Muddled Methodology

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Muddled Methodology CALL in the classroom is
not always communicative but it can be.
Ian Brown Ianb_at_acl.edu.au http//www.acl.edu.au A
CL Sydney, Australia
2

• Muddled methodology
• CLT Review
• Why Use CALL
• Elements of Successful CALL
• Communicative CALL
• Guidelines for the Teacher
• Student Centred Learning
• Considerations for a Lesson
• Pitfalls to using CALL
• Overcoming the Pitfalls
• Sample Procedure for a Communicative CALL lesson
• Examples
• Summary
• The Future

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Muddled Methodology

• Good classroom teachers can adopt totally
  different practice in the computer room
• Computer lessons are not planned
• Linguistic goals are not clear
• Computer classroom lessons are used as self
  access/free time
• Computers are used as a methodology not as a tool
  for use with different methodologies
• Technology controls the class not the teacher

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Communicative Language Teaching Review

• learning to communicate through interaction in
  the language
• using authentic texts and materials
• learning about the learning process in addition
  to language
• contributing personal experiences in the
  classroom
• linking classroom learning to language use
  outside
• Nunan 1991

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Communicative Language Teaching Review

• learner centred
• cooperative
• using whole language
• content centred
• task based
• Brown 1994
• 'weak' version
• 'strong' version
• Nunan 1993

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Why Use CALL?

• experiential learning
• motivation
• enhanced student achievement
• authentic materials for study 
• greater interaction
• individualisation
• independence from a single source of information
• global understanding Lee
  2000
• more fun
• promotes new ways of learning
• uses more senses for learning
• computer skills are an essential part of life
  today
  Palmer

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Elements of Successful CALL

• Integration
• 'An aspect indispensable at any stage of
  CALL is the integration of the computer programs
  in teaching
  Pilus 1995
• The Teacher
• 'teacher-related factors were the most
  important in determining the success of CALL
  materials development'. Levy 1997
• (Computer Competence)

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Types of Communicative CALL

• Direct
• Email
• Chat
• List
• Message board
• Indirect
• Pair work
• Group Work
• Ongoing Projects

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Communicative CALL

• One of the main benefits of using CALL is
  the interaction at the computer between student
  and student, student and teacher, and student and
  the computer' Coleman, 1996
• 'Spontaneous talk around the computer is more
  purposeful than a task set by the teacher to
  stimulate the students to talk. Coleman, 1996
• Pair and group work provide opportunities
  for learners to use and improve language in an
  individual manner as well as to increase
  motivation. Nunan
  1993

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Communicative CALL

• Student /student collaboration
• Prior to working with computers
• While using computers
• During a pause in computer use
• After using computers

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Guidelines for the teacher

• The (teacher) has a critical role to play in
  every stage of the process choice of programs,
  choice of text exercise, the nature of the pre or
  post activities that are used. The computer
  itself cannot teach
  Kaufmann 1992
• As a teacher you should-
• Consider carefully your goals
• Think integration
• Don't underestimate the complexity
• Provide necessary support
• Involve students in decisions
  Warschauer 1997

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Student Centred Learning

• As is often the case with other student-centred
  and communicative activities the teacher takes a
  greater role as a facilitator the guide on the
  side rather than the sage on the stage
• The teacher is on the move checking over
  shoulders, asking questions and teaching mini
  lessons FNO vol 7, no 6

• Circulating
• Monitoring
• Guiding
• Facilitating
• Troubleshooting
• Observing
• Encouraging

• Modelling
• Clarifying
• Motivating
• Assessing
• Moderating
• Redirecting
• Suggesting

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Considerations for a Lesson

• Student teacher familiarity with the program
• What parts to use (Not the whole program at
  random)
• What are the linguistic aims of the lesson and
  how will this be achieved
• What part of the teaching/learning cycle is the
  computer playing (building context, modelling,
  joint construction etc)
• Links to the classroom (Pre teaching vocabulary,
  setting the context or other prior activities in
  the classroom)
• Dynamics to be used (individual/pairwork/group)
• Handouts and/or follow up activities required

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Pitfalls to using CALL

• Urge to surf
• Babysitting
• Lack of training
• Overload of information
• Structuring lessons to stay on task
• Making computer time language learning productive
• Adapting classroom tasks to the computer room
• Controlling the technology (not the technology
  controlling the class)
• Technical problems

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Overcoming the Pitfalls

• Have a starting point
• Inform the students
• Clarify aims
• Devise a logical lesson structure
• Provide activities for student interaction
• Manage the computer room
• Vary the dynamics
• Link the computer lessons to the curriculum (both
  pre and post)

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Sample Procedure for a Communicative CALL Lesson

• Pre teach (prior to or at beginning of lesson)
• Allocate Pairs (consider, English level, computer
  expertise/familiarity, nationalities)
• Explain what and why (clear goals increase
  interest and motivation)
• Demonstrate (guide the students about what to do)
• Monitor, troubleshoot, assist
• Assess / Follow Up (with tests, assignments,
  homework and/or subsequent classroom lessons)

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Examples

• Weather
• Weather Lesson
• CNN weather site
• Movies
• IMDB Film Site
• Movie activities
• Movie Web Exercise
• Movie for Guide for ESL students
• News
• CNN Reading and online exercises
• Newspapers from all over the World
• More readings and online exercises
• Recipes
• Student Recipe Exchange

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Summary

• Learning outcomes must drive the use of CALL not
  the technology. 
• CALL lessons must be integrated to the curriculum
• Language is a human activity and language
  learning in CALL requires humans (teachers) to
  facilitate this learning with computers as a tool
  for learning (like an OHP or cassette).
• Pair work at the computer can produce a new
  dimension of authentic communicative activity and
  problem solving to many CALL activities

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The Future

• Project and Task based learning (a form of the
  strong version of communicative teaching) is
  gaining increasing prominence in language
  education and is a natural partner to CALL in
  what Warschauer terms as integrative CALL and
  a move from the cognitive view of language
  learning to a socio cognitive one .
• However Whether we rely on textbooks or
  technology, we must remember that they are only
  inert tools. It is how we use these tools that
  will ultimately affect our students
  Armstrong and
  Yetter-Vassot 1994476