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This is one of my speeches at TESOL-Spain National Convention in Madrid 2006. Although some improvements could be now added, there is a very good theory involved as well as the data for my study case in my PhD. thesis. I hope you enjoy it.
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TESOL Spain National Convention Madrid 25/3/2006
Lack of Voices in the FL Class?Lack of Voices in the FL Class?
By Lluís Figueras
(IES Vilassar de Mar / University of Barcelona)
TESOL Spain National Convention Madrid 25/3/2006
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Questions
Do you think that students need to improve their
speaking skills?
Do you think computers may be useful?
Website to download this presentation:
http://www.xtec.net/~lfiguera/
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Summary
• Presentation of a study case• Results• Criteria for selecting Multimedia applications• Criteria for selecting software• Useful computer tools• Specialized software• Questions
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Type of study taken (experimental /control group)
GENERAL FEATURE FOR BOTH GROUPS• Middle-low socioeconomic class• 100% speakers of Spanish• Studying English since 8-10 years old• Eleven 55-minute sessionsExperimental group: Number of students tested• First 14 reduced to 10 pre-tested, ages 16-18 years
oldControl group: Number of students tested• Pre-test with 10 students and a post-test with the
same ones. No absences.• Pre-test taken in February 2002. Sessions ended in
May 2002
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Methodology
• Always half group (Experimental 15; control 20)Students in the experimental group: • Pair-work 10-15 minutes with computers Specific
software for pronunciation (Pronunciation Power and Connected Speech).
• 10 -15 minutes conversation with a native assistant teacher in groups (4-6 people).
• Remaining 10 -15 minutes: Self-Access class for other purposes (Vocabulary, Grammar, correction of activities…)
Students in the control group:• 10 to 15 minutes for conversation• Remaining time for tradicional type of class: reading,
correcting activites, just with the teacher intervention.
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Type of syllabus covered with both groups:
• Long and short vowels (especially sound /i:/)• Vowel /:/• Initial Consonant clusters ( sp, sk, st, etc)• Suprasegmental work, linking words.• Stress of words in the sentence, in an isolated
way, especially in two-syllable words.• Correct intonation in interrogative sentences.
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PLANTILLA DE CORRECCIÓN Y EJEMPLO FONÉTICO DEL ESTUDIO DE CASO EN 1º
DE BACHILLERATO (texto 1)
• ‘Consonant clusters’ (/sp/, /st/, /sl/) (7 casos)
• Contraste vocálico (i: / I) ( 9 casos, ‘he’ (7 casos sólo cuentan como 1)
• Diferentes formas de pronunciación del pasado regular /-ed/ (4 casos)
• Diferenciación de sonidos /ch/ /sh/• Algunos de los aspectos del texto 2 se
incluyen también aquí
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PLANTILLA DE CORRECCIÓN Y EJEMPLO FONÉTICO DEL ESTUDIO DE CASO EN 1º
DE BACHILLERATO (texto 2)
• Trabajo específico del sonido // • Acentuación correcta en palabras
polisilábicas• Suprasegmentales (Enlace, pausa y
acentuación correcta)• Contraste directo• Algunos de los aspectos del texto 1 se
incluyen también aquí
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Results
• All fields analyzed in the Experimental group had improvements.
• All fields analyzed in the Control group had improvements as a whole but not individually; those were less significant than the ones found in the experimental group.
• The Methodology with computers with a specific time assigned worked with the experimental group.
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Interpretation by Pastore (2003), inhttp://teacherworld.com/potdale.html
Useful hints when working with computers
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Advantages and disavantages of Multimedia resources
• Safe learning environment• Flexibility for individual
needs• May stimulate
demotivated students• Present info in different
ways• Teachers may review the
way they teach and how students learn
• Non-judgemental• Non-threatening
• Amount of money• Equipment• Renewal (5 years?)• Reading is more tiring and
28% slower in a computer screen
(Thibodeau, 1997) • Technophobia • Anxiety• Lack of control (Weil y Rosen, 1997)
Brown y Howlett (1994) Egbert et al. (1999), Brett (1999)
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What do we need in the FL class?
• The number of students IS NOT a problem if
all of them have a clear idea about what they
have to do.
• Working areas are necessary (at least 3-4).
• Adequate space / room may be important
but not a must.
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Working areas
• Students work in pairs or groups of three
• Typical areas to develop are: GRAMMAR,
VOCABULARY, LISTENING, READING…
• New types of working areas include
computers with special requirements.
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Computers and special requirements (i)
• Individual or pair work is the maximum
number of people allowed for optimal
performance. Use splitters to maximize users.
• Higher number of students provoke other
problems to arise, such as: room / space,
indecisions, arguments or lack of cooperation.
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Computers and special requirements (ii)
• The use of a computer may be considered as an
award and it is just a working area, for a
specific time and day, not a permanent place to
be in.
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Three different situations for working with software:
• Guided production through Reading and
Listening
• Guided production through Pronunciation
• Free production through an authorable
software
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Tell me more / Talk to me by Auralog
Guided production through Reading and Listening
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Tell me more / Talk to me by Auralog
• The S.E.T.S. (‘Spoken Error Tracking System’) technology:
• A) The software detects a word pronounced wrongly (red)
• B) The user may click on it and work individually.
• WHAT CRITERIA DOES THE SOFTWARE USE FOR S.E.T.S?
• ???
http://www.auralog.com/
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Tell me more / Talk to me by Auralog
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Tell me more / Talk to me SAMPLE PRODUCTION
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Pronunciation Power
• Products and demos:http://www.englishelearning.com/en/
• Professional software review at CALICO: http://calico.org/CALICO_Review/review/propower.htm
Guided production through Pronunciation
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Improving oral aspects
• http://evaeaston.com/pr/t-d-Id-pattern.html
Guided production through Reading and Listening
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Recommendations when working with computers
• Re-start again after a class period to release memory
• Older computers need extra time to think (extra clicks blocking system)
• Pair work or individual work only• Limit the time of a computer activity / • Limit the computer activity itself• Select your microphones with noise reduction• Set working areas according to the room / space
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Connected Speech software
• http://www.proteatextware.com.au/• Professional review at CALICO:
http://calico.org/CALICO_Review/review/conspeech00.htm
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What is an authorable software program? (I)
• It is a language specifically designed to produce educational software.
• The software may be adapted by adding data which may fit the user needs with different levels of difficulty, interest, culture, etc. allowing a high degree of autonomy (Wachman 1999).
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What is an authorable software program? (II)
• This type of software allows extra flexibility in the areas of:• Visualization on the screen, addition of
graphics and pictures.• Answer opinion: accept more than one
answer.• Recordkeeping: store the different
performances of students.• Branching or looping: may vary the contents
for different users.
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Oral Testing Software
• http://creativeworks.byu.edu/hrc/index.php?userid=812-1123555014-053&category=OTS
•Free production through an authorable software
Professional review at CALICO: http://calico.org/CALICO_Review/review/ots.htm
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Thanks for your attendanceDon’t forget to check
http://www.xtec.net/~lfiguera
to copy interesting links