The role of WeQuests in learning a foreign/second language?

WebQuest was developed by Bernie Dodge is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all the information that a learner interact with comes from resources on the internet. It is constructed into an arranged pattern starting with the introduction that explain the WebQuest and gives the purpose of the project or task. The next part is the task that explains what students will do. Then the process is a list of what to do and how to do it. Here teachers add list of links for the student to follow to complete the task. Evaluation comes next, the way to evaluate student’s performance. Last is the conclusion which sumps up the task and encourages students to reflect and discuss on the task.

In WebQuest, learning is usually student-oriented where teacher integrates technology into his/her language classroom and takes the role of facilitator/adviser by encouraging students to be connected and involved. In addition, teacher provides Web resources and ideas to guide the students. WebQuest encourages cooperative/collaborative learning; hence students take up roles that contribute to problem-solving through group work. Depending on the Webquest students can take roles, such as a doctor, nurse, pharmacist etc. They will also feel active and enjoy their time in the classroom environment.

One essential feature of WebQuest is that it is Project-based which increases student motivation because the tasks given are usually created to reflect real world issues. The students use interesting real and recent resources instead of traditional textbooks or materials which makes it more fascinating and it also supports higher level thinking because the questions requires student to research, compare, analyze, induce etc. rather than just bringing information.

 

As a future language EFL teacher I will use Webquest with my future EFL students because it seems to be a good tool to enhance various language skills. I will use WebQuest to build a good connection between the students as well as myself and the students. Lastly, in order to encourage my student to open their minds and be independent.

Evaluating esl- lab website

We choose esl-lab.com which is owned by Randall Davis. He has B.A in Spanish education and master’s degree in TESL. He provided source on the left side of the site where both teachers and students can find information about the website as well as how to contact him. In the terms of use he made mentioned that his site is free to use online, but there are limitations on how the materials can and cannot be used unless one obtains a license. All materials at Randall's ESL are copyrighted (c) 1998 -2014 by Randall S. Davis and licensors, all rights reserved.

This website has two main purposes (1) self-access learning for students where they can do listening activities on their own to improve their listening skills. (2) Tips and materials for teachers. Here teachers can ask learners to do listening activities as a way to complement their classroom objectives. Information in this site has been presented in an organized manner with different learner levels so it is easy to find and easy to use and also the text is easy to read without any distraction. Even though the site design is not really attractive but it is appropriate for the intended audience.

The title of Esl-lab is appropriate to its purpose. The page loads easily and it is always available. Users do not need to pay or type in personal information before using the website. Randall put up links to additional information related to the topic. Tutorial videos and audios are available for first time users on how to get around the site. There is enough information and it is also current and accurate. Lastly, contents are easy to understand and the advertisements did not overshadow the content.

Suggestions: After our evaluation, we can say that esl-lab website is really educative and will be beneficial for learners to enhance their listening skills. However there is still room for improvement especially the design which is kind of boring and unattractive. The contents can be improved by adding more images to attract younger users.

By

Amina Magaji

Amal Khalid

Malk Altaweel

Razan Sabbagh

“Do teachers need to create web-based language activities for EFL students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Why and why not?

Technology has made teaching and learning easier for both teachers and students. I believe teachers need to create interesting activities for language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing on the Web to facilitate their student’s learning. Sally Morrison mentioned some advantages of creating web-based activities as; Accessibility: By putting course material on the Web, teachers provide students with 24-hour, independent access to course information, and updates to Web pages and new assignments are immediately available to students. Renewability: Once created, materials can be updated easily and often. Adaptability: Web-based activities can easily be modified to support students at different proficiency levels or with special needs. Evaluation: teachers can easily assess their student’s work instantly. Feedback: teachers can give feedback to their learners with ease.Some learners need incentives to motivate them. A teacher can create web-based languages activities to encourage those students.

Virtual classroom with Ms. Peggy Tharpe

 

For the first time in my stay at YUC on a Wednesday in EDU 401 class we had a virtual classroom session. Dr. Hala was the moderator who introduced Ms. Peggy Tharpe who is an American English teacher,trainer and consultant, americanpronunciationcoach. I can’t actually remember how many students were in the class but roughly 15 to 16 of us and a guest teacher. The session was on for about 43 minutes.

The topic of the lecture was about “how Arabic influences the Pronunciation of English?” Ms. Peggy started by telling us a very interesting story on how she came to study why people sound so American when they speak Arabic. From her study she discovered that;

·         Arabic and English are spoken in different parts of the mouth.

·         Differences in vowel system.

·         Differences in consonant system.

·         Arabic breaks in sound can occur within words (glottal stop) while

·         English breaks in sound separate phrases.

·         Consonants are strong in Arabic whereas vowels are stronger in English.

·         The problem with learning all the extra vowels for the Arabic speaker and extra consonant for the English speaker. eg

American		Standard Arabic
vowels	12-18	3:3+2
consonants	20	27-28

When the session was over she asked some questions and some answers were given. E.g. one question says, what works best to master unfamiliar consonants? Some students say, practice and listening skills. Ms. Peggy agreed, adding that even research has shown that the earlier one listens to a language the better they acquire the accent. 

Advantages

Accessibility: one can access a virtual classroom from home, office, internet café or any other place which has an internet connection.

It brings experienced people and learners from all over the world together in highly interactive virtual class.

Recording: all sessions in a virtual classroom can be recorded and you can watch and listen to the entire session at any time.

Disadvantages

Not all schools have the technology and the internet.

Cost of the technology.

Some feel that education quality will go down because of "mass" communication learning systems.

I will like to use virtual classrooms like blackboard in my classroom. Depending on where I am in the world. In Saudi Arabia I don’t think it will work because of the restrictions on the use of cameras and videos. However, things are rapidly changing.

“Normalisation of Bax in the Saudi Kingdom”

Bax in this article critically analysis and evaluates the history of CALL. And gave explanations of the three current classes of Restricted, open and integrated CALL. He argues that the three current classes of CALL give a complete examination of institutions and classrooms than previous examinations. At the beginning Bax discussed the history of CALL, using Warschauer’s three phases of CALL Behavioristic, Communicative and Integrative. That he thought seems to have a number of significant weaknesses, which he briefly discussed with sub-headings as; Inconsistencies, Unclear criteria, Integrative CALL, What are these phases? .Then he answered the three questions mentioned in the article, where has Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) been, where is it now and where is it going?

 

Changes which Bax suggested and the means proposed of achieving normalizations.

Bax suggested that we are currently using the second approach, Open CALL, but that our goal should be to attain a state of ‘normalisation’ in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated. Normalisation as defined by Bax is the stage when technology has become part of every society like “PALL” and “BALL” because these technologies are totally integrated into education. For CALL to be fully integrated into language learning, Bax suggested that;

·         Teachers and students should use it as an important part of their everyday lesson e.g. pen or a book.

·         They should use it without any distress and overemphasis.

·         It should play an important role in the lesson and other aspects of learning that it will go virtually unnoticed.

·         It will be normalised when the students’ needs are examined first and using the computers to promote learning.

Furthermore, Bax described three steps which are needed to be taken for normalization to occur:

·         Identifying the important factors which normalization requires.

·         Audit the use of each teaching context for the identified in the light of these criteria.

·         To make amendments in our recent practice in each aspect that is required for normalization. Bax stated that following this procedure will give each institution and teacher a clear framework within which to audit progress, and within which any obstacles to integration and normalization can be identified and dealt with. He also argued that there is need to ethnographic analyses, in order to understand CALL better.

Explain how these changes and means could be applied to our Saudi context. (The possibility of reaching Bax’s normalization, why is it possible, when is it possible/reached/achieved, how will it be reached, etc.)

Saudi Arabia is fast growing in all aspects of education and is moving towards normalisation. We can see in almost all the higher institutions computers can be found. In my opinion, the Saudi government should provide computers and devices that are needed by schools to achieve this goal. Teachers should be trained and students should be exposed to technology every day in the classroom. Normalisation is already on its way in people’s lives as they cannot do without technology days. Therefore, more and more effort should be employed in integrating technology in the educational system.

“Challenges of creating web-based activities in Sally Morrison” Interactive language learning on the Web”.

Modern technology has made teaching and learning easier for both teachers and students. Today, teachers can create interesting activities for language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing on the Web to facilitate their student’s learning. But there are many challenges in creating Web-Based activities for teachers. Sally Morrison mentioned some of these obstacles in her article on “Interactive language learning on the Web”.

First, teachers do not have the technical skill and knowledge to do so. Although Basic HTML skills is required to create simple Web based activities , many teachers lack even this. And what worsen this is that teachers do not devote their time in obtaining new this skills. 

Second, the variability of students’ access to computers. What type of computer and browser will they be using? What is the connection speed at which they will be accessing activities? These are questions teachers must answer before creating online activities. If students will be accessing the Web from a variety of computers with a variety of Web browsers and modem speeds, this must be taken into account in designing online activities.

Third, the need to design Web pages that meet accessibility guidelines for individuals with disabilities so that students with special needs are not left out.

In addition to the issues mentioned above, I will like to add constant access to the internet maybe one reason that can hinder their effort. If there is no reliable internet it may be impossible. Another difficulty  is the time. Not all teachers have spare time to sit and design activities that needs a lot of time and energy.

CALL AND LANGUAGE SKILLS

 

Technology and Internet have become very essential in our lives today. From our homes, we can conduct numerous bank transactions, pay our bills, rent a car, submit assignments, grade students’ activities and lots more. Therefore, it is extremely important that such technologies are fully utilized in language teaching and learning. CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) uses information and communication technology applications in teaching language; it is important that language teachers encourage and monitor their students to use CALL in their classes.

There are many sites that provide effective learning environment for EFL/ESL learners so that they can build their READING SKILLS. Such sites are user friendly, interactive and very colorful. The benefits of using some of the sites are given below:

Starfall
This is an amazing site that teaches children how to read with phonics.  The approach of this site is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD, ELL, and ESL). The benefit we can get from this site is that it is free and it can be considered as an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children.

Super-Reader

This website allows learners to take short story tests that evaluate their reading comprehension. The questions and answers are shown online. Teachers can use this site to assess their students.

Reading-rewards
Some learners need incentives to be motivated; reading reward provides just that. On this site, learners can log their reading, browse and add new books to their library and wish list and then write reviews. Teachers can encourage, track and set up rewards for their learners. Some of the benefits we get from this site are: it is a fun way to get kids reading, it can be used to limit TV/Computer game time, and it is a safe, child-friendly social network where the child play and interacts with a parent approved list of friends only.

Storyline online

This is an interactive website designed for learners to read and listen to how stories are being read aloud. It has videos and books with short biography about the reader and activities to enhance ESL student’s understanding of the story. They can read reviews and leave their comments. Language teachers can use this to bring excitement into their classrooms.

Social networking sites in Educational Technology

What is your most important reason for using social networking sites?

We are living in the world of Internet now. Recently, people cannot imagine their lives without social networking sites including me, like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Foursquare, MySpace, Instagram etc.The most important reason I use social networking sites is First, to connect with my family and relatives. I can spend hours talking to them via Skype and WhatsApp that makes me really happy. Second, I get to make new friends exchange information about each other and catch up with long time lost friends. Third, it is a constant place to reach someone than making calls. I can just send a private message even if the person is not online he/she will eventually see it later and reply back. Finally, since am not a T.V person I get current news about happenings around the world on the social networking sites.
 

Is it possible for you to use them in teaching EFL/ESL? Concrete examples?

Yes it is possible to use them in teaching EFL/ESL. As a language teacher I can use social networking sites such as the blog in teaching students to improve their cognitive and writing skills. Example: by giving them interesting topics to reflect on and then post on their blogs so that everyone can see and give feedback. Here the students can interact with different people around the world. This will not only enhance their writing skills but will also upgrade their English and communication skills.  On the blog I can have numerous activities for the learners e.g. videos focusing on vocabulary, grammar, and humor etc. I can create recorded listening exercises based on YouTube videos or audios. Ask the learners to watch or listen and then answer the questions. Each student can also be asked to create an account then record themselves speaking and upload for me to listen to and grade them. This will improve their listening and speaking skills.

Reflection on “Technological Change and the Future of CALL”

The future of CALL as stated in the paper will depend on many factors, e.g. change in Language learning, the status of language, research in applied linguistics and sociological changes in schools and education. One significant factor that will impact the future of CALL is technological changes.

What is Technological determinism?

According to the research paper, Technological Determinism refers to the idea that the introduction of new technology automatically brings certain results. This is not always true because of the following reasons: Firstly, it is important to consider how technology is being used; if used correctly positive results will be achieved. Secondly, though there is a strict correlation between technology and outcomes but this does not mean causation. This means that the use of technology does not automatically bring the desired outcomes. Thirdly, the role of technology in producing desired outcomes must be examined at the individual level. It is worth mentioning that, one of the benefits we can get by introducing new technologies is that they can create new means of teaching/learning. For example, with the technological advancements today, a teacher can teach students thousands of miles away using the Internet.

What are the ten developments in Information and Communication Technology?

The ten developments in Information and Communication Technology based on the paper are: 
The first major development is from phone-based to wireless communication because of improved technology and telephone. The second change is moving from dial-up Internet connections to endless, direct online connections. The third change is the use of largely individual computers to the use of portable Computing and online devices. The fourth change is from narrowband to broadband. The fifth change is from expensive personal computing systems to widely affordable computers and other hardware, first in the developed countries and then in the developing countries. The sixth switch is the Internet will change from being an exclusive form of communication and information, mostly limited to people in developed countries, to becoming a mass form of communication accessible to most of the planet. The seventh development is the movement from text-based information and communication to audiovisual forms of information and communication. The eighth change is the use of English as the main online language to multilingual Internet use. The ninth is change from “non-native” to “native” users of information technology. The tenth development is the movement of CALL from the language laboratory to the classroom.

What is the expected effect on English teaching of these likely future developments?

It is expected that these future developments will have a positive impact on English teaching and learning. Learners of English will have new ways of improving their English language not necessary in the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to not only read as much as they could but also to write and share what they have written with other people around the world. This can easily be seen in the way people today communicate using emails, blogs and participate on social networks using English language.

What is meant by the five areas examined: new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies?

Based on the information I gathered from the paper new contexts means that the projected developments of ICT will have a great influence on the context in which English is taught because of the increased use of English around the world. New literacies which leads to another likely result of ICT development, is the emergence of significant new literacy. New genres are the similar changes occurring with respect to writing. It has been suggested that the essay will increasingly become a marked form. Also new identities are being created because of the increased important of online communication. New pedagogies must be considered that these changes will bring about.

What are the first three stages of CALL mentioned in the reading?

According to the paper, the three stages of CALL are:
1.      Structural CALL is the first stage of CALL development which is an approach used during the 1960s and 1970s that followed the teaching techniques of structural linguistics.
2.      Communicative CALL is the form of communication exercises performed as a way of practicing English during the 1980s and 1990s.
3.      Integrative CALL is based on socio-cognitive view of language learning (21^st Century).

Then, on a separate paragraph, state whether the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed the same ten developments in ICT. Did the five areas emerge in the Kingdom? What is the expected effect on English teaching of these likely future developments?

Yes, I believe the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed the ten developments in ICT. To support my argument: first, we can clearly see that the use of technologies are becoming more and more cheaper; so much so that a single person can comfortably own many gadgets (such as laptop, I-pad and a smartphone) each one of them equipped with a broadband Internet connection. Such access makes many people, in the kingdom, to be very skillful in using computers and other technological gadgets. As a matter of fact, even children that are less than five today can comfortably use such devices. Second, no one uses dial up to connect to the Internet anymore in the Kingdom because it is obsolete. Third, the presence of social network such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc. is an indication that most people today in the Kingdom use audiovisual form of communication rather than just text-based. Fourth, people that can’t speak English can now easily use the Internet because new applications are available in multiple languages. Fifth, the use of CALL can be seen everywhere in Kingdom even in classrooms in YUC. Furthermore, all the five areas, mentioned in the paper, have emerged in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia except new context. Most people, in the Kingdom communicate online using Arabic except in English based organization such ARAMCO, YUC etc. It is highly expected that such likely future developments will improve the process of teaching English remarkably.

Some Terms in Educational Technology

Blended learning also known as Hybrid learning is the combination of face-to-face education with online education, that results in an integrated learning experience for students.

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) provides an effective learning environment for students so that they can practice in an interactive manner using multi-media content, either on their own or with the guidance of  a teacher.

Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application that is used for the tracking,  documentation, administration, reporting and delivery of e-learning education courses or training programs.

Educational technology is an academic discipline, that helps individuals to obtain good understanding and mastery of learning recourses, messages,  materials, devices, techniques and settings. 

Netiquette is the blending of net from "internet" and etiquette. It means the acceptable way of using the internet by respecting other internet user's views.

 Difference between Online learning and E-learning

Online learning is one you take without meeting a teacher in a classroom setting. Here you can study at home or work within a defined time while...

E-Learning is the use of technology that allows you to learn anytime and anywhere. It includes training, information and guidance from teachers or experts.