Computers in Language Learning and Linguistics

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Computers in Language Learning and Linguistics
Tony Mahon

• Session 6
• Integrating IT and ELT
• Using Electronic Storybooks to teach English

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Overview

• Consider the use of electronic storybooks in
  English lessons and identify their advantages and
  limitations.
• Compare and contrast the features of electronic
  storybooks and big books.
• Consider the advantages of creating your own
  ebooks for use in English lessons.
• Consider the characteristics of good self-created
  ebooks.
• Experience creating your own ebooks.

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Possibilities in integrating IT in ELT
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Possibilities in integrating IT in ELT
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Possibilities in integrating IT in ELT
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Possibilities in integrating IT in ELT
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Possibilities in integrating IT in ELT
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Using electronic storybooks to teach English
One interesting, flexible and effective way of
using IT to help children learn to read in
English is to use electronic storybooks.
Electronic storybooks are also known as ebooks,
talking books or talking stories.
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Why use ebooks?

• We use ebooks for many of the same reasons that
  we
• use big books.
• engage childrens interest
• immediate visual impact
• funny stories
• meaningful language
• memorable contexts
• repetitive language patterns

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Why use ebooks?

• stimulus for post-reading language activities
• the teacher can model the reading process
• pupils can experience and take part in the
  reading process
• special atmosphere for reading
• develop reading skills with large classes

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How are ebooks different from big books?

• Big books are 2D, ebooks are multimedia
• Multimedia features can provide additional
  support particularly to help young learners
  develop word recognition
• Nature of the interaction - ebooks allow the
  pupils to interact with the story in different
  ways by
• listening to stories
• clicking on words to find definitions or
  pronunciations
• clicking on objects (hotspots) to produce simple
  animations
• listen to the ebook time and time again

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Advantages of ebooks

• Nature of interactivity is motivating
• Multimedia elements add another dimension to
  childrens reading experience
• Can motivate reluctant readers
• Can use with older children who may be less
  willing to sit at the front for a big book lesson
• Provide good models of spoken English. If
  children have requisite IT skills they can
  control the pace of their reading

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Advantages of ebooks

• Multimedia features provide additional support
  for word recognition and reading comprehension
• The audio feature allows children to get access
  to the sound of words
• Cater for individual differences in childrens
  reading abilities

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Limitations and concerns

• If spoken text does not match written text, it
  may confuse children at the early stages of
  learning to read
• Too much irrelevant animation may detract readers
  from the text and the task of reading
• Difficult to achieve the same kind of warm
  atmosphere that can be gained when the teacher is
  sharing a big book
• Cost
• Edutainment ebooks may not be as suitable for
  teaching and learning as ebooks produced for
  educational purposes

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Using ebooks to teach English

• How can ebooks be used in whole class teaching?
• Start with demonstration similar to shared
  reading with big books involves modelling
  reading to children
• Encourage children to participate and interact by
  
• Listening to the teacher read the story
• Predicting events
• Reading aloud
• Clicking hot spots
• Follow-up discussion
• Teacher questions and elicitation
• Follow-up activities

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Using ebooks to teach English

• How can ebooks be used in the computer lab?
• A site license is cost effective and allows the
  ebook to be loaded on a server for access from
  each machine. Pupils may work individually, in
  pairs or small groups around a single computer
• Model what you expect pupils to do
• Aim to establish routines for them to follow,
  e.g.

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Using ebooks to teach English

• How can ebooks be used in the computer lab?
• Ask pupils to
• go through the story page by page
• listen to the recorded voice
• read after or along with the recorded voice
• click on and listen to individual words, and
  repeat the words or phrases
• explore pictures and find hot spots
• read aloud to the teacher or another pupil
• read the story silently, independently
• read and do activities

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Advantages of creating your own ebooks
There are many advantages to creating your own
ebooks. Can you think of any?
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Advantages of creating your own ebooks

• You can design ebooks to match the specific
  language learning needs of your pupils.
• They are a durable and reusable resource.
• They can be easily changed and adapted for other
  groups of learners.
• Flexibility ebooks can be used for presentation
  with a single computer or they can be accessed by
  groups of children for independent reading in a
  computer room.

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Advantages of creating your own ebooks

• They can make presentation of language more
  interesting and exciting, especially for young
  children.
• Teachers can use them interactively during
  presentations.
• You can include unexpected effects that are
  difficult to achieve with print materials.
• Cost effective there are many types of clip art
  available as freeware or shareware from the
  Internet, or schools can purchase collections
  containing thousands of clip art images on CD-ROM.

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Characteristics of good ebooks

• Good ebooks should contain the following
• Related to specific teaching objectives.
• Appropriate to the age, interests, language
  knowledge and abilities of the pupils.
• Present language content within the context of an
  interesting story.
• For young children, stories that contain
  repetitive patterned language and support
  children to make predictions are very useful.

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Characteristics of good ebooks

• Avoid making very long and complex ebooks. Short
  simple ebooks work fine.
• Images should support the meaning of the text.
• Sound effects can add interest.
• Recorded text allows children to read and listen
  independently.
• Animation can be attractive to young children,
  however, too much can distract them. Remember
  the aim is education not edutainment!

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Features of self-created ebooks
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Features of self-created ebooks