Technology and language learning: the great debate

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Technology and language learningthe great debate

• Pete Sharma
• Asociación Cultural Peruano Británica,
• September 2009

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Part one whats new?

• Background
• Blended learning
• New technologies
• New pedagogies
• Benefits constraints

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Background
i) Computers have changed our lives as teachers
forever
Corpus linguistics Word frequency Course book
authenticity Neologisms
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(ii) CALL is situation specific

• Computer-aided language learning
• Solution in situation A has no impact on
  Situation B
• Classrooms - online
• Comparing apples and oranges

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(iii) New era

• Digital natives
• Digital immigrants
• Publishers no longer solely own content
• Web 2.0
• User content
• collaborative

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(iv) Technology driven world

• Innovators early adapters - early majority
• Pedagogy playing catch-up
• Pedagogy is crucial for language teaching

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(2) Blended learning

• Combination of.....
• work training
• f2f classroom online
• pedagogical approaches
• Technologies
• Real world / in world

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New pedagogies

• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Language Skills
• Listening
• Speaking
• Listening speaking

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Benefits constraints

• BENEFITS
• Learning beyond the classroom time and place
• Cross-border projects affect of global audience
• Facilitates learner choice
• Opportunities for creativity

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• Develop learners digital literacies
• Save on a pen drive
• Currency Michael Jackson
• Multi-modality kinaesthetic learners

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• CONSTRAINTS
• Back up
• Takes time calibrate IWB
• Cutting through the hype
• Infrastructure cost
• Dont use it for the sake of it vs

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IWB

• Pros

• Cons

• Power of multimedia
• Transparent fourth wall
• Promotes learner engagement
• Review is easy
• Memorable presentations

• Cost benefit ratio
• Return to teacher-centred learning
• Ignores Web 2.0

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On-line grammar practice

• Non-standard forms
• unfinished
• product vs process
• grammaring

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Stakeholders

• Cline of understanding about potential use of
  technology (Peachey)
• Students excellent
• Teachers ok
• Trainers not so good
• Educator of teacher trainer poor
• Employer of educator what???

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Students

• Whats the fuss?
• Learner training
• electronic dictionaries
• wikipedia
• plagiarism

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Teachers

• confront technophobia
• teacher development
• appropriate
• start with learner needs

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Academic management / management

• Training infrastructure
• Online is best for subject specific / Blended
  is best study shows language teaching?
• Win-win is possible

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Final thoughts

• New tools are emerging all the time
• 2 years time buzz technology....?
• Principled teaching
• Embrace a digital future