Blending English teaching with technology

Jun-Jie Tseng (曾俊傑 )jjtseng@ntnu.edu.tw

National Taiwan Normal University

Overview

The significance of online English teaching and learning

Online task development Online technology Pedagogical strategies Reflection

The significance of online English teaching and learning

Online Education Beats the Classroom

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom/

The rise of online teaching

The number of distance courses is growing and an increasing number of institutions are introducing online courses or blending more conventional courses with online elements. (Hampel, 2010, p. 150)

A sociocultural view of language teaching and learning

Language as a subject to be talked about? Active, productive use of the new

language Language learning as dialogic with

authentic language in use as the primary mediating tool for learning

Directly comprehending and responding appropriately to language – conversation – is central to all developmental processes.

The advantages of online teaching

When ELLs have access to online tools, they are motivated to practice English outside the classroom (Aydin, 2007; Colombo & Colombo, 2007; Son, 2007).

The online tools improve the listening and speaking skills of young learners.

Affordances of asynchronous online teaching and learning environments (Meskill, & Anthony, 2010)

Convenience Connectivity Membership Authentic audience Tailored audiences Strategies to compensate for lack of

non-verbal info

Richness of information (links, multimedia)

Time to focus and review Time to compose, resources to

compose Time and opportunity to reflect Opportunity to witness and track

learning Opportunity to demonstrate learning

Characteristics of Task-Based Language Teaching

Providing sufficient comprehensible input to “trigger” acquisitional processes

Involved in real communication Paying attention to linguistic form

Online task development

Three-level model of task development

Approach: › theories about the nature of language

learning› the possibilities that the technology affords

Design› Syllabus› Types of tasks› Learner and teacher roles

Procedure: the actual implementation of the tasks

Approach

Cognitive SLA: input, interaction, and output

Sociocultural theories› Mediation: through interaction, language,

tasks, or technology› scaffolding

Design

Goal: e.g. developing writing skills with Forums

Task type: Individual tasks (e.g. information gathering online) feed into interactive tasks (e.g. discussion of information in a forum)

Input: verbal and visual modalities› Links to websites› Preset discussion questions in forums› Student contribution

Online technology

Technology: Voxopop

http://www.voxopop.com/ A voice-based e-learning tool E.g., What’s your favorite …? (

http://www.voxopop.com/topic/baf4da6d-ff57-4c40-9550-0386d216a841)

Technology: Voicethread

http://voicethread.com/ E.g., Our Alphabet Book (

http://voicethread.com/?#q+children+english.b856240.i4560642)

E.g. reader’s theater (http://youtu.be/5dTZI1MEH3I)

More technological tools to get students talking

http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/

Pedagogical strategies

Instructional conversation moves (Meskill, & Anthony, 2010)

Calling attention to forms Calling attention to lexis Corralling Saturating Using linguistic traps Modeling Providing explicit feedback Providing implicit feedback

Calling attention to forms

Task-level attention to form› a role paly activity in which students are

asked to practice, then record and post a conversation.

› The teacher can review the recordings, insert audio comments and corrections, and leave written comments and questions.

Incidental attention to forms› addressing meaning, pronunciation, or

intonation› Technology: Voxopop› E.g. What is your favorite car? Why?

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “calling attention to forms.”

Calling attention to lexis

Task-level attention to lexis › Using intonation to draw learners’

attention to a new lexical item› T: It’s too chilly to go swimming.› Using both visual and voice emphases› Technology: Voicethread› Visual and voice: SUNNY and IT’S SUNNY.

Incidental attention to lexis› Repeating the word five or ten times, use it

in a sentence, then use it in a question.› Focusing on lexical items with the help of

both voice and text.› E.g. playing a question and answer game

on Voxopop

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “calling attention to lexis.”

corralling

Task-level corralling› Using an audio dubbing assignment to

corrall learners into using a focal form or lexical item

› Posting audio post assignment of a direction asking and giving role paly

› Tell the story about this picture using your own voice (Voicethread)

Incidental corralling The use of voice and intonation E.g. T: You turn right at ? / So, you

turn right at mmmm Street?

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “corralling.”

Saturating

Oral repetition E.g. Yes, you can’t depend on a bus

schedule, Bus schedules are almost always wrong. I have a bus schedule that I can’t depend on to come to class.

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “saturating.”

Using linguistic traps

T: What is the girl doing? The girl is skiing.

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “using linguistic trap.”

Modeling

Visual modeling› Video 1: My apologies.› Video 2: I am very sorry.› Video 3: Pardon me.› Video 4: Please forgive me.› E.g. It’s time for the bus. (

http://api.vizlingo.com:8080/vizings/17/7b/ed/177bed13d094e0517c3c8b446d5ced67.mp4)

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “modeling.”

Providing explicit feedback

Provided silently via visual markings and cues

Select to attend to the kinds of explicit feedback (aural, visual, textual, rules, or examples)

E.g. adding a link to a grammar web site, reference to video materials on the Internet, reference to online exercises

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “providing explicit feedback.”

Providing implicit feedback

S: I drinked tea yesterday. T: I drank coffee. I don’t like tea at all.

Did you drink coffee, too?

Practice time

Come up with an example that supports “providing implicit feedback.”

Sample language learning task template (Meskill, & Anthony, 2010)

Topic: Duration: Skill focus: Overall instructional aims: Task structure:

› Task toolkit› Roles for learners› Setting the scene› Action expectations› Action monitoring instructional conversation

(feedback) Expected outcomes

Using Moodle to support English teaching

Not only for making resources available to learners but also for offering students and teachers a choice of online communication tools.

Video-based know-how tutorials (http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/moodle1/index.html)

Tips of using the Moodle tools (Ernest et al., 2009)

Instructions/guidelines/time management› Rules for synchronous participation› Specify timescale for activities› Signposts to key aspects of reading

materials› Clearly signalled closing stage

Forums and other tools› Clear guidance on expected frequency of

participation› Separate forums for each task› Opportunities for individuals to individual

communication› Easy access to instructions for use of less

familiar tools› Opportunity to experiment with new tools

Collaboration and sense of community› Self-introduction› Group formation› Common goals› A sense of community

Using blog to support English teaching

http://ellloblog.blogspot.com/

Reflection

What have you learned? Are you inspired?