Vance's 'ESL_Home' CALL resources
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Vance's papers and presentations
Webheads in Action portal |
Communities of practice online session
portal |
Electronic
Village (EV) Online portal page
Translate this page -
http://world.altavista.com/ |
Gloss this page - http://www.voycabulary.com/
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Communities of practice online: Reflection through experience and experiment with the Webheads community of language learners and practitioners
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Teresa Almeida d'Eça, Susanne Nyrop, Rita Zeinstejer Online communication tools that facilitate interaction of participants in a virtual community and their role in language learning Week 3: Mon Feb 3 to Sun Feb 9, 2003 |
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Week 3 wrapup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evonline2002_webheads/files/2003/week3-feb3-9/w3-threads.htm
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See the 'official' page at: http://www.malhatlantica.pt/teresadeca/webheads/evonline2003/week3.htm Click on the logo for Teresa's original map (which should have interactive push pins) |
Suggested readings
Here are some pre-week 3 readings to help you relate better to the subject; for additional readings please reference the URL above.
- Almeida d'Eça, Teresa. To chat or not to chat in the EFL classroom, that is the question! Language, Communication and Culture International Conference. University of Évora. 29 Nov. 2002. http://www.malhatlantica.pt/teresadeca/papers/evora2002/chat-and-efl.htm
- Mynard, Jo. Introducing EFL Students to Chat Rooms. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 2002. http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Mynard-Chat.html
- Stevens, Vance, and Arif Altun. The Webheads Community of Language Learners Online. Proceeds from a demonstration given at the MLI Teacher to Teacher Conference 2001, 7 Nov. 2001. http://www.homestead.com/prosites-vstevens/files/efi/papers/t2t2001/proceeds.htm
- Stevens, Vance. A day in the life of an online language educator. Draft version: http://www.homestead.com/prosites-vstevens/files/efi/papers/tesl-ej/02dec.htm
Teresa has also suggested a few papers published in the January 2003 issue of Language Learning & Technology. The first two are of a practical nature, the other two are case studies related to email and discussion lists:
1. Internet Audio Communication for Second Language Learning: A Comparative Review of Six Programs - Gary A. Cziko and Sujung Park (http://llt.msu.edu/vol7num1/review1/default.html)
Abstract: A vast and largely untapped resource for second language learners has recently become available: native speakers of languages being learned who have access to the Internet. To explore the potential of this new resource for second language learning, we reviewed six free programs for Windows and Macintosh computers that permit synchronous audio (and some video) communication via the Internet. It was found that although the audio (and video) quality varied both among and within the programs reviewed, the communicative contexts created by these programs can provide second language learners with an inexpensive means for useful audio interaction with native speakers of their second language. We provide recommendations for program choice according to user needs and preferences, with an emphasis on tandem language learning, a context in which participants take turns being both second language learner and tutor of their native language.
2. Designing Task-Based CALL to Promote Interaction: En Busca de Esmeraldas - Marta Gonzalez-Lloret (http://llt.msu.edu/vol7num1/gonzalez/default.html)
Abstract: Developing effective language teaching materials based on second language acquisition principles is a priority which needs to be addressed in all language teaching areas. The field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is no exception. "En Busca de Esmeraldas" is a CALL activity delivered via the Internet and based on principles of language teaching (Doughty & Long, 2002; Long, in press) and on Chapelle's (1998) proposals for developing multimedia, grounded in SLA research. The first part of this article presents the steps necessary for designing an effective language learning tool to foster communication and negotiation, taking into consideration the importance of supporting integral education, using tasks, providing elaborated input and feedback, and promoting collaborative learning. The second part of the article reports on a study conducted using such a tool to determine whether communication and negotiation occurred, and whether the negotiation was similar to that reported in previous studies that claim such negotiation facilitates the comprehension process.
3. Collaborative E-mail Exchange for Teaching Secondary ESL: A Case Study in Hong Kong - Roseanne Greenfield (http://llt.msu.edu/vol7num1/greenfield/default.html)
Abstract: This article presents data from a qualitative case study examining secondary ESL students' attitudes toward and perceptions of a collaborative e-mail exchange between a Form 4 (10th grade) ESL class in Hong Kong and an 11th grade English class in Iowa. The exchange was based on a researcher-designed instructional model, utilizing widely accepted theories and methods for modern second language instruction: cooperative learning, communicative language learning, process writing, project-based learning, and an integrated approach.
After exposure to the exchange, Hong Kong students were questioned about (a) changes in attitude towards computers and language learning; (b) effect of computer background on attitude, interest, and motivation; (c) perception of their acquired reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills; and (d) attitude towards cooperative learning. Data was collected primarily from pre- and post-model surveys and personal interviews.
The majority of Hong Kong participants said they enjoyed the exchange, gained general confidence in English and computer skills, and felt that they made significant progress in writing, thinking, and speaking. They were, however, ambivalent as to whether it improved standardized exam-related skills such as grammar usage and discrete language functions. As the project progressed, students with strong computer skills indicated less satisfaction than those with weak computer skills.
4. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Electronic Discussion and Foreign Language Learning by Barbara E. Hanna and Jiluana de Nooy (http://llt.msu.edu/vol7num1/hanna/default.html)
Abstract: Amongst the opportunities for cross-cultural contact created by the burgeoning use of the Internet are those provided by electronic discussion lists. This study looks at what happens when language students venture out of the classroom (virtual or otherwise) to participate in on-line discussion groups with native speakers. Responses to messages and commentary by moderators and other participants on the (in)appropriateness of contributions allow us to determine what constitutes successful participation and to make suggestions regarding effective teaching strategies for this medium.
A case study examines the threads started by four anglophone students of French when they post messages to a forum on the Web site of the French newspaper Le Monde. Investigation of these examples points to the ways in which electronic discussion inflects and is inflected by cultural and generic expectations. We suggest that successful participation on Internet fora depends on awareness of such cultural and generic mores and an ability to work within and/or with them. Teachers therefore need to find ways in which students can be sensitized to such issues so that their participation in such electronic discussion is no longer seen as linguistic training, but as engagement with a cultural practice.
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on this page Last updated: March 5, 2003 in Hot Metal Pro 6.0 |