Learning language Skills Using Internet

Introduction

The learner learns language first by listening, he picks of his language spontaneously with correct usage. Then speaking is not a problem. The language he learns from parents to start with then from others mostly by listening. Then he uses this learning to start with to speak then read and write. In this process the learning culture embedded.

In case of foreign language learning and improving his own language a good teacher is required. Good teachers are limited compared to the number of learners.

Information and communication technologies (ICT). The personal computer on desktop, thee mobile computer on laptop, the mobile telephone in the pocket are changing the world. The INTERNET provides the connectivity and make available, ICT infrastructure to every one, every where and any time.

Is there a solution to supplement a good teacher?

Is a technology supplementing a good teacher?

How this technology going to help the learners?

This paper is an exploration to answer above three questions and to discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

Scope

The scope of this paper is limited to discussion of language learning.

  

Using INTERNET technology for teaching languages

The collaboration is a powerful tool for any activity. Internet is the Information Communication Technology which provides power tools for collaboration.

The three electronic devices the desk top, the lap top, and the mobile phone has become part of every ones life.  This makes assessing the web any where and any time. Virtually the students and teachers can get connected. It is a virtual class room when student is mentally prepared to attend class not by force like conventional class rooms.

The good teacher need not present there at that moment his Video is good enough, even Audio is also good enough the basic learning tool. The video and audio once made available transmission is very cheap. We have to invest only a onetime payment to the expert teacher may be royalty can be paid if needed.

What are the current usages of technology?

The ICT technology is offering solutions day by day powerful, fast, and affordable. Even various technology tools are made available for education.

The teachers are and can use computers for recording content, lecture for replicating, contacting parents and teachers. They can improve themselves by collaboration with peers by saving traveling cost and inconvenience.

The good teacher effort can be augmented even starting from.

First level, one computer in the class room (Economically backward courtiers) for listening and comprehension exercises where as teacher can utilize his time to keep in touch with many students. The students can if they want repeat the play the lessons as many times as they want till they mater it.

How a stand alone computer can be used as tool of language learning

We have started paper good teachers numbers are limited the student numbers are plenty. So how the computers are can extend the capability of a good teacher to take care many students. How the computers can integrate in the learning process?

Computer as a language teacher

Computers can be used to deliver a lecture, to distribute course material, to announce programs effectively. Computers can be used for assessing students.

Computer tools currently available

The tools available are useful to the learners, teachers and researchers.

1. Tools to create and manage course content.

There are plenty of tools available free and for a price, some of them are indicated here.

                                     

• web development  tool (Frontpage, Dreamweaver)
• Web and Course development  (joomala)
• CD authoring (Toolkit, Director)
• Text manipulation (Word, Excel)
• Image processing (Photoshop)
• Sound editing (Audacity)

2. Language tools

• Spelling and grammar checkers (White smoke and Rightwrite)
• Concordance programmes (Wordsmith Tools, Monoconc)
• Digital corpora (British National Corpus )
• Word processors (Word)
• Translation programmes (Babelfish)

3. Computer as a Resource

The list is end less

• Material on CDs and DVDs
• Good number of websites with free and paid language services
• Dictionaries
• Digital libraries
• Books
• Articles
• News papers

How to integrate technology?

 

1.      Identify student needs and address the course delivery.

2. Course should be designed like any class room course and arranged in an order.
3. Define the objectives of the course and test the objectives are met or not.
4. Identify student difficulty spots and arrange support.
5. Design tasks for online learning.

 

In case where internet connectivity is poor and even the computers are not connected together and in remote places the CDs and DVDs plays a vital role imparting language skills.

Second level, now most of the colleges are establishing language labs for learning foreign languages quickly, with full course available with exercise on the server and supported by a teacher. This is individual learning and self learning supported by a teacher in case of doubts. The students can choose their own convenient timings and speed of learning. The courses have no limitations, completely multimedia driven courses.

The final one is distance learning, any where, any time learning. The course management system consisting content and exercises supported by an online expert is made available on the net to reach on any gadget from desk top to mobile. The courses have no limits smile audio to multimedia content.

The ICT Technology is able to create real class room environment virtually.

1.  Learners have opportunities to interact with each other and negotiate meaning.
2.  Learners interact in the target language with an authentic audience.
3.  Learners are involved in authentic tasks.
4.  Learners are exposed to and encouraged to produce varied and creative language.
5.  Learners have enough time and feedback.
6.  Learners are guided to attend mindfully to the learning process.
7.  Learners work in an atmosphere with an ideal stress/anxiety level.
8.  Learner autonomy is supported. (Egbert, Chao, and Hanson-Smith 1999, 6)

To days ICT can support all those above requirements. This is best condition and environment for a learner, to learn and freeing the learner from the dust and din of a restricted class room to freedom.

How the technology creates above learning environment.

The ICT provides, the combination of hardware and software to drive content in phased manner keeping the learners, learning progress in view. When delivered over Internet the communication part plays a role. 

Both Internet facilities online and CDs and DVDs facilitates of line learning with various concepts and languages to learn taking care the status 4 of above environment requirements. The immediate feedback is available meeting the environment requirement 5. The can learn as many times as they want meeting environment requirements 5,6,7,8.

The students can be motivated with inbuilt games and reward points. The learning environment can be widened by incorporating a challenge for language use in the course materials with guidance. As the courses are available, where and when they want, meeting the environment requirement 8. The internet live text and voice chat adding practicability to learning creates virtual class room.

The most important aspect of learning is authenticity. The Net provides interaction with native speakers and peers which is otherwise not possible. To learn meaning and usage form an authentic resource meeting environment requirements 1,2,3,4.

This is a possible to day, we can place the learners with target language speaking family as a methods and practice for learning language and culture.

Learning practice can be further strengthened Integrating computers in language learning.

How to create a distant student a class room using Internet?

Email

The teacher can use email as a power full tool. He can reach all the students at the nook and corner of the world with flick of a button. The teacher can communicate, distribute lessons, learning plans, exercises, individual guidance and there is limit to reach to the learners.

Same is the case with student he can contact co students and teacher to get a feel he is not alone. He can share material and ideas and collaborate for individual and team learning and exercises.

Class room activity using simple tool like email

The school can facilitate email addresses of other students and can start a game. The students can contact other students asking for words are sentence meanings as a learning language and culture tool.

Various quizzes can be circulated and encourage the students to participate and correct answers can be circulated later. Story writing can be encouraged, starting form the teacher and passing from one student to other student at the end to the teacher. Same completed story can be circulated for corrections among another group of students. 

Learning by helping each other

Two learners from two language back grounds in which one is interested in others language can help each other very effectively using email helping each other teaching heir own language to other using various techniques like by example and by explaining meanings.

Bulletin Board

Used by the teacher to communicate and direct the students to one place. That gives a feeling to the student to feel that he is seeing a notice board to identify himself as a par t of the activity.

Chat

Excellent tool for language learning and to feel part of a learning group. The tool also facilitates group chat even they involve their teacher. The teacher also can lead learning by group chat.

The source for learning

The internet is a rich source for learning. The learners get ample material and access to the libraries, journals and papers. One should be also internet literate as most of his reading and writing in future is on internet.

Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

CMC refers to various means of communication using computers using Internet. There are two types of communications are possible. One is ‘synchronous’ like real time all participants should be there at given point of time like conference call on telephone. In the second type “asynchronous’ communicating participants need not present at given point of time. A good example for this is email.

Now in both communications the technology enables discussion online and offline between students and teachers and students and teachers. CHA adds power to language learning.

Communications and the Internet

Synchronous communications

There is text and voice based communications and video communication is available real time on Internet, a powerful tool for language learning.

Chat rooms - Text

The chat rooms are available using the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) system online using text. They are available today in all languages. This can be one to one and many to many. This can be used to create a class room environment.

Voice chat and Voice bulletin boards

Now the alternative to text is voice. As voice plays very important role in language learning voice chat one to one, many to many, and one to many is available. This facility can be used for a language teaching and learning.

Video and teleconferencing

The internet facilitates to day multimedia communications. The variety of content can be stored, displayed and transmitted at lighting speeds.

Net Meeting format

Net meeting is a software tool provided by Microsoft to conduct a multimedia meeting at a given point of time between a group members can effectively used for a specific language class room to solve a specific problem facing by a group of members. This is also9 useful for speaking exercises.

The computer managed course on WEB.

Web based application are getting introduced for learning management as whole they can be used for language learning management also.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

This is a packaged software application facilitating the learning process, managing content, student registration, student assessment, Student support, fee collection, data storage etc.

Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) 

Creates real time learning environments like a college with all facilities online is provided.

Lists and Discussion forums

List and Electronic discussion are sharing emails with the members of a group of people with a common interest.  Listservs are electronic mailing lists for specialist subjects. They are basically caters to the people interested in the same subject or interest to communicate with each other by email on a daily basis or event by event. This is managed by information technology using internet.

E-learning

“The link between technology and pedagogy is rarely smooth in any educational domain. Within language learning and teaching, there is a range of views of how the relationship should work. Bax (2003), for instance, suggests that technology will be in its rightful place when a stage of ‘normalisation’ has been reached, where computers are as normal and integral a part of everyday teaching as pens and books are. The difficulty is that pens and books are not in the state of evolution or flux that computer technology is, and it is hard to imagine a time in the near future when this technology becomes static. Bax also claims that many language teachers are currently in ‘fear and awe’ (2003, p. 25) of computer technology and have exaggerated expectations of the potential of computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Pamela (2007:2)”

The first phase usage of CALL is in 50s and 70s is using computers for course delivery.

The second phase of CALL is in 70s and 90s is using computers for discussion and writing activities. Later in the years, the computers are used as word processor, desk top publishing, spelling and grammar checkers. In the third phase from the 90s the development is technological and pedagogical.

There is a shift in computer usage and learning due to growth of internet and the use of multi media. The integration of technology and multimedia is hypermedia. Hypermedia leads language learning. The authentic collaborative learning started taking place. The technology

Facilitated integration of listening, reading, writing, and task based learning. The role of the computer changed as a manager, and messenger. Number of tools in the area of course management software (CMS) was made available. The communication channel improved from text t delivery to multimedia live.

 CALL – Course content authoring.

The authoring for elearning has started. The course authoring was simplified with template based approach like Blackboard and WebCT and tools like FrontPage and Dreamweaver.

Web development influence on language learning

The web technology has suffered initially due its speed and reach. As on today the technology was greatly improved to reach many at very faster rate. The content is life for web, is also life for language learning. The content management on web started with static pages to day it is hypermedia a combination of communication technology and multi media.

Current elearning technologies for language learning

Elearning tools

The elearning tools evolved over a period of time starting from customized to deliver to a corporate group to web based learning applications.

The current popular tools are CMS, Blackboard, WebCT, Manila, Etudes and Moodle. Though these tools helped in creating material very fast but the basics of good teaching Pedagogy is neglected. Hybrid delivery may improve course material but the bandwidth may today restrict these technologies.

The digital divide

In the internet world also there are haves and have-nots. Addressing the have-nots, the only solution is in CDS and DVDs for whom don’t have proper internet access.

The hybrid systems

With cloud computing, people are encouraged to use web applications, all the tools now integrated with web and made available on web.

Usability

The usability is important for the learners as well as providers. The success of language learning systems greatly depends on this prime factor leaving aside ICT technologies. This basically depends on the course delivery designers.

Accessibility

The course should be accessible irrespective of disability of the learner. The course should address individual disabilities to learn.

Interactivity

The elearning courses came long way from static pages to learner interactive courses. The pedagogy decided needed points of interaction to incorporate.

Language learning techniques in elearning

Simulations

Create situations to learn language like playing a role in restaurant or bank.

Social interactions

Plenty of tools available to socially interact and learn language can be effectively used.

Using TV for language learning

TV off line can be used alternatively to run material on CDs and DVDs. TV is more comfortable for the people to see and hear when compared to computer. The operations are simpler. TV is used in class rooms as many students can view program comfortably.

There is Government attempted learning live TV programs are aired to various groups very effectively including language learning programs, making interactive using mobile phones. Live programs have time constraint as learner should stay before TV at that particular time.

Mobile phones

Mobile phones also internet enabled and handles multi media, they can use with display and key in limitations as an interactive language learning tool. Incase of learner with disability Mobile phone can be a good tool to use for delivery.

Conclusion

The language learning of hearing, speaking, reading and writing has started using technology on a stand alone computer to Internet and evolved all most two decades form CALL to elearning.

Now all the products and services are moving on to internet. The world has become virtual world.

When we use the word literate, we apply that to a person who can read and write, Hear and speak. That skill is not complete to day to be called as a literate. To day he should be computer literate, Internet savvy. So both the teacher and student at the end of the day should be computer literates.

The paper explains how the class room has converted to a virtual class room and how the teachers and students moving to virtual class room, the changed roles of online teaching and learning.

CALL to elearning, the language leaning using computers changed from content delivery to multi media class room simulation. The tools, reading from computer to, the four pillars of language learning, hearing, speaking, reading and writing and assessing, incorporated in modern internet courses.

The material for learning limited to a computer is expanded to access libraries thru out the world.

The learning has become more authenticated and become interactive multimedia delivery. The computer technology is taking the role of manager, teacher, communicator and assessor.

So far the many internet advantages and few disadvantages are discussed. One major disadvantage was not addressed is pedagogy. The good teaching methods are yet to be incorporated in web delivery Language learning courses.

Reference:

Brian McCarthy  (1999) Integration: the sine qua non of CALL by University of Wollongong, Australia First published in CALL-EJ online Vol. 1, No. 2, September 1999 http://callej.org/ 

Elizabeth Hanson-Smith and Sarah Rilling (2007) Learning Languages through Technology 332 pp.ISBN: 978-193118536-3 TISL

Martha C. Pennington (2004) Cycles of Innovation in the Adoption of Information

Technology: AView for Language Teaching Powdrill Professor of English Language Acquisition, Spires Research Centre,University of Luton, Luton LU1 5DU, UK

Pamela Rogerson-Revell (2007) Directions in e-learning tools and technologies and their Relevance to online distance language education University of Leicester School of Education, UK

ROBERT DEBSKI (2003) Analysis of research in CALL (1980–2000) with a reflection on CALL as an academic discipline Horwood Language Centre, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia (Email: rdebski@unimelb.edu.au)

USCHI FELIX (2008) The unreasonable effectivness of CALL:What have we learned in two decades of research? School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics,Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (email: uschi.felix@arts.monash.edu.au)