide content relevant to students' needs and interests.
* Presenting or reinforcing languageGrammar, vocabulary, functions.
* Stimulating language productionVideo used as a basis for discussion, a model for learners to follow, a visual aid.
A scheme of work using a video sequence may, however, encompass more than 1 of these roles. Learners may watch a video to find out information about, for example, a famous person. The same lesson may also include work on developing listening skills to enable learners to extract the relevant information. It could then could be used to develop vocabulary on the topic of 'lives'.
Top of pageCriteria for selecting video When selecting an authentic video for use in the classroom certain general criteria should be kept in mind.
* WatchabilityIs the video interesting? Would a young native speaker want to watch this video?
* CompletenessTomalin (1991: 50) 'The ideal video clip…… tells a complete story or section of a story'. This idea of completeness is important for young learners whose primary motivation for watching a video is enjoyment.
* LengthThe length of the clip is important, it shouldn't be too long, perhaps between 30 seconds and 10 minutes depending on the learning objective.
* Appropriateness of ContentThe content should be suitable for Young Learners. How has the video been rated; 'Universal', 'Parental Guidance', for ages '13'or '18'? Would the video be suitable for viewing in all cultures?
* Level of maturityChildren mature very quickly so a group of 7 year olds watching a video made for 5 year olds would probably regard it as 'too babyish'. On the other hand using a video intended for older children with a group of younger children might lead to the children not being able to understand the concepts in the video.
* Availability of Related MaterialsMany authentic videos now come with ready made materials that can be used for language teaching (Wallace and Grommit, the 'Speak Up' series of films in Spain.) Other videos may have been adapted from books, which could be used in the classroom to support the video. (The 'Spot' series and Eric Carlyle stories such as 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'.
If, however, the video is being used for presenting language or for comprehension tasks there are further factors which should be considered when selecting a video.
* Degree of visual supportA good idea is to choose scenes that are very visual. The more visual a video is, the easier it is to understand - as long as the pictures illustrate what is being said.
* Clarity of picture and soundIf the video has been copied from the television it is important to make sure both the picture and sound are clear.
* Density of languageThis refers to the amount of language spoken in a particular time. Videos where the language is dense are more difficult for learners to comprehend.
* Speech delivery'Clarity of speech, speech rate and accents are all factors in determining how difficult a video excerpt will be for students to comprehend.' Arcario (Undated: 115)
* Language content'In using video to present language, an important factor to consider is the linguistic items (particular grammatical structures, language functions, or colloquial expressions) presented in the scene.' Arcario (Undated: 116)
Another important factor is the amount of repetition of the language content. Authentic videos for young learners will often contain a lot of repetition.It is also useful to see if the linguistic content in the video can be linked to that of the language curriculum or the course book thus providing a way to integrate video work into the course as a whole.
* Language levelThe language level of the video should be appropriate for the level of the class without the teacher having to explain too much.
Top of pageVideo types
* Animation/cartoonsSpider, Spot, Pingu, Mr Ben, Eric Carlyle stories, Wallace and Gromit series.
* Educational programmesTV Documentaries made for children about science/nature etc, Dinosaurs series, The Blue Planet
* TV advertisements
* MusicProgrammes about musicians, video clips
* DramaTV series/soaps for young people (especially good for seeing life in Britain, maybe not so easy to understand!)
Top of pageFurther ReadingCooper R & M Lavery & M Rinvolucri Video Oxford: OUP
(1991)
BibliographyAllan M (1985) Teaching English with Video London: Longman
Longeran J (1984) Video in Language Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Stempleski S & P Arcario (undated) Video in Second Language Teaching and Learning TESOL Inc
Tomalin B (undated) 'Teaching young children with video' in Stempleski S & Arcario P (eds
Video and young learners 2Lynn Gallacher, British Council
The way the video is used and the materials prepared for use with the video will depend on the role the video is to take. Issues such as this are discussed in Video and young learners 1. This second article concentrates on classroom activities. In the Try Resources section there are sample lesson plans which relate to these activities.
Current thinking on video in the classroom advocates an integrated approach, not simply using the video in isolation but within a sequence of tasks: Pre-viewing, while viewing and post viewing, always depending on the role chosen for the video. If for example, the video is used only as a stimulus, a pre-viewing stage would not be necessary. Below are suggested activities for the three stages.
* Pre-viewing
* While viewing
* Post viewing
* Further reading and bibliography
Many of the following activities are linked to the video lessons in the Try Resources section.
* Video lesson 1
* Video lesson 2
* Video lesson 3
Pre-viewingAny pre-viewing activity will be associated with developing learners' comprehension strategies. Native speakers use many strategies to aid comprehension and these strategies can also be applied to learning a second language.
* Activities
* Tell learners they are going to watch/listen to a story/advert/news report about.... What do they expect to hear and see?
* Class discussion about video topic. (See video lesson 3)
* Learners do quiz on topic of video. The quiz could be True/False or open-ended questions. (See video lesson 2)
* Give learners two minutes to brainstorm vocabulary connected to topic (See video lesson 2)
* Learners put written summary of video in order
* Learners watch video with sound off, then guess topic and content
* Learners read story/news article connected to video topic
* STORIES: Using flashcards of story - Ask learners if they can guess what happens in story. Flashcards need only be quick line drawings done on A4 card or even paper. (See video lesson 1)
* STORIES: Learners predict story by numbering pictures from story on worksheet. To make the worksheet draw basic pictures illustrating main ideas of the story on paper. Make sure they are in a different order to the order they appear in the story.
Top of page
While viewingIn most cases you will want the learners to watch the video or video extract more than once. The aims for watching the video for the first time and further times will probably be different.Tasks completed while viewing a video for the first time are commonly associated with developing listening skills and in particular listening for global understanding.Activities for a second or third viewing are often associated with providing information (to provide content relevant to students' needs and interests.) and presenting or reinforcing language (grammar, vocabulary, functions).
* Activities
* Developing listening skills
* Learners watch video to confirm predictions made in pre -viewing activity (See video lessons 1+2)
* Learners answer comprehension questions
* Teacher stops video and asks learners to predict continuation
* Providing information
* Learners make notes about content which will be used in post-viewing activity. This could be information they have heard or information they have seen. (See video lesson 3)
* Presenting or reinforcing language
* Learners listen for specific pre-taught vocabulary. 6-8 vocabulary items would be enough. Learners say stop when they hear the vocabulary. (See video lesson 1)
* Learners listen for examples of grammatical structures and note them down. (See video lessons 2+3)
* Learners participate in telling story along with video. This could be used after a video has been watched a few times. The learners are given a character in the story and the sound is turned down at various points. The learners try to say the words.
Top of page
Post viewingPost viewing activities are often connected to the idea of using language that came from the video or the video could simply have been used as a stimulus and the post viewing tasks are not connected in anyway to language found in the video.
* Activities
* Using language
* Learners read story/news report and compare it with video
* Learners act out/record own version of video (See video lesson 1)
* Learners write similar dialogues to one they heard on the video
* Project work
* Make posters/wall displays (See video lesson 2)
* Use Internet to find out more information about topic (See TRY video lesson 2)
* Craft work
* Draw characters from story (See video lesson 1)
* Make book based on story (See video lesson 1)
* Stimulus
* Learners discuss aspect of video
* Learners describe people in video.
* Learners decide how old people in video are.
* Learners vote on ugliest/best looking person
Top of pageFurther ReadingCooper R & M Lavery & M Rinvolucri Video Oxford: OUP
(1991)
BibliographyAllan M (1985) Teaching English with Video London: Longman
Longeran J (1984) Video in Language Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Stempleski S & P Arcario (undated) Video in Second Language Teaching and Learning TESOL Inc
Tomalin B (undated) 'Teaching young children with video' in Stempleski S & Arcario P (eds
Video lesson 1Lynn Gallacher, British Council
Topic: Animated stories
AimsGlobal understanding of videoPresentation of languageTo give learners an opportunity to use language from video in a creative context
Age: 5 - 10 year olds
Level: Elementary
IntroductionThere are lots of animated videos for native speakers of English. Many will have an educational aspect as well as providing entertainment and will often aim to 'teach' children something. Common topics are; family, school, friends etc. These can be easily adapted for teaching language to non-native speakers.
MaterialsVideo - any animated story video: Spot, Spider, (I used the Eric Carle story The Very Hungry Caterpillar5/6 Flashcards of story illustrating main points
Procedure
* Pre-viewing
* Tell learners they're going to watch a story.
* Show flashcards, invite children to use existing vocabulary to describe them.
* Put them on board mixed up. Ask learners to predict the order and put them on board in that order. (There are no wrong answers at this stage.)
* While-viewing
* First viewing: Global understanding - Learners watch video and after it's finished check order of flashcards on board. Change if necessary.
* Second viewing: Presentation of language - Identify a language point (probably vocabulary) from the story. Teacher stops video at relevant point and asks questions OR Tells learners to listen for words connected to topic and say STOP when they hear one.
* Post-viewing
* Learners make a story book based on video
* Learners act out the story
* Craft work -make something connected to story - picture, puppet etc.
* Learners do further work on language point presented.
Related
Think - Article - Video and young learners
Video lesson 2Lynn Gallacher, British Council
Topic: Documentary programmes
Aims
To provide information relevant to interests of students for use in post -video workTo present/reinforce languageTo give learners an opportunity to use language from video
Age: 11 - 14 year olds
Level: Intermediate
IntroductionThis is the age when children are very interested in finding out about topics such as space, ancient history and dinosaurs.
Materials: Video - Any short factual programme or extract from one. There are lots on CBBC - Take a look at What's on? (I used the very beginning of the TV series Walking with Dinosaurs.)
Procedure
* Pre-viewing
* Learners do True/ False quiz on topic
* Learners have 3 minutes to write down words they know in English on topic.
* While-viewing
* Learners watch video and check answers to quiz.
* Identify a language point from the video: - numbers, past tenses, comparatives. Ask learners to note down any they hear.
* Post-viewing
* Learners make posters on topic.
* Learners do project work on topic using magazines/internet
* Learners do further work on language point introduced.
Related
Think - Article - Video and young learners
Video lesson 3Lynn Gallacher, British Council
Topic: TV Adverts
AimsListening for global comprehensionSpeaking , language of descriptionPresentation of language
Age: 14 upwards
Level: Intermediate upwards
IntroductionJigsaw viewingThis is based on the idea that student partners are only given half the complete information i.e. one learner only watches the video and the partner only listens to it. In order to recreate the complete advert, they will need to share their information
Materials: Video - Any TV advert
Procedure
* Pre-viewing
* Discussion about advertising. Are there too many adverts on TV. Would you rather pay than watch adverts? What do you do when the adverts come on? Have you ever wanted anything because you saw it on a an advert. Any favourite adverts on TV at the moment?
* While-viewing
* Divide class into 2 groups. 1 group will watch the video with the sound off and then the second group will listen to the advert with the picture covered. . Ideally the group that is not watching or listening should be sent out of the room. Where this is not possible however, students not watching or listening should turn their chairs round and face the back of the classroom.
* Group 1.Watch the video with no sound. Note down ideas what the advert is for. Compare answers in pairs.
* Group 2Listen to the advert with picture covered. Note down any information about the video .i.e. what's being advertised. Compare answers in pairs. (If Group 1 are still in the room they should at this stage be comparing answers and therefore not paying attention to the sound.)
* Group 1Watch video for a second time trying to imagine what's being said. In pairs after the video has finished give learners 10 minutes to try and write a dialogue for the advert.
* Group 2Listen to the advert for a second time. Try to visualise the images. In pairs, after the video has finished give learners 10 minutes to note down any images they think would fit what they heard either writing or drawing.
* The learners now work in different pairs - 1 from group 1 and 1 from group 2. They explain what they visualised or the imagined dialogue. Their partner tells them if the ideas were similar to the advert.
* Both groups watch advert with sound and pictures.
* Identify language point from video - adjectives, superlatives.Learners note down any they hear.
* Post-viewing
* Learners make storyboard for an advert.
* Do further work on language point e.g. make posters of positive /negative adjectives.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/resources/video_young2.shtml
Teaching technologies: teaching English using video
Author: Mark McKinnon
Type: reference material
An article offering advice and suggestions on how to teach English using video.
Video is a valuable and possibly underused classroom tool. There is always the temptation to simply put a video on at the end of term and let our students watch a film without even challenging them to be actively involved.
Video as a listening tool can enhance the listening experience for our students. We very rarely hear a disembodied voice in real life but as teachers we constantly ask our students to work with recorded conversations of people they never see. This is often necessary in the limited confines of the language school and sometimes justifiable, for example, when we give students telephone practice. However, we can add a whole new dimension to aural practice in the classroom by using video. The setting, action, emotions, gestures, etc, that our students can observe in a video clip, provide an important visual stimulus for language production and practice.
There are many things we can do with these clips. Here I would like to demonstrate a wide variety of them. These lesson plans refer to specific films which have been released recently, however, they could be adapted for use with a similar scene in a different film depending on availability. In the following lessons I have tried not to concentrate too much on specific dialogue that students may not be able to pick up, this allows lower level students to be creative in the classroom using video as a stepping stone to fun and communicative activities.
The activities involve pre-viewing, while-viewing and post-viewing tasks.
Split viewing
Some students see and hear a sequence; others only hear it. A variety of activities can then follow based on an information-gap procedure. In this particular lesson those students who see and hear the clip from Pearl Harbour are eyewitnesses to the dramatic event, the others are journalists working for a radio station who have to conduct a live interview. Students are not asked to pay attention to any specific dialogue but relay their experience of the scene they have just witnessed to a horrified public. This is particularly good for past tenses and intermediate levels.
Download the Split Viewing lesson at the bottom of the page.
Vision on/ Sound off
Students view a scene with the sound turned off. They then predict the content of the scene, write their own script and perform it while standing next to the television. After the performances students watch the scene with the sound on and decide which group was the funniest or the nearest to the original. This is a good fun exercise. In this particular emotionally charged scene from High Fidelity, three people who work in a record shop have an argument. It is very graphic with plenty of gestures to stimulate the imagination. Good for intermediate levels.
Download the vision on/sound off lesson at the bottom of the page.
Observe and write
Students view a scene (this always works better if there is a lot happening) then write a newspaper article on what they have witnessed. This lesson is based on the fight scene from Bridget Jones’s Diary, students work for a local newspaper and have to write an article on a fight between two men over a beautiful, young girl. Pre-viewing and while-viewing tasks allow them to work on new vocabulary, while the post-viewing task gives them plenty of practice on past tenses. Good for intermediate levels.
Download the observe and write lesson at the bottom of the page.
Video dictogloss
This follows the dictogloss method of dictation and can easily be adapted to video. Students watch the scene a few times and write the main words and short phrases that a particular character says. Each group is given a character and is encouraged to listen and exchange information, this usually works better if there are two characters in the scene. Working with someone from a different group, they then write the script for the scene, incorporating both characters. As they will not have managed to write down the whole script from the listening exercises they will have to use their imagination and fill in the gaps. This gives them an excellent opportunity to work on grammar. This lesson is based on the hilarious restaurant scene from As Good As It Gets and is best suited to higher levels. The pre-viewing and while-viewing tasks give plenty of practice with food vocabulary.
Download the video dictogloss lesson at the bottom of the page.
Watch and observe
This is a good lesson for lower levels because students only have to focus on a minimum of spoken dialogue. Students watch a scene from a film which has lots of things that they can see and therefore write in their vocabulary books. You can teach and test your students’ vocabulary by asking a series of true/ false questions and asking them to put a series of events in order. This lesson is based on the kitchen scene from Unbreakable where David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is held at gunpoint by his son.
Download the watch and observe lesson at the bottom of the page.
Video as a listening tool - pronunciation
In some listening exercises we must concentrate on specific dialogue to enable our students to learn. It is necessary to challenge them to listen when dealing with features of pronunciation. I find movies provide a good source of authentic listening material for the practice of pronunciation and I use them accordingly. This particular movie exercise deals with connected speech, in particular prominence (or sentence stress). Without going into too much detail here, English is a stressed-timed language, meaning that certain syllables in a sentence have prominence therefore create a beat, other syllables tend to be said quickly making it difficult for our students to hear. Prominence, which is the speaker’s choice, is used to convey meaning. This is exactly what I want to exploit here. The movie is Family Man and uses the scene where Jack returns home after abandoning his family on Christmas morning and has to take the resulting tongue-lashing from his wife Kate. It involves a recognition exercise which helps students hear that some parts of the sentences are prominent and they are Kate’s choice. It also has an argument role-play allowing students to practice sentence stress in context. The use of video is an advantage here as it is an emotional scene with lots of gestures, adding weight to the situation.
Download the pronunciation lesson at the bottom of the page.
Video as a listening tool - elementary video class
By the time students get to elementary level they have the level of grammar for more complex communication. It’s motivating for them at this stage to enjoy and understand a real movie clip. There are different ways in which we can help them do this. This exercise involves working with a conversation as a jumbled text first then using the movie to check. Conversations normally have a logical order and movies are a great source. There is a role-play which encourages students to practise conversational English.
Download the vision lesson for elementary students at the bottom of the page.
Links
The link below is for a site offering free online video clips designed for ESL classrooms. The clips are designed to make everyday English accessible to learners at the elementary level. The speech is authentic, the diversity of American accents and those other English-speaking cultures is extremely rich, but it is broken down into universally recognized structures, from the simplest to the more advanced. The material is authentic, the language is real, but this reality has finally become manageable, i.e., useable for students working alone, and a godsend for teachers.Anchor Point:bottom
English Teachers, Prepare Yourselves for the Digital Age
By Edward Tanguay, M.Ed. TESOLBerlin, Germany
May 16, 1997
In this article, Edward draws on his experience of English teaching and Internet consulting to discuss the future of English teaching as the world enters an increasingly digital age. This article was written for English teachers who have a growing sense that the Internet is becoming more and more important for their professional careers. It tells them why the Internet is important to their profession, what they can expect in the years to come, and how they can prepare themselves as English teachers in the digital age.
On a spring day in 1992 in Philadelphia, I pressed my Enter key and listened to the familar string of tones from my modem as it logged into the Temple University computer. This was nothing new for someone who had grown up with computers. But this day was one I will never forget: it was first day I ever logged into the Internet.
As an English teacher, my Internet connection back in 1992 meant that I could send a grammar question out to 500 English teachers around the world and have at least 10 replies in my mailbox the next morning. It meant that I could sit at my desk in Philadelphia chatting with a colleague at Purdue, she typing on the top of the screen and I typing on the bottom, at no cost. It meant contacting the Amerika Haus in Berlin via E-Mail which led to a teaching position at Potsdam University. It meant finding information on almost any topic for the courses I was teaching.
Yes, the Internet is good for English teaching. And it is going to get better--exponentially. In this article, I want to tell you why, and make some forcasts on what the digital age holds for English teaching.
My forecasts for the future of English teaching are based on three hypotheses:
1. That which can be digitized, will be digitized. 2. English instruction can be almost fully digitized. 3. English instruction is more efficient when teachers use a digitized medium.
1. That which can be digitized, will be digitized.
Nicholas Negroponte in his book Being Digital draws a distinction between atoms and bits. A book, for instance, is composed of atoms whereas an E-Mail is composed of bits. The difference between atoms and bits is that atoms take a long time to be sent from place to place and are relatively expensive to duplicate. Bits, on the other hand, can be sent around the world in a matter of seconds and cost nothing to duplicate. If you want to send a book from Berlin to New York, it will probably cost you about $10 and will probably take about 7 days. If you want to send a digitized book from Berlin to New York, it will cost you nothing and will get there in 5 seconds. For English teachers, the benefits are enormous. For the business world, the profit margins are unbelievable. This is why everything that can be digitized, will be digitized.
2. English instruction can be almost fully digitized.
What can be digitized and what can not? Text, pictures, voice, and video can all be digitized. Text can be typed in, pictures can be scanned in, and voice and video can be recorded digitally. But this is not all. Interactive conversations can be digitized. Interactive environments, for instance, a classroom, a train station, or a business meeting can be digitized. Since English instruction consists primarily of text, pictures, voice, video, conversation, and interactive environments, English instruction can be almost fully digitized.
3. English instruction is more efficient when teachers use a digitized medium.
Digitalization increases student-centeredness. If a student writes a digitized document and gives it to you to correct, you can add notes to the document just as you can to a regular paper document. The difference is that the student can then click on your digitized notes, e.g. "use present perfect here" which takes him to an interactive, multi-media lesson teaching him about the present perfect tense and when to use it. Connected to this is a grammar chat room with students and tutors who discuss and answer questions about grammar. The student learns what he needs to know when he needs to know it.
Digitalization increases accessiblity. Particularly in English for Specific Purposes, and more particularly in non-English speaking countries, specific material in English is fairly hard to come by. For instance, let us say you are teaching English at a company here in Berlin which produces flags. They need to learn vocabulary which has to do with flag production. You simply need to log into the Internet and type in the key words "flag production." You will get a number of web sites of English-speaking flag production companies with information on their products. Print these out and use them in your class. Write an E-Mail to the company and ask them to send you a catalog. Ask them what else is available on the Internet regarding flag production. Also, send an E-Mail to the 13,000 teachers in the English teachers news group and ask if anyone has experience teaching English at companies involved in flag production.
Digitalization removes geographical barriers and saves time. For those of you who teach business English here in Berlin, how long does it take you to commute to work? How long does it take your students to travel to class? If both you and your students could switch on your PCs and conduct your English lessons via video conference from your homes and offices, how much total time would it save all of you? And if you could do this, why not add students in Japan and Singapore as well? Digitized English teaching removes the geographical barrier which frees up time for both the teacher and the students.
Digitalization brings like minds together. Back in the 17th century, Leibniz and Newton developed Calculus independently of one another. If they had lived today, they would have met by now in a newsgroup and would already be exchanging ideas via E-Mail. The ease which the Internet provides to meet people with similar interests, professions, backgrounds, and experiences is unparalleled in human history. There are people in the world who are teaching the same kinds of classes you teach, have similar students, and are working on similar projects. The Internet makes it possible for you to meet, communicate, and work on projects together with them.
So what is the function of an English teacher in the digital age?
The function of a English teacher in general is to communicate to students the concepts and skills necessary to function well in situations which involve reading, writing, speaking, listening, and social skills. Anyone who has seen virtual reality interactive-CD language programs such as Who is Oscar Lake can imagine that as these products improve, they will soon be able to convey the basics of language instruction quite
efficiently to any student who is privileged enough to have access to a well-equipped computer. And with the exponentially increasing speed at which bits can be pumped through the rapidly multiplying fiber optic cables and satellites of the Internet, more and more English students world-wide will be able to interact with language teaching videos and virtual worlds which will bring them to a relatively high level of proficiency, especially since other people will be running around through these virtual worlds as well, talking to each other, getting help from each other, and practicing language functions in contextual situations. These services will be paid for through advertising--students will learn the phrase "I would like a Coke, please" because Coca Cola sponsors the program. This means that high quality computer language instruction will be free for anyone who has a fast enough Internet connection.
When I mention these visions to English teachers, some of them are afraid that computers will someday replace English teachers. This will not be the case. There will always be a human on one side of English teaching and another human on the other, it is just that the computer between us is getting more and more effective, which improves our teaching and improves the students' learning abilities. Humans are powerful and computers are powerful, and together, they are are extremely powerful.
My point in this article is that if you are an English teacher, you need to get more and more involved with computers in order to continue to improve your teaching skills. The following are my suggestions for English teachers in order to prepare themselves for the digital age (ranked in order of importance):
1. Get access to a computer with an Internet connection.2. Learn how to search for information on the World Wide Web.3. Learn how to send and receive E-Mail.4. Learn how to join and participate in news groups, and find colleagues with similar interests.5. Learn how to attach documents and other files to E-Mail.6. Learn how to create, publish, and update a home page.7. Learn how to type with both hands without looking at the keyboard.
Future visions of English teaching:
1997: Instant Interactive Publishing: Publishing an article on English teaching will be a matter of clicking your mouse button, and your readers will be able to respond to and discuss your article immediately. The article you are now reading was originally written for and published in the ELTAB-B Newsletter, a small, paper publication for a local Berlin teachers association. In order to publish it, I had to save it to a diskette, print it out, put both in an envelope, write the address, lick the stamp, take it to the post office, and pay for the postage. After a day it arrived at the editor's office. She had to bring it into the her word processor, reformat it, print it out, send it to the publishers, wait until it was printed, take the newsletters to the post office, and of course, pay the publishers and the post office.
Now, what I also did, was right before I printed this article out and took it to the post office, I uploaded it to the Internet and posted it to various English teaching lists and news groups, which immediately made it available to thousands of teachers around the world (which cost nothing). What this means is that by the time the members of ELTAB-B here in Berlin receive their paper newsletter and are reading this article, the online English teaching community will have been discussing it via E-Mail for two weeks, triggering conversations in teacher's lounges from Japan to Australia, and perhaps encouraging others to write related articles. Many will have written me back, visited my home page, and contacted me regarding other English teaching interests. In addition, this article is always available online--it will never go out of print. Nobody will ever have to "request a reprint" and wait a week and spend money to get it. They simply have to log into the Internet and type in http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~tanguay/english-teachers.htm which will bring this article up on their screen in seconds, ready to read, respond to, print out, or send to other colleagues via E-Mail with comments.
1998: Online Education: Universities will offer full English courses online. Class texts will be available via download, class lectures available via streaming audio and video, students and teachers will interact via E-Mail and online teleconferences. For an example of such a multimedia class, visit the HCCS Technology Center in Houston at http://198.64.57.10/tgcccc/hccs/rb1360.htm.
1998: Custom English Teaching News: Push technology software will provide you with the ability to have an up-to-date custom, interactive news source right from your desktop which will send you English teaching news only on the subjects you want. You simply enter your interests one time and the software will roam the web for you sending you articles which are of interest to you. For an example of push technology, check out http://www.pointcast.com. With this software, I get daily news delivered to my PC everyday from two Internet magazines, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
1999: Instruction on Demand: Anybody with a credit card and an Internet connection will be able to choose from numerous online English tutors and get instant instruction or help via video conference. The database available to them will contain a picture of the teacher, a short video of their teaching style, nationality, teaching background, degrees, areas of expertise, and price per time unit. Video conferencing via personal computer is already a reality and quite affordable. Information about inexpensive video cameras for video conferencing can be found at http://www.connectix.com. Free trial software to run video conferences can be found at http://www.vocaltech.com.
2000: Interactive TESOL Conferences from Your Living Room: English teachers will attend and participate in International TESOL Conferences live from their WebTV in their living rooms. News on the development of WebTVs can be found at http://www.ruel.net/webtv_news.html.
2001: Virtual English Instruction: Streaming Virtual Reality over the Internet will provide English teachers with the ability to simulate any type of teaching environment. The English teacher in Berlin and the English student in Japan will both put on their virtual reality helmets and walk together through a virtual New York, pointing out the sites, buying items, riding the subway, and more. Various functional situations such as being accosted by a stranger, asking for directions, and meeting people can be practiced as much as the student would like. You can visit a virtual New York today at http://www.planet9.com/vrmnhtn.htm.
* * *
The World Wide Web is currently doubling itself every four months and getting faster. This is going to have a tremendous impact on the way we teach English. Prepare yourself for this by developing skills today which will improve your English teaching in the digital age.
Edward TanguayBerlin, GermanyE-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~tanguay
http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~tanguay/english-teachers.htmindex.htm
Knowledge on the NetA six part radio series from the BBC World Service
Computers have been used for language learning and teaching for many years. The development of the internet and the World Wide Web in the the early 1990's has added another dimension to this resource. The web is interactive, it can be used for communication as well as information.
Knowledge on the Net looks at various aspects of the internet and how it can be exploited by teachers as a resource for themselves and their classroom teaching.
Copyright information - Please ReadThese programmes are copyright British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).You may download these programmes for your own personal or classroom use only. They may not be copied, distributed or made available to other websites. For any questions relating to the use of these programmes please email: [email protected]
For help and information with streaming and downloading see the Download section of the About page
Programme 1 - IntroductionDuration 13 minutes 50 seconds
Programme one gives a brief history of the Internet and then establishes reasons why it is a useful tool for teachers.
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Programme 2 - SearchingDuration 13 minutes 50 seconds
There are billions of pages of content on the net and that number is growing all the time. Whatever you are looking for is probably out there, but how can you find it amongst the millions of hits a search engine might give you? Listen to tips on more effective searching in programme 2.
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Programme 3 - Validating sites. Discussion groups and message boardsDuration 13 minutes 50 seconds
Assessing whether you can trust the information on websites can be difficult as there are so many and it's not always easy to see if they come from a reliable source. In this programme we hear some tips on how you can check a language website for authenticity.
The programme also looks at discussion groups and message boards and how they can be used by teachers to inform their teaching and as source of lesson ideas and activities.
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Programme 4 - Using the internet in classDuration 13 minutes 50 seconds
In this programme senior teacher Rosie Gerard Wright discusses what's involved in the planning and implementation of an internet lesson. We also drop in on one of her classes to see how it works in practice.
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Programme 5 - Using the internet in class 2Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds
Some more practical classroom activities employing the internet and information on using IRC - (Internet Relay Chat) with students.
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Programme 6 - Problems and solutions. Top tipsDuration 13 minutes 50 seconds
A look at some of the problems of using the internet for teaching and ways of dealing with them. Plus, a round up of the top tips for teaching with the net.
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Using the internet 1Callum Robertson, radio broadcaster and online producer, BBC World Service
In this, and a following article, we'll be looking at the internet and how it can be used by teachers of English as a tool for their own development and as a resource for classroom teaching. We'll be looking at the advantages of using the web, covering some of the problems and providing a few suggestions for dealing with those difficulties.
This article looks specifically at searching the internet, online teacher development and using the net to increase students' communication practice.
* Searching the web
* A virtual staffroom
* Communication
Searching the webThe internet has a lot to offer the teacher. There are authentic resources and materials, places where you can find prepared lesson plans, ideas and worksheets and places where you can share your ideas and thoughts with other teachers around the world.
The difficulty is often in finding what you want. There are several billion pages of content and that number is growing all the time. Therefore one of the most important skills to develop is that of effective searching.
When searching, the important tips to remember are…
* Choose your toolA search directory is good for looking at general topic areas and their contents have been sorted by real people. You can search them as you might search in a library by clicking through the different sections and sub-sections. Yahoo is a search directory.
Search engines list content which has been gathered automatically from the net. There is much more information to choose from and it has not been selected by humans! So it is therefore very important to be careful in your choice of search terms. Google is a search engine.
* Refine your searchesIf you are looking for exercises or information connected with the present perfect, for example, you could just type 'present perfect' in the search box. This, however would give you many thousands, possibly millions of hits. Some of these would be what you are looking for, but many would be irrelevant. You need to be able to narrow down or refine your search. You can do this a number of ways
* Use key words and termsadd a few words to your search using relevant expressions such as 'ELT' (English Language Teaching). Putting 'Present Perfect ELT' into the search box will reduce responses from many thousands to only a few thousand.
* Use advanced search toolsmost search tools have a section which allow you further to refine your search. Don't be afraid to use these, they are not difficult to learn and are very useful. For example if you wanted to look only for information that came from academic sites in the United Kingdom you can select in the advanced search area to look for sites with the domain '.ac.uk'. Doing this reduces the number of responses to hundreds.
* Use Boolean operators (Boolean logic)These are characters such as '-' (minus) and '+' (plus) which are used to exclude or add certain words in the search. For example, you do a search for 'English teaching', and in the results there are many job opportunities, but you are looking for classroom materials. So, using Boolean operators you could write "English teaching -jobs -opportunities +materials". The search tool will then look for sites which have materials but do not have information on jobs or opportunities. They are a very effective way of narrowing your search to exactly what you are looking for.
* Validate your searchesOnce you have narrowed down your search results, it is also important to establish how reliable the information is. There are many sites on the
web and not all of them will have accurate information. There are some things you can look out for to help you judge a site.
* The domainfor example '.edu' or '.ac' indicates that it comes from a university or academic institution.
* The producerTry to find which company or individual is producing the site - Is it supported by an organisation or company that has a good reputation?
* The authorWho has written the information? What are their qualifications for writing such a piece? Is this information given?
* The linguistic accuracyDoes the page have many grammar, spelling mistakes etc.
These features do not guarantee that you can trust the information on the site, but they are general guidelines which you can apply with your own knowledge and common sense to help you make an informed decision.
Top of pageA virtual staffroom
The internet has a number of features that can provide teachers with information and support.
* Discussion lists/groupsBy joining an email discussion group teachers can communicate, learn and share with many other teachers. Once you are subscribed every
message that you send is automatically distributed to all of the other members on the list, and you receive all the replies and messages from the other members.
* Message boardsIf you don't have the time or don't want to be looking at potentially hundreds of emails every week, then message boards are another good way to get or give answers to specific questions. Many sites have message boards on a range of topics and it is usually possible to look at the questions and answers without having to subscribe.
Discussion groups and message boards are like 'virtual staffrooms' through which you can communicate with teachers all over the world. If you are having a problem with a student, class or need ideas on how to teach a particular language point, you can be sure that other teachers have had the same problems. By joining message boards and mailing lists you can have access to the knowledge and experience of many other teachers which can save you time and also give you reassurance that you are not alone!
Top of pageCommunication
The net gives users the power and freedom to communicate instantly across the globe. If you can make contact with people from other cultures and countries it helps motivate students to improve their writing skills. Writing on the internet is more realistic than, say, a letter writing exercise in class as the
students have an authentic reason for writing.
* Chat roomsA chat room is a facility on the web which allows you to communicate directly and instantly with other people online. Unlike email, messages are displayed on the screen as they are written. It's like having a conversation, but in writing. However, as a teacher you need to be very careful using chat rooms with students. You cannot always be sure who your students are talking to - so if you plan to use a chat room try to find one that has been set up by a reliable organisation for use by school students.
* Inter-school contactsMaking contacts with schools in other countries and establishing an email exchange programme is a safer route than chat rooms.
* IRC (Internet Relay Chat)This is the technology for setting up your own chat-room. If you have made contacts with another school, then it is possible to set up your own chat room using IRC with that school. This is much more satisfactory than using a general chat-room as you can be sure who your students are chatting with. Today, setting up your own IRC is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. But it does require research and planning. Of course, you can find all the information you need on the web! Although if you have access to a computer lab there may be a person who is responsible for that room who can help.
Remember as with any classroom activity the students will still need a task as a purpose for the chat and will need to be monitored carefully.
If you have any suggestions or tips for using the internet in the class you would like to share on this site, contact us .
Using the internet 2Callum Robertson, radio broadcaster and online producer, BBC World Service
In this, and an earlier article, we look at the internet and how it can be used by teachers of English as a tool for their own development and as a resource for classroom teaching. We look at the advantages of using the web, covering some of the problems and providing a few suggestions for dealing with those difficulties.
This article looks specifically at using the internet as a materials resource and how to prepare for and manage internet lessons.
* A materials resource
* Some internet lessons
* Preparation, planning and management
* Top tips
A materials resourceThe internet has a lot to offer the teacher. There are authentic resources and materials, places where you can find prepared lesson plans, ideas and worksheets. The advantages of the internet to teachers include...
* Its vast sizeThe incredible expanse of the internet means the teacher has the ability to tailor lessons very specifically to students' needs and interests. Learners tend to respond better when they feel involved and engaged in the subject and the extent of the web means that if you can find out what the students are interested in, you can find it on the web.
* Its relevanceMuch material is modern and up to date, which helps motivate students. Good web sites continually update their material.
* Its widespread useStudents enjoy using the net in their free time, and will appreciate its use in class
* Its natureIt's a dynamic medium involving movement from site to site, promoting decision making and learner independence
The internet contains a lot of resources that teachers can access and use to prepare teaching materials. These range from sites specifically designed for teachers and learners to sites from national and international newspapers, museums, galleries and so on. Teachers can use these materials much the same way as they would other print based resources, to create worksheets and exercises for their classes.
But if teachers are fortunate enough to have access to a computer room in their school then it is possible to use the internet with students during a class,
exploiting the net as a dynamic medium.
Using the internet brings the 'real world' into the classroom and gives the students an opportunity to explore learning in a different way. However, having students facing a computer rather than the teacher, means teachers of internet lessons do need to be vigilant.
Top of pageSome examples of internet lessonsThese lesson ideas were suggested by contributors to the radio series Knowledge on the Net . The lessons show how the internet can bring a new
dimension and dynamic into the classrroom and they all depend upon student access to the internet - although the first can easily be used as an example of finding resource materials on the internet.
* News web sites - from an idea by Donna Arbuthnot"Students can compare the treatment of a major news story across different sites - all at the click of a mouse. One idea is to compare an American news site with an English news site.
"You need to access those sites yourself before you go into the class, and you need to check that the same news items are being reported on both sites. Just compare and contrast the content and style.
"It leads on quite well to follow up activities like the students creating their own web site, or you can get them to compare newspapers in their own country in their own language with the American and the English sites.
"You couldn't do this in a normal lesson because you don't have the access to American newspapers - it would be difficult to get hold of them. It would involve a lot of photocopying of 20 newspapers if you could get hold of them. It's much easier to click onto sites quickly and they are able to access things that are included on the web site. They are able to click onto links which may give them background information that you wouldn't be able to provide in the classroom, unless you had an in depth knowledge."
* Language analysis - from an idea by David Eastment"Students can use a search engine to compare the frequency of different language items.
"You could say, for example, 'what is the most common adjective in English?' and students type in a word like 'nice' and 'interesting' and just count how many hits that they get, and this can be very interesting actually. I did it recently and found that the word nice was there 18 million times, and the word super was there 20 million times, but the word special was there 67 million times, so it's 3 times as common as the word nice or super, on the internet.
"Another questions you can ask is 'what sentence appears only once on the internet?' Until a couple of years ago 'I like English food' had only ever been written once, by a boy in Cambodia. These days a few more people have done it, but no one has written the sentence 'I love Welsh food.' It just doesn't exist, certainly not for the Google search engine, whereas I think that 4 or about 5 people have written 'I like Scottish food.' So with some students that sort of activity can be interesting.
"Students could also search for sentences that they have prepared, with the student with the most hits winning!"
* Research / role play - from an idea by David Eastment"For a group of business English students (or as a role play). The students need to choose a new company car, with a maximum price of perhaps £20 000. The students go to different sites, select a car and then put the picture of the car inside a word document with an explanation of why they chose that particular model and what features it had.
"This approach could be endlessly adapted. Students can research for any variety of projects or situations."
Top of pagePreparation, planning and managementInternet lessons don't prepare themselves - so it would be wrong to think that using the net in teaching was an easy choice for a teacher. In fact, it calls for
just as much, if not more, preparation than a conventional lesson. Here is a check list of key points for preparation, planning and management.
* Have clear aims
* Check everything thoroughly. Check that the computers are working, check that any sites your students may need to access are still there and have the content you expect.
* Have back-up material or sites prepared in case something happens to the sites while the class is working. If you are teaching an internet class you need to be flexible so that if there are problems with the technology or content, then the lesson doesn't come to a halt.
* Although the web is a new resource, it makes the same demands on the teacher as more traditional teaching resources. And it's important to remember that whatever the resources and material being used - it is still the teacher that does the teaching, not the computer.
* Monitor carefully. The same class management skills needed for a conventional lesson are still needed in the internet class.
* The range of accessible material on the web is one reason teachers need to plan and monitor carefully. There are software programs available to help filter or block certain types of content, but these do not always work effectively. There is no substitute for the teacher being well-prepared and alert
Top of pageTop tipsThe internet is a fantastic tool for teachers. It's not the answer to simple teaching or learning, but it is an incredibly motivating resource for both teachers
and learners. You can find materials for use in traditional classes, you can access message boards and discussion groups for your own interest, development and to get ideas and activities for lessons, you can use it as a communication tool which allows your students to interact with people around
the world in English and you can use it as the basis of lessons with students accessing the internet live during lessons. It's not always easy to use and it does have its problems but it's a motivating and engaging resource for both students and the teachers.
Here are some top tips for teachers using the internet.
* Don't be afraid of the technology, it's not difficult to learn to use.
* Learn how to search effectively and evaluate the materials you find
* Prepare internet lessons and materials carefully, remember to have alternative material ready in case of technological or other problems
* Before using the internet in class, check any sites that you will be asking the students to use.
* During the lesson, monitor the students carefully
* Finally - have fun and be creative!
VoteUsing the internetThe internet is one of the most modern resources for the teacher, but it's not always easy to use. There are technical problems and also difficulty finding useful material from the millions of pages that are out there.
Some people think the internet is a brilliant resource, some think it is more trouble than it is worth. What's your view?
Do the advantages of using the internet for teaching outweigh the disadvantages?
Results of voting
1: Yes 369 ( 95%)
2: No 20 ( 5%)
Total votes : 389
This topic is now closed, thank you for all your contributions.
Your commentsLouis Fernando Azuero, ColombiaHi There colleagues! I've been using Internet in teaching some of my university classes and the students just love it, although you have to be on top of those few students who end up reading their e-mails. I think there's so much to use and I believe it's a matter of being resourceful and creative.
Giuliano Martini, ItalyHello! Thank you for your programme and your initiative on voting.I teach in Florence (Italy) and was impressed to see what a powerful tool the Internet can be in improving students' command of the English language.All of a sudden the students are completely absorbed by what they are reading. Sometimes you have to stop them when the time of the lesson is up.However every method has its drawbacks. In this case we may have to cope with a much less teacher-centred kind of lesson. And not all teachers are prepared or willing to face such a new situation in their classrooms.
JennyNot only do students widen their knowledge on the particular subject they are interested in by using the Internet but they can also improve their English indirectly. It is an ideal method of language improvement particularly for students who have difficulties with memorising words and grammar. However there is also a disadvantage in the use of Internet: students do not practise talking and/or listening to English. They can only practise their reading and writing/spelling skills.
Leslie from the Land of SmilesHi, I find that the internet is a most useful tool to have and to use, it has many resources and ideas which help all teachers I am sure that if this had been around many years ago it would now be old hat and not as some regard it as new techonology, use it and enjoy your teaching and your students will enjoy and learn more. .
Junior Alex Mulinari, BrazilI think the Internet is the best way for learning everything. The problem is: "Where do I search?" The information is there, but some people don't know searching.
Poppy Skarli, FinlandI work at Turku Polytechnic in Turku, Finland where I teach English for Specific Purposes. I design my own material since it is not always possible to find suitable text books. So I try to find articles or websites on the Internet with relevant vocabulary or issues and I use those as a source of teaching material. I would certainly feel quite isolated if I was not using the Internet. I have to admit, though, that it can be time-consuming and sometimes you need to do some lateral thinking and move away from traditional teaching resources. For example, when I was working with the laboratory technicians, I found that the product catalogues of laboratory suppliers are a valuable vocabulary generator.
Vivi Mortara, Sorocaba, BrazilHello, I mostly search the internet for extra activities, but also to get myself posted on new techniques and methodology. As Alex, I also think that the problem in using the internet in teaching is where to search. There are millions of different sites and bits of information, it's kind of hard to sort them out and select the best ones.
Christa Ulz, Klagenfurt, AustriaAs a teacher at an adult education centre I was often at a loss where and how to get suitable articles for my students. But now the Internet with all these wonderful resources (one of them this link) is for me like a path strewed with golden knowledge - nuggets. I only have to bend down and collect them.
Lezley, GermanyI think the internet is an invaluable tool in my search for new and interesting ideas. I agree that it can be difficult knowing where to look but I simply to go to 'Links' and choose one. I have found some excellent sites which I save in my Favorites for future reference. Apart from being a useful source of information, I find it helps me to keep 'in touch' with other English trainers - albeit via the written word.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/talk/vote/vote1_internet.shtml
The Internet for English Teaching: Guidelines for Teachers
Mark Warschauermarkw [at] hawaii.edu
http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/markwUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
P. Fawn Whittakerwhittakf [at] byuh.edu
Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Originally published in the TESL Reporter 30,1 (1997), pp. 27-33
Teachers have been using online communication in the language classroom for more than ten years now. From an investigation of the experiences of dozens of teachers around the world who have used the Internet in language teaching (Warschauer, l995a; l995b; 1996c; 1996d), a few common guidelines emerge that can assist teachers in successfully planning and implementing network-based learning projects.
Guidelines
Readers will note that these guidelines are independent of the particular technological tools being used. As has been noted elsewhere, "technology is developing so rapidly that it can often be difficult or even overwhelming to harness, somewhat like trying to get a drink of water from a gushing fire hydrant" (Warschauer, l995b. p. xv). In order to make effective use of new technologies, teachers must thus take a step back and focus on some basic pedagogical requirements. The following guidelines are designed to help teachers implement computer network-based activities into the second language classroom.
#1: Consider Carefully Your Goals
There are several possible reasons for using the Internet in language teaching. One rationale is found in the belief that the linguistic nature of online communication is desirable for promoting language learning. It has been found, for example, that electronic discourse tends to be more lexically and syntactically more complex than oral discourse (Warschauer, 1996a) and features a broad range of linguistic functions beneficial for language learning (Chun, 1994; Kern, 1995; Wang, 1993). Another possible reason for using the Internet is that it creates optimal conditions for learning to write, since it provides an authentic audience for written communication (see, for example Janda, 1995). A third possible reason is that it can increase students' motivation (Warschauer, 1996c). A fourth possible reason is the belief that learning computer skills is essential to students' future success; this reason suggests that it is not only a matter of using the Internet to learn English but also of learning English to be able to function well on the Internet.
None of these reasons are more or less legitimate than any of the others. However, since there are so many ways to integrate the Internet into classroom instruction, it is important for the teacher to clarify his or her goals. If, for example, one of the teacher's goals is to teach students new computer skills, the teacher may want to choose Internet applications which will be most useful to them outside of the classroom, with activities structured so that students steadily gain mastery of more skills. If the immediate goal is to create a certain kind of linguistic environment for students, once again, the teacher should consider what types of language experiences would be beneficial and structure computer activities accordingly. If the goal is to teach writing, Internet activities should be structured so that they steadily bring about an increase in the types of writing processes and relationships essential to becoming a better writer (see, for example, seven activities by Janda in Warschauer, 1995b).
As will be discussed further below, little is usually gained by just adding random online activities into a classroom. Clarifying course goals is, thus, an important first step toward successful use of the Internet.
#2: Think Integration
Most teachers who have used the Internet have started out with some kind of simple key pal (computer pen pal) exchanges. And most teachers who have used these exchanges have felt something lacking. Simply put, there is no more reason to except a significant educational outcome from simply creating a pen pal connection than there is from simply bringing two students into a room and asking them to talk. Over time, greater involvement on the teacher's part in creating learning activities that create sufficient linguistic and cognitive demands on the student is needed to get maximum benefit from Internet exchanges. And, as a number of people have noted, this teacher intervention is most successful when it brings about activities and projects that are well-integrated into the course curriculum as a whole.
Bruce Roberts, the coordinator of the Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections (IECC) program, explained this point well:
There is a significant difference in educational outcome depending on whether a teacher chooses to incorporate e-mail classroom connections as (1) an ADD-ON process, like one would include a guest speaker, or (2) an INTEGRATED process, in the way one would include a new textbook. The e-mail classroom connections seems sufficiently complex and time-consuming that if there are goals beyond merely having each student send a letter to a person at a distant school, the ADD-ON approach can lead to frustration and expected academic results‹the necessary time and resources come from other things that also need to be done. On the other hand, when the e-mail classroom connection processes are truly integrated into the ongoing structure of homework and classroom interaction, then the results can be educationally transforming (in Warschauer, 1995a, p. 95)
Of course there are many ways that Internet activities can be integrated into the overall design and goals of a course (see Sayers, 1993 for a good overview). The teacher can work with students to create research questions which are then investigated in collaboration with foreign partners. Students and long-distant partners can work collaboratively on publications. Or students can use exchange partners as experts to supply information on vocabulary, grammar, or cultural points which emerge in the class. Again, the choice has to be made by the classroom teacher, preferably in ongoing consultation with the students. Nevertheless, as Roberts suggests above, it does behoove the teacher to think about how to integrate online connections into the class rather
than adding these connections on top of the rest of the classroom activities in a disconnected fashion.
#3: Don't Underestimate the Complexity
Most English teachers, even those who consider themselves computer novices, have several relative advantages when learning to use the Internet. They are, in most cases, skilled at English, experienced at typing or keyboarding, and have some basic computer literacy (i.e., they probably have at least used a computer for word processing). ESL students, on the other hand, at least in some cases, may lack these basic prerequisites. Though we have had students who are quite experienced with computers, we have also had students who had seldom used a computer; lacked basic knowledge such as how to operate a mouse or open a folder; and lacked the vocabulary, reading, and listening skills to follow instructions for using the computer
Beyond these issues of learner preparation, there are a number of other complexities in introducing Internet-based activities in the ESL classroom. Activities in a single class may be dependent on scheduling the computer lab, and on students finding computers outside the class time to continue their activities. Hardware and software can malfunction and computer systems can be down. Students' schedules might not permit them to return to the computer lab at a time when computers are available to complete their assignments.
Exchanges between classes are even more complex. The partner class might have absent students, or might not meet in a particular week due to holidays or other activities in that location. The partner teacher might not have the same understanding of the nature of the exchange, and working through differences can cause further delays. The students might have differences in background, language, and experience which can cause further complications.
None of these potential problems mean that Internet based activities shouldn't be used. But in attempting to integrate online teaching, it is best not to be overly ambitious in the beginning. A situation which overwhelms both students and teacher in technical difficulties is not likely to bring about the desired results. It is better to start small and to create the kinds of activities which have a direct purpose and are well-integrated into classroom goals. If these activities prove successful, you can build from there and attempt a more ambitious plan the following semester.
#4: Provide Necessary Support
Mindful of the complexities which can arise in Internet usage, teachers need to provide support sufficient to prevent students from being overwhelmed by difficulties. This kind of support can take numerous forms: creating detailed handouts that students can refer to when class is finished and the teacher's personal help is not accessible; building technology training sessions into the class schedule, not only in the beginning but on an ongoing basis; working with the computer center to set up log-on systems and other procedures which are as simple and intuitive as possible; assigning students to work in pairs or groups, both in and out of the lab, so that they can provide assistance to each other; providing details to the students about how and when they can get assistance from technology specialists or others on campus outside of class; and being available to help students at times when they are most likely to need it.
#5: Involve Students in Decisions
The concept of a learner-centered curriculum (Nunan, 1987) predates, and has broader significance, than the Internet enhanced classroom. However, this concept seems particularly important when considering network-based teaching.
First of all, as indicated above, network-based teaching involves a number of special complexities. It will be difficult, indeed, for a teacher to be fully aware of the impact of these complexities without regular consultation with students. This might involve anonymous surveys, class discussions, or similar means of involving students in expressing their opinions about the process of implementing technologies.
Notably favorable is that the nature of computer-mediated communication creates opportunities for more decentered interaction (for summaries, see Warschauer, 1996b; Warschauer, Turbee, & Roberts, 1996). To fully exploit these opportunities, the teacher must learn to become a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage". A situation which is based on communication between students but in which the students have little say over the topics or outcomes of that communication is not likely to lead to the kind of atmosphere optimal for language learning.
As pointed out elsewhere (Warschauer, Turbee, & Roberts, 1996), involving students in determining the class direction does not imply a passive role for teachers. Teachers' contributions in a learner-centered, network-enhanced classroom include coordinating group planning, focusing students' attention on linguistic aspects of computer mediated texts, helping students gain meta-linguistic awareness of genres and discourses, and assisting students in developing appropriate learning strategies.
Conclusion
A paper of this length can not completely cover the topic of network-based language teaching. Further information on this topic is available in books (see for example Warschauer, 1995a; Warschauer, 1995b) and on the Internet itself (see for example NETEACH-L at http://thecity.sfsu.edu/~funweb/neteach.htm). In the end though, each teacher will have to find her or his own way, based on the goals of the teacher and the program, the needs of the students, and the materials and technology available. It is hoped that the guidelines outlined in this paper can provide some assistance to teachers attempting to optimally combine their own goals, their students' needs, and the power of the technology-enhanced classroom.
References
Chun, D. (1994). Using computer networking to facilitate the acquisition of interactive competence. System, 22(1), 17-31.
Janda, T. (1995). Breaking the ice: E-mail dialogue journal introductions and responses. In M. Warschauer (Eds.), Virtual Connections: Online Activities and Projects For Networking Language Learners (pp. 57- 58). Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Kern, R. (1995). Restructuring classroom interaction with networked computers: Effects on quantity and quality of language production. Modern Language Journal, 79(4), 457-476.
Nunan, D. (1987). The Learner Centered Curriculum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sayers, D. (1993). Distance team teaching and computer learning networks. TESOL Journal, 3(1), 19-23.
Wang, Y.M. (1993). E-mail Dialogue Journaling in an ESL Reading and Writing Classroom. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Oregon at Eugene.
Warschauer, M. (1995a). E-mail For English Teaching. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Publications.
Warschauer, M. (1995b). Virtual Connections: Online Activities and Projects For Networking Language Learners. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Warschauer, M. (1996a). Comparing face-to- face and electronic communication in the second language classroom. CALICO Journal, 13(2), 7-26.
Warschauer, M. (1996b). Computer-Mediated Collaborative Learning: Theory and Practice (Research Note No. 17). University of Hawai'i, Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Warschauer, M. (1996c). Motivational aspects of using computers for writing and communication. In M. Warschauer (Eds.), Telecollaboration in Foreign Language Learning: Proceedings of the Hawai'i Symposium. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i, Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Warschauer, M. (1996d). Telecollaboration in Foreign Language Learning: Proceedings of the Hawai'i Symposium. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i, Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center.
Warschauer, M., Turbee, L., & Roberts, B. (1996). Computer learning networks and student empowerment. System, 14(1), 1-14.
About the Authors
* Mark Warschauer is a researcher at the University of Hawaii investigating new technologies in language learning. He has trained teachers in computer assisted language learning in Europe, Asia, and the United States. His published books include E-Mail for English Teaching, Virtual Connections, and Telecollaboration in Foreign Language Learning.
* P. Fawn Whittaker is Language Center Director and ESL Instructor at Brigham Young University-Hawaii Campus. She has integrated ESL reading and writing studies with computer and accompanying internet support in several of her intermediate and advanced ESL courses. She advises Center (http://lc.byuh.edu) and student web page development (http://lc.byuh.edu/EIL_WORLD/EILW.html).
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Warschauer-Internet.html
Brian Oliver, Stavanger University College
It used to be called IT. The letters stood for Information Technology. The C in ICT was introduced because it has become obvious that the technology is at least as important as a means of communication as a device for handling information. Seen as communication tools, computers have an obvious place in language teaching and learning.
The C in ICT can help us to remember a number of key points to bear in mind when using computers in English classrooms.
* CatalystsComputers are often a catalyst for pupil activity. Unlike television, computers invite learners to be active. They can't just sit staring at a computer screen. They have to do something. Related to this point is the idea of challenge. Working with computers offers an almost continual series of minor (and sometimes major) problems that have to be solved – in many cases, before the user can continue.
* CollaborationAnother key concept is collaboration or co-operation. The computer screen allows pupils to do things together. Two or three (or even a whole class, if the screen is big enough) can participate in the same activity, (solving a problem, finding answers to a question, writing a story and so on.) The video recordings here leave no doubt that children enjoy and are good at working together with computers.
* CreativityComputers also encourage creativity. Sound, pictures, animations, video and text can be put together in new and different ways to make stories more convincing and explanations clearer than they would have been without this multi-media tool.
* Complementary functionComputers seem to work best as tools for learning and teaching when they complement other teaching and learning activity. Learners should be encouraged to take notes when working with computers. Teacher's instructions and tasks on paper worksheets can ensure that work with computers has structure and purpose. Conversely, many computer programmes for young learners can be used as sources of teaching materials such as flashcards for oral activities, materials for wall charts and classroom displays. Electronic reference materials such as dictionaries can be consulted when needed for writing - or to help pupils to understand a text. Where there are not sufficient computers (and there hardly ever are) some pupils can work, alone or in groups with written and or oral tasks while others perform tasks using the computers that are available. Teachers must then be able to move easily between the two. If teachers and learners are to use computers purposefully and efficiently these must be placed in or near classrooms or other work areas.
* ControlIn the past, some widely used approaches to foreign language teaching have assumed strict control of pupils behaviour. Textbooks can be used to make pupils act in highly predictable ways such as answering questions about given text, practicing saying and writing specified vocabulary items, responding to pronunciation exercises or grammar tasks in the textbook. The teacher can be fairly certain that few, if any, unexpected language or other challenges will occur. Most uses of ICT do not lend themselves to this kind of teacher control. The Internet is a good example. Millions of texts are available. Teachers can never know when they will have to respond to questions like "What does that word mean? How do we pronounce it? Is it good English? Is it taboo? Etc. etc." Once pupils have learned basic ways of obtaining information, they can find out many things for themselves that the teacher may not know much or anything about. Successful use of ICT is inconsistent with complete teacher control of what happens in the language classroom. However, that does not mean that teachers should not guide learners or set them tasks leading to specified solutions, set time limits and so on.
* CompetenceCompetence is a key concept, both linguistic and technical. The computer is not a mechanical surrogate teacher. Teachers cannot get pupils to create Internet web pages if they have no idea how to do this themselves. It is no use teachers telling pupils to use an electronic dictionary if they do not know what it contains, how to get at it or (not least) how to interpret it. Some pupils already know a lot about computers and we should invite them to help where this makes sense. But teachers must be able to explain to their pupils what they want them to do, to comment on what they are doing or have done and they should be able to do this in English. Whenever computers are used in English teaching, there are golden opportunities for teachers to communicate informally and purposefully with their pupils. This brings us back to the first point.
* CommunicationThe C in ICT stands for communication. The primary purpose of ICT in foreign language teaching must be to stimulate real communication between pupils (for example, within a class), communication between teachers and their pupils, for example, presentation, comment, advice, explanation, suggestion and instruction. It has an obvious role in furthering communication between learners from different countries who are (after all) learning English as a vehicle for international contact and understanding.
List of video sequences:
The video sequences were recorded at two schools in Stavanger. While the teacher had planned their days to take account of the fact that there would be a camera team in the classroom, the individual sequences and interviews were entirely unrehearsed and unscripted.
Sequence 1: In this sequence, the teacher talks about some general issues related to ICT in English language teaching.
Sequence 2: In this sequence some pupils are using Dorling Kindersley: My First Dictionary to work with vocabulary related to food and mealtimes.
Sequence 3: Starting to use computers in English teaching for the first time. A pupil talks about his favourite Internet simulation game.
Sequence 4: In this sequence some pupils are making web pages about a book they have been reading. The teacher focuses on opportunities for using English to instruct and discuss pupils’ work.
Sequence 5: In this sequence some pupils are using a multimedia programme (Storybook Weaver) to write a story together. The process involves using English in a variety of ways.
Sequence 1
In this sequence, the teacher talks about some general issues related to ICT in English language teaching.
1. L.97 requires ICT to be integrated into all subjects.
2. Using computers encourages (motivates) pupils and teachers to work with English.
3. Using computers calls for new ways of organising teaching. Rigid adherence to the timetable is a barrier.
4. Expect technical problems – seek help when needed.
5. Do not treat problems as reasons for not using ICT.
Sequence 2
In this sequence some pupils are using Dorling Kindersley: My First Dictionary to work with vocabulary related to food and mealtimes.
1.Not all pupils in a classroom need to use computers simultaneously.
2.Teachers should not expect to control pupils’ learning when they are working with ICT.
3.Pair and small group work is desirable when working with ICT. Pupils with different abilities can practice various skills together, exploiting their differing strengths and weaknesses.
4.All four skills can be practiced: reading, listening, speaking and writing.
5.Pupils may be given structured tasks to guide them in their work with ICT.
6.Multimedia programmes may support language learning through a combination of real spoken language, text and pictorial illustration.
7.Multimedia dictionaries can be used to work with vocabulary in a thematic way.
8.Some programmes make use of games and competitions.
9.Work-sheets can be used for preparation and follow-up as well as for use while actually working with the computers.
Sequence 3
In this sequence, a teacher gives some advice to colleagues who are starting to use computers in English teaching for the first time. A pupil talks about his favourite Internet simulation game.
1.Listen to your pupils and make use of their knowledge and experience with ICT in your own teaching.
2.Using ICT in your teaching depends on your willingness to learn new skills.
3.Recognise that some pupils are already autonomous and experienced users of ICT and English for real communication with people from other countries.
a. These pupils are active participants in an international culture.
b. Some play English language simulation games and role-play games just for fun.
c. Some young people use “chat” to communicate across national boundaries.
Pupil’s voice.
I think this game is (very) funBecause (it’s) so many people (that are) playing it all over the world.I’m sitting here in NorwayAnd yesterday I chatted with a boy that is from RomaniaIt’s (very) fun(You are) boss of the countryand you should make it strong and make the army strong.and you can go (to) war with other countries.And you are also in a continentIt’s about …be ….being the best planet ….country in the game.(It’s also a continent ….) You are in a continent with ten other countries.
And when .. the aim of the game is to get the continent high in rankAnd also get the country high in rankYou also need to build units.There are many kinds of unit. Some are weak and some are strong.You also talk with other people - in chat. I play this game a lot when I’m at school And sometimes at home. But I’m often out too. Because I just get sick if I sit in(side) all day.There’s very many players playing this game.About (a) thousandSo its very popular.
Sequence 4
In this sequence some pupils are making web pages about a book they have been reading. The teacher focuses on opportunities for using English to instruct and discuss pupils’ work.
1.Making web pages is a motivating way to practice writing.
2.Web pages can be about books the pupils have read.
3.When pupils collaborate to write texts on computers, they also communicate orally in English.
4.Many programmes are in English. This leads pupils to accept that English should be the language of communication.
5.Explaining the features of a programme and instructing pupils how to use it provides many opportunities for using English.
6.Pupils accept teachers’ choice of English as the language of instruction.
7.Teachers need to learn to use the basic computer vocabulary.
Classroom language
P1: We are making this page about The Lord of the RingsP2: I know what I’m going to doP2: Can ?P2: This is our home page about The Lord of the Rings, and we hope you are enjoying it.T: Is there anything else you could write in the book?P3: Hope you have funT: Hope you have fun.T: Maybe if you make the top text a little bit smaller.P4: That one?P5 Unclear (several comments)T:But you can make the frame biggerT: You go to a file. Remember? And what was itP6: Page propertiesP5: …………… a plain colour.P6: (It’s) too darkP5 to herself: too darkT:It doesn’t matterP4: I knowT: You see, you have saved one of the colours, but its not one that you had on the page.T: You might make it a bit smaller too.Click on the picture and go to the corner,To the left corner and pull it up.
Sequence 5
In this sequence some pupils are using a multimedia programme (Storybook Weaver) to write a story together. The process involves using English in a variety of ways.
1. Some writing programmes encourage creative writing in groups.
2. Programmes like StoryBook Weaver offer a choice of illustrative materials for pupils to base their own stories on.
3. These programmes are easy to use.
4.Pupils use English to communicate with eachother in the following ways:
a. comment on each other’s performance
b. plan their stories
c. help eachother to solve technical and practical problems
d. ask questions, suggest solutions etc.
e. suggest how a story should continue.
f. dictate suggestions
g. read aloud as they write
h. spell aloud in English.
i. discuss their visual illustrations
5. Pupils can record themselves reading their stories aloud and save the recordings in the computer’s memory.
Pupils’ voices
Pupil a: (reading fom PC screen) …… just laughed and then walked away slowly. You can’t be people again before someone has defeated me. Pupil b: Stop. You said (makes sound of clearing throat) when it was playing ( means: “the programme was recording your voice”). So now you have (repeats sound of clearing throat) “then the next day”.
(Teacher comments on writing programme)
Pupil a: Where should we put him?Pupil b: Up there. And then the witch came here (points at screen)…. Pupil c: therePupil b: and then the witch is herePupil c: There you can switch…Pupil c: and so he saw the snowmen He wanted to play with them ?: In his back yardPupil a: He wanted to take them homePupil b: He’s on his way home to get the sledge and then he meets the witchPupil a: (speaking as she types) on …the …way …home to get hisPupil c: sledge S L E D G EPupil a (repeats): G EPupil b: He can hide down there and the witch is coming from here.Pupil a: Oh yea. And then we need the witch on this page as well.Pupil b: HmPupil a: Where did you find it? Pupils a/b/c: above (unclear)Pupil a(reading): Once upon a time, four people was out playing in the snow. Then suddenly a half invisible witch came and cast a spell on them. They got cold and much heavier.Pupil c (reading): They turned into snowmen. They were so frozen that they couldn’t move anything. They were stuck there for many hours. The witch just laugh(ed) at them and walk away slowly. You can’t be people again before you before you stop er, before somebody has defeat(ed) me.Pupil b (reading): The next day, a boy came past. He saw the four snowmen. He wanted to take them home. On his way home to get his sledge, he saw the witch.
Learning styles and teachingCheron Verster, teacher trainer and materials developer, South Africa
Your students will be more successful if you match your teaching style to their learning styles.
* What is a learning style?
* Where do learning styles come from?
* Why should teachers know about learning styles?
* What types of learning styles are there?
* What teaching methods and activities suit different learning styles?
What is a learning style?Ellis (1985) described a learning style as the more or less consistent way in which a person perceives, conceptualizes, organizes and recalls information.
Where do learning styles come from?Your students' learning styles will be influenced by their genetic make-up, their previous learning experiences, their culture and the society they live in.
Top of pageWhy should teachers know about learning styles?
Sue Davidoff and Owen van den Berg (1990) suggest four steps: plan, teach / act, observe and reflect. Here are some guidelines for each step.
* Students learn better and more quickly if the teaching methods used match their preferred learning styles.
* As learning improves, so too does self esteem. This has a further positive effect on learning.
* Students who have become bored with learning may become interested once again.
* The student-teacher relationship can improve because the student is more successful and is more interested in learning.
Top of page What types of learning styles are there?
There are many ways of looking at learning styles. Here are some of the classification systems that researchers have developed.
* The four modalities(originates from the work of Dr's Bandler, R. and Grinder, J. in the Field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming)Students may prefer a visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (moving) or tactile (touching) way of learning.
* Those who prefer a visual learning style...
* ...look at the teacher's face intently
* ...like looking at wall displays, books etc.
* ...often recognize words by sight
* ...use lists to organize their thoughts
* ...recall information by remembering how it was set out on a page
* Those who prefer an auditory learning style...
* ...like the teacher to provide verbal instructions
* ...like dialogues, discussions and plays
* ...solve problems by talking about them
* ...use rhythm and sound as memory aids
* Those who prefer a kinesthetic learning syle...
* ...learn best when they are involved or active
* ...find it difficult to sit still for long periods
* ...use movement as a memory aid
* Those who prefer a tactile way of learning...
* ...use writing and drawing as memory aids
* ...learn well in hands-on activities like projects and demonstrations
Top of page
* Field-independent vs. Field-dependent
* Field-independent students
* They can easily separate important details from a complex or confusing background. They tend to rely on themselves and their own thought-system when solving problems. They are not so skilled in interpersonal relationships.
* Field-dependent students
* They find it more difficult to see the parts in a complex whole. They rely on others' ideas when solving problems and are good at interpersonal relationships.
* Left-brain dominated vs. right-brain dominated
* Students who are left-brain dominated...
* ...are intellectual
* ...process information in a linear way
* ...tend to be objective
* ...prefer established, certain information
* ...rely on language in thinking and remembering
* Those who are right-brain dominated...
* ...are intuitive
* ...process information in a holistic way
* ...tend to be subjective
* ...prefer elusive, uncertain information
* ...rely on drawing and manipulating to help them think and learn
Top of page
* McCarthy's four learning stylesMcCarthy (1980) described students as innovative learners, analytic learners, common sense learners or dynamic learners
* Innovative learners...
* ...look for personal meaning while learning
* ...draw on their values while learning
* ...enjoy social interaction
* ... are cooperative
* ...want to make the world a better place
* Analytic learners...
* ...want to develop intellectually while learning
* ...draw on facts while learning
* ...are patient and reflective
* ...want to know " important things" and to add to the world's knowledge
* Common sense learners...
* ...want to find solutions
* ... value things if they are useful
* ...are kinesthetic
* ...are practical and straightforward
* ... want to make things happen
* Dynamic learners...
* ...look for hidden possibilities
* ...judge things by gut reactions
* ...synthesize information from different sources
* ...are enthusiastic and adventurous
Top of pageWhat teaching methods and activities suit different learning styles?
* The Four Modalities
* Visual
* Use many visuals in the classroom. For example, wall displays posters, realia, flash cards, graphic organizers etc.
* Auditory
* Use audio tapes and videos, storytelling, songs, jazz chants, memorization and drills
* Allow learners to work in pairs and small groups regularly.
* Kinesthetic
* Use physical activities, competitions, board games, role plays etc.
* Intersperse activities which require students to sit quietly with activities that allow them to move around and be active
* Tactile
* Use board and card games, demonstrations, projects, role plays etc.
* Use while-listening and reading activities. For example, ask students to fill in a table while listening to a talk, or to label a diagram while reading
* Field-independent vs. field-dependent
* Field-independent
* Let students work on some activities on their own
* Field-dependent
* Let students work on some activities in pairs and small groups
Top of page
* Left-brain vs. right-brain dominated
* Left-brain dominated
* Give verbal instructions and explanations
* Set some closed tasks to which students can discover the "right" answer
* Right-brained dominated
* Write instructions as well as giving them verbally
* Demonstrate what you would like students to do
* Give students clear guidelines, a structure, for tasks
* Set some open-ended tasks for which there is no "right" answer
* Use realia and other things that students can manipulate while learning
* Sometimes allow students to respond by drawing
* McCarthy's four learning styles
* Innovative learners
* Use cooperative learning activities and activities in which students must make value judgments
* Ask students to discuss their opinions and beliefs
* Analytic learners
* Teach students the facts
* Common sense learners
* Use problem-solving activities
* Dynamic learners
* Ask students about their feelings
* Use a variety of challenging activities
If you vary the activities that you use in your lessons, you are sure to cater for learners with different learning styles at least some of the time.
* http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/learning_style.shtml
An Introduction to using Visualisation Rolf Donald, teacher and teacher trainer, Eastbourne School of English
Visualisation has been widely used in sports psychology over the last 30 years to enhance all aspects of performance. In this article I will be looking at some of the ways that it can be applied to language learning.
* What is visualisation?
* Introducing visualisation to students
* Guidelines for using visualisation in class
* Practical applications of visualisation
* Continue the script
* Why Use Visualisation?
What is Visualisation?Visualisation involves the creation of real or unreal images in the mind's eye. I will use it to refer to visual images, images of sound, movement, touch, taste and smell
Introducing Visualisation to StudentsThe following script is one way of introducing visualisation to students who have no experience of it. If you would like to experience it yourself, record the script onto a cassette. Then listen to it following the instructions.
* Script
1.Sit with your back straight. Take a few deep breaths (Wait 20 seconds). Now close your eyes and breathe normally. If you don't want to close your eyes, that's fine. Listen to the sound of your breath coming in and going out. (Wait 20 - 30 seconds).
2. Imagine you have a TV set in front of your eyes. When you switch on the TV I'd like you to see a white screen. Switch on your TV now and see the white screen. (Wait 20 seconds)
3. Now write your name on the screen in black using your left or right hand. (Wait 20 - 30 seconds)
4. Now change the colour of the screen and your name. Choose your favourite colours. Make the colours as bright as possible. (Wait 20 -30 seconds)
5. You are now going to turn up the volume. When you turn up the volume you will hear your favourite music or song. Turn up the music so you can hear it clearly. (Wait 20 - 30 seconds)
6. Now let the music and the screen disappear and switch off your TV.
7. When you're ready open your eyes again.
* Follow up task
* If you wanted to add the senses of taste and smell, how would you do it?
* If you were using this script with a class, what language would you pre-teach, or would you translate it into L1?
Top of pageGuidelines for Using Visualisation in Class
* If you're using visualisation for the first time, don't be too adventurous. Play safe until you are confident it works for you.
* Some students may feel that they can't produce images that are 'good enough'. Stress that it's not necessary to produce vivid images like in a dream. If they can describe the image that's fine.
* Have a clear aim for the visualisation.
* Use a script. When writing a script include clear open questions to help students produce different images. Use specific verbs, for example, 'see', 'feel', 'hear', 'taste', 'smell'. It is important to include different senses as your class will be made up of students who are predominantly visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learners.
* Include suggestions in your script to help those students that don't automatically produce images. For example:'You're reading a magazine. What kind of magazine is it? It could be a sports magazine or…..'
* Mark the points where you need to pause to give students time to create images. Practise reading it aloud.
* In class pre-teach any key vocabulary in the script.
* Explain what visualisation is and why you are going to use it.
* Lead students into the visualisation gently. Allow them to relax. If they don't want to close their eyes, that's fine. I use the image of a TV in front of their eyes, but it's only one way. If you have included questions in your script, tell students that they shouldn't answer them aloud.
* Present your script repeating key elements. Don't rush it.
* Bring students out of the visualisation gently.
* After the visualisation, set up the communication / writing etc. task.
Top of page Practical Applications of Visualisation
* Visualisations can be used for speaking practice as they create a natural information gap.
* For descriptions. For example, a visualisation of a student's relative, focusing on personality and physical appearance, can be followed by students describing the relative to a partner. Write the questions from the visualisation on the board as prompts, for example, 'What's he/she like? What does he /she look like?'
* To stimulate speaking. For example, after a visualisation of an airport departure lounge where students hear the conversations of a variety of different people (for example, two strangers who have just met etc), they act out the conversations.
* For narrating. For example, after a visualisation of a memorable event, students ask each other about the event using the questions from the visualisation. Change the present forms into the past. So 'What's the weather like?' becomes 'What was the weather like?'
* They can be used for revising vocabulary. Students write sentences with new words on their TV screens and then hear the sentences and the pronunciation.
* They can be used to focus on the layout and content of letters. Students write a letter on their TV screens based on question prompts in the script, for example. 'Who are you writing to?' 'Where are you writing the letter?'
* They can be used to develop students' self-confidence. For example, a visualisation of a successful learning event.
* Students can also write their own scripts, for example, a virtual tour of their country, their house etc.
Top of page
Continue the ScriptIf you would like to practise writing scripts, try this task...
In class you are working on the topic of travel and want to revise narrative forms. The aim of your visualisation is to help students recreate a journey they have taken so that they can describe it to a partner. To enable students to really relive the experience write the script as if it's happening in the present. However, after the visualisation write the key questions on the board in the past. Here is the beginning of the script for the visualisation. Continue the script.
1. When you switch on your TV I'd like you to see yourself on a journey you have taken. It could be a car journey, or a train journey, or a flight or maybe on foot or on a bicycle.2. How are you travelling? Where are you going?
Why Use Visualisation?
* It can bring classroom activities to life and make them more memorable
* It creates a natural information gap
* It combines left- and right-brain functions (language and imagination)
* It can help students to develop their ability to create different sensory images
* It can add variety to your teaching
* It can help students to learn to relax making them more receptive.
Creativity in the language classroom Judit Fehér, Pilgrims, UK
Before we set out and look at some theories and practice for introducing creativity into the language classroom, let’s see why it is worth making all this effort.
* What is creativity?
* Why is creativity important?
* Am I ever creative?
* Are my students creative in my lessons?
* Conclusion
What is creativity? Do you think you are creative? Do you think your students are creative? All of them? Some of them? Alas, only very few of them? Do you think you can call yourself lucky if you have one or two creative students in a life time? Do you think the younger the students are the more creative they are? Or do you think the opposite is true and that you learn to be creative over the years? How do you know that someone is creative? What do you actually do when you are thinking creatively?
Do you think your colleagues would answer these questions the same way as you do? In my experience, people hold very different views of creativity. Some think they aren’t creative at all and it is only the privileged and artistically talented, who can be considered creative. Others think that to cook a good dinner is already a clear sign of creativity.
In the coming articles, I do not aim to answer the questions above. What I aim to do is to look at three different theoretical descriptions of creative thinking and explore what language teachers may learn from them. I hope that after reading the articles, you will be able to ask many more and much more challenging questions about creativity and its use in the classroom than I did in the first paragraph.
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Why is creativity important?Before we set out and look at some theories and practice for introducing creativity into the language classroom, let’s see why it is worth making all this effort. Why is creativity important in language classrooms?
* Language use is a creative act: we transform thoughts into language that can be heard or seen. We are capable of producing sentences and even long texts that we have never heard or seen before. By giving learners creative exercises, we get them to practise an important sub-skill of using a language: thinking creatively.
* Compensation strategies (methods used for making up for lack of language in a communicative situation e.g. miming, drawing, paraphrasing used for getting meaning across) use creative and often imaginative ways of expression. Our learners will need these until they master the language.
* In my experience, some people cannot learn at all if they are not allowed to be creative. They do not understand the point in doing a language activity for its own sake, for only practising the language without a real content, purpose, outcome or even a product.
* My experience also taught me that most people become more motivated, inspired or challenged if they can create something of value, if they feel that in some ways what they do and how they do it reflect who they are.
* Creativity improves self-esteem as learners can look at their own solutions to problems and their own products and see what they are able to achieve.
* Creative work in the language classroom can lead to genuine communication and co-operation. Learners use the language to do the creative task, so they use it as a tool, in its original function. This prepares learners for using the language instrumentally outside the classroom.
* Creative tasks enrich classroom work, and they make it more varied and more enjoyable by tapping into individual talents, ideas and thoughts - both the learners’ and the teacher’s.
* Creative thinking is an important skill in real life. It is part of our survival strategies and it is a force behind personal growth and the development of culture and society.
Having read this list of why creativity is important in the classroom, you may have been wondering about either or both of these two questions:
* Am I ever creative?
* Do I ever get my students to do anything creative in my lessons?
I’m almost a hundred per cent sure that the answer is ‘yes’ to both of these questions. Let me show you why.
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Am I ever creative? Have you ever found that you wanted to do something but you did not have the right tool / material to do it, and then you found some way of using another object / material and managed somehow? E.g. You opened a bottle or a tin without a bottle or tin opener or substituted an ingredient in a recipe
with another ingredient. Have you every changed an activity in your course book or a resource book to match the needs of a particular group you teach? YES? There you go, you are creative!
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Are my students creative in my lessons?Do you ever get your students to speak about, write about, draw about or mime what they think? Do your students say things in the foreign language they never heard or read? Do you ever get them to think about rules, problems and how things and language work instead of just telling them? Do you sometimes give them tasks where there is no one possible answer and the answers will vary from one learner to another? YES? There you go, your students have opportunities to think creatively in your classes already!
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ConclusionIf you wish to be more aware of how creativity works in general and in your classroom so that you can make more informed decisions about using it and how to use it in your classes, join me for the upcoming three articles.
* I will use a definition of creativity that lists the four main features of it and I will look into the question of how we can bring these four features to the language classroom.
* I will boil the four features down to a shorter definition that – I believe - can grasp the essence of creativity and then I will show through some examples how this essential element of creativity can be added to language learning activities.
* I will use a theory of creative thinking roles and describe the classroom environment that can foster this kind of thinking.
This article published: 26th September 2007
Further reading
National Curriculum in Action: Why is creativity so important? http://www.ncaction.org.uk/creativity/whyis.htm
The BBC and the British Council are not responsible for the contents of external sites. For more information on our linking policy see the About page
Features of creativity Judit Fehér, Pilgrims, UK
This is the second in a series of four articles on transforming activities for creativity. The first introduced the concept of creativity in the language classroom. This one focuses on the features of creativity.
* The four features of creativity
* Imaginative
* Purposeful
* Original
* Of value
* Making activities creative
* Conclusion
The four features of creativitySuppose you didn’t know what an apple was. Which of these two descriptions would help you more if you wanted to have an idea of the actual fruit?
“fruit of the genus Malus (about 25 species) belonging to the family Rosacea, the most widely cultivated tree fruit”(1)
“round fruit with firm juicy flesh and green, red or yellow skin when ripe”(2).
Perhaps you agree with me that the second one with a list of characteristic features would be a better starting point for building the concept of an apple. This is why I have chosen to start exploring creativity with its four features as they are listed on the National Curriculum in Action website (3). It says that creative thinking is:
* Imaginative
* Purposeful
* Original
* Of value
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ImaginativeCreative thinking is imaginative as it brings about something that did not exist or was not known before, so it had to be imagined first. We can easily see this in art, but science and technology are also full of imagination.
* It could only be through imagination that Johann Gutenberg was able to combine the wine press and the coin punch to create his printing press.
* When Galileo was in prison, he wrote about imaginary experiments he made in his head.
* Another example is Einstein, who – just to give one of the many possible examples – described the random movements of atoms before they
could be seen in laboratories. He must have imagined them! (4)
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PurposefulThe examples of scientific imagination above have already indicated that creative imagination is not daydreaming. It has a purpose, an objective, which can be a variety of things from surviving after your boat has sunk, through opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew, to saving the life of cancer patients by finding a new treatment, or creating the complex emotional impact of catharsis.
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OriginalThe third feature, originality highlights that creativity has individuality built in it. It grows out of the individual as a plant grows out from a seed, and it is characteristic of the individual, too. The Nobel Prize winning physician, Albert Szent-Györgyi, who discovered vitamin-C, emphasises this feature of creativity in his definition:
“Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” (5)
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Of valueThe last feature, which says that the product or result has to be of value, adds the element of evaluation into creative thinking. When evaluating our creation, we need to see how it serves the purpose. Also, we may need to judge the purpose, the goal itself.
There are highly imaginative and original solutions that serve the purpose all right, but the purpose itself may be totally destructive, harmful or immoral. Although the feature of value is a very important one, it is not a clear-cut category as different people are bound to find different things valuable to different degrees. What is of value for me may not be of value for you. Just think of the many different views people hold about graffiti. So it is worth asking the question:
"Whose values and what sort of values are we using to judge and act?"
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Making activities creative What does all this teach us about creative language learning activities in the classroom? The sum of it could be the following:
* We need to give the activity a purpose that is something outside practising a certain language point. This purpose can usually be defined as some kind of outcome or product, which can be very simple like writing a shopping list for a new dessert learners would like to make for a friend’s birthday. Or it can be something really spectacular like putting a scene students write on stage. In this kind of activity, language is used as a tool, as a means to an end like in real life.
* We need to organise the learning process in a way that gives time, space and freedom to learners so that they can use their imagination and originality. This often means suspending judgment for the time of the activity and being open to many possible answers, solutions and products. Learners need to understand that there is no one right answer, that there are many valuable solutions possible. This calls for tolerance for ambiguity in the classroom. Managing a creative classroom activity also makes it necessary for the teacher to act more like a facilitator or helper. All this of course does not mean losing sight of the objective or lacking realistic timing.
* We need to make evaluation an integral part of the creative process. For evaluating a creative activity, it is very important not to restrict the evaluation to language use, as this would give learners the message that the outcome of the activity is not really important.
Generally speaking, my experience is that the more varied yet more focused the evaluation is the more motivating and more formative it is for the learners. What do I mean by varied? I mean that it comes from different sources: It combines self-evaluation, peer-evaluation and teacher-evaluation. It aims at different things: We evaluate the end-product, language use and the process (how learners worked together and contributed individually) using different criteria, which we preferably previously agreed on with the learners. By focused I mean that the evaluation is governed by the purpose or aim of the activity and the criteria we have set.
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ConclusionIn conclusion we can say that if we want to run a creative activity in the classroom, we need to check for the presence of these four features: imagination,
purpose, originality and value, and organise the process in a way that all these can be incorporated.
This article published: 3rd October 2007
References1. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume One, 15th edition, p.4922. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Encyclopedic Dictionary (1994) Oxford, Oxford University Press p. 373. National Curriculum in Action; http://www.ncaction.org.uk/creativity/4. Bronowski, Jacob: The Reach of the Imagination in: Shrodes, C – Finestone, H. – Shugrue, M. (Ed.): The Conscious Reader. (1988) New York: Macmillan Publishing Company5. von Oech, Roger; A Whack on the Side of the Head, How You Can Be More Creative. Creative Think, California, 1992, p.7
Further reading
National Curriculum in Action: Why is creativity so important? http://www.ncaction.org.uk/creativity/whyis.htm
The BBC and the British Council are not responsible for the contents of external sites. For more information on our linking policy see the About page.
The essence of creativity Judit Fehér, Pilgrims, UK
This is the third in a series of four articles on transforming activities for creativity. The first introduced the concept of creativity in the language classroom.
The second looked at the features of creativity. This article goes on to examine the essence of creativity.
* What is the essence of creativity?
* Adding creativity to learning activities
* Transforming personality
* Shifting points of view
* Changing the degree of freedom
* Transition from the known to the unknown
* Shifting genres or media
* Transitions between the whole and its parts
* Conclusion
What is the essence of creativity?The theory we used in the second article looked at creative thinking by listing all the important features of it. Now we will try to make a sharper distinction between creative thinking and ordinary thinking so that we can grasp the creative thinking act better. The question we ask this time is: What is the essential, indispensable component of creativity? This is how creative thinking guru, Roger von Oech puts it:
“Creativity is transforming one thing into another.” (1)
Arthur Koestler, writer and great thinker also describes creative thinking as ‘double-minded’ thinking that ‘operates on more than one plane’. He also says that it can be described as a ‘transitory state’. He believes that as a result of this transitory state “the balance of both emotion and thought is disturbed.” Opposed to this ‘double-minded’ creative thinking he describes ‘simple-minded’, ‘routine thinking’, which operates on only one thinking plane.(2)
* Humour is the easiest entry point to understanding what this double-minded thinking is and what we mean by transition. Consider this joke:
Patient: "Doctor, doctor, what can I do, my little boy has swallowed my pen?"Doctor: "Use a pencil till I get there."
The patient’s thoughts are about the well-being of his/her child, while the doctor is thinking along the lines of what to use if you do not have a pen available. We need to be able to shift from the first code into the second one to get the joke.
As a summary, we can say that the key elements of creative thinking are the presence of two things, two ways of thinking and the transition between them. Koestler also points out the unstable, disturbed nature of the creatively functioning mind.
What conclusions can we draw from this regarding the language classroom?
* Since a creative activity necessarily brings about instability, it is more unpredictable than other activities. This is why creating a relaxed classroom environment is essential.
* To add the element of creativity to ordinary classroom activities, we need to add the element of transforming, transition, shift or change between two things. This article will give you ideas on how to do this.
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Adding creativity to learning activitiesAs we have seen, transition from one thing into another is an essential element of creativity. Now I would like to give you some ideas as to what transitions may be possible in a language learning activity.
* Transforming personalityThis is something that often happens and can be easily set up in a language classroom.Example: Students act out a role-play or a scene, write a diary entry or a letter from another person (e.g. from a story or a picture) or they talk as a person in a picture or a story.
It is also possible for them to transform an object into a person or a person into an object. An example of the first one can be when learners describe an object as a person, or speak as an object. Example: You are your school bag. What is your life like?
An example of the second one can be this activity: In groups, learners create a machine out of their own bodies.Example: A machine to make pancakes or to do all they need to do before leaving for school in the morning. They perform the actions and try to sell it for production, they explain how the machine works.
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* Shifting points of viewThe often-used ranking exercise can be given the added element of transition if we ask learners to do the ranking for someone whose situation is different from theirs. Example: Learners list the five most important things they would take with them on a seaside holiday. Then they list the five most important things for a mother with a small baby, or someone with very white skin.
Using dichotomies like pros and cons, positive and negative, advantages and disadvantages also naturally create a shift of points view. Example: Learners are in pairs. One of them chooses a sentence with a strong opinion, e.g. ‘Smoking should be banned’. They talk for two minutes. If their partner claps once, they need to argue for the statement. If their partner claps twice, they need to ague against it.
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* Changing the degree of freedomWe can give students maximum freedom first, then impose limitation/constraint on them. Example: Groups of students plan a house. They have all the money they want. Then the teacher announces that unfortunately they only have half as much and asks them to re-plan it.
Another technique is removing limitations. You could simply turn the previous activity around and start with as little money as possible. When students are ready with their economical plans, you can tell them that they have won a lot of money. I also find it important to work with constraints students impose on their own thinking and give them a task in which they try to get rid of some of them. Example: Students list problems in the world that they think cannot be solved (E.g. wars cannot be prevented), then they discuss how to solve them.
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* Transition from the known to the unknownComparisons, analogies and metaphors all describe something that is not known or understood by matching it with something similar and well-known.Example: Learners describe how they are similar to or different from e.g. an aspirin or a ball or an animal and introduce themselves this way.
* Shifting genres or mediaStudents change prose into drama, poetry into prose, letter into interview, they act out a song as a drama, etc.
* Transitions between the whole and its partsLearners guess the article form the headline, a whole picture from a part of it, a story from the illustration or words taken form it, the caption from the cartoon, the end from the beginning, etc.
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ConclusionThis list is far from being complete, and in the true nature of creativity perhaps no complete list is possible. The main message here is for us to set up activities in a way that some sort of transition between two ways of thinking, two approaches may be possible for the leaner. This will also reinforce the open-endedness of the creative activities and educate our learners to tolerate ambiguity.
This article published: 10th October 2007
References1. von Oech, Roger A Whack on the Side of the Head, How You Can Be More Creative. Creative Think, California, 19922. Koestler, Arthur: The Act of Creation. (1989) ARKANA, Penguin Group
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