Teaching Experience Using Technology

Teaching Experience Using Technology

This is my first experience to use a game in teaching English. Here, my group use Grammar Bubbles. This is a game for Learners of English as a second language. The game focuses on different grammar points and the meaning of some words.

The aim of this game is to actively make the player arranging sentences from a set of words given. The player is constructing sentences themselves. In addition, they also get feedback about the grammatical accuracy of the sentence. As the player selects bubbles the words appear at the top of the screen. Each set of bubbles has a different grammar point.

The player can move the bubble. 

If the player makes a grammar error while constructing a sentence, the error will be showed up. The player can see the mistake they have made. For example, if a player were to construct a sentence “I likes bananas” then the middle word would be underlined in red and the correct word “like” would appear above it. Or if the order of the words in the sentence is mixed up then red arrows appear showing that the words need to be re-arranged.

When an accurate sentence is constructed the bubbles used disappear and the bubbles above them fall down. Once all the bubbles in a set have been cleared the round is completed and a different set of bubbles fall down.

There is also a slow countdown timer that runs down. If the time runs out before the bubbles have been cleared then the game ends. Alternatively if the player clears all 35 sets of bubbles then the game is won. At the end of the game there is a table for high scores.

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL)

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL)

Technology brings bright future since it is launched. As the time goes by, technology is being developed. CALL is found. 

http://misterpeters.pbworks.com/f/1295119589/New%20Picture%20%282%29.jpg

What is CALL?

According to Chapelle (2001: 3) Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) refers to the area technology and second language teaching and learning despite the fact that revisions for the term are suggested regularly. In addition, Levy (1997: 1) said that Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) may be defined as the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning

Types of CALL Programs

There are some CALL Programs

1.      CALL-specific software

It includes applications designed to develop and facilitate language learning, such as CD-ROMs, web-based interactive language learning exercises/quizzes.

2.      Generic software

It includes applications designed for general purposes, such as word-processors (Word),  presentation software (PowerPoint), and spreadsheet (Excel), that can be used to support language learning (see examples of using Excel for language learning & teaching)  *Also see Microsoft Office Online Templates)

3.      Web-based learning programs

It includes online dictionaries, online encyclopedias, online concordancers, news/magazine sites, e-texts, web-quests, web publishing, blog, wiki, etc.

4.      Computer-mediated communication (CMC) programs

It includes synchronous - online chat; asynchronous - email, discussion forum, message board

Phases of CALL

There are three phases of CALL

1.      Behavioristic CALL

It conceived in the 1950s and implemented in the 1960s and '70s, was based on the then-dominant behaviorist theories of learning. Programs of this phase entailed repetitive language drills and can be referred to as "drill and practice" (or, more pejoratively, as "drill and kill").

2.      Communicative CALL

According to Underwood, communicative CALL:

·         focuses more on using forms rather than on the forms themselves;

·         teaches grammar implicitly rather than explicitly;

·         allows and encourages students to generate original utterances rather than just manipulate prefabricated language;

·         does not judge and evaluate everything the students nor reward them with congratulatory messages, lights, or bells;

·         avoids telling students they are wrong and is flexible to a variety of student responses;

·         uses the target language exclusively and creates an environment in which using the target language feels natural, both on and off the screen; and

·         will never try to do anything that a book can do just as well.

3.      Integrative CALL

Integrative approaches to CALL are based on two important technological developments of the last decade - multimedia computers and the Internet.

Reference :

http://www.rong-chang.com/call.htm

http://llt.msu.edu/vol2num1/article3/

http://interspeech2012.org/CALLS.html

http://www.ict4lt.org/en/warschauer.htm

http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CALL/unit1.htm

The Using of Mobile Technology

The Using of Mobile Technology

On the one hand technology and language learning process become partners. The rise of the Web Technology brings in new and ‘exciting’ technologies for use by the language learning process. For having an efficient and effective teaching and learning process, using technology is suggested for teacher.

There are some advantages from using computer. Computer can be

1. Tutors.   They can individualize instruction, provide  learning  material  at  a controlled  pace, and record student  progress
2. Tools.  They aid in reading, allow students to produce and format texts easily, facilitate revision of texts, and check for spelling errors.    They store  in a compact and easily accessible form all sorts of information  that learners  need, from style sheets to encyclopedic data
3. Ways to explore language.  They make the regularities,  the beauties,  and the difficulties of language something that students can examine and interact With in new ways
4.  Media.   They make possible new modes of communication  and "hypertexts,• or  "hypermedia,"  which  allow  the  intermixing  of  tables,  charts,   graphs, pictures, sounds, video, and text
5. Environments/or   communication.   They are a new social realm that permits new forms of meaningful communication and reconfigures  the relationships among students  and teachers.

As the time goes by, technology have developed rapidly Mobile technology is one of the example of the developed technology. Unfortunately, using English was still not part of the curriculum at most teacher training institution. In conclusion, the teachers who use technology, among one place to another, are different. The distributing of technology is different. Teachers who use technology by themselves, they use the technology without training from the government before.

There are some few things must be considered when the teacher use technology, mobile technology especially

1.  Always have backup plan.
2. Accept the fact that everything will take longer than usual at the beginning.
3. Make it very clear to your students that you are going into the computer classroom to learn English.
4. At the beginning, be prepared to continuously monitor their work
5. This might sound surprising, but in almost every group there will be at least one student who either hates computers or has problems using them.
6. Always set a tight time limit on the tasks and stick to it rigorously.
7. Some students take considerably longer to complete certain tasks, and these differences will be even bigger with computer-based tasks.
8. Sharing links with your students during lessons can be made simple by setting up a profile at one of the websites listed in the “Useful links” section
9. Setting up two (or more) separate profiles