DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 367 141 FL 021 840

TITLE Technology in TESOL.INSTITUTION Teachers of English to Speakers of Other

Languages.REPORT NO ISSN-1056-7941PUB DATE 93

NOTE 61p.

PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022)

JOURNAL CIT TESOL Journal; v3 nl spec iss Aut 1993

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Classroom Communication; Classroom Techniques;

*Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Networks;Computer Oriented Programs; Distance Education;*Educational Technology; Electronic Mail; *English(Second Language); Language Laboratories; ListeningSkills; News Media; Skill Development; Team Teaching;Technological Advancement; *Television; VideotapeRecordings; *Writing Instruction

IDENTIFIERS *Closed Captioned Television

ABSTRACTThis special issue is devoted to the theme of

advancing technology in the teaching of English to speakers of otherlanguages (TESOL). Articles include: "Technology in TESOL" (Richard

Orem, Cynthia Holliday); TESOL Technology: Impositior orOpportunity?" (Simon Murison-Bowie); "A Review of AdvancedTechnologies for L2 Learning" (Nancy Hunt); "A Very Verbal Medium:Language Learning Through Closed Captions" (Robert Vanderplank);

"Teaching Listening in the Language Lab: One Program's Experience"(Judith Tanka); "Distance Team Teaching and Computer LearningNetworks" (Dennis Sayers); "Instructional Delivery via ElectronicMail" (Alice Anne Goodwin, Jim Hamrick, Timothy C. Stewart); "Two

Wrongs Can Make a Right" (Susan Jay); "Teacher Talk Versus Book Talk"

(Lynn Poirier); "Teaching Writing on a Computer Network" (NancySullivan); "Talking Journals" (Kathleen S. Foley); "Shared ComputerProjects for Beginners" (Janet Payne); "The Last Entry Was Love:Writing a Play on a Network" (Trudy Smoke); "Good Evening, andWelcome to This Edition of the News" (Maria Julia Sainz); and "Is

There A Video In This Essay?" (Jose A. Santos). Book andinstructional materials reviews, a question-and-answer column, andprofessional notes are also included. (MSE)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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417-\TESOL

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A journal of teaching and classroom research from Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Inc.

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hiEPANTMENT OF EDUCATION%mations) Research end improvement

NAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

coment has been reproduced as

I I rom the oerson or organization,rig ithanges have been made to improvecoon Quality

y isw or opinions stated in this docu-lo not necessarily represent OfficialOtolion Or 0011Cy

A Special IssueDistance teaching andcomputer nem orking

Language labs re isited

Closed caption television

E-mail as a teaching medium

111Milil

PERMISSION TO PEMATERIAL HAS BEE

1TO THE EDLICATIOINFORMATION CEt

I

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What If...? Students watch a dramatic scene and then discuss how the video would bedifferent if the scene took place in their own country.

TESOL JournalVol. 3, No. 1, Autunm 1993

Richard Orem andCynthia Holliday,

Guest Editors

TESOL JOURNAL

SPECIAL SECTIONSIntroduction Technology in TESOL 5Applying TechnologyTwo Wrongs Can Make a Right Susan Jay 30Teacher Talk Versus Book Talk Lynn Poirier 32Teaching Writing on a Computer Network Nancy Sullivan 34

PERSPECTIVESTESOL Technology: Imposition or Opportunity? Simon Murison-Bowie 6A Review of Advanced Technologies for L2 Learning Nancy Hunt 8

ARTICLESA Very Verbal Medium: Language Learning Through Closed CaptionsRobert VanderplankRegarding television as a more verbal than visual medium, Vandeiplank argues the benefits of usingclosed captions for language learning. 10Teaching listening in the language Lab: One Program's ExperienceJudith TankaAs Tanka and her colleagues refurbished their approaches to the utility of the language lab. theyreconsidered its potential contributions to effective listening instruction. 15Distance Team Teaching and Computer Learning NetworksDennis SayersThrough distance teaching and computer networking, students share their changing linguistic andcultural experiences with one another. 19Instructional Delivery Via Electronic MailAlice Anne Goodwin, Jim Hamrick. and Timothy C. StewartTailored e-mail assignments give students in one country the opportunity to begin their Englishlanguage training in another. 24

TIPS FROM THE CLASSROOMTalking Journals Kathleen S. Foley 37Shared Computer Projects for Beginners Janet Payne 38The Last Entry Was Love: Writing a Play on a Network Trudy Smoke 40Good Evening, and Welcome to This Edition of the News Maria Julia Sainz 41

Is There a Video in This Essay? Jose A. Santos 43

REVIEWSRainbow War Bob Rogers & Co. Reviewed by Fredricka L. Stoller 44Hello America Pamela Breyer, Jann Huizenga, Victoria Kimbrough, and Susan StempleskiReviewed by Carol Houser Pifieiro 46American Picture Show: A Cultural Reader Elizabeth A. Mejia, Maida Kennedy Xiao, andLucyna Pastemak Reviewed by Elisabeth Gareis 47

ABC News ESL Video Library Regents/Prentice Hall and ABC NewsReviewed by Jeffrey Klausman 49

ASK THE TJReaders' Advice on Increasing Exposure to Native or Proficient Nonnative Speech 52A Question for Readers: ESL Materials for Mainstream Teachers 53

DEPARTMENTSCall for Papers/Submission Guidelines 3Announcements: 7j. Editor Search 5 A Special Issue of the Tj 51

Cover design and artwork on pp 12, 17. 21, 22. 32, 34. 35. 38. 39. 41, 42, 52. and 53 by Ann Kammerer

t.

TESOL JournalEditor

ELUOT L JUDD,Universiry of Illinois at Chicago, IL

Associate EditorsRICHARD OREM,

Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, IL

KATHARINE DAVIES SAMWAY,San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Tips from the Classroom EditorsCHRISITNE STRYKER,

California State University, Stanislaus, CA

DOROTHY TAYLOR,Adult Learning Center,

Buffalo Public School System, NY

Review EditorJOY REID,

University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Ask the TJ EditorNANCY CLOUD,

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Assistant EditorMARILYN KUM-4TESOL Central Office

Assistant to the EditorREBECCA L ThiSCOE,

University of Illinois at Chicago, IL

Editorial AssistantsTODD VIDAMOUR and MICHAL ESKAYO,Tutoriurn in Intensive English, University of

Illinois at Chicago, IL

Director ofCommunications

and Marketing:Advertising:

Graphic Design.

Printing.

TESOL Journal

Credits

Helen Komblum,TESOL Central Office

Maria Minor,TESOL Central Office

Sharon Henry,Shepherdstown, WVPantagraph Printing,Bloomington, IL

Editorial Advisory BoardBarbara Agor

Rochester City School DistrictRochester, NY, USA

Jill BurtonUniversity of South Australia

Adelaide, AustraliaPenny Cameron

University of HoustonLondon, England

Susan CarkinUtah State University

Logan, UT, USA

Else HamayanIllinois Resource Center

Des Plaines, IL, USA

Martha Hansen-ZimmerBOCES 2 Bilingual ESL

Technical Assistance CenterSpencerport. NY, USA

Barbara HauserAmerican Language Academy

Caracas, VenezuelaCynthia Holliday

Ohio UniversityEnglish Teaching Center

Komaki, JapanLouis W. HolschuhOhio State UniversityColumbus, OH, USALinda New Levine

Mt. Kisco Elementary SchoolMt. Kisco, NY, USA

Wendy McDonellEtobicoke Board of Edu,Etobicoke, Ontario, Ca

John MurphyGeorgia State Univen

Atlanta, GA, USA

Catherine PortaAdult Learning CentDes Plaines, IL, US

Linda Schinke-LialMillikin UniversityDecatur, IL, USA

Melanie L SchackBeloit College

Beloit, WI, USA

Fredricka L StollNorthern Arizona Uni

Flagstaff, AZ, US)

Margaret van NurUniversity of Pennsyl

Philidelphia, PA, U

Lise WinerSouthern Illinois Unit.

Carbondale, IL, LI:

Norman WhinktIndependent Teacher Traim

London, EnglamJessica William

University of Illinois atChicago, IL, USI

TESOL Journal (ISSN 1056-7941), Vol. 3, No. 1, is

prmted on recycled stock. Published quarterly inAutumn, Winter, Spnng, and Summer by Teachers ofEnglish to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc., 1600Cameron Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, Virginia 2231 4-2751 USA Telephone 703-836-0774. Advertisingarranged by Maria Minor at the above address.

All material in TESOL Journalis copyrighted 190by Teachers of English to Speakers of OtherLanguages, Inc. Copying without the permission ufTESOL, beyond the exemptions specified by law, is aninfnngment involving liability for damages.

TESOL publications are available only to members ofthe association Membership information appearson page 56

TESOL JournalCall for Papers

TESOL Journal, a refereed publication ofteaching and classroom research, is lookingfor submissions on matters relating toESL/EFL methodology and techniques, mate-rials, curriculum design and development.teacher education, program administration,and classroom observation and research.

You are encouraged to send copies of stu-dent artwork and black and white pho-tographs to illustrate submissions.

We would welcome any of the followingtypes of submissions:

Full-Length ArticleYour full-length article should be between

1,000 and 3.000 words in length and should:1. present new ideas or information on

topics listed above and be of interest topractitioners;

2. discuss research findings that are applica-ble in ESL/EFL classrooms; or

3. train practitioners to engage in their ownclassroom-based research.Send your submissions to Elliot L. Judd.

Editor, 7ESOL Journal, at the address listedbelow.

PerspectivesA Perspective is your view on ESOL-

related sociopolitical and professional con-cerns around the world. You shouldcomment on these concerns and issues.Perspectives should be between 250 and1,000 words.

Send your submissions to Elliot L. Judd,Editor. TESOL Journal, at the address listedbelow.

Tips from the ClassroomTips from the Classroom are your

accounts of successful ESL/EFL classroomtechniques. You should describe the problemand the solution to it. Submissions should bebetween 250 and 750 words.

Send your submissions to ChristineStryker and Dorothy Taylor, Editors, Tipsfrom the Classroom, 7ESOL Journal,Department of English (M/C 162), Universityof Illinois at Chicago, 601 S. Morgan,Chicago, IL 60607 USA.

Readers RespondIn Readers Respond, you comment on or

react to any Article. Perspective, or Tip fromthe Classroom that has appeared in the7ESOL Journal. Submissions should bebetween 250 and 750 words.

Send your submissions to Elliot L. JuddEditor, TESOL Journal. at the address listedbelow.

ReviewsReviews should evaluate recently pub-

lished ESL/EFL classroom materials such astextbooks, curriculum guides, computer pro-grams, or videos. Reviews should be between500 and 750 words.

Send your submissions to: Joy Reid, 77Review Editor, Department of English,University of Wyoming, Laramie. WY 82071-3353 USA.

Ask the LIAsk the 77is a response to a question sent

in by readers to TESOL Journal on mattersrelating to teaching and classroom research.Responses generally should have fewer than100 words.

Send your questions or responses to:Nancy Cloud, Editor, Ask the 77, 7ESOLJournal, Department of Curriculum &Teaching, 243 Gallon Wing, Mason Hall,113 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11550USA.

GuidelinesYour submission must be a previously

unpublished manuscript and should conformto the following format:1. Three copies of each submission; all refer-

ences to the author's identity deleted.2. Typed, double-spaced with 1" margins on

top, bottom, and sides of each page.3. Copies, not the originals, of student art-

work and/or black and white pho-tographs. Originals will be requested if thesubmLssion is accepted.

4. Source citations according to APA(American Psychological Association)guidelines.

5. A biographical statement of up to 50words for each author, including thename and address to which correspon-dence may be sent. A telephone numberand/or fax number is also requested.Submissions of full-length articles,

Perspectives, Tips from the Classroom, andReviews will be acknowledged within 1 monthof their receipt.

TESOL Journal retains the right to edit allmanuscripts that are accepted for publication.

General inquiries regardingTESOL Journal should be sent to:

Elliot L JuddEditor, TESOL Journal

Department of English (M/C 162)University of Illinois at Chicago

601 S. MorganChicago, IL 60607 USA

MentoringHelping Other TESOL ProfessionalsAs a 7ESOL Journal mentor, you can contribute to the profession and maintain links from one TESOL generation to

another. For more information on how to become a mentor or to how contact one, please contact:

Elliot L. JuddEditor, 7ESOL journal. Department of English (WC 162)University of Illinois at Chicago, 601 S. MorganChicago, IL 60607 USA

Include your name, address, phone number, and area and level of expertise.

Autumn 1993 3

4:1\TESOL News from TESOL Publications

New Ways in TeacherEducationDonald Freeman, with Steve Cornwell, Editors

A one-of-a-kind conversation among practi-tioners of teacher education, this book focuseson how teacherslike any learnerscome tomake sense of what they do. Each of the 46activities stresses exploration and experimen-tation, risk taking and cooperation, balancing

input and reflection, and using what learners of teachingbring and know.

1993. 8" X 8". 223 pp.. ISBN 0-939791-46-3. $22.95 (member

$19.95)

All Things to All PeopleDonald N. Flemming, Lucie C. Germer, Christiane Kelley

What it is like to be responsible for the education of primary- andsecondary-level (K-12) language minority students in the US?What is it like to be a one-person counseling service?How do ESOL programs relate to mainstream curricula?What are the toughest battles ESOL teachers have with administra-

tors?What is the role of culture in an ESOL program?

Teacher educators and teachers new to the field of ESOLwill find

answers to these questions in this valuable new book. An excellentfoundation text for pre- or in-service teacher training, this book isalso helpful to administrators, guidance counselors, health profes-

sionals, school secretaries, and mainstream teachers.

1993. 8 1/2" x 7 3'8". 236 pp.. ISBN 0-939791-44-7, $17.95 (membev$14.95)

Common Threads of PracticeTeaching English to Children Around the WorldKatharine Davies Samway and Denise McKeon, Editors

This book reveals the diverse realities experienced by teachers ofEnglish ill South Africa, The United States, China. Austria, BruneiDarussalem. Russia, Estonia. Botswana, and the Philippines.Contributors give compelling glimpses of primary grade (K-8) ESOL

teachers in their classrooms and a level of common practices and

beliefs in extremely different contexts.

1993. 6" X 9. 146 pp.. ISBN 0-939791-47-1. $ I 5 95 (member $13.95'

Order form appears on page 55

New Ways in Teaching ReadingRichard R. Day, Editor

New Ways in Teaching Reading is a collection of activities,exercises, and suggestions from teachers who have usedthem to teach reading in ESL and ER classrooms,

The unabashediy practical classroom focus makes the 130entries accessible to novice teachers, refreshing and stimu-lating to experienced educators. Classroom teachers willfind tools for teaching reading more effectively. Teachereducators will find a rich source of ideas and clever, soundtechniques to discuss with trainees.1993. 8"X 8", 300 pp., ISBN 0-939791-45-5. $18.95 (member

$15.95)

A New Decadeof

Language TestingResearch

A New Decade of Language TestingResearchSelected Papers from the 1990 Language TestingResearch ColloquiumDan Douglas and Carol Chapelle, Editors

The 14 papers in this anthology explore approaches to determiningthe validity of language tests and report on attempts to develop newtests of communicative language ability.

As a complement to an advanced graduate-level course in testing,this book offers testing specialists and applied linguists thoughtfulstudies of theoretically significant research directions in languagetesting.

1993. 6" X 9", 297 pp.. ISBN 0-939791-43-9. $29 95 (Member 124.95)

State of tbe Art TESOL EssaysCelebrating 25 Years of the DisciplineSandra Silberstein, Editor

The essays in this anthology offer a portrait of TESOLprofessionand associationas it enters its intellectual and institutional maturity.Each chapter explores the links between theory and practice, docu-menting the diversity and integrity of language teaching.

The book serves as the foundation volume to survey and methodscourses as well as to classes focusing on materials development and

teacher preparation.

1993 6" X 9". 416 pp.. ISI3N 0-939791-48-X, $29 95 ($25.95)

Technology in TESOL: An Introductionto TESOL Journal's Special Issue

Richard Orem and Cynthia HollidayGuest Editors

Over the past quarter century, whichincludes much of TESOL's history, majordevelopments in educational technology havegiven us computers. networks, and electronicmail; VCRs, CDs, CD-ROMs. and closed cap-tioning; interactive multimedia and hyperme-dia. But there are still tape recorders andoverhead projectors (OHP), chalkboards, andbooks. For some educators, much haschanged: for many others, technology issomething we read about but just don't have.

Whatever our situation. as TESOI. practi-tioners, we are grappling with questionsregarding the appropriate application of tech-nology to the teaching of English. Futuristsspeak of the changing paradigms confrontingus in our everyday lives and of the accelerat-ing rate of change in all phases of work andeducation. Most of us have experienced thesechangeswhich are at once challenging,frightening, and exhilarating. We have beenforced to question how we operate and howwe teach as we gain new understandings oftechnology and its impact on the learningprocess.

In preparing this special issue of TESOLJournal ( 77). we have tried to keep in mindthe diverse interests. needs. and teachingcontexts of the readers of 77. In addition toincluding articles that demonstrate creativeapplications to TESOL of some of the mostadvanced technologies, we have also looked

for innovative uses of such traditional tech-nology as the OHP and tape recorders.

We have learned a great deal about howcreative professionals are taking control, mas-tering technology, and using it to enhancelearning. We have also uncovered what's"hot" in technology in TESOL today: elec-tronic mail and computer conferencing. Wehave been reminded of the questions ofpower and politics raised by the discrepancybetween the technological haves and have-nots, questions of who should control thefuture development of hardware and, per-haps more importantly, instructional software.We have also come to better appreciate how

technology enhances our professional livesoutside the classroom. Not too many yearsago, it would have been simply too expen-sive and impractical for two people living atopposite points on the globe to co-edit a pro-fessional journal. However, the developmentof improved telecommunications, and, in ourcase, the facsimile machine has allowed thisto happen.

Certainly the process of preparing thisspecial issue has been enlightening for bothof us. We hope that the product will beenlightening for readers. Our call for paperselicited 26 manuscripts, only 6 of whichcould be accepted as feature articles. Inselecting the articles, we sought quality, vari-ety, and appeal to a wide audience of TESOLpractitioners. The topics range from creativeapplications of "low-tech" devices, such asthe OHP to "high-tech" applications, such aselectronic mail; from language labs to com-puter labs: from on-site computer networkingto global conferencing.

We mentioned that 26 manuscripts weresubmitted. In most cases, manuscripts notaccepted were sent for review to the generaleditorial board. Some have already beenaccepted for publication and will appear infuture issues. We think this is a happy stateof affairs because we are sure that 71 readers'interest in technology in TESOL will not besatisfied by this issue, only piqued.

IN SEARCH OF...

tS0.1:40-

...A new editor for the TESOLJournal to begin in the fall of1995.

A chance tohelp your colleaguesserve your organization, andshape your profession.

To apply or for furtherinformation write:

TESOL JournalEditor Search Committee

1600 Cameron StreetSuite 300

Alexandria, VA 22314-2751USA

Autumn 1993 5

TESOL Technology: Impositionor Opportunity?

Simon Murison-Bowie

ESL and EFLteachers of Englishto speakers of otherlanguages have nottaken the opportuni-ties offered by exist-ing and emergingtechnologies to adegree commensu- :.

rate with their poten-tial benefits. In thisessay, I'd like toexplore some possi-ble reasons for this.

For the proverbialteacher sitting with agroup of eager learn-ers under a banyantree, a blackboardand chalk are adequate enough technology.If there is such a thing as an average class-room, though. it will certainly containinaddition to the blackboardsuch common-place technologies as overhead projectorsand audiotape players.

Beyond these, however, teachers are adeptat inventing reasons for not seeking out andemploying worthy, newer technologies. It ispossible. even in the 1990s. to offer one'sown technophobia and/or maladroitness asreasonable excuses for avoiding availabletechnologies. Why? Is it teachers' innate con-servatism or is it that materials developers arefailing to deliver?

It is important to the profession that wetry to find some answers. If we do not, weare failing to maximize the chances our learn-ers have to learn: Technology can aid theprocess of learning and alter our concept ofwhat the product isthe language itself.

Certainly there has been some usefulwork in these areas in recent years bytechnophiles. Unfortunately. they have

largely built themselves into ghettoes of spe-cial interest groups and other easily ignorableinstitutionsthe term special interest imply-ing "not of general interest."

For problems of technophobia to be over-comeespecially problems with computer-based technologiesI suggest that there aiethree categories of people who need to rec-ognize their obligations: teachers. materials

Photo/Inngard Mime

developers, andhardware manufac-turers. I want toargue that technolo-gies can and shouldbe at the center ofwhat we do, but it iscrucial that all devel-opments be led byeducators, not thetechnology itself.

Teachers'Obligations

The obligation ofteachers with respectto technology is sim-ilar to other kinds of

obligations they face. Teachers need to beinquistive about the world in which they andtheir students livea world that includestechnologyand make connections betvveenthis world and their teaching. Being open tonew ideas means being ready to spend timebecoming familiar with them in order tomake them one's own.

Materials Developers'Obligations

Materials developers, that is. authors, pro-gram designers, and publishers, have a mostdifficult job: They must understand thepotential of new technologies, interpret thatpotential in the light of what they know ofthe profession's needs, and produce pro-grams that can use those technologies appro-priately and effectively. They thus share theteachers' obligation to find connectionsbetween technologies and teaching English.This requires keeping abreast of develop-ments and exercising considerable judgmentwhen deciding which technologies to selectand when.

To take an example: The I2-inch laserdisc is one of the finest ways of deliveringmultimedia programs. but the high cost ofplayback equipment and developing newmaterials makes it a financially unattractivemedium. There are now real alternativesemerging in the form of CD-ROM and itsvariations. As personal computers improve.they should increasingly come equipped withCD-ROM drives and the sound and video

Perspectives

cards necessary to take full advantage of thepossibilities of multimedia.

....Materials

developers, in short, must beaware of the need to predict whichtechnologies are going to be

accepted and bought by the profession.

Hardware Manufacturers'Obligations

Hardware manufacturers must be inter-ested in pushing technology to its limits tokeep themselves ahead of their competitors.The major focus for manufacturers is theb,tsiness community. Manufacturers are, how-ever, always looking for additional markets.and education is an obvious target. There aretwo problems with developing educationalapplications, though, First, if manufacturerswant an application that shows off all thebells and whistles of their hardware, educa-tional design may take second place to themachinery. Teachers may then be bombardedwith technology of a specification and costunrealistic for their modest budgets. In addi-tion, manufacturers' hype and overclaims canimmediately drive teachers into a defensiveposition. Manufacturers have tended to usethe word system to describe the bringingtogether of resources into a specific hardwareconfiguration and to imply that the informa-tion delivered this way constitutes all that isrequired for language learning to take place.IBM's teaming up with CALI. Inc. on theELLIS Island project (English LanguageLearning and Instruction System), and Sony'sLanguage Learning Systems, both prominentat the 1993 TESOL convention in Atlanta, areexamples of this. ELLIS promotional materi-als, for instance, state that the product offersa combination of "the best features of multi-media instruction with a complete line ofsupport materials." A sys-tem seems to take overfrom methodology as wellas from the teaching role.Thus, teachers feel doublythreatened: If there is a roleleft, it is acting as some glo-rified laboratory technicianfor which their professionaltraining has not equippedthem; and what do they dowith their pedagogic andcounseling skills? Will theparticular blend of theoryand practice that they havef)und to work continue tofind a place or \\Ill thetechnology determine thelearning path? Better notconfront these awkward

questions. It is easier to dismiss the technol-ogy on the grounds of expense or techno-phobia.

So what are the benefits of technologyand how can we better organize its use?

The Learning EnvironmentGeoff Jordan (citud in Scott. Johns, &

Murison-Bowie, 1993) has identified fivelearning environments where technology hasa place: a computer room, a classroom, aself-access room, the public areas in a school,and the learner's own home. We need tobuild applications that are realistic within oneor more of these environments. Sophisticated,integrated systems dependent on equallysophisticated technologies that are essentiallyworkstations for single students or smallgroups are a very expensive solution if theintention is to create a computer room capa-ble of dealing with average class sizes.Institutions now trying to rid themselves ofobsolete language/computer laboratoriesinstalled in the 1970s will commit themselvesagain to purported state-of-the-art technologyonly with great reluctance. Such solutions arecertainly beyond the means of an individualworking at home.

The Enabling Role ofTechnology

We need, then, to look for ways to capi-talize on the fact that technology can enablerather than dominate the process and man-agement of learning.

Wtith respect to management, one ofhe strengths of computers is their

capacity to measure and record.Applying this tc language learning, one caneasily see that diagnostic and adaptive testingcan enable a learner to start a teaching/learn-

ing program at the best point and to continuewith the program at a speed that relates tohis or her ability to learn. If constant evalua-tion and record keeping are part of the learn-ing culture, then both are most efficientlyhandled with technological assistance.

With respect to the process of learning,the building and use of databases that pro-vide learners with access to knowledge aboutthe language or the worlds in which it isused enable learners to experience relevantlanguage directly. This can include encyclo-pedic- and/or dictionary-type knowledge butcan also give learners direct access to the pri-mary source of the language in use. Withconcordancing software, for instance, andwith proper guidance, learners can get atlarge amounts of evidence of how languageis actually used. With such software it is pos-sible to search for all occurrences of a givenword or combination of words in largeamounts of computer-readable text and to bepresented with all those occurrences in a lineor more of context. These -concordances"provide contextualised evidence of words inuse from which it is possible to deducemeanings or induce rules of usage. Thismakes learners (and teachers) less dependenton secondary sources and half truths.

To take an example: grammars and dic-tionaries are wont to define the useand meaning of any as the negative

and interrogative form of some. This is, ofcourse, trueto an extent. If one studies aconcordance of the word any, however, onesees that the negative/interrogative form ofsome is only one, and by no means the mostcommon, use. Figure 1 below provides anexample of a very short concordance of any,which is nevertheless adequate to illustratethis point.

Figure 1Partial Concordance of the Word Any

1 0 Autumn MI 7

Technology is now allowing us to inte-grate information of different kinds and fromdifferent media. The whole multimediaexplosion can, if controlled and thoughtthrough in educational and methodologicalterms, add a previously unimagined richnessto learning. We are already beginning to seeproducts that bring together these differentmedia with the aim of teaching specificpoints or syllabuses as well as offering ency-clopedic and multifaceted databases as astarting point for a wide variety of activities.For me, the real opportunities are offered less

by the courseware approach than by the flex-ible database onethe hypertext metaphorof the multimedia library. But one must alsobe aware that serendipitous browsing doesnot necessarily constitute learning. Researchis required to track learners' routes throughthis galaxy of material and to try to establishwhether there are effective ways of guidingthem towards facts or experiences that willaccumulate into learning without removingtheir choice to explore. Being lost in hyper-space is a common enough image. PerhapsA Hitchhiker's Guide would do?

ReferenceScott, M., Johns, T.. & Murison-Bowie, S.

(1993). MicroConcord manual. Oxford:Oxford University Press.

AuthorSimon Murison-Bowie is Director of

Electronic Publishing and Development in theEnglish language Teaching Division ofOxford University Press. En,gland. His currentresponsibilities include the creation of videoand computer software. He is Director of theBritish National Corpus. a collaborative pro-ject to build a 100,000.000-word corpus ofwritten and spoken British English.

A Review of Advanced Technologiesfor L2 Learning

Nancy Hunt

Computers and other interactive technolo-gies that provide students with visual andaudio support offer tremendous potential forhelping students develop their language abili-ties. The activities sponsored by TESOL'sComputer Assisted language Learning (CALL)Interest Section and the publication of thistheme issue of 7ESOL Journal give evidencethat some educators have recognized thispotential and are actively seeking effectivetechnology-based materials and teachingstrategies.

While attending the 1993 TESOLConvention in Atlanta, Georgia, I spent manyhours in the exhibit area searching for innova-tive computer-based programs that exempli-fied principles of good instructional designand the best practices for promoting L2 learn-ing. What I found was a wide variety of mate-rials designed for varied student populationsand reflecting diverse content and pedagogy.

Types of MaterialApproximately 20% of the vendors were

showing software or interactive video products.Most of the products were for adult learners.Some that were promoted as being appropri-ate for ages 10-12 had adult-level content,however, (e.g., banking, getting a driver'slicense, the importance of prenatal checkups)and were not suitable for this age group.

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Most of the software focused on typi-cal vocabulary or grammar drill andpractice. Many titles were designed

as instructional managcment systems with apredetermined set of skills for students tomaster in sequence. This type of softwarecan be a valuable resource for reinforcinginstruction or providing individual studentswith instruction on a specific skill or con-cept. However, the very nature of drill andpractice software runs counter to the naturalacquisition approach for L2 instructionbecause it tends to present isolated, noncon-textualized exercises that focus on accuracyrather than fluencv.

Ii

The more innovative products incorpo-rated laser video and or CD-ROM resources.Several focused on a specific set of skills,such as listening comprehension. These ven-dors acknowledged that their products can-not constitute a complete ESL program butrather are meant to supplement ongoinginstruction.

0 thers purported to be all things.Indeed, one vendor of a packagedhardware and software system

claimed that his product was a -complete,tum-key operation." He proudly reported thata conference attendee had just contractedwith him to set up a store-front operation thatwould employ no teachers.

Characteristics of GoodMaterials

I did see a small number of exemplarymultimedia products designed for the ESLlearner. Characteristics these programs sharedinclude:

Flexibility. The programs can be effec-tively used with students across a range ofgrades and levels of English proficiency.Thematic presentation. The programs irnro-duce and reinforce vocabulary and syntaxwithin a rich, contextual framework.

Appropriate content. The programsdesigned for adolescents and adults deal

with relevant, current issues, and thosemeant for elementary children are ageappropriate.

Multiple modalities. The programs providemany opportunities for students to listen,speak, read, and write.Open-ended question or writing prompts.They encourage students to take riskswith language by expressing themselveswith creative, unique responses.

Natural interaction. The program's on-line and suggested off-line activities givestudents opportunities to communicatewith each other on a natural, meaningfulway.

Mixed media. In addition to the laserdisc,computer. andior CD-ROM resources, theprograms offer complementaly audiotapesor print materials.

Extensive system guides. The products aretypically structured around a series oftechnology-based and print components.Comprehensive system guides provideinformation on the use of the compo-nents. suggestions for setting up a class-room, detailed lesson plans. and activitiesfor lesson adaptation. extension, andevaluation.

1n-service. The programs are complex sys-tems and require equipment that manyteachers have not used in their class-rooms. The publishers recognize this situ-ation and offer assistance through staffdevelopment videotapes or on-site in-ser-vice workshops.

Potential of MaterialsTechnology. especially multimedia-based

technology w;th its capacity for nch imaging.

has great potential for actively engaging stu-dents and helping them transfer what islearned in the classroom to communication inthe real world. Unfortunately, many educa-tors have a narrow view of how technologycan be used: that is, they see computersbeing used for independent skill practiceand, perhaps. word processing (U.S.Congress. 1988). Some are not aware of thenewer technologies and how they can beused to shift the role of the learner front thatof a passive receiver of information to that ofan active learner experimenting with lan-guage. We language educators must raise ourcolleagues level of awareness and, throughextensive in-service and staff developmentopportunities, build a larger cadre of technol-ogy-using teachers and learners.

RecommendationsTo prepare our students for tomorrow's

world, we must teach them how to reasonand communicate effectively through avail-able technologies. Very few ESL students.however, have access to advanced technolo-gies. and those who do are too often rele-gated exclusively to drill and practiceexercises. Instead, activities should offeropportunities for students to develop theirlanguage and critical thinking skills (U.SCongress. 1988).

Exemplary multimedia products are veryexpensive to develop, but there are anumber of excellent titles on the mar-

ket for teaching foreign languages. We mustencourage publishers to develop more inno-vative. contextualized software and multime-dia materials for teaching ESL. Unit pricingshould come down as the product linesexpand.

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Finally. when making decisions regardingthe acquisition of technology-based materials.educators cannot focus only on the hardwareand software. To use phrases coined byStephan Marcus of the University ofCalifornia. Santa Barbara. the "liveware-(teachers and students) and -underware- (theunderlying principles of good instruction)must be considered. Without careful attentionpaid to those additional factors, technologywill never become the valuable resource ithas the potential to be.

ReferenceU.S. Congress. Office of Technology

Assessment. (1988). Power on!. New tools forteaching and learning. (OT A-SET-379).Washington. DC: U.S. Government PrintingOffice.

AuthorNancy Hunt is Associate Professor in the

School of Education and HumanDevelopment at California State l'niversitv.Fresno. She teaches courses in curriculumdevelopment and educational applications q'computer-based technologies. Her researchinterests include technology applications forESL teacher education and learning.

.1

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Autunm 1993 9

A Very Verbal Medium:Language LearningThrough Closed CaptionsRobert Vanderplank

Most televisionprogrammes

actually containtheir messages in

words, not inimages. News

programmes arestill spoken

reports supportedby pictures, not

vice versa.

Determining the Importance ofTelevision Language Learning

For many language teachers, the seriousstudy of television and language learningremains a contradiction in terms. Television

10 'also/ Iourmit

is barely recognized as a resource or anobject of study in L2 acquisition or bilingual-ism. There are rich ironies here.

Although the focus of language teachinggoals and practices has shifted from theprinted word and knowledge of the languagesystem to the use and communicative value

of the spoken language in everyday settings,the most important conveyor of popular cul-ture, language. values, beliefs, and atti-tudestelevision--barely gets a mention inthe vast literature of language teaching.Although English language teaching hasbecome populist, for the most part, it stillfails to recognize its most populist and popu-lar resource. By failing to recognize theimportance of television and its potential inthe language teaching and learning process,however, we may have missed an importantinstructional opportunity.

The potent: I of television has alwaysseemed enormous, particularly when com-bined with the choice and control offered byvideo recordings. No teacher or classroomcan offer the range of situations and settings.

the knowledge of and insights into target lan-guage attitudes, values, and behavior thattelevision programmes can. And there is nodoubt that both television and video havealready contributed indirectly to the develop-ment of language learning and teaching in

the past 30 years.

In BL. the perception of value and usesof television programmes. broadcast or

13

You cannotfreeze sound,only replay it,and replaying

segments ofvideotape can be

awkward.

recorded, has developed in parallel with gen-eral trends, from Pit Corder's (1960) situa-tional/behavioral approach to theinteractional, communicative, and humanistalproaches of the 1990s (e.g.. Cooper,Lavery, & Rinvolucri. 1991; Stempleski &Tomalin, 1990).

In one sense, the impact of television onlanguage teaching has been similar to itsimpact on society as a wholeinfluencingour views and attitudes about the status ofthe spoken language We are no longer con-tent to read reports of debates when we canwatch them live or recorded. The sound bite

of the televised media event becomes thematerial on which elections are felt to bewon or lost.

The Mainstream ESL View: TVas a Visual Medium

It has been evident to me for quite sometime that the mainstream perception of thevalue and uses of television and video forlanguage learning has emphasized the wrongelementits visual natureand has con-tributed to the marginalization of televisionand video as language resources.

Fcr 30 years or so, writers of televisionand video ESL programmes have stressed thevisual element in broadcast and recordedprogrammes and have emphasized the rele-vance and value of the visual element to lan-guage teaching. Corder (1960), writing aboutthe characteristics of a language teaching pro-gramme that will produce good learning andcomprehension. lists five key elements. all ofwhich are primarily visual (a) movement, (b)diagrams and visual aids. (c) the visible pres-ence of the speaker. (d) coordination ofvisual and verbal material. and (e) concrete-ness of material. Such opinions have beenregularly reinforced during the interveningyears by writers such as Allan (1986),Lonergan 0984), and McGovern (1983).Indeed, that television is a primarily visualmedium for ESL teaching appears to he quiteuncontroversial right up to the present day.Stenipleski and Tomalin (1990), for example.tell us that 8001 of our communication isvisual. For ESL video programmes. theimages themselves provide the sense of real-ism and direct appeal which are so attractiveto learners. What is emphasized above all is avisual reality rather than a verbal reality.Sound is present to support the vision.

An Alternative View: A VeryVerbal Medium

Historians of film and television such asArmes (1988) stress that television hasits roots neither in the photograph nor

in the cinematographic film. where the imageso clearly predominates. The real roots oftdevision lie in sound radio, in the verbalmessage. Most television programmes actuallycontain their messages in words, not inimages. News programmes are still spokenreports supported by pictures, not vice versa.TV drama and comedy are largely about theplay of words. A documentary without thevoiceover or presenter would present no case.no argument, and little meaningful informa-tion. Even a live football match without therunning commentary would lack an element

Closed captionstransformtelevision

programmes fromprops into rich

languageresources. They

liberate bothteachers and

learners, offeringlearners greaterchoice, control,

and responsibility.

1,71111MM

essential to its interest for viewers. Rare is theadvertisement on television that is without itsverbal message, spoken or written.

In ESL. language teachers and learners aremainly in the business of teaching and learn-ing. respectively, a verbal code rather thanvisual conventions. An emphasis on thevisual element must inevitably restrict thevalue of the medium to that of being a stimu-lus and a visual aid rather than a languageresource from which to draw.

One effect of the prevailing view of tele-vision as a visual medium has been to pre-clude discussion of television as a verbalmedium and resource. I have strong memo-ries from the 1970s of the hopes and expec-tations that the new VCRs would unlock theverbal element of television programmesthrough the greater control offered. Suchhopes remain largely unfulfilled not onlybecause adapting videotaped programmes isstill so time consuming but also becausecontrolling sound is inherently difficult. Youcannot freeze sound. only replay it. andreplaying segments of videotape can beawkward. Although there have been sometechnical improvements, the problem of pre-senting and exploiting verbal messages intelevision programmes remains much thesamethe language comes too quit k ly,

14

there is too much of it. it is too colloquial.and is culturally bound much of the time.

Yet unless and until some simple meansof controlling the verbal element withoutmassive teacher preparation and interventionbecomes widely and inexpensively available,teachers will feel that they have little choicebut to concentrate on the visual element, andtelevision programmes will remain the largelymarginalized aid or prop to teaching thatthey are today.

It may come as surprise to many that wedo have the means, easily and cheaply avail-able. in the form of same-language subtitlesprovided as an optional adjunct to manypopular television programmes as a servicefor the deaf and hearing impaired. In NorthAmerica. these subtitles are known as closedcaptions: in much of Europe they are calledteletext subtitles as they are broadcast via theteletext information service (EuropeanBroadcasting Union. 1992).

Using Closed Captions/TeletextSubtitles for LanguageLearning

A small but growing band of enthusiastshas been using closed captioned televisionprogrammes for more than 10 years. and thereis already a body of published research into itsvalue and uses in the language classroom,self-access, and domestic settings. Not surpris-ingly. there have been studies into its value forlistening comprehension (Price. 1983), for pro-viding comprehensible input (Neuman &Koskinen. 1990). for vocabulary acquisition(Bean & Wilson. 1989). and for reading(Goldman & Goldman. 1988: Koskinen.Wilson. & lensema. 1986: Smith 1990).

y own studies in the Teletext 888Project with advanced level learners(Vanderplank. 1988. 1990) have

shown that learners benefit in terms.of listen-ing comprehension comprehensible input,vocabulary acquisition. and reading skills.Moreover, closed captions transform televi-sion programmes from props into rich lan-guage resources. They liberate both teachersand learners, offering learners greater choice.control. and responsibility. In my studies oflearner-viewers in Holland. Denmark. andBritain (Vanderplank. 1992). I found howwell-motivated learners in Europe make useof closed captioned television as a languagelearning resource at home. I have called thisa "very quiet revolution- (Vanderplank. 1(.t91.p. 9) simply because so few people areaware of the service provided. But for thosewho are aware, the effect is little short of rev-

marv. What we have found, aim\ e all. is

Autumn 1993 11

that closed captions enable learners to watchprogrammes as native speakers do, and thishas opened up a whole new set of challenges.

How Closed Captions/TeletextSubtitles Work

It would be tempting to say, as a Spanish-speaking teacher said to me the first time thathe saw closed captioned television, that theywork by pure magic. Certainly the effect onmy students has been magical. There are,however, two quite plausible explanations ofwhy closed captions work so well with mostintermediate-level and advanced learnerswhen one might expect that their senseswould be overwhelmed by the additionalsource of information.

One, offered by Lambert (1986) and hiscolleagues (Holobow, Lambert, &Sayegh, 1984) suggests that one

effect of closed captions is to increase redun-dancy. Our senses are only too happy toreceive the same linguistic content from anadditional source if we are "hard of listening"but reasonably literate. An interesting effectof the multimodal input is that learner-view-ers often do not know whether they arereceiving information from sound or text.(See the study by Kees de Bot et al., 1986).Another explanation is offered by Halliday(1989) who suggests that subtitle text pro-vides a synopsis of the dynamic speech of aprogramme which might otherwise be lost inthe processing.

These two explanations are simply differ-ent facets of the same phenomenon. And, asHalliday (1989) puts it so well:

Of course, there are individual differ-ences in learning stylesome learnmore through the ear, others throughthe eye. And there are individual dif-ferences in teaching style; a teachermay be more at home in one or theother medium ... the written languagerepresents a synoptic view. It definesits universe as product rather than pro-cess .... The spoken language presentsa dynamic view. It defines its universeprimarily as process, encoding it not asstructure but as constnictingordemolishing. (p. 96)In fact, within the viewing of any single

programme, learners move between the dif-ferent styles, sometimes taking in morethrough the text, at other times listening care-fully to the speech, sometimes using the textfor support, at other times "chunking" subtitletext rapidly before listening.

Some Examples of Classroomand Self-Study Use

My work over the years at Heriot-WattUniversity has shown that there are types oftelevision programmes that work better thanothers for language learning. Many comediesare successful because learners love laughingin the right places for the right reasons.Focusing on the language of comedy pro-grammes reveals just how varied and even

specialized interms of registerand terminologyour everyday

Don't poach my patients!

12 WSOL jouYfial

speech is. In oneepisode of aBritish comedyshow, "Don't WaitUp," about fatherand son doctors,for example, theactors shiftedeffortlessly as weall do from formalto informal stylesof speaking, andfrom medical toreal estate, lifeinsurance, andlegal registers, allin the space of 10minutes.

I ask my stu-dents to completea grid of register,words, and

phrases used, and roles played by the differentactors at different points in the episode (seesample, p. 13).

Captioned detective stories also work wellbecause learners like the sense of being ableto follow the plot as it thickens. A favoritewith my own students is "Inspector Morse."One technique that I have used successfullyis to ask them to watch a second detectiveseries such as "Columbo" and then prepare ashort comparative review. I ask them to cometo class having made notes on the followingaspects:

Are the plots advanced by actions or bywords?

How do Morse and Columbo reveal theircharacters and their approaches to solvingcrimes in their conversation with col-leagues, suspects, and other people in thestory?

Pick some scenes which you think a reimportant to the plot and make a note ofthe time of counter indication so that wecan watch them in class.

Documentaries are also popular. espe-cially if they are in narrative form.However rich a documentary may be

in images and diagrams, it is the voiceoverand the interviews which drive the narrativeforward, presenting personalities, facts, evi-dence, arguments, and counterarguments.Again, the sophistication of register and ter-minology which the average viewer isexpected to take in stride is breathtaking tomy students when seen in the captions. WhatI want my students to do with the languageof documentaries is to take out good, appro-priate native-speaker language and use it fortheir own purposesadopnoniadaptation. asI have called it. When we studied the green-house effect, for example. I asked my stu-dents to watch one video for homework. Wewatched another with a different perspectivein class, after which I asked them to write aletter to the editor of a local newspaper. Theywere to work from the perspective of a for-eign student living in Edinburgh to describethe attitudes of local people toward globalwarming and report the likely consequencesof those attitudes.

The news is also greatly appreciated withcaptions, particularly if the story is new orunfamiliar. British news stories usually containmany proper nouns that are a major source ofdifficulty for many learners. An approach thatI have used successfully is to show new orunfamiliar news stories with captions, but toshow subsequent developments of that newsstory without captions. In the first pass. learn-ers familiarize themselves with the protago-nists, the context, the vocabulary. In the

_ 5

Don't Wait UpAs you watch the next 10-minute sequence, you will see the topics change from medical matters to insurance, thento house-buying, legal matters, and divorce, and back to house-buying. Sometimes formal language is used, atother times informal or colloquial. There is also a lot of language used that shows social relations between thecharacters. Try noting words and phrases that fit into the topics and mark whether you think they are formal (F) orinformal/colloquial (C).

Topic: Medical

o You have high

examination (C)

Stethoscope

a

blood pressure (F)

I do a thorough

Insurance House-buying Legal

Endowmentpolicy (F)

The insurancewould cover it (C).

Claim off your owninsurance (C)

Social relations:

We're exchangingcontracts onWednesday (F)

We'll get a bridgingloan (F)

They droppedout (C)

Divorce

It's your responsibility I could have wonyou a court order (?)

Sue for damages (F) A public nuisance

Don't poach my patients!Is she still as monstrous?E3ut she's set her heart on it.Let me know how you get on.Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.

second pass. they get useful listening compre-hension practice.

There are also several categories of pro-grammes that have tended not to workeither in the classroom or in self-access

for language learning. Drama, as a broad cat-egory. has largely failed to interest my stu-dents unless they are particularly motivatedto watch and follow the language. Naturalhistory programmes with their emphasis onthe visual have also been abandoned as stu-dents complained that the captions got in theway of their appreciation of the pictures.Perhaps surprisingly, closed-captioned featurefilms have also failed to be useful as lan-guage learning resources. There is no short-age of students who want to watch them inself-access, but on the whole, they learn littlelanguage from them. The associations withthe cinema are too strong and they becomeabsorbed into film watching as a distinctlydifferent experience from language learning.Who knows, though, how much languagethey may pick up incidentally simply fromreceiving all that comprehensible input?

Indeed, allowing learners to watch cap-tioned programmes in self-access is onething, but getting learners to perform self-study language learning tasks in self-access isquite another matter. In general, it is a goodidea to ask learners to complete some formof viewing record each time they watch aprogramme as a means of creating a learning

context, because without some form of effortraising, self-study in a self-access video labo-ratory becomes too homelike a viewing con-text.

As part of the Teletext 888 Project, I askmy students to keep viewing diaries and tocomplete a checklist for each programme thatthey watch. This checklist includes theirnotes on the programme, their assessment ofthe value of the closed captions, problemsencountered, new and interesting words andphrases noted, and space for other com-ments. The checklist has proved to be anexcellent memory aid for subsequent discus-sions and follow-up work on programmes, inaddition to providing a minimum level ofeffort raising.

I have found that in setting more detailedtasks for self-study work, I need to take greatcare to "go with the flow" of the programme.It is no use treating programmes as audiovi-sual texts with listening comprehension-typequestions on factual content. Questions needto focus on the visual and verbal elementsthat a producer has used to achieve the goalsof the programme. For example, a recentdocumentary I used on the testing of amalaria vaccine developed in Colombia,focused on the arguments and attitudes sur-rounding Third World medicine, the North-South divide, the desperate need for evenpartial remedies, and above all, the responsesmade by medical people to the claims of

16

Third World researchers. Producers seek notjust to present information but often to makestatements and shape attitudes. Questions onthe factual content of the programme such as"What causes malaria?" or "How do vaccineswork?", in spite of being ground covered inthe programme, would have missed thepoint. More important, these questions wouldhave missed what was interesting and moti-vating for viewers and language learners. Infact, my clumsy initial attempts to set suchquestions were rejected by my students asbeing not particularly relevant and as beingdemotivating (I have very bright, outspokenstudents). What we should seek to achieve,then, through self-study tasks is a raising ofboth effort and consciousness in followinglanguage used in sound and in captions, andin viewing the programme as a valuablesocial artefact with a message to impart.

The access and empowerment offeredby closed captions has alreadyrevealed new educational challenges,

among them the associations of television asstrictly an entertainment medium requiringlittle mental effort. The challenges are worthmeeting, for the benefit of teachers andlearners.

ReferencesAllan, M. (1986). Teaching English roll/

video. London: I.ongman.

Autumn 1993 13

Armes, R. (1988). On video. London:Rout ledge.

Bean, R. M., & Wilson, R. M. (1989). Usingclosed-captioned television to teach readingto adults. Reading Research and Instruction,28(4), 27-37.

Cooper, R., Lavery, M.. & Rinvolucri, M.(1991). Video. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Corder, S. P. (1960). English languageteaching and television. London: Longman.

de Bot, K., Jagt, J., Janssen, H., Kessels, E.,& Schills, E. (1986). Foreign television andlanguage maintenance. Second LanguageResearch, 2, 72-82.

European Broadcasting Union (1992). Aguide to teletext in Europe (2nd ed.). Geneva,Switzerland: European Broadcasting Union.

Goldman, M., & Goldman, S. (1988).Reading with closed-captioned TV. Journal ofReading, 31 (5), 458.

Halliday. M. A. K. (1989). Spoken andwritten language. Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress.

Holobow, N., Lambert. W. E.. & Sayegh. L.(1984). Pairing script and dialogue:Combinations that show promise for secondand foreign language acquisition. LanguageLearning, 34, 59-76.

Koskinen, P. S., Wilson. R., & Jensema,C. J. (1986). Closed-captioned television: Anew tool for reading instruction. ReadingWorld. 24 (4), 1-7.

Lambert, W. E. (1986). Dialogue in onelanguage, sub-titles in another: Some alterna-tives for learning languages. In TheFergusonian impact. vol. 1. From phonologyto society. New York: Mouton.

Lonergan, J. (1984). Video in languageteaching. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress.

McGovern. J. (Ed.) (1983). Video applica-tions in ELT (ELT Documents 114). Oxford:Pergamon Press/The British Council.

Neuman, S. B., & Koskinen, P. S. (1990).Using captioned television to improve thereading proficiency of language minority stu-dents. Falls Church, VA: National CaptioningInstitute.

Price, K. (1983, Fall). Closed-captionedTV: An untapped resource. MA7ESOLNeusletter.

Smith, J. J. (1990). Closed-captioned televi-sion and adult students of English as a secondlanguage. Arlington, VA: Arlington RefugeeEducation and Employment Program.

Stempleski, S.. & Tomalin, B. (1990).Video in action. London: Prentice HallInternational.

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Vanderplank. R. (1988). The value of tele-text subtitles in language learning. ELTJournal, 42, 272-281.

Vanderplank, R. (1990). Paying attentionto the words: Practical and theoretical prob-lems in watching television with uni-lingual(CEEFAX) subtitles, SYSTEM, 18 (2), 221-234.

Vanderplank, R. (1991, Winter). A veryquiet revolution: Teletext subtitles and lan-guage learning. 7FSOL Video News. pp. 2, 9-10.

Vanderplank, R. (1992). Non-nativespeaker viewers' use of teletext subtitles inEnglish: Some exploratory studies. InG. Davies & M. Hussey (Eds.). New technol-ogy in language learning (pp. 89-102).Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang.

AuthorRobert Vandeiplank. Lecturer in EFL in the

Department of Languages. Heriot-WattUniversity. Edinburgh, Scotland. has alsotaught at Newcastle University England. andHelsinki University. Finland. and spent sev-eral years as a British Council Officer inMorocco. His research interests are centeredon the value of closed captions for languagelearning, with occasional digressions to lan-guage laboratories and stress perception.

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Teaching Listening in theLanguage Lab: OneProgram's ExperienceJudith Tanka

Whatever happened to the language lab?According to a survey I conducted at theAmerican Language Center's Intensive EnglishProgram at the University of California. LosAngeles (ALC), reports of its demise havebeen greatly exaggerated.

Responses to a questionnaire (seeAppendix) administered to 67 intensiveEnglish programs (IEPs) in late 1992 revealedthat close to 70% of these programs incorpo-rate the language lab as part of their listeningcurriculum. When asked how the languagelab was used, the majority (59%) in...icatedthat it served as both a "listening library" anda place where regularly scheduled classes aretaught by an instructor.

At ALC, we have experimented with hothapproaches over the years. Our methods ofteaching listening in the lab have variedaccording to the changing needs of our stu-dent population and according to the emer-gence of new theories on the teaching oflistening comprehension. This article outlinesthe advantages and disadvantages of the van-ous approaches we have tried.

The Teacher-ControlledListening Lab

In the early 1980s, ALC students at all lev-els were scheduled in the language lab onehour a day, five times a week. The labinstructor's role was to select and broadcast arogram to the class as a whole or to offer a

Students fromcultures in which

instruction iscompletely

teacher centeredfound the arrayof choices in ourlab bewildering

and feltshortchanged

when no specificteaching took

place.

-menu" of up to three programs whichstudents could access. l'pon recording the

18

program onto their decks, students replayedthe material as often as necessary until theywere satisfied that they had thoroughlyunderst"--.1 it or, in the case of pronunciationdrills, until they were able to approximate themodel. The instructor meanwhile served asmonitor, listening in on students, correctingpronunciation errors, answering questions,and providing answer keys to exercises. Thegoal was to provide varied input and, occa-sionally, to reinforce grammar or content cov-ered in other classes. With no prescribedcurriculum, the selection of listening materialsdepended entirely on the teacher. Becausethese materials often consisted of little morethan audiolingual drills and canned lectureswith few authentic recordings, the lessonswere easy to implement and required mini-mal preparation. The disadvantage of thisapproach was the lack of explicit teaching oflistening strategies and the absence of com-municative listening tasks. In retrospect. itdoes not seem surprising at all that our lan-guage lab lessons slowly began to gravitatetoward the individualized listening libraryapproach.

The Self-Access, Self-StudyListening Library

By the mid-1980s, our collection of listen-ing materials had grown in direct proportionto the expanding ESL market in this skillarea. In an attempt to make these materials

Autumn 1993 15

available to as many students as possible(and in response to a growing number ofrequests for individualized study), we aban-doned the teacher-controlled, one-program-at-a-time approach and set up a self-accesslistening lab. Students were still required toattend 5 hours a week and were responsiblefor keeping a daily log of materials/lessonsthey selected. An elaborate but easily acces-sible check-out system for our 250 titleshelped students to maximize their listeningopportunities and meet individual needs.The role of the teacher consisted of demon-strating samples of materials during the firstweek and, for the rest of the term, being aresource person and monitor who was famil-

iar with specific language problems and whowould guide the students to the appropriatematerials. The underlying concept was thatwith extensive quantities of comprehensibleinput, listening proficiency would developby "osmosis" (Scarce lla & Oxford, 1992,p. 140), with no need for special instructionon how to deal with this input. Essentially,students exercised total control over theirown learning, which initially seemed toreduce anxiety. Eventually, however, someproblems surfaced.

This individualized system did not suit allstudents' learning styles and expectations.Students from cultures in which instruction iscompletely teacher centered found the arrayof choices in our lab bewildering and feltshortchanged when no specific teaching tookplace. Others, especially those with low lev-els of motivation, did not seem to take fulladvantage of the listening opportunities thelab provided and exhibited poor progress inlistening skills. The teachers began to wonderif leaving siddents to their own devices wasthe best approach to teaching listening.

The Communicative LanguageLaboratory

By 1990 at the ALC, the pendulum hadswung back to the teacher-centered languagelab, but with a different approach. Severalfactors influenced our decision. First, commu-nicative methodologies in the rest of our pro-gram had gained permanent hold, and it wasonly natural to transfer these techniques tothe language lab. Second, the teaching of lis-tening and the listening process itself beganto receive long overdue attention among L2

researchers. As a result, specific steps andstrategies (similar to those in reading) were:isolated as necessary for efficient L2 listene;sFinally. ESL listening materials began toreflect the latest developments in research,requiring more teacher involvement as wellas more student interaction.

16 TESOLlournal

The teachersbegan to wonder

if leavingstudents to theirown devices wasthe best approach

to teachinglistening.

Consequently, the goal of the languagelab lesson became integrating the explicitteaching of listening strategies (e.g., forminghypotheses, predicting, guessing from con-textual and phonological clues, drawinginferences) with providing sufficient opportu-nity for practicing these strategies and trans-ferring them to new tasks. (For a completelist of listening strategies, see Oxford. 1990).To accomplish this goal, we produced writtencurriculum guidelines. They outline theappropriate strategies and tasks for each ofthe seven levels in our program, althoughmany of these activities are recycled in suc-cessive levels in progressively more difficultcontexts. Because listening is often a recipro-cal skill requiring a spoken response from thelistener, the curriculum also specifies a cer-tain amount of time (approximately 20%) tobe spent on speaking in the lab. Activitiesrange from recording one's response to whatis heard on the tape to removing the headsetand reconstructing/sharing information orcomparing lecture notes in pairs or smallgroups. Individual instructors determine the

weekly sequence of activities but workwithin the framework of the curriculum andthe prescribed texts. We also retained theindividualized listening library in the form ofan optional open lab during lunch hourand/or after school. Students who need addi-tional practice and input are free to sign upfor these hours. At intermediate and upperlevels, teachers may also set aside 1 hour oftheir lab lesson a week for individual studyand:or TOEFL practice. An example of a lan-guage lab lesson that attempts to incorporateat, ,zurriculum goals described can be seenin the sidebar (see p. 17).

Conclusion"What do ru do in the language lab that

I can't accomplish just as well with a tapeplayer in the classroom?" is a legitimate ques-tion often asked by people for whom lan-guage labs still conjure up an image ofisolated booths filled with obedient, albeitdrowsy students completing exercises devoidof any communicative purpose. The ciuestionserves as a reminder that lab activities"should take advantage of the technologythat the lab system makes available, and theclassroom does not" (Stone, 1988, p. 4). Ithas been our experience that a language labwith even the most basic features (e.g.,record and playback capability with at leasttwo broadcast sources) is a superior settingbecause it enables students to:

participate in interactive information gapexercises that require groups to listen todifferent information and then sharelisten at their own pace. which results inless anxiety and a greater willingness totake risksrecord and listen to their own responsesreceive individual attention through ran-dom monitoringlisten to superior sound quality (essentialwith so many authentic recordings in ourtape collection).None of these activities can be done by

rote in the classroom with just a tape player.The challenge lies in how to exploit all theunique features of the lab while providingstudents with meaningful, communicativeactivities and appropriate strategies toimprove their listening comprehension.Judging from student evaluations and teacherresponse. ALC instructors feel they have tack-led the challenge successfully. We are con-vinced that the communicative language labwith a well-defined curricuium and activeteacher involvement is the most effective ofall three approaches described in this article.However, we also realize that new directionsin language learning and teaching as well asemerging new technologies (e.g., multimediainteractive video) will need to be examinedfor their potential contribution to more effec-tive listening instruction.

ReferencesOxford, R. L. (1990). language learning

strategies. What emy teacher should knou.New York: Newbury House/Harper & Row.

scarcella, R. C.. & Oxford. R. L. (1992. )Me tapestry of language learning. Boston:Heinle & Heinle.

A Sample Language Lab LessonObiedive: To practice taking and leaving telephone messages

Levels: Beginningadvanced, depending on the level of difficulty of the recorded messages

Materials: In addition to teacher-made recordings, ready-made recordings in Greot Ideos (1987, Cambridge), Interactions IA

listenin/Speaking gook (1990, McGraw-Hill) and listening Tasks (1984, Cambridge)

(IRGENT YE4NO

Message for

Time .3

Of

7/184aleltitat9Q Date / f/3/93tn)

WHEN YOU WERE OUT

*04 4:14*:1 4e-4041Area Codp 215 Telephone No 37r-2657DjTelephonedlir Wants you to phoneD Will phone laterD Wants to see you

Message &Wad doeac't jed aele,eelOge Ite.44 44a

Called to see youD Will call backD Returned your call

Taken by nala

Activity SkillStudents engage in prelistening discus- Speaking

sion. Why are phone conversations diffi-

cult for ESL students? What are

examples of important information one

should listen for when taking phone

messages?

Students are put in three different listen-

ing groups. Each group hears a different

telephone message. Students take notes

(not dictation).

Students leave their booths, form

groups of three (one S from each listen-

ing group) and orally reconstruct the

message they heard. As they listen to

each other, they also take notes on mes-

sage pads.

Students swap booths and listen to

messages of the other two listening

groups. They compare their classmates'

oral renditions with the taped messages.

Listening, notetaking

StrategiesSetting context,

predicting

Sampling important

information

Speaking, summarizing Paraphrasing/approxi-

mating the message

Listening Checking accuracy and

relevance of information

Stone. L. (1988). Task-based activities: Acommunicative approach to language labora-tory use. Philadelphia: InternationalAssociation for Learning Laboratories.

AuthorJudith Tanka is an ESL instructor and aca-

demic advisor at the University of California,Los Angeles Extension's American LanguageCenter and is the co-author of Interactions Iand Interactions 11 listening skills books.

Appendix

Results of a Survey on the Role cfListening in the Intensive EnglishProgram CurriculumPopulation surveyed: 105 Intensive EnglishPrograms in the United States

Respondents: 6'Total hours of instruction per week: 22

Hours of listening taught per week: 5

Listening taught in combination with anotherskill (e.g., listening and notetaking or listen-ing and conversation): 74%

Programs with language laboratory: 68%

Purpose of a language laba. Independent listening library: 32%

b. Both listening library and regularly sched-uled, teacher-centered listening class: 59%

Condition of laba. State-of-the-art, meets all needs: ,13%

b. Not fancy but meets most needs: 37%c. Outdated, limited capabilities: 18%

Teaching materials used in laba. Audiocassettes with texvhandouts: 91%

b. Video: 47%

c. Computers with sound: 15%

d. Interactive video: 13%

Future changes respondents would liketo see in this areaa. Better training of their instructors in teach-

ing listening strategies: 32%

b More communicative use of language lab:32%

c. More money to huy listening materials: 20%

d. Would like the program to acquire a lan-guage lab: 14%

e. More hours of the curriculum devoted tothe teaching of listening: 11%

20

f. Programs requiring students to buy listen-ing texts: 62%

Most frequently used listening texts(number indicates times text wasmentioned)Beginning Level

(13) Listen for It by J. Richards (1987, Oxford)

(10) Interactions 1A Listening/SpeakingBook by J. Tanka (1990, McGraw-Hill)

(9) Now Hear This by B. Foley (1984,Newbury House)

Intermediate Level

(15) Interactions IIA Listening/SpeakingBook by" Tanka, (1990. McGraw-Hill)

(13)Face the Issues by C. Numrich (1990,Longman)

(12)Listening InSpeaking Out: Intermediateby S. Bode (1980, Longman)

Advanced Level

(19) Consider the Issues by C. Nurnrich (1987,Longman)

(18) Learn to ListenListen to Learn by R.Lebauer (1988, Prentice Hall)

(11) Advanced Listening Comprehension byP. Dunkel (1982, Newbury House)

Autumn 1993 17

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2 1

Distance Team Teachingand Computer LearningNetworksDennis Sayers

It is much easier todescribe what distanceteam teaching partner-ships are not than it isto come up with a defi-nition of what they are:Team teaching partner-ships between two dis-tant classes aredefinitely not student-to-student penpal pro-jects: rather they areclass-to-class collabora-tions. Although thereare no set rules fororganizing a teamteaching partnershipbetween teachers intwo schools, in a typicalpartnership. at least twoteachers will plan iden-tical short-term project.sin both their classes. Asa culminating joint

From the moment distance is introducedinto the teaching equation, students andteachers are required to rely more heavilyon educational technology as a culturalamplifier in their efforts to "turn up thevolume" in their dialogue with a distantpartner class, in order to compensate for

the inevitable distortions introduced asmessages cross time, space, and cultures.

MMINIM

activity, each teacherwill exchange her stu-dents' work with that of the partner class.allowing both groups to compare theirefforts. These basic elements are common toevery one of the hundreds of documentedclasses of distance team teaching protectsduring the past 70 years. Like many simple.powerful classroom strategies, these collabo-rations are perennial, with deep grassrootsongins and a history long predating 111(10-komputers (sayers, 1990).

Another recurring feature of distance teamteaching is the impetus it provides for teach-ers to become involved with classroom tech-nologies of all kinds. From the momentdistance is introduced into the teaching equa-tion. students and teachers are required torely more heavily on educational technologyas a cultural amplifier in their efforts to "turnup the volume" in their dialogue with a dis-tant partner class. In order to compensate tor

the inevitable distor-tions introduced asmessages cross time,space, and cultures.Students' written com-munications becomemore meaningful totheir faraway colleagueswhen supplemented byaudiovisual or mixed

Finally, nearly everydistance team teachingpartnership creates anetwork for intercul-tural learning. The veryfact of having a partner-ship with a distant classencourages local stu-dents to look moreclosely at their owncommunities and at thediverse perspectivesthat may be found rightbefore their eyes, withintheir own class and

school, and in their neighborhoods. As stu-dents complete projects with their distantclassmates. they develop insights into howreading and writing can mediate interculturalcommunication. Moreover, if they are usingword processors to polish their wnting, and ifthey finally share their projects using globaltelecommunicaton systems. students willengage in intercultunil learning.

Autumn 1993 19

Orillas: An InterculturalDistance Team TeachingNetwork

The classroom teachers who participate inthe Orillas teacher partnership network,which I have helped coordinate since 1985,make use of electronic mail (e-mail) andcomputer-based conferencing to plan andimplement joint educational projects betweentheir classes, and to publish their students'collaborative work electronically. Orillas(from the Spanish de orilla a or-II/afromshore to shore) is an interesting case of acontemporary intercultural learning networkthat marries the traditions behind decades ofdistance team teaching with the multifacetedpossibilities presented to educators by mod-ern communications technology.

0 rillas team teaching partnerships aremultilingual (in Chinese, French,Haitian Creole, English, Japanese,

Portuguese, Spanish. and American andFrench Canadian Sign Languages) and multi-national (with more than 100 schools, princi-pally in Puerto Rico, Quebec, and the UnitedStates, but also in English-speaking Canada,Costa Rica, France, Japan, and Mexico).Orillas has been described as an exemplarycurricular project for bilingual education pro-grams (Curnmins, 1986; Cummins & Sayers,1990) adult literacy programs (Sayers &Brown, in press), ESL programs (Cazden.1985), foreign language programs (Willetts,1989), and writing programs (Figueroa, 1988).The network was also cited as a noteworthyproject for linguistic minority students by theU.S. Congress Office of TechnologyAssessment (Roberts et al., 1987). Devi liarand Faltis (1991) judged Orillas -certainly oneof the more, if not the most, innovative andpedagogically complete computer-supportedwriting projects involving students across dis-tances" (p. 116).

Orillas has always been concerned withseeking affordable alternatives to electronicnetworking, thus making intercultural learn-ing accessible to a wide range of teachersfrom urban and rural areas, and industrializedor developing countries. Presently, mostOrillas teachers pay nothing to send andreceive electronic messages to fellow educa-tors in 40 countries aside from the initial

startup costs of purchasing a modem. Thisaffordable approach is made possible by thelinkingunderwritten by the NationalScience Foundation (NSBof two computernetworks: FrEdMail (Free EducationalElectronic Mail) and Internet.

For years, the NSF has advocated that um-versifies should provide K-12 teachers with

20 TECOL Journal

Students arereporters when

they write articlesfor local

newsletters;editors whilerevising and

polishing theirwriting; and

correspondentswhen they sendfinished articlesfor inclusion in

the schoolnewspaper

produced bytheir partner

class.

greater access to campus computers as thenation moves toward building what has beentermed its new information superhighway.To this end, in 1989, NSF awarded a 2-yeargrant toward the development of a mecha-nismthe NSF Internet Gatewayfor greateraccess of public school teachers to universitycomputing. To launch this initiative, NSFchose the largest existing K-12 telecomputingnetwork, FrEdMail, upon which to build itsambitious outreach strategy. FrEdMail is aconfederation of several hundred electronicbulletin board systems (BBSs) in more than150 school districts across the country and inseveral nations. During the day, teachersleave messages for distant colleagues on oneof these electronic message systems and atnight, when telephone rates are low, theBI3Ss call one another and pass messagesalong to their ultimate destinations. However,

this approach has limited the internationalscope of FrEdMail.

The NSF Internet Gateway augmented theinformal FrEdMail system. making it muchmore flexible and far reaching, and furtherreducingindeed, in most cases, eliminat-ingthe costs of exchanging e-mail betweenteachers over long distances. The NSF strat-egy was simple. Key regional FrEdMail BBSslocated close to universities were identified.Under the direction of Al Rogers (FrEdMail'sfounder), these BBSs were specially config-ured to serve as gateways: that is, they wereprogrammed to pass teachers' e-mail mes-sages into the local university's mainframecomputer, where the messages could then bedelivered free to thousands of other univer-sity computers in countries connected byInternet. Thus, Orillas teachers and otherpublic school educators were able to routetheir messages through the closest gateways.eliminating costs for most teachers participat-ing in long-distance curricular projects.

This article focuses on the day-to-daylogistics of establishing and maintain-ing an effective team teaching partner-

ship, focusing particularly on the role oftelecommunications in implementing success-ful distance learning projects. In brief, teacherpartnerships (a) begin with a firm commit-ment between two teachers; (b) are inaugu-rated with an exchange of culturalinformation; and (c) culminate in some iden-tical curricular activity in both classes, whichis then shared with partner classmates.

Getting Started RightThe English saying, "Well begun is half

done" is nowhere truer than in the planningand initiation of effective team teaching part-nerships. Three elements are especiallyimportant for getting off to a good start.

First, the commitment of both teachers isessential. Many effective partnerships beginwhen two teachers from neighboring com-munities who already know each other agreeto work together, or when two teachers meetat a conference and plan to engage in jointcurricular projects. Other teachers prefer tocontact a "Partner Teacher Clearinghouse"like Orillas (reachable at its Internet address,Orillas@NYC.nyuedired.org, or by phone212-998-5485) to help locate a class inanother state or country with which to work.

Perhaps the most critical element in dis-tancc team teaching is the quality of theworking relationship between the two part-ner teachers who a re determined to meettheir mutually predetermined goals. Althougha team teaching partnership may prove a

simple. effective context tbr learning, it canonly produce results if the partner teachershonor the commitment they have made towork together.

Second. before launching a team teachingproject. teachers usually find it helpful toexchange -culture packages- to help breakthe ice and establish a common point or ref-erence between classes by sharing group self-portraits. Culture packages are envelopes orsmall boxes filled with student autobiogra-phies, maps. photographs, audio- and video-tapes, student artwork, and othermemorabilia from the school and the com-munity such as postcards. school newspa-pers, and exemplary student work.

viEMI

NMII

The spirit of thecomparativecommunitysurvey is to

think globallyand act

locally, toborroui a

phrase, and theproject oftenleads to jointcoininunity

actionsinitiated by

teachers andlam\ students.

As school and community self-portraitsare shared, partner classes hegin to comparetheir communities and world views. Thishelps them develop the ability to think criti-cally about their daily lives, their families.their schools, and their communities.

The day that a culture package arrives isan exciting day in any partner class. Students'natural enthusiasm when opening the pack-age can be channeled by teachers to furthermagnify the learning experience. This takescareful timing and a commitment by theteachers to pros ide relevant and timely feed-back to one another. For example. it is usu-ally best if the two teachers agree to mail theculture packages on the same date, ratherthan one class sending a package and thenwaiting for the partner class to send theirs (await that is certain to prove frustrating). Also.the sending class can help the receiving classmaximize the impact of the culture packageby including a detailed packing skip onwhich the teacher indicates her class's ratio-nale for selecting each item. for instance. the

Why we thought youwould be interestedIn this album, you'll finda photo of each ot thestudents in our class. Eachstudent brought in a photofrom home so that youcan see where they live, avacation they took. orother family members.

Why we thought you wouldbe interesed

We created this video to giveyou an idea of what ourcommunity is like. So we alllook a stroll through theneighborhood that ended withus walking Into our school andup the steps to our classroom.We hope you get a feel forv. here v.e live and study.

sending class might include these annotationsfor the receiving class (see bottom).

The receiving teacher can use this packingslip to shape her class's discussion as thecontents of the culture package are revealed.item by item.

The first impulse upon opening a culturepackage is to immediately display its con-tents. However, before exhibiting the culturepackage. it is ven: helpful for the receivingteacher to take a few moments and note herstudents reactions to the items. She can askher students to respond to such topics aswhat the class liked best or found most inter-esting about the package, questions studentshave after receiving the package, and thingsabout the sending class, school, and commu-nity t' tat the recipients would like to knowmore aboutall topics of tremendous interestto the sending class. It is important to mailthese questions. and comments by return postto the partner class as soon as possible. Thereceiving teacher's notes should offer invalu-able feedback to the students who sent theculture package and should stimulate ttiesestudents to develop a more critical awarenessof their school and community.

After exchanging culture packages, classesshould begin a team teaching project thatextends the curriculum in both classes, a pro-ject that can be completed by a specifieddate. usually before the end of eachsemester. The most effective team teachingprojects are those which make sense in both

Why we thought you would be interestedThis audiotape is really an oral group letterdescribing a typical day at our school. As aclass, we discussed v. hat wc wanted to tellyou. planned out in what order the students

would speak. practicedour speeches and thcnrecorded it. We wantedit to sound nice, like aradio show!

,,,,,;Ii,.....--4,: NI

. , z,....%

A .11 -r

Dress Code Shocks All

Football Team Wins, 24-10

Why we thought you would be

InterestedSix of the students m our classarc also in the journalism cluband worked on this edition of theschool newspaper. The cditonalabout the school dress code wasv.Titten by Gustavo and addressesan issue that has been verycontroversial here. A group otparents have been trying todiscourage gang activity bygetting the school to adopt aschool %indium.

Auturnn 1993 21

classes. Obviously, as teachers negotiate thedesign of their joint project, they need tocommunicate constantly, sounding out ideas,refining suggestions, setting deadlines, andultimately putting their plans into practice.

This is where telecommunicationse-mailand computer conferencingcan play a vitalrole. It is likely that each partner teacher willhave different curricular goals: For example.one teacher may be teaching ESL throughsocial studies with a unit on families, whileher partner might have a math/science unitun mapping. Yet if they have access toe-mail, these teachers can plan a commonactivity in such a way that both curriculargoals are achieved and extended. For exam-ple, students in both classes could ask par-ents for their birthplaces and could thenpresent this information in mapping terms(see below).

The partner classes could then exchangethese particulars, perhaps provoking discus-sions on immigration and family mobility. Inthe example above, the student's family treereveals much about Caribbean history andmigration to New York. The key point in thisexample is that both teachers have designedan achievable team teaching project to com-plement, extend, and enrich their preexistingcurricular units.

Three Types of Team TeachingProjects

Partner teachers generally undertake oneof the three types of curricular projectsdescribed below.

Shared Student PublicationsClassroom journalism and publishing

are among the most common team teaching

projects. This is because student newspapersand magazines are a flexible format intowhich almost any type of writing can fit.Also, everyone in a student journalism projecthas clearly defined roles.

Students are reporters when they writearticles for local newsletters: editors whilerevising and polishing their writing: and cor-respondents when they send finished articlesfor inclusion in the school newspaper pro-duced by their partner class. Every elementof classroom technology also has a clearlydefined, familiar function. For example. com-puters become typesetters or teletypes at var-ious stages of the editorial process. Ifteachers wish to take full advantage of thedaily give and take that e-mail makes possi-ble, two partner classes can plan and publisha joint newsletter by establishing a joint edi-

torial board. Students from both classeswould form a panel to make the decisionsthat go into a successful journalistic product.ranging from the title of the newspaper andthe topics that reporters will cover in bothclasses, to the final stages of productioninvolving artwork, layout, and printing. Thisproject can he enriched by inviting reportersand editors from community newspapers tooffer professional advice to students and byorganizing field trips to local newspaperoffices.

Comparative InvestigationsThe second type of team teaching project

can take many forms, but one of the mostpopular and illustrative is the comparativecommunity survey. Here, the partner classespick a theme of common interest. This themeis usually a controversial one that confrontsand challenges the students respective com-munities (e.g.. homelessness. drug abuse,

deforestation, or the depletion the ozonekiyer). The classes nominate and evaluatetogether various items for inclusion in a jointcommunity survey that taps public opinionon their chosen theme. Selected items pro-vide quantifiable data and open ended reac-tions. When the survey is completed. thepartner-class teachers help students analyzethe results and to craft a report of their com-munity's stance toward the controversialtheme. These reports are then sharedbetween partner classes. The spirit of thecomparative community survey is to thinkglobally and act locall, to bornm a phrase.and the project often leads to joint commu-nity actions initiated by teachers and stu-dents. Throughout this type of project,students and teachers make constant use ofe-mail to coordinate actions in both classes asstudents shape their collaborative research.

The goal of this activity is to develop stu-dents' critical inquiry skills. As communityself-portraits are shared, partner classes canbegin to compare their communities and(often unexamined) world views. This sameimpulse drives other team-teaching projectsthat fall under this category. such as scienceinvestigations and contrastive geographyprojects.

Folklore Compendia and OralHistories

Folklore and community narrative projectscan involve numerous partner classesbecause the more wide-ranging and diversethe participation, the richer the final product.Local folklore abounds to .,hare and comparewith dozens of other classes in the Orillasnetwork: proverbs and the fables with whichthey are often associated: folk games. riddles.

22 7F.COL Journal

and themes; traditional folktales: even lulla-bies and folksongs.

An espc:cially important outcome of folk-lore studies is that students come to viewtheir parents and relatives as vital sources ofvaluable cultural knowledge. Folklore studiesoften lead to more sophisticated oral historyprojects. in which students conduct moreextensive, formal interviews with their peersor elders on themes relating to communityhistory. Thus, this category of team teachingproject is perhaps unique in its use of hightechnology and modem communications net-works, but with the homespun goal of spark-ing students' involvement with oral traditionsthat span generations of family and commu-nity history, traditions that might otherwisevanish.

ConclusionThrough sharing culture packages and

team teaching projects between distantclasses. Oril las provides students with diverseopportunities to display and share theirchanging linguistic competencies and variedcultural experiences within their classrooms,thus fostering genuine L2 learning andauthentic cross-cultural knowledge. These are

the skills necessary for creating and sustain-ing learning communities capable of con-fronting the social, cultural, and ecologicalchallenges of the coming yearsthat is. thesort of learning communities that have deeplocal roots as well as an extensive globalreach.

ReferencesCazden. C. (1985, April). The ESL teacher

as admcate. Paper presented at the 25thAnnual TESOL Conference. New York.

Cummins, J. (1986). Cultures in contact:Using classroom microcomputers for culturalexchange and reinforcement. TESL CanadajournabRevue 7F.SL du Canada. $ (2), 13-31.

Cummins, J., & Sayers. D. (1990).Education 2001: Learning networks and edu-cational reform. In C. Faltis & R. Devillar(Eds.) [Special edition: Computers and theschoolsl Language minority students andcomputers. 7( 1-2). 1-29.

DeVillar. R.. & Faltis. C. (1991). (nnputersand cultural diversity: Restructuring forschool success. Albany. NY: State Universityof New York Press.

Figueroa. E. (1988). Efectos del adies-tramtento en redaccicin computadorizada en

Cathbridge ESL.,.The Professional ChoicePerspectives onPedagogical GrammarTerence Odlin, EditorPerspertis'es on Pedagogical Grammar offers aclose look at contemporary thinking on therole of grammar in second language teach-ing. The eleven articles in the collectionaddress many recent concerns about gram-mar as well as issues long considered crucialfor successful learning.

Paperback 44990-1 About $15.95

Agendas for SecondLanguage LiteracySandra Lee McKayAgendas for Second Language Literacy goesbeyond the second language classroom toexamine the sociopolitical, economic, famil-ial, and educational agendas that influencean immigrant's attainment of literacy in anew language.

Paperback 44664-3 $14.95

Reflective Teachingin Second LanguageClassroomsJack C. Richardsand Charles LockhartThis book aims to develop an approach inwhich the teacher collects data about hisor her own teaching, examines his or herattitudes, beliefs, assumptions and teachingpractices, and uses the information obtainedas a basis for critical reflection aboutteaching.

Paperback 45803-X About $15.95

An Integrative Approachto Educating SecondLanguage ChildrenFred Genesee, EditorA collection of articles from 14 elementaryeducation experts who espouse an integrativeapproach to education through a second lan-guage, one that goes beyond language teach-ing methodology.

Paperback 45797-1 About $17.95

CAN/1131111)GL.1\110,11,

64

las actitudes del personal de technologiaeducativa (DIP) hacia la enseiianza de laredacciOn Unpublished manuscript.University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. PuertoRico.

Roberts. L. et al. (1987). Trends and statusof computers in schools: Use in Chapter I pro-grams and use with limited English proficientstudents. Washington. DC: U.S. CongressOffice of Technology Assessment.

Sayers. D. (1990, November).

Interscholastic correspondence exchanges inCelestin FreinetS Modern School Movement:Implications for computer-mediated studentwriting networks. Keynote Address. FirstNorth American Freinet Congress.St. Catharines. Canada.

Sayers. D., & Brown. K. (in press). Puttinga human face on educational technology:Intergenerational bilingual literacy throughparent-child partnerships in long-distancenetworks. In 0. Spener (Ed.). Adult biliteracyin the 1'nited Slaws: A National Clearinghousefin. Literacy Education !brunt EnglewoodCliffs, NI: Prentice Hall.

Willetts. K. (1989, October). Computernetworking applications. Athelstan Newsletteron Technology and Language, pp. 1. 2. 3. 10.

AcknowledgmentsMany of the suggested activities described

in this article are drawn, in edited form, fromorientation materials authored or co-authoredby Kristin Brown. Enid Figueroa. and myself.coordinators of Orillas teacher partner-ship network.

AuthorDenms Sa WM. Professor ofRilingual

Education at New York l'niversity. receivedhis doctorate jiznn the Harvard GraduateSchool of Education. His research interestsinclude biliteracv dei 'elopment. interculturalinquiry, binational mi,gration. and the reduc-tion of prejudice touard minority studentsthrough cooperative learning activities.

Moving?We'd like to go with you.Help us keep our records up to date byymding your mu/. journal label andyour new address to the MembershipDepartment. TESOI.Central Office.Prompt repcirting of changes of addresswill guarantee steady delivery of mem-bership puhlicaiu ins and help theAssociation avoid additional expenses forI-mailing mak-mils

Autumn 1g93 23

Instructional Delivery ViaElectronic MailAlice Anne Goodwin, Jim Hamrick, and Timothy C. Stewart

The PresentLanguage teaching specialists have long

foreseen changes in language instruction as aresult of emerging microcomputer technologyand have anticipated significant differences inthe duties classroom teachers would have toperform. As is often the case in the develop-ment and proliferation of particular technolo-gies. however, applications of educationaltechnologies have evolved in unanticipatedways. In the case of microcomputers andEnglish language instruction, the personalcomputer has yet to replace the classroominstructor. Even so, classroom instructorshave found it necessary to add wordprocess-ing and other computer skills to their peda-gogical repertoire (Haas. 1989: logoda. 1989).

The use of electronic mail (e-mail) is oneexample of a technology that is developingunanticipated applications. E-mail was origi-nally designed as a channel of communica-tion among various military units. Fewspecialists anticipated the powerful attractionthat speedy. inexpensive, and secure commu-nication might have for members of the aca-demic and business communities. Today,commercial. scholarly. and personal e-mailuse far exceed its use a means of communi-cation between military agencies.

Although e-mail in English languageinstruction has been used pnmarily for inter-personal communication between learners

g , electronic penpals). we believe thate-mail technology is emerging as a means ofinstructional delivery across national borders\Xe will describe our efforts at using e-mail asa means of providing instruction in composi-tion. U S. academic culture, and researchskilk to learners prepanng for intensivel-nglish study in the t nited states

24 -7-F:sor Akio-mit

!IN

Few specialistsanticipated the

poweifulattraction that

speedy,inexpensive, and

securecommunicationmight have formembers of theacademic and

businesscommunities.

BackgroundThe use of e-mail beyond our local area

network (LAN) is a relatively recent develop-ment in our workplace. the English Programsfor Internationals (EP1) at the University ofSouth Carolina. EPI provides English for aca-demic purposes instruction in a U.S. univer-sity setting for students from various

academic and cultural backgrounds. Themajority of students enrolled in the programare bound for academic study in the UnitedStates.

Initially, e-mail was used by some facultyas a means of maintaining personal commu-nication with program alumni. Other facultyhave used e-mail to access professional listson electronic bulletin boards (e.g., TESL-L,SLART-L. CTI-L) so that they can keep upwith developments in their fields (Jennings,1987). These initial uses, though beneficialfor faculty development and morale, gave nohint of what might come in terms of instruc-tional uses of e-mail.

The LearnersIn the Fall of 1992. EPI staff were

approached by Ian Palmer. program officerfor Enghsh Orientation and Enrichment ofLASPAU (Latin American Scholarship Programof American Universities), regarding the possi-bility of using e-mail as a means of deliveringEnglish language instruction to LASPAU schol-ars prior to their arrival in the United States.EPI and LASPAU personnel recognized thatalthough the designated period of study fortheir intensive language students (e.g., 2, 6, or9 months) is adequate for language develop-ment, it is in many cases inadequate for thecultural and academic adjustments faced bythis group of mature students. Some of thesestudents, already committed to their own aca-demic interests and research agendas. find thetransition to the United States and its aca-demic life extraordinarily challenging. EN andLASPAU personnel recognized the potentialbenefits of using e-mail to provide a headstart for the students in their language trainingas well as their cultural adjustment.

Suchcommunication

also helpedcreate rapport

betweenparticipants andthe instructor, avery important

aspect oflanguagelearningand an

especiallychallenging task

over the wiresand cables of an

electronicnetwork.

Most of our LASPAU scholars are engi-neering students with ready access to com-puters and e-mail at their respectiveuniversities. With these students. EPI under-took a new project using e-mall: distanceeducation in English. We contacted 18 stu-dents and received responses from 8 scholarsin Peru, Paraguay. Ecuador. El Salvador.Colombia. Chile. and Mexico.

The TechnologyThe distance education project became

possible, or at least logistically feasible. whenEPI was able to connect with the university'sfiber optic lines in 1992 This took a greatdeal of coordination between the programand the computer services branch of the uni-versity and suffered from the usual delayscaused hy challenging technology andscheduling.I

The CurriculumOver the past year. faculty and students

have been using e-mail as an instructionaltool. In our advanced levels, students haveused e-mail to communicate with each otherand with teachers in the program. This hasusually involved dialogue journals with theprofessors and/or ESL students in otherschools. One class has joined Scrapbook USA,a library database project, to which studentscontribute articles, poems, and stories.

In determining the curriculum for the dis-tance education in English course, weemphasized reading and writing activities thataddressed aspects of academic writing. Wecreated a series of assignments to lead thestudents from basic academic writing to textanalysis to comparative analysis of texts writ-ten in different genres for varying academicpurposes.

In the first assignment, students wrote theirprofessional biographies and curriculumvitae. The purpose was to let us learn a

little about the participants' jobs and educa-tional backgrounds. It also gave us importantinformation about the students' English learn-ing experiences. Most importantly. thisassignment served as a diagnostic essaythrough which we could judge the linguisticcompetence of the students' written English.The students were required to compile andsend their responses over the network.

In the next assignment. students did arudimentary text analysis of their own writingin Spanish and in English and compared theresults with their professional biographies orwith articles or speeches they had written inSpanish or in English. We asked them to ana-lyze their texts by counting the average num-ber of sentences per paragraph. the averagenumber of words per sentence, the averagenumber of noun-verb pairs and the numberof passive constructions. In this way, they(and the instructor) obtained an overview oftheir typical paragraph length, sentencelength, the amount of subordination and dif-ferences in style, both in Spanish and inEnglish. The students sent the instructor thetwo writing samples and their analyses with acomparison of Spanish to English. Theinstructor responded with a commentary onthe students' English writing style and a com-parison to the expected conventions of writ-ten English at a university.

Along with the above assignments. the par-ticipants received by e-mail articles andexcerpts from textbooks and journals in thefields of computer science and engineering.They focased on reading, summarizing. analyz-ing. and responding to these texts in written

28

In some CentralAmerican

countries, e-mailtransmissionsare collected

throughout theday and then

sent once every12 hours.

academic English. The instruaor checked theirresponses for linguistic and stylistic problemsas well as for overall organization. For oneassignment, students were asked to read thearticle, write a one-paragraph summary of thecontent, and respond with their opinion inanother paragraph. In subsequent assignments.students were asked to summarize an article.but then to respond in a more directed fashion.concentrating on a specific feature of the con-tent such as the process described or problemsthat could occur. For other assignments. theywere asked to predict or anticipate otheraspects of related material, for example. how aparticular technology might become a problemin 10 Years.

An additional feature of the course wasthat the students wrote to each other'n English to get to know each other.

Although this may not be. strictly speaking.an academic assignment, it helped theiracculturation to EPI, to the University ofSouth Carolina. and to the United States. Suchcommunication also helped create rapporthetween participants and the instructor, avery important aspect of language learningand an especially challenging task over thewires and cables of an electronic network.

Difficulties and BenefitsAs with any new course, there were and

continue to be some difficulties, mostly tech-nical. An initial difficulw was getting the con-nections to Internet. Sometimes we still haveproblems when the system goes down on ourcampus or when the systems go down on thereceiving campuses. Additional problems arise

Autumn 1993 25

when different systems are not completelycompatible. For example. one student couldnot read the assignments in "long format," butthe instructor couldn't seem to send them anyother way.

The e-mail project has been a learningprocess. This is new technology for our pro-gram and many of the possibilitiesusingon-line news services, lists or bulletin hoardsfor student usehaven't been incorporatedinto our curriculum yet. However, there isalways help available. For one thing. the e-mail students give us ideas and possible solu-

tions to technical problems. In addition, there

is a network list on Teaching ESL throughElectronic Communication (TESLEC-L). whereother ESL professionals and teachers postideas and suggestions for use of e-mail in the

classroom.

0ther difficulties involve the particularsof delivering instruction over an elec-tronic network. There are difficulties

in maintaining contact between assignments,reinforcing deadlines, and establishingaccountability for homework. There is often atime lapse between when the assignmentsare sent and when the participants receivethem and/or re.spond to the tasks. For exam-ple, many participants hesitate to do the diffi-cult text analysis assignment but go on to dothe more familiar tasks of summary writing inthe following assignments. Also, as the timefor their arrival in the United Statesapproaches, students stop responding to theassignments. Instead, they ask more pressingquestions about arrival procedures, housingplans. and proficiency testing.

Despite the difficulties, students benefit ina variety of ways. The most obvious benefitsfor the students include increased communi-cation in the target language and one-on-oneinteraction between the instructor and thestudent. Another benefit is the rhetorical andlinguistic knowledge that the students arereceiving. In addition. the students read, dis-cuss. and analyze topics interesting to them

as computer scientists and engineers. Thus,the assignments are discipline specific. focus-ing on content areas of real interest to thestudents.

The students also have an opportunityto "meet" each other and a programinstructor. The students have the

chance to ask questions about the program.university, weather, food, and accommoda-tions. Because they ask about different cul-tural aspects of the United States, this easestheir adjustment to the new culture, lan-guage, and customs.

26 mu. journal

RecommendationsIn order to make this type of distance

education course more successful in thefuture, we held interviews with the partici-pants and sent out evaluations (also over thenet). Based on the evaluations and on theinformation garnered from the interviews, wemake several recommendations.

Administrative Logistics of Staffingand Salary

When choosing an instructor. many fac-tors need to be considered. Initial coursedesign and setup is very time consuming andthe salary should reflect those responsibilities,but repetition of the course should alleviatemany of the time demands. The instructorshould be familiar enough with the e-mailsystems to solve simple problems and toexplain those solutions to the ESL studentswho may be experiencing them. The instnic-tor also needs to be comfortable with theactual equipment. For example, entering stu-dent files and addresses on the system can bevery time consuming. but knowledge ofshortcuts and routes can simplify the process.

Another administrative concern involvesmarketability of the course for the future.Although initially such a course is extremelytime consuming for administrators and theinstructor, subsequent classes should be eas-ier. This increases the marketability of thecourse by allowing instructional staff the timeto target assignments to fit specific markets. It

is vital that the instructor and anyone elseworking on the curriculum and assignmentsfor the course be aware of the intended mar-ket and audience.

Scheduling of the Course andAssignment Deadlines

Our interviews revealed that the biggestproblem with the course was the startingdate. We waited until January 1 to begin thecourse for students who would be coming tothe United States in March and May. This wasan inadequate amount of time, especially forthe students arriving in March. Many of themwere teaching additional hours to compen-sate their departments for their absence, mak-

ing financial arrangements for families, andotherwise tying up loose ends in their jobsand personal lives. They simply didn't havetime to sit at the computer and write longessays in English. a difficult task for them inthe best of circumstances.

To address this problem. we plan to beginfutures courses immediately after the studentsare notified of their acceptance as LASPAU

29

scholars in November. That way, studentswould receive at least the first two assign-ments before the long December holidaysbegin and be able to finish all the assign-ments for the course in January and February,leaving March free for their predeparturearrangements.

Another problem with scheduling isthe time delay between giving anassignment and receiving the stu-

dents' responses. Some students sent theirsecond assignment 1 month after all othershad completed it. Although starting thecourse earlier should help, the instructorand the teaching institution must he awareof factors that may delay student responses.For example. in some Central Americancountries, e-mail transmissions are collectedthroughout the day and then sent onceevery 12 hours. Other systems may haveholding stations all over South and CentralAmerica and messages can take several daysto reach the students or the instructor.Therefore, when giving assignments anddeadlines, the instructor must build in a cer-tain degree of flexibility to accommodatethese problems.

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Following up with StudentsA very important aspect of this course is

the personal contact made with the programpersonnel. Therefore. follow-up contactbetween the students and the instructor

hether tace-to-face or over the network ) is

essential. In our case, we were able toarrange meetings with almost all of the par-ticipants because most were coming to ourprogram for continued English study. Thestudents reacted very positively to this per-sonal contact, seeking out the instructor onthe first day in the program. and continuingto meet informally with the instnactor aboutEnglish and private matters.

Arifter the students arrived in the UnitedStates, an extensive evaluation compo-

ent was added to the course. Theparticipants had private interviews with thecourse coordinators during which they evalu-ated the course. In addition. an anonymousquestionnaire Was sent to the students, andanswers were tabulated.

The FutureEPI is in the process of installing a new

systenl. This consists of a messagingsystem using SoftArc's Firstaass. a network

bulletin board system as well as an e-mailpackage. The connection to Internet is viaInformation Electronics Postal Union Deluxe.a gateway for the mail server to Internet. Thisconnection allows EPI to manage its ownaccounts and addresses (and avoid havinginstructional accounts expire in the middle ofa term). In addition, the new software pro-vides translation to and from the Macintoshenvironment, so we are able to take fulladvantage of the Macintosh graphic interfaceand file management. We are also able toallocate additional storage as needed. Therecipients can receive text files from usregardless of the system they use.

In addition to the e-mail support of inter-ested user groups. the new software supportson-line conferences. "chatting" (i.e.. real-timedialogue via the computer within our net-work), and Internet news groups. As a finalbonus, the software supports dial-in access,so that teachers are able to read and sende-mail to anyone with a Macintosh computerand modem.

In the near future. EPI hopes to have aseries of assignments that can be broadcastall over the world, tailored to individual par-ticipantsbusiness students in Indonesia.engineers in Latin America. or diplomats in

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Africato give them the opportunity to learnEnglish in the United States while remainingin their home countries.

Note1. The individual pieces of the system that

had to be put in place included a routerand modem from the Computer ServicesDivision (CSD), thin-wire Ethernet to thecomputer lab, and a gateway (Cayman'sGatorBox) from the university network tothe Apple Localtalk network. When thathappened, every computer in the studentlab, the faculty offices, and the administra-tive offices had access to mainframe ser-vices using Brown University's telnetterminal emulation. Once the hardwareand software was in place, we had toestabliF% instructional accounts with CSDfor ow teachers and students on the uni-versity mainframe, which uses IBM'sConversational Monitoring System (CMS).Next. we had to become familiar withMAIL (Rice University's e-mail package)and NAME.. an electronic address book.

WerencesHaas, C. (1989). How the writing medium

shapes the writing process: Effects of wordprocessing on planning. Research in theTeaching of English, 23, 181-207.

Jagoda. A. (1989). The effects of wordprocessing technology on the composing andrevising of ninth-grade students. DissertationAbstracts International. 50, 1A.

Jennings, E. M. (1987). Paperless writing:Boundary conditions and their implications.In L. Gerrard, (Ed.), Writing at century's end:Essays on computer-assisted composition(pp. 11-20). New York: Random House.

AuthorsAlice Anne Goodwin is Coordinatorfor

Composition and Grammar at the EnglishPrograms for Internationals at tbe Universityof South Carolina. She specializes in composi-tion. ESP. and CALL. Her interests includesouthern Africa and international educationissues.

Jim Hanirick is Associate Director of theEnglish Programs for Internationals at theUniversity of South Carolina. His interestsinclude educational administration and ESLcurriculum design.

Timothy C. Stewart is Teaching Associateand Computing Coordinator at the EnglishPrograms for Internationals at the UnitersitygiSouth Carolina. In addition to computerassisted instruction, his interests includeGerman and Spanish languages and cultures

Autumn 1993 27

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32

TwoWrongs

CanMake ARight

Susan Jay

Adult L2 learners have particular social.cultural, and linguistic needs when learningEnglish as they prepare for their roles in aNorth American workplace. Despite theincreasing development of technology in theworld of work, adult ESL teachers often nei-ther need nor have access to advanced tech-nology, relying instead on simpler. moreconventional forms, such as the overheadprojector (OHP). When incorporated mean-ingfully into the classroom, the OHP canfacilitate the process of helping studentsbecome self-directed independent learnersand workers.

To help my adult ESL students bridge thegap between the classroom and the work-place. I shifted from a teacher-centeredapproach for developing oral and writtenskills (Jay. 1988) to a student-centeredmethod that focuses on developing the socio-cultural and linguistic skills and strategiesnecessary in the North American workplace.Although getting a job may be students ini-tial focus, keeping it and advancing can begreatly affected by their ability to understandand get along in that environment. As such. Ihave become an advocate of a proficiency-oriented approach to language learning thataddr( ses early in instruction the dual con-cern, if fostering communication and accu-racy tOmaggio. 1988).

In my classaxnn. the proficiency-orientedapproach is pivotal to moving the studentstrom dependent to independent learning andassessment Integrating the Of IP into the

30 77:-.101 journal

process of error correction serves to further

the acquisition of culturally appropriatebehavior (See Figure 1 for an overview ofthe stages of this process).

When in front of a class, at an OHP. thestudents must face an audience whileexplaining information. This, in turn.

ErrorAnalysis

Sheet

Oral ActivitiesThe implementation of the method begins

with a two-pan oral exercise. In the first, thepairs or small groups of students orally inter-view one another; in the second studentssummarize aloud the information they

Figure 1Error Correction Process

Oral Interview/Oral Summaries

Written Summaries

Teacher

Is-

SmallGroup

Correction

Summariesreturned forcorrection

46--7 S 1 52

CorrectedSummaries

T T

(Game)

provides an opportunity for students todevelop communication skills and strategiesrelevant to this kind of task. By participatingand observing others in this process, student,.begin to develop a mental image of what aneffective interchange looks and sounds likeOnte internalized, this understanding helpsstudents to become responsible for achievingindividual proficienty in similar situationsinside and outside the classroom

Transparencyat

Overhead(one sentence

per student )

+Teacher

53

T

Student/TeacherConference

obtained in the interview. Because in my pro-gram the focus is workplace training. appro-priate themes might be meeting someone.introducing someone, or interviewing for ajob

At some point either before. during. oiatter the interview. we distuss as a L lass whatkinds of follow-up questions w ould be con-sidered culturally appropriate, what kindwould be either prying or offensive. andwhat kind c4 mkt go either w L in the «lursc

of this discussion. I also introduce ways forpresenters to respond. This exercise providesan opportunity to evaluate the cultural under-standing in the class and to plan how toaddress these needs.

After the interview, the students take turnssummarizing what they've learned for theclass. Questions from the audience areencouraged because they provide an occa-sion for the presenter to respond sponta-neously. The question and response periodleads into such areas as asking for clarifica-tion and correcting misunderstandings. Thereare appropriate and inappropriate ways inwhich such activities are undertaken, so thisactivity helps students become culturally sen-sitive to what is acceptable.

The objectives in this phase are that stu-dents retain and organize the informationthey heard and then be able to retell it com-prehensibly in their own words. These activi-ties are repeated and expanded using anOHP later on. At this stage, the studentsshould begin to develop the self-confidenceneeded for oral presentations and theresponse period.

Written ActivitiesAs the oral activities proceed, the students'

diverse levels of linguistic and cultural com-petence become apparent. The studentsthemselves will have seen and heard severalways of reporting information and have abasis for comparing their own presentationstyles with those of their classmates. A gen-eral discussion on what makes si,,:h a presen-tation effective reinforces the skids neededfor successful interactions.

Once the oral summaries have been pre-sented. students take one class period towrite a summary of what they have said orheard in discussion. My objective is to get thestudents used to completing a task within aspecified time framesomething they willhave to do at work.

With the written summaries in hand. I cre-ate a master error analysis sheet, that is, anumbered list of sentences compiled fromthe summaries. Each sentence represents oneti.,.pe of error. It is helpful to focus on "good"errors (those that offer an occasion for a classreview ). Obscure, convoluted errors are of nobenefit. and I avoid them.

Small-Group CorrectionThe class divides into groups of three or

four (see Figure 1, p. 30). Each student hasan error analysis sheer and a brief explana-tion about its purpose. The fact that each

student has contributed to the list helps allayany concerns that someone will be singledout or ridiculed. The groups then worktogether to correct the sentences in asstraightforward a manner as possible (toavoid extensive rewriting).

During the group work. I have found thatcirculating among the students encouragesthem to talk to each other, express and sup-port their own opinions, and then come toan agreement. As there is often a tendencyfor adult ESL students to want to work inde-pendently, I actively promote discussion andgroup effort. At times students may alsoneed some assistance. For example, if onegroup finishes the sheet before the others, Iwill indicate which sentences they havemiscorrected.

This exercise has many benefits, becauseit fosters the kind of cooperative learning thatprepares the students for teamwork on thejob. From a grammatical perspective, it is anexcellent opportunity for peer tutoring. Inaddition, the students come to realize howmuch they already know and how much theycan offer their peers.

Error Correction at the OHPAs soon as the groups have completed the

error analysis sheet, the class reassembles tomove into the next phase. Using the OHP toproject the transparency of the original.uncorrected sentences, students take turnscoming to the overhead at the front of theclass to indicate the corrections necessary foreach sentence. Because there are as manysentences as there are students, everyone hasa turn to compare responses.

Tdis exercise at the overhead projectorsimulates some of the pressure a stu-

ent will face in the workplace whenquestioned about a task. Admittedly it createsstress for the student, but it is in a supportiveenvironment. Being able to successfullyexplain something in a second language infront of a group develops self-confidence.

Individual Summaries andFollow-Up

AS the students rewrite their summaries,we conference privately to set individualgoals for improvement. Occasionally I usethe corrected versions for a game. I removethe identifying information about author andsubject. make a photocopy of each summary.and post them around the room. The classcirculates and tries to identify the author orsubject of each summary. This techniquestimulates interest in other students as well as

34

providing a way for students to comparewriting styles.

ConclusionThe effects cf a proficiency-oriented

methodology are cumulative. Throughincreased understanding of the elements ofeffective communication, learners are able toassume responsibility for their own achieve-ment. Students become more competent atself-directed learning and assessment as theyengage in and reflect on the communicationprocess. In the classroom, the error analysisactivity provides a direction for follow-upfocus and instruction on grammar. For a stu-dent to achieve proficiency, accuracy needsto be incorporated into language training.

Students must manage many variables atonce while trying to communicate ameaningful and accurate message.

Physically, while standing before the class,they need to coordinate handwriting to aprinted message projected on a machinethrough the obstacle of a bright light; theyalso have to adjust their voice to compensatefor the noise of the machine. Linguistically,they have to control both the focus andaccuracy of their communication as well asthat of their addience. Socially, they need touse appropriate body language and behaviorto deliver the message and entertain follow-up queries. Similar kinds of challenges arepresent in a job. The intertwining of educa-tional and social goals makes the classroomwhat it should bea supportive environmentin which to hone the skills and understand-ing needed for interactions beyond the class-room. This, then, sets the scene forcontinued learning once the student leavesthe classroom.

ReferencesJay, S. (1988). Teaching English as a sec-

ond language to adults: An integratedapproach. Multiculturalism. 11 (3), 3-5.

Omaggio, A. C. (1988). The proficiency-oriented classroom. In T. V. Higgs (Ed.),Teaching for proficiency, the organizing prin-ciple (pp. .13-81). Lincolnwood. IL: NationalTextbook Company.

AuthorSusan Jay teaches at Midland Avenue

Collegiate. Scarbomugh. Canada. in a skills-linked high school pmgram she developed forAdult ESL students 71x, program has in-schooland workplace training ( i.e.. cooperative edo-cattoni components that help facilitate theresettlement of recently arrived immigrants.

Autumn 1993 31

TeacherTalk

VersusBookTalkLynn Poirier

The international teaching assistantsenrolled in my pronunciation class had a bigproblem: They would soon be in a classroomteaching undergraduates. but they did notrecognize the difference between teacher talk(i.e., transactional speech) and book talk (i.e.,written language). Because they were familiarwith reading and writing English. not speak-ing it. their lectures and oral presentationssounded like spoken versions of writtentexts. Their thought groups were long, com-plex pieces of language; key words were sel-dom stressed; visual aids were not used, andthe pace of the entire presentation was toofast to allow for effective note-taking.

Reflecting on the ProblemI introduced the students to the idea of

sentence stress and rhythm using the exer-cises in their textbook. The Manual qfAmerican English Pmnunciation (Prator &Robinen, 1985). I then asked each student toselect a textbook excerpt from his or her ownfield, to separate the thought groups withslashes, and to underline the focus wordstress within each thought group (what TheManual calls sentence stress). After markingthe text, each student was to use the mark-ings as a guide and to read it onto an audio-tape. Unfortunately, the markings did nottransfer from the page to their speech. What Igot was several minutes of speech virtuallyundifferentiated hy thought groups, stress, orintonation. In fact. had I not had the actualtext in hand. I would not have known whatthey were talking about Clearly, this text-based exercise did not teach them about thereal-workl differences between transactionalspeech and written language

Further attemph to help the students re(ognize and produce transactional speech

32 MICOI Journal

were equally frustrating. Working with amonologue from a dramatic play. the stu-dents recognized that their renditions weredifferent from the recording I played in class;however, their response was. "But this is aplay. It is not real. No one talks this way inreal life."

I asked them to observe their own profes-sors' use of language. but the students wereso involved with understanding the -what" ofthe lectures that the "how" passed them by.Their oral presentations still showed no trans-fer of the concept of transactional speechofthe use of thought groups and sentence stressor focus to clarify meaning. I needed someway of capturing teacher talk so that the stu-dents would have a chance to examine itfrom a variety of angles.

Searching for SolutionsThe solution came in the form of a video-

tape of an undergraduate physics class at theUniversity of Maryland. I selected a short seg-ment of the video which included an expla-nation using diagrams and formulae.

Because of the earlier activities they werevery familiar with the marking system. (SeeAppendix A on p. 33.)

Not surprisingly, however, they found thisdifficult to do. Not understanding the conven-tions of transactional speech, they tried tomake sense of the transcript as if it had beentaken from a written text. They said that thelanguage was confusing and disorganized.When I asked them if they expected tounderstand the lecture, they said they didn't.

Asnt this point I asked them to watch theegment and to try to understand asuch as possible of what the lecturer

was saying. To their surprise, it made sense.When I asked them what had made the lec-ture so clear and easy to understand, theyanswered that the language was slow enoughfor them to follow and that the diagrams andformulae on the board had helped them.

We watched the video a second time. Thistime. I asked the students to use a differentcolor pen and to mark the thought groups(i.e.. the pauses they heard) where they

I then transcribed the segment withoutpunctuation marks or capital letters. At thebeginning of the class, I told the students thatthey would be analyzing part of a lecture onthe physics of karate and asked them to markthe thought groups with slashes and tounderline the locus wordsor sentencestresseson the transcript

occurred on the transcript. When we dis-cussed their answers. they were amazed tosee that many of the lecturer's thought groupswere only three or four words long, not thesix to eight words as they had previouslymarked on their transcripts (See Appendix BOn p 33.)

35

The students watched the video a thirdand fourth time, using the pause button togive them time to make their marks. Theylistened for and underlined the lecturer's useof focus words (i.e., words highlighted formeaning by stress and intonation). The stu-dents now saw (on their transcripts) as wellas heard how the lecturer highlighted newinformation and key words. What they hadseen as incoherent backtrackings and repeti-tions. they now heard as a way of markingand clarifying new information. The studentsfinally grasped the differences between writ-ten language and transactional speechbetween book talk and teacher talk. Evenbetter, they now believed what I was tellingthemthis was real teacher talk, not a playor a textbook excerpt.

ResolutionAlthough using a videotaped lecture seg-

ment did not solve all of the students pro-nunciation problems. it did serve as a catalystfor change. The videotape had captured anexample of teacher talk, and it allowed thestudents to look at it from several differentperspectives. Comparing the written transcriptwith the videotaped lecture served to under-line the differences between written texts andtransactional speech. After viewing the video,my students began incorporating aspects ofteacher talk in their oral presentations. Theyused simpler sentences and shorter thoughtgroups. They began to use sentence stressand visual aids. They spoke at a slower pace.

The video had shown them a new way ofcommunicating, and they were eager to use it.

ReferencesPrator, C. IL & Robinett. B. W. (1985).

Manual of American English pronunciation.New York: Holt. Rinehart and Winston.

AuthorLynn Poirier has taught EFL in Japan and

the PeopleS Republic of China. She has beenan ESL instructor at the Maryland EnglishInstitute. Ozirersity of Maryland at CollegePark, for 9 years. She is interested in the usesof technology and in learning styles andstrategies.

Appendix A

Transcript of Lecture Segment Marked Before VideoPresentation

You can calculate the momentum in a simple way/just estimate as people have done that what's moving;is about the mass of seven kilograms/ that's just takinginto account the first and the upper arm/ then themomentum that they can generate/ is the mass tifnesthe velocity that's equal to / seven kilograms timeslet's say times seven meters/second/so that's ,49 kilo-grams meters/second'ok now when they actually hitsomebody' a collision takes place when they hit aboard/ a collision takes place/ and the duration of thatcollision let's call that delta t/ is roughly 100th of asecond.' so therefore the impact the force/that they arecapable of exerting on something which would be thechange in momentum over delta t if all of the momen-tum if when they collide with something their handsand arms come to a complete stop the change inmomentum is 49 kilograms meters/second the changein time over which that takes place is a hundredth of asecond so that's approximately 4900 newtons now anewton is about five pounds so that's about well let'ssay that's a if I divide that into pounds that's uh 1.000pounds so that's enormous force that they can gener-ate so now let's see some punches

Note. The students stopped marking the text at about the halfwamark because they could not understand what they were reading.

Appendix B

Composite Transcript of Lecture Segment Marked AfterVideo Presentation

You can calculate the momentum, in a simple way/just estimate/ as people have done/ that what's mov-ing/ is about/ the mass/ of seven kilograms/ that's justtaking into account/ the first and the upper arm/ thenthe momentum/ that they can generate/ is the mass/times the velocity/ that's equal to / seven kilograms/times/ let's say/ times seven meters/second/so that's/42 kilograms meters/second/ok/ now when they actu-ally hit somebody/ a collision takes place/ when theyhit a board/ a collision takes place; and the durationof that collision/ let's call that delta t." is roughly 100thof a second/ so therefore' the impact/ the force/thatthey are capable of exerting on something/ whichwould be the change in momentum/ over delta t/all of the momentum/ if when they collide with some-thing,' their hands and arms come to a complete stop/the change in momentum is 49 kilograms meters/sec-ond/ the change in time over which that takes place/is a hundredth of a second./ so that's approximately4900 newtons,' now a newton is about five pounds/ sothat's about/ well let's say that's uh/ If I divide thatinto pounds/ that's uh/ 1 000 pounds/ so that's enor-mous force/ that they can generate so now let's seesome punches

Note. Although no student was able to mark the entire text in thismuch detail (this was not a linguistics class), they were all able to get80-90% of the thought groups and focus words markedenough toshow them how a teacher talks 1(1 a claY,

36 Autumn 1993 33

TeachinWriting

on aComputerNetwork

Nancy Sullivan

Current educational software packagesinclude computer conferencing programs (forreal-time discussions), mail systems, andheuristics for planning and revising writing.The heuristics guide the students through aseries of questions to help them explore top-ics. while another set of questions helps thestudents review and revise papers. Theseelectronic discussion programs play animportant role in creating positive attitudesamong students from culturally diverse back-grounds by providing a student-centeredforum for discussion. Indeed. computer-assisted learning (CAL) provides a forum forsocial interaction, collaboration, negotiationof meaning4and dissention. In addition, tran-scripts of the real-time discussions can bestored easily as a shared accessible resource

)r research and reference.This article describes my 2-year experi-

ence working in a computer-assisted writinglaboratory at the University of Texas atAustin. Courses for both native and nonnativespeakers of English were conducted in thelab, and we used an approach to instructionin which computer conferencing was an inte-gral component.

InteractionDuring their electronic discussions, stu-

dents sat at terminals and discussed the topicat handa student's essay, a reading assign-

ment, or poetry, for exampleor brain-stormed ideas for topics. Each statement.response, or question transmitted appearedon all the other students computer screens.The message automatically appended the stu-dent's name, so other student:, could identifythe author The conversation proceeded elec-tronically. with all student, contributing at thesame time

34 TESOL lournal

We analyzed the initial discussions of 19language minority students to determine howelectronic discussion might stimulate studentparticipation and reduce teacher dominance.During the period we monitored, 181 individ-ual messages were sent during a 40-minutediscussion. Of these messages. 14 were sentby the instructor: 1 introductory message, 6responses to individual student's remarks,and 7 general remarks. The remaining 167messages (1-8 lines each) were sent by the 19students. Fourteen of these messages werefrom a student to the instructor. and 107were from one student to another.

In this conferencing environment, studentsdid more than just respond or make com-mentsthey actively pursued information. Inour sample, 23 questions were asked with 8directed to the class as a whole and 15 toindividual students from other students. Theinstructors' remarks were only a small per-cent of the total discussion. Similar resultswere found in freshman English classes for

foreign students.One report on exchanges in oral class-

rooms revealed that teachers initiated the dis-cussion 81% of the time: that is, out of 590teacher-student sequences, 480 were initiatedby the teacher. and 110 were initiated by thestudent (Mehan. 1979). In general. literatureattributes approximately two-thirds of class-room speech to the teacher. Even in L2 class-

rooms, 65% to 75% of the speech is attributedto the teachers (Chaudron, 1988). In the com-puter-assisted classroom, the students wereclearly more empowerec than in the tradi-tional classroom. The change in physical

environment alone changed the student-teacher power structure.

The conferencing environment was alsofreer of risk than a traditional teacher-cen-tered classroom. ESL students are often hesi-tant to speak out in class because of shyness.insecurity about being understood, or cul-tural reasons (e.g., in many cultures the stu-dents are not expected to speak up in class).In this setting, however, students whoneeded more time to form responses wereable to present their opinions and to interactmore easily. In short, in our electronic dis-

cussions, all the students were able to partic-ipate actively: Working with a computerscreen and keyboard was less threateningthan having to speak out loud in front ofpeers and instructors.

Because intenswe reading stimulates inter-est and provides students with models ofStandard English. it is an effective comple-ment to CAL. For example. the minority stu-dents' readings focused on topics related tothe power of language: Black English. gen-der-based speech issues, bilingualism, violentlanguage (e.g.. rock lyrics). and taboo lan-guage (e.g., the use of obscenities and pro-fanities)topics that affected their lives andgenerated discussion.

CollaborationAs they prepared for writing assignments.

students shared what they knew and brain-stormed in small, manageable electronic dis-cussion groups of four or five participants.Collaboration during electronic conferences

37

enabled them to draw out particular col-leagues with expertise or insights specific totheir cultural backgrounds.

For example. a Spanish speaker wasasked during a discussion on sexist languageto contribute her insights on the gender-based endings in Spanish and whether shefelt that such usage was sexist. Sheresponded that she didn't think the endingswere sexist but rather that they helped clarifygrammatical relations. The students wereconstantly asking each other for opinions andinsightsparticularly from students with dif-ferent cultural backgrounds.

The students also collaborated by cri-tiquing each other's papers. They answered aseries of prompts on the computer andshared their careful observations with theclassmates whose papers they were review-ing. The exchanging and sharing of knowl-edge fostered self-confidence and a sense ofcontributing to the group.

Negotiation of MeaningOne of the most appealing characteristics

of computer conferencing was that the stu-dents had an opportunity to negotiate mean-ing and improve their problem-solying skills.Negotiation took many forms. sometimes. itwas a strident response followed by a refusalto engage. The computer tormat allowed par-ticipants to drop :,..sues or avoid confrontations

ithout hong exposed to public censure.

Frequently stu-dents negotiated byasking for clarifica-tion of another par-ticipant's remarks.In the beginning.students were oftenhesitant or unsureof themselves.However, they soonprodded each otherinto making moreprecise statementsin support of theirarguments. As aresult of this pres-sure to be precise.students learnedhow to presenttheir statementswith increasedclarity.

DissentionFace-to-face

interaction, espe-cially betweenteacher and student,

can he intimidating for students and ofteninhibits dissent. The students my colleaguesand I worked with learned to freely voiceopposing viewpoints at the computerbecause computers are nonconfroetational.Consequently, students were able to investi-gate the "role that controversy and intellec-tual divergence play in learning and thinking"(Cooper & Selfe. 1990, p. 849). The uneditedtranscripts from a discussion on bilingualeducation and the English-only movementshow that students had learned to articulatetheir views by electronically communicatingabout the impact that English and bilingualeducation has had on the members of theircommunity:

Student A: All I'm say is that bilingualEducation is detrimental to society. Itdoes not place enough importance onEnglish as a means for a successful life.

Student B: People don't understandthat it ladoption of English as the offi-cial languagel is for the good of thewhole.

As the students were provided with a forumto express their ideas and consciously take partin the intellectual process of critical thinking,they received expenence and practice in com-municating and persuading in a risk-free class-room. They were no longer silenced becausethey had differing opinions from those of theteacher, the traditional "expert" and authoritar-ian figure of the classroom.

AccessibilityAs noted earlier, brainstorming inter-

changes and electronic discussions are sel-dom lost because they can be stored in thecomputer. Ideas can be reviewed at a latertime when different facets of a topic arebeing explored. For example, the final paperfor the course required further developmentof an earlier paper. and because each writingassignment was based on topics students hadread about and discussed in class, they wentback and reviewed transcripts of those dis-cussions for id.2as and references.

Other teachers used printouts of previ-ous interchanges for further instructionalpurposes, (e.g., classroom discussion, jour-nal writing, response papers). The availabil-ity of the students' ideas gave them thesense that their input into the discussionswas meaningful.

The Electronic Forum:Conclusions and implications

A CAL classroom encourages collaborrivelearning, social interaction, and invent!on. allof which result in increased self-esteem.Students establish particular roles in the com-puter conference; however, it is impossiblefor any one student to doriinate the discus-sion as often happens in oral classrooms.

Computer transcripts show students devel-oping writing and critical thinking skills. Thestudents become increasingly sensitive towritten language, and they develop strongwritten discourse strategies through interact-ing, collaborating, and negotiating meaningelectronically.

ReferencesChaudron, C. (1988). Second language

classrooms: Research on teaching and learn-ing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cooper. M.. & Selfe. C. (1990). Computerconferences and learning: Authority, resis-tance and internally persuasive discourse.College English. 52 (8), 847-869.

Mehan, H. (1979). Learning lessons: Socialorganization in the classroom. Cambridge.

MA: Harvard University Press.

AuthorNancy Sullivan is Assistant Professor tri the

English Department at the Universitv r)fPuertoRico. Her computer-assisted learning experi-ence (CAL) began when she worked in theEnglish Department computer lab at theUnitrrsity of Texas durtng her doctoral stud-ies. She continues to conduct (-AL research.

Autumn 1993 35

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36 7ESOL j0W71431 39

This issues's Tips talk tech. For classes with audio resources, Kathleen Foley suggests usingaudiotapes to initiate "talking journals" with students. Janet Payne provides several quick andeasy ideas to get beginners started on the computer. Trudy Smoke's students go several stepsfarther as they use computers to collaborate in writing a play. Even the "vididiots" among us canfollow Maria Sainz's description of how to set up a video project. For college-level classes lookingfor new ways to make the essay interesting, José Santos's method of using video helps students re-enact narratives based on their essays. Plug into these ideas and don't trip over any wires.

Talking Journals

Talking journals give students an opportu-nity to talk to me on tape about a topic oftheir choice and to ask me questions. I inturn listen to each entry and respond withcomments or questions of my own, whichstudents can address in their next entry ifthey choose to.

ProcedureFor a talking journal assignment. students

need only have a tape recorder and a 60-minute audiotape. Many students have arecorder at home. but I make sure that one isavailable at school for those who don't ownone.I. Ask students to put their names and num-

bers on their tapes and boxes and torecord one 3-5 minute entry evely otherclass. To get them started. 1 always askthat their first entry be a self-introduction.Their next entry will then generally beginwith their response to my request forelaboration on something said previously.The following excerpt is a transcript of anearly talking journal entry:

I will answer your first questionsabout my father s job ... He has beenworking for shipbuilding company asa navel architect ... and now hemoved to a research division ... wherehe is engaged in .. research work ofship ship hydrodynamics and oceanengineenns:

Kathleen S. Foley

). Remind students to rewind their tapes tothe beginning of their most recent entry.This reduces the amount of time you needto listen and respond to the journals.

3. Make it clear that students should not readfrom a prepared script. The journals couldeasily become a collection of recordedspeeches if the students are not discour-aged from writing out their entries beforerecording them. Also, because students'entries should function as simulations ofwhat they can expect to experience inface-to-face communication, they candevelop coping strategies for when theyare at a loss for words or handling self-correction.

4. Try to respond to each entry with ques-tions that encourage the student to talkmore about a subject of personal interestsuch as a club activity, participation in aschool event, or vacation. Another studentexcerpt follows:

I tell you about my culture shock ...When 1 went to Guam ... now I thinkit's ridiculous but I was really surprisedto hear a baby spoke English ... At thattime I wasn't good at speaking Englishso it's hard to communicate ... well ...with the host family ....

I rarely have trouble coming up withquestions for them. When this does happen. Ihave found that questions related to what weare focusing on in (lass and questims about

4 0

their other courses elicit information that gen-erates topics for future entries:

Well ... I have 17 lessons in a week ...The most interesting subject is ... soci-olinguistics ... At first I didn't knowwhat it was ... but a few weeks later ...I came to know ... The sociolinguisticis that .., we learn the relation betweenlanguage and social ... I learn ... I learnthe difference of speech ... in betweencountries, races, men and women ...and ... generations ....

5. Make notes of recurring pronunciation.grammatical, and lexical errors. I occa-sionally refer to these in my response.especially when they impede comprehen-sion. The journals essentially become arecording of this ongoing conversationand will vary greatly in content.

CaveatsStudents often have initial problems with

volume control, background noise, readingfrom prepared scripts, and the time involvedin listening and responding to the tapes.When the problem is one of reading, and Iquietly point out that I am aware of it. stu-dents usually stop doing it. If the problempersists. I speak to the student in person toboth encourage use of the pause button onthe recorder and to determine the reasonsfor the reluctance to speak impromptu. This,oi.versation helps the students to start toregal d the journal as an aid to developing

Autumn 1993 37

spoken English rather then simply as anobstacle to be overcome in order to satisfythe assignment.

Although I don't feel that listening andresponding to talking journal entries requiresmore time than reading and responding tolengthy written assignments. I have foundthat it is important to follow an establishedschedule of collecting and returning thetapes. With classes of 20 or more students. Ihave found that collecting tapes from eachhalf of the class of alternating weeks reducesto just 10 or so the number of tapes I listenand respond to weekly.

RationaleThe benefits of this assignment for stu-

dents are many. Students have let me knowthat they appreciate having personal contactwith me through the journal. They also rec-

ognize that opportunities to speak. especiallyon topics of individual importance to them,will be limited in a classroom. The journalsgive the students a chance to re-evaluatetheir own entries. Finally, because the journalis only one of the criteria I use for gradingand one to which I simply assign a pass/failmark, students don't feel the pressure of apotentially negative evaluation.

There are also many benefits for theinstructor. An obvious advantage is thatinstructors have an opportunity to give indi-vidual attention to each student and to evalu-ate the strengths and weaknesses of thestudents individually and as a group. This isnot often accomplished for many oral skillsclasses until well after the start of a course.Also, the journal entries often contain refer-ences to what happens in class: this offersvaluable feedback on how the course is pro-

gressing from the students perspective.

I enjoy getting to know my students on amore pe iS mai level and, although each classalways contains a handful of students whonever get beyond talking about what they didover the weekend, the majority share myown curiosity about cross-cultural experi-ences and how we feel about ourselves asstudents, as teachers, as young adults or par-ents, and of how we cope with problems weencounter in daily life.

AuthorKathleen S. Foley received her MA in

Applied Linguistics from Indiana University inBloomington, Indiana. She has taught in theUnited States and the Peoples' Republic ofChina and currently teaches at AoyamaGakuin Women's Junior College in Tokyo.Japan.

Shared Computer Projects for Beginners

Once I was able to get a computer intomy classroom of 35 beginning-level adults,the students and I were eager to use it asmuch as possible. I used, adapted, andexpanded available software and developedmy own. I wanted more ways to integrate thecomputer into our daily communicative activ-ities. however, and to show the class howcomputers can be used as language learningtook So I developed several student-gener-ated. computer-assisted. cooperative projectsthat result in practical classroom materials.Each student's contribution is small, requireslittle time, language, or computer knowledge.vet offers impressive and useful results.

Getting StartedFor each activity, the students go to the

computer two or three at a time while therest of the class is busy with a different acti%-ity While one is typing. two others arewatching 50 they know what to do. and thusthey rotate.

It s surprising how well students do afterwatching twice. but It is sometimes necessaryand always nice) to have someone else there

to help Helpers can he students with com-puter or typing knowledge or maybe a volun-teer (a retired person? a student from anotherle\el a professional with flexible hours?) It 1`.

an caw assignment tor a vohinteer because

38 77so/ luurnai

Janet Payne

projects are clearly structured and can beworked on at any time that is convenient.

My students and I enjoyed creating andusing the following prof Is. Instructors willsurely want to adapt them, however, to suitthe age and level of their own students.

Telephone ListHave students create a simple list of their

classmates' names and phone numbers.Beginning students can find it quite a chal-lenge to convey their instructions: Type lastname, comma, first name, press tab, and tjpephone number. When the students are fin-ished, show them how to sort and print thelist. They will appreciate the computer's abili-ties better if they have had some practicealphabetizing first.

Alicia's RestaurantWhen presenting communicative tasks

related to food, create a class menu on thecomputer. Decide on the name of the restau-rant, then make a menu with four sections.Beverages, Side Dishes. Entrees, andDessens. Talk about what kinds of disheswill be served and the price range. Then askthe students to enter one dish and its price.The instructions might be: Select categor.enter item. tab. enter price (see sample)

Alicia'sResiat4rtanfBeveraoesCoke. $.95Coffee $.70Tea $.70

Side DishesBowl of rice $1.75Salad $1.75

entre as

Chicken $6.75Roast 6eef $795Bie slice of pizza $3.95

Desserts

Disk of Ice cream $1.95Piece of cake $2.00

41

Grocery ListAnother good activity that incorporates

food vocabulary is making up grocery lists.Have students organize food items underheadings representing the sections of asupermarket (e.g., dairy, produce. meat>. Thisactivity uses similar skills and instmctions tothose of "Alicia's Restaurant." Prices can beapproximated or registered accurately afterstudent field research (see sample below).

Sample Grocery ListProduce

Green beans $ .50 lb.Carrots $ .3516.Tomatoes $ .6916.Onions $1.00 a bag

Dairy

MilkVcgurtSOLO' Cream

Meat

ChickenFisk

$1.89 a gallon2 for $1.00$ .79 a pint

$ .50 lb.$ .35 lb.$ .6916.$1.00 a bag

AdvertisementsAs students become more comfortable on

the computer. suggest that they create com-mercial advertisements for food. clothing, orhousehold goods. Encourage them to trychanging font size and style to make the admore attractive. Students can also write helpwanted, classified, or personal newspaperads by using short, simple phrases (see sam-ples below).

Child care needed Mondayand Wednesday mornings.Call 665-2121.

1977 VW van for sale.Cheap. 996-4567

"MENEENII.,

OccupationsInformation on who peo-

ple are and what they dolends itself well to computergenerated information-gapactivities. For this one, havestudents name an occupa-tion, and list one or two jobduties. Instnictions might be:Select occupations. tab, enterone or two job duties. A sam-ple printout and possibleinformation-gap activityfollow to the right.

"To Do" ListAnother task that lends

itself to information-gapwork is the ubiquitous dailyactivities list. To prepare oneon the computer. have eachstudent enter something theyhave to do at one of the pre-set half-hour slots you havealready entered. Studentscould also type in a specifictime they wish and then anactivity The wrap-up taskcould be to organize theentries chronologically (seesample below right).

Local LifeAs soon as students seem ready to go out

and about on their own. they may he inter-ested in pooling information on commnityfacilities and events. Have students create acomputerized list of local hospitals and phar-macies, fun places to visit, or restaurants.They can use the telephone book for namesand/or phone numbers and enter those aswell.

Occupations

Who are they? What do they do?

CashiersPolice officersHousekeepersPostal workersBank tellersAuto mechanics

Use a cash registerGive ticketsClean hotel roomsWeigh packagesCash checksFix cars

Occupations

Who are they?

Cashiers

Housekeepers

Bank tellers

What do they do?

Use a cash registerGive tickets

Weigh packages

Fix cars

What Can You Do with TheseProjects?

These projects can be used as creativelyas any other materials. Substitute them formaterials in your textbooks. Use the menu forrestaurant role plays. Make two new versionsof the grocery list by deleting information(with a different set of deleted information oneach) so the students can ask and answerquestions in pairs. Give the clothing ad and atwo hundred dollar "check" to a small groupand have them decide how best to spendtheir money. Use your imagination.

The shared projects we worked onbelonged to the students. They had a greatersense of responsibility for their own learningbecause they had created the materials them-selves. And while they were busy planning.

42

negotiating. producing. and using these mate-rials. they increased their computer literacy.That classroom computer was busy.

AuthorJanet Payne taught ESL at Mt. San Antonio

Community College in California before mov-ing to Michigan. where she is working on anMA in MO!. at &stern Mi.thigan Unit'ersitvShe has conducted several workshops andauthored such speech-based software forbeginning ESL as Sound Sentences(Educational Activities. Inc.).

To Do

7:00 am7:308:008:309:009:30

0:000:30 Break1:001:302:00 Noon2:30 pm

Get upGet dressedDrink coffee

Go to schoolBegin class

End classPick up daughter

Autumn 1993 39

11

The Last Entry Was Love: Writing a Playon a Network

Writing collaboratively creates communityin the classroom. Students learn to talk, listen.negotiate meaning, and create together. Butteachers may also find that writing collabora-tively sometimes causes problems. It can bedifficult to keep all the students interestedand to ensure that everyone feels part of thegroup. Having a computer networking sys-tem, however, solves some of those problemsand facilitates student interaction.

My ESL writing class meets for 2 of their 6hours each week in the computer lab. Thecomputers were recently hooked up to theNovell networking system, which allows stu-dents to work on the same screen using theirown keyboards. Students can read eachother's papers, make revisions, and work inteams. But it was when the students becameinterested in writing a play that I learnedhow effective networking is for collaborativev g.

Developing Ownership of aStory

We began by reading The Last Word WasLove by William Saroyan (1988). Studentsfound the themes of this story relevant totheir experiences as immigrants and as youngadults trying to create independent lifestyles.The class decided to write a play based onthis story and these themes.

To facilitate the negotiation and communi-cation of collaborative writing and to meetthe needs of 14 students writing a play withonly seven characters, the students worked inpairs. Each pair wrote the dialogue for onecharacter, deciding when that characterwould speak and what the character wouldsay. Although the play was originally basedon the Saroyan story, it soon had a life of itsown. The setting of the story, some of thecharacters, their motivations, and the resolu-tion of the play were different from the onesfound in the original story. The studentschanged the setting from the California coun-tryside to an apartment in the Bronx. Thenuclear family of the story became anextended family with a grandmother. A girl-friend for Ralph, the main character, was alsoadded. The silent younger sister of the storybecame a talkative character who tried toprevent Ralph trom moving away trom home

40 TECOL lournal

Trudy Smoke

Themes that were central to the story alsochanged as the result of the process of writ-ing a play. Arguments within the family, forinstance, figured prominently in both butwere resolved differently. In the story.Saroyan has an independent Ralph moveaway from his family to San Francisco. Butmy students seemed to feel that this resolu-tion was too abrupt. Therefore, in the playthey wrote, "Ralph pluns to move in with hiscollege girlfriend while promising to invitethem to visit."

Thus, the play that evolved was a verypersonal exploration of the original story andthemes. It deals with the conflicts and strug-gles that these students face in adjusting to anew country and culture. Students wrotemore than 10 drafts, changing dialogue, tim-ing, and other details. A great deal of verbalinteraction ensued as students worked attheir terminals. They argued about the waytheir characters talked, discussed family dis-putes and solutions, debated about when andhow to settle conflicts, and about how theresolution of the play would involve compro-mises that would make it possible for the lastword in the play to be love.

Casting and ProductionAfter the students practiced many times. a

colleague with video equipment videotapedthem in class with a set and costumes theycreated themselves. At first, the students ineach writing pair took turns acting out theroles they had written. Then they decided

Video sull courtesy of T Sinai

From left to right: Trang Thuy Than. Are&Alarmol. Ana .lguirre in tlw televisionstudio

who would perform each role and whowould be the stand-in. Because there weremore women in the class than men, roleassignments were not always gender based.

After seeing themselves on television.hearing their own voices, and watching theirown production. the students took turns bor-rowing the tape to take home to share withtheir families. Students from other classeshave asked to see the play and to hear fromthe students how it was written and per-formed.

When the colleague who taped them ini-tially (an academic counselor at the college)arranged for them to be filmed in the collegetelevision studio, they jumped at the chance.Anxiously gathering under the hot klieglights, they performed for the student cameraoperators. Discussing it with them afterwards,I found that they were amazed at how fartheir writing experience had gotten them.Their initial concept for a class play hadbecome a film that could be enjoyed bymany.

Using the computer network to write aplay collaboratively enabled these students tocreate together. recognize differences, andmake compromises. It also gave these ESLstudents the opportunity to go out into thecollege and gain recognition for their work.The students were from countries as diverseas the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico,China, and Viemam. By writing and actingtogether, the students discovered what theyhad in common.

ReferencesSaroyan. \X'. (1988). The last word was

love. In W. Saroyan. Madness in the family.New York: New Directions. (Originally pub-lished in Ladies Home Journal, July 1974,pp. 70-71)

AuthorTrudy Smoke is Assistant Professor and ESL

Coordinator in the Department of AcademicSkills at Hunter College. City University of NewYork. She is 1992-1993 President of the CM'ESL Council. and has written seivral booksincluding A Writer's Workbook and A\X liter's Worlds. both published hi. St Martin'sPress

Good Evening, and Welcome to thisEdition of the News

Maria Julia Sainz

In this project, intermediate- andadvanced-level students produce a videonews broadcast by themselves. The followingmaterials are necessary: a video camera.video projector, cassette recorder, and a cam-era operator. The project can be completedin seven sessions, some of which will take awhole teaching period, others only part.

Session 1 (30 minutes)1. Draw your students' attention to the fol-

lowing structural features of short newsreports: (a) They usually answer five keyquestions:

Who or what is the story about?

What happened?

When did the event occur?

Where did the event take place?

Why did the event happen?

(b) The answers to these questionsnormally appear in the lead paragraph.(c) The following paragraphs containadditional information in decreasingorder of importance. (d) The headlineis usually written after the news writingis finished.

Prepare and then distribute authenticnewspaper clips that conform structurallyto what you have discussed. Ask your stu-dents to work in pairs or in small groupsto fill in a "Reporting the News" form suchas the following (see below).

Then check their answers.

Session 2 (30 minutes)I. Present students with a list of sample top-

ics that are relevant to the setting. Someexamples might be

World news (e.g., latest news aboutEuropean integration, populationgrowth in Africa/Asia)

Local news (e.g.. traffic jams in thecity, new school built)

Sports (e.g., next football champi-onship. international tennis matches)

Cinema (e.g.. Oscar awards, filmreviews)

Music (e.g.. recent or future festivals.famous singers coming to yourcountry)

Weather report (e.g., local or national)

Fashion (e.g.. latest sportswear seenon the beaches'mountainsr'city thispast season)

2. In class or for homework, ask students towrite a short news report on one of theabove suggestions or on a topic they havechosen.

3. After correcting and handing back theirwritten work. ask the students to readtheir reports to the class. Encourage peerreview and feedback.

Session 3 (30 minutes)1. Show students an authentic news

broadcast and have them fill in a form

Reporting the News1. world News

Location (city. country):

Date:

Headline:

Summary (who, what, where, when, why):

.2. Local News:

Location (city, country):

Date:

Headline:

summary (who. what. where. A' hen. why)-

4 4

such as the sample on page 42 as theywatch.

Session 4 (30 minutes)1.

3.

Ask students to attempt a second readingof the news reports they wrote earlier.Ask them to imitate, as best they can, theposture and movements of the presentersin those programs. As before, encouragepeer review and feedback.

At this stage. ask your students to decideon the roles they would like to play in avideo production of the news. It may notbe possible to have all the students in oneclass act as reporters in the news broad-cast, so be prepared to select from amongthe group. They will need to appoint ananchor to coordinate the work of thereporters and introduce the different pro-gram segments (e.g., world news, localnews, sports). They also have to decidewho will be the sound technicians (incharge of the background music, operat-ing the video recorder, and decidingwhen and where to play it) and the setdesigners (in charge of the props, makingthe posters to accompany the news arti-cles, and the banners for the presenta-tion). Remind everyone, if necessary, thatin real life there are many people workingbehind the camera to produce a program.

Ask students to bring their own audio-tapes with suitable background music foreach report and choose the pieces theylike best.

Session 5 (15 minutes)1. When you ask your students to read their

reports aloud. you may note incorrectpronunciation or intonation patterns. Atthat point, you can devote a session toarticulation. with students working onindividual problem areas.

2. If you do not have access to a languagelab, ask your students to give you theiraudiotapes and record for them the textthey have to read aloud so that they canpractice it at home.

1

Autumn 1993 4

Session 6 (1 hour)1. Have the students in charge of the props

produce the banners and posters accoin-panying each report and pin them up onthe wall.

2. During the rehearsals, time actual perfor-mances to know how much class timeyou will need for the final filming.Although the finished video might not helonger than 10-15 minutes. you have tocalculate the time needed for newreporters to get ready. For technical andpractical reasons, it is a good idea to com-plete the filming in one class period.

Session 7 (1 hour)1. Film the broadcast.

2. After watching the video, give your stu-dero the same form vou gave them whenthey watched the real news broadcast. Itis very interesting to see how critical theycan become of their own work.

Alternatives1. Although the main purpose of this project

is the production of a news broadcast,showing it to classes with a similar levelof proficiency can encourage other stu-dents to undertake similar projects.

News BroadcastDirections: Watch the news broadcast and fill in the following form:

Content. How many different stories did you hear?

Clothes: What were the reportens) and anchor wearing?

Movement: What gestures, if any, did they make?

Were they serious, did they smile?

Mention two things you liked from this news broadcast:1.

2.

Mention two things you think should he improved:1.

2. Those teachers whose facilities do notallow for video filming can produce aradio broadcast. All that is needed is acouple of audiotape recorders. They canfollow the same procedure as above, onlythey will not need the posters to accom-pany the reports.

AuthorMaria Julia Sainz has taught English to

speakers of Spanish and French in Uruguaysince 1975. She graduated from the

1Wirersidad de la Rtpublica as a PublicTranslator in English. French. Portuguese, andSpanish in 1978. She has lectured on teachingand translation in Uruguay, Argentina. Chile,Mexico. and Denmark and has publiShed arti-cles in TESOL Journal and LanguageInternational among other magazines. She alsoworks as a translator for international organi-zations in Uruguay. and is a TESOL Journalmentor and an adrisory editor ofFerspectives,a publication of the Centerfor TranslationStudies of the Unitersky of Copenhagen.

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Is There a Video in This Essay?

Developing videos from reading selectionsengages students in active and meaningfuluses of language. One purpose of the activityis to have students practice their English in anonthreatening setting. A second purpose isto integrate the four language skills by com-bining video with the written text. A finalpurpose is to have the students experiencethe process of cooperative learning. This isachieved during production of the video andin the activities leading up to it. Here's howthe activity worked for me with an intermedi-ate-level college EFL class.

Method1. 1 divided the class into small groups. mak-

ing sure that each had students of varyingdegrees of proficiency.

Each small group selected an essay fromone of several reading texts to use as abasis for class discussion. Each group tookturns assuming responsibility for being theleading group (LG). In that capacity. theyled a class discussion of the essay using aresponse guide. One of the requirementsin the guide was to search for the "story"in the essay, that is. to see that regardlessof an essay's rhetorical structure, narrationsupports and enriches the text.

3. Based on the story they discussed, eachLG created a video by following one ofthese instructions:

a. Re-enact the whole story.

b. Do one scene aboutthe climax or ending as it was awor asyou wish it had been, or

what happened before or after what'sdepicted in the essay.

c. As news reporters. interview the charac-ters.

d. Do a talk show or panel presentation onthe issue.

The video was to last 5-10 minutes withplenty of dialogue for each member of thegroup.

4. After the presentation of the video, therest of the class

summarized, described, and analyzed theinteraction, and then compared it to theone in the essay

discussed the effectiveness, appropriate-ness. and correctness of content, lan-guage. camera movement, and audio. Or

Jose A. Santos

c. identified strengths and weaknesses of theactivity and provided suggestions forfuture productions.

Sample Video TopicOne of the groups chose Judith Viorst's

(1988) "Dreams and 122.alities," an essay thatexplains the different roles fantasies can playin people's lives. The author, using fantasiesshe heard from patients in a study she con-ducted at a mental institute, argues that nomatter what form our fantasies take, weshould acknowledge their existence and tryto understand what they may mean. Basingtheir work on one of the fantasies the authorheard, the students created a video in whicha woman fantasizes that she dies and, whilestill on her deathbed, hears three of herfriends reveal how they really feel about her.One of them feels empathy because of all thesuffering the woman had to go through inher life: another never really liked herbecause she was proud and envious; and thethird one still hated her for having tried toseduce her husband. When the womancomes back to reality, she feels remorse andvows to try to make it up to all the peopleshe's hurt. Thus, the woman, as studentspointed out later in the discussion, was ableto find the meaning behind her own fantasyjust Viorst claims we should all do.

Classroom Interaction Time was limited,so each LG had to go directly from rehearsalto production with no guidance from me.Nonetheless, students were able to createsome fine productions that served our objec-tives well. To begin with, they triggered dis-cussions on the main ideas, which providedample opportunity for spontaneous class-room interaction in English. Students werealways eager to compare the story to theirown experiences. The videos also allowedstudents to use their critical thinking and lan-guage skills as they offered suggestions onhow to correct flaws in performances (e.g.,when three women facing the deathbed inthe Viorst video had their backs toward thecamera) and to correct errors in language use(e.g., 1 wonder what my friends said ...[instead of wouldsap. The correction of lan-guage errors turned out to be very produc-tive. Students saw and heard the transitionalerrors that eventually disappear as theyprogress and the fossilized errors that do not

4 6

Some of the students said that seeing andhearing themselves speak English helpedthem to realize that their English was muchbetter than they thought. They also felt thatthe essays became more meaningful with thevideos because they brought the readings tolife. Searching for the video in the essay wasan enjoyable, rewarding, and worthwhileexperience for the learners.

AuthorJosé A. Santos. Associate Professor in the

English Department at the University of PuertoRico, Cayey Campus, where he teacher ESOLand linguistics courses. obtained his EciDfirm Boston University in 1987. He has pub-kched articles on L2 reading and writingdevelopment. His special interests include EFLteacher training and classroom research.

ReferenceViorst, J. (1988). Dreams and realities. In

Robert A. Schwegler (Ed.), Patterns in action(2nd ed.: pp. 138-144). Boston: ScottForesman.

Do youhave an

ESOL "tip"to share

with yourfellow

teachers?Send it to:

Christine Stryker and Dorothy TaylorEditors, Tips from the Classroom

TFSOL JournalDepartment of English (M/C 162)

University of Illinois at Chicago601 S. Morgan

Chicago, II. 60607 USA

Autumn 1993 43

REVIEWSImagine a world composed of three dis-

tinct and separate kingdoms, each identifiedand defined by only one of three primarycolors: blue, red, or yellow. The citizens ofeach kingdom are socialized to possessand/or value objects (e.g., clothing, flowers)of a single color. Objects of other colors arenot tolerated: in fact, they are abhorred. What

happens when these three different colorsmeet? Rainbow War, a video nominated foran Academy Award as best live action shortsubject, depicts an allegorical moment whenthese three kingdoms first come into contact.A colorful battle for supremacy takes place inwhich buckets of paint, brushes, and rollersare the weapons of war. The splashy con-frontation results not only in a rainbowwhen reds, yellows, and blues mixbut alsoin tolerance and goodwill among these war-ring kingdoms.

Although not produced for an L2 audi-ence, Rainbow War can be used as aninstructional tool in many of our L2 class-rooms and teacher training programs.Because there is minimal language in thevideo, students of all English proficiency lev-els can appreciate the captivating visual mes-sage of the video. Similarly, colorful imagesportrayed in the video can he understood hyL2 students of all ages, though the seriousnature of the message makes the video mostsuitable for secondary and adult students.Because the video focuses on encountersamong diverse cultures, it is most appropriatefor ESL classes with students of varyingnationalities, cultures, and religions. It is inthese heterogeneous classes that ESL teachersoften highlight the issues that surface in thevideo: ethnocentrism, fear of differences,cross-cultural conflict, as well as the potentialfor peaceful synergy among different cul-tures. Because these same topics are oftenintroduced in teacher training courses,Rainbow War could also be used with MA-TESL and certification students to highlightthese cross-cultural issues. Though RainbowWar can he used with a wide range of audi-ences, it cannot be used On its own. To cre-ate a meaningful lesson for the video requiresthat teachers design their own pre- andpostviewing activities because supplementary

44 7TSOljournal

Rainbow War.Produced by Bob Rogers & Co., Inc.

Santa Monica, CA: Pyramid Film andVideo, 1986.

20 min, 16 mm, 3/4", VHS.

Reviewed by Fredricka L. Stoller

4t..444;sic A

41,112:°

teaching materials are not available from thevideo producers. A purposeful lesson can bedevised with such activities in part becausethe video is only 20 minutes long andbecause a single viewing of the video is suffi-cient. The colorful visual imagery is so pow-erful and informative that it leaves time formeaningful discussion andior written work.In one class setting. a teacher can introducethe video with previewing activities and thenuse the video as a springboard for languagepractice and a range of postviewing activities.

4 7

For example, before the video screening, stu-dents can identify similarities and differencesamong diverse cultural groups and then pin-point those differences that m-.y lead to con-flict. Postviewing activities car providestudents with opportunities to use English toreview, synthesize. summarize, and/or reactto what they have just seen while simultane-ously providing students with the chance touse vocabulary and concepts in context withclassmates. Because of the provocative natureof the video, a teacher can also create a moreextensive teaching unit, with multiple lessonsaround the themes.

Students and teachers who view Rainbou.War are unlikely to forget the viewing expe-rience; few videos on the market present top-ics of such depth and significance in such acreative and colorful way. Nonetheless, somestudent audiences may initially view the alle-gory as childish and foolish. In order to helpthese wary students appreciate the value ofthe video, pre- and postactivities must beframed appropriately so that students com-prehend the relevance of the lesson.

The major problem with Rainbow War is

the cost. In times of budgetary constraint.providing a rationale for spending $295 forone short video may he difficult. Cost sharingamong different school departments may not

be only practical but necessary. Fortunately,the distributor of the video, Pyramid Film andVideo, has a policy that allows programs topreview the video before making purchasingdecisions.

In sum, Rainbow War is a video that ESLand teacher training programs should con-sider for their collections because it is novel,provocative, and can be used to create alively forum for language practice and/or dis-cussions of cross-cultural issues pertinent toL2 teaching. fhrough the use of RainbowWar, viewers have the opportunity to explore

REVIEWS

poignant issues that are relevant to the reallives of L2 students and teachers.

AuthorFredricka L. Stoller is Assistant Professor in

the TESL and Applied Linguistics programs atNorthern Arizona Univenity, where sh2 is alsoDirector of the Program in Intensive English.She has taught FSLIEFL and conductedteacher training courses in the United Statesas well as SpainIfexico, the Czech Republic,Slovakia, and Morocco.

Is your school helping its language minoritystudents meet the national education goals?

TESOL's Resource Packet contains

reprints of articles from TFSOL

Quarterlyand TESOL Matters, as

well as two TESOL policy statements

on the education of language

minority students and teacher

preparation.

Now, for the first time, many major

TESOL articles on the education of

language minority students at the ele-

mentary and secondary level have

been made available in a comprehen-

sive format.

See page 55 for ordering infonnation.

4 8 BEST UriAUwiuin 1993 45

REVIEWSStudents who would like to learn English

in the comfort and privacy of their ownhomes may want to try the audio-videoseries. Hello America. This program is a joint

effort of Grolier Publishing Company andDrew/Fairchild. a prize-winning video pro-duction company. The videotapes are sharpand artistically appealing, the situations inter-esting and believable, and the actors fresh

and engaging. There is an on-screen timer,which also appears in the accompanying

Hello America.Pamela Breyer, Jann Huizenga,Victoria Kimbrough. and Susan

Stempleski (text). Gary Gabriel, JohnPettet, and Stephen Vogel (audio).

Danbury, CT: Grolier, 1991.

Reviewed by Carol Houser Piiieiro

NNIMICX

A VIDEO ENGLISH COURSE

workbook, that makes clear to the studentwhich video segment goes with which exer-cise. Divided into four levelsbeginning,intermediate, high intermediate, andadvancedthe course contains 3 videotapes.3 workbooks. and 12 audiotapes at each levelplus a student guide for the whole series.

The action in the videos revolves aroundcharacters and events at WEFL. a fictitioustelevision station in Stamford. Connecticut InLevel I. we meet the new scasters and produc.non team and are privy to their friendly com-petition and budding romances. In Level 2.

e witness difficult decisum. and ineyilablc

proillems that arise during the filming ot

46 7Itol. lou rna

program called"Murder at Midnight."In level 3, we findout more aboutevents in the lives ofthe main characters;for example. one ofthe anchormenbecomes a father. InLevel 4. we takepart in mystery andintrigue as anunknown partytries to sabotagethe station.

Although the language and. consequentl,the action are predictably slow and awkwardat the beginning level, both gradually pick upspeed and become quite natural at later lev-els. Each video provides listening and view-ing comprehension exercises as well asgrammar structures, vocabulary items, andnotional/functional exchange tasks. At theend of each workbook, there is an answerkey as well as video and audio scripts so thatlearners can check their own answers andclear up any confusion that may have arisenduring the lessons.

The audiotapes, which deal with topicsdifferent from those of the videotapes.require the student to listen, repeat, answerquestions about conversations, and take partin dialogues. They do not have accompany-ing workbooks: instead, they instruct the lis-tener to follow with pencil and paper inhand. The narrator acts as teacher, givingdirections, and explaining the lesson.Speakers talk clearly and slowly. and if stu-dents do not understand the instructions orthe point of the lesson, they can alwaysrewind the tape and play it again or glance atthe script at the end of the video workbook.

JOHN IS A GOODBoon you IttAb

1.nuk .t the thaninnna. or sblyrr.

SCUBA.

Vinte that *Auk,egatn. Um ebbee,flemeth.j

3:4:::: Step:

4.1. :°,20SI:hm12A1"'dYrnue

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theweekend

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C. Tuft,

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P. Sot

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bevad,h,

49

;444VeldIAMPWRIIIII,4RIAD

A. Look at the moment adverthrerecrus.

I. blow write the nom of one or rr.,nr tavcionnla eaci, eamomt.

I. Ie. on Hudson Avenue.

3. Theete cloud on Mandel'.

3. It Ises Ainerical food.

They hare hallos food.

3. Thee eten's open for breakfast.

41, it hut two reephone numbers.

The dim. u 161 Huion Aye.

32

My first reaction to theaudiotapes was to wantsomething in printbefore me, but after lis-tening to a few. I con-cluded that they doindeed push the stu-dent to depend on theaural mode for acquir-ing information, andhence, they could bequite effective forimproving listeningcomprehension.

One audience forHello America is thefinancially secureESL/EFL consumer.The tapes are attrac-tively packaged inbrightly colored.molded plasticboxes, and the exer-cise books come inhardback ratherthan paperbackform, allowing onlyone use unless thestudent chooses towrite the answerselsewhere. Literacyprograms in theUnited Statesmight be anotherpotential audiencebecause they

REVIEWS

could secure grant money to pay for therather expensive package. Volunteers with lit-tle ESL training could monitor individuals orgroups while they watch or listen to thetapes, or students could use them in aresource room by themselves. I recommendthat Grolier put out low-cost paperback exer-cise books so that those who buy the serieshave the option of ordering several copies forfriends or family members. I would also rec-ommend that the series be marketed to lan-guage schools abroad; students could go tothe language laboratory and get extra practiceon their own or in small groups.

I must admit that I was a bit skepticalwhen I began to review these materials. I hadrecently seen clips of another home-studyvideo series (put out a few years ago by apublisher of encyclopedias) that was ofrather poor quality both pedagogically andaesthetically. I was, however, pleasantly sur-prised, pleased. and ultimately enthusiasticabout Hello America. This audio-video pack-age is different from others: By following itscarefully planned sequence of learning objec-tives, independent and highly motivated stu-dents could become successful languagelearners in a relatively short period of time.

AuthorCarol Houser Pifieiro is Chair of the TESOL

Video Interest Section. In addition to creatingmaterials for ESL classes, she uses video to

teach business English in pre-MBA courses atBoston University and at the Sanyo Companyin Kobe, Japan.

Although many ESL students are interestedin movies, there are surprisingly few materi-als directed at this audience that use themedium to its full advantage. A possible rea-son for this deficiency is that copyright lawsprohibit extensive reproduction of scripts forclassroom use. Considering how time con-suming it is for teachers to make transcriptsand exercises on their own, an instructionalaid related to movies is a welcome additionto an ESL textbook library.

American Picture Show: A Cultural Readeris a valuable find. Geared towards advancedreading classes, it comprises an introductoryunit, with vocabulary and dictionary useexercises, and seven main chapters. eachcentered around a movie and a topical aspectof U.S. culture. Featured movies includetritnecs. cinldirn of a tescer God. The

American PictureShow: A Cultural

Reader.Elizabeth A. Mejia, Maida Kennedy

Xiao. and Lucyna Pasternak,

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice HallRegents, 1992.

Pp. xi + 220.

Reviewed by Elisabeth Gareis

filagro lieaqwld War. Stand and Deluvr.Dim Sum: A little Bit of Heim. Kramer is.Kramer and Miners Daughter "1.1)ce

50

movies touch on such topics as the meltingpot theory, people with disabilities, land dis-putes, the educational system. ethnic minori-ties. family issues, and life in rural areas ofthe United States. respectively. Each chaptercontains several readings and exercises forpreviewing that stimulate interest in and pre-pare students for the film. Postviewing activi-ties include discussion questions, contrastingmovie reviews, and writing assignments.

American Picture Show excels in offeringdiligently researched and interesting readingselections, questions, and postviewing activi-ties. Only a few areas call for some minoradjustments on the part of the user. Althoughthe hook is advertised as a cultural readerand is generally true to this role, sporadicexercises touch on intonational sentencelocus and thought gn)up divisions. Although

Summer 1993 41

REVIEWS

these tasks require students to practiceimportant listening and speaking skills andmight be valuable in a textbook offering oralreading practice, they are far too perfunctoryin American Picture Show to be of conse-quence. Instructors would want to augmentthe explanations or omit them altogether.

The hook would also have henefited froma wider array of reading and vocabularydevelopment techniques in view of the differ-ing learning styles and needs among the stu-dent population. The only such exercisescontained in this volume are prefabricatedvocabulary explanations or underlined wordin the reading selections for students to guessand look up. More individualized guessingmight have been possible had the underscor-ings been omitted. A greater variety of guess-ing strategies, speed reading techniques. oretymological work could have been included.for example.

Despite these minor short-comings. American PictureShow is an excellent text. ele-gantly combining cultural infor-mation and stimulating readingselections to cater to moviebuffs among the ESL studentpopulation. lt thus fills a gap inthe slim offerings of pedagogi-cally sound material.s focusedon film. One only hopes that

Whose LA

teachers will not he left for toolong with this one volume and itsselection of seven movies. Asequel with additional movieswould he very welcome.

AuthorElisabeth Gareis is on the fac-

ulty of the American LanguageProgram at the University ofGeoigia. where she teachesintensive English and prepara-tory courses for internationalteaching assistants. Her areasQf research include commu-nicative competence, mediause in the classroom, andintercultural interaction.

5 What are someexample, ol discrimination

against Mext

this movie'

What is the purprisentthe angel in the

movie' How do the

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MOVIE REVIEW 0

PrereadingDimeion, These are some

of Ilse words thatyou will

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someone who was pain

civil rightsmovetnent or the anti.V1innam war

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Example Many youngpeople in the t 960s10101

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48 TE301..lournal

Laid 13 It keywayt

ne can often find people who believe that the deed walk among the

r belief is particularly strong on rural Mexico In fact, the great MexicanIto .010 extensively about this belief in men,' of his works. includingt book Pedro Pommo Other LatioAmerican authors. such as Gebnelof Colombia. have also wntten about these beliefs

ar form of public protest in the United States is the orculanon of

lion is Wier. usuallv addressed to a government official. that eitherat or requests. specific action to be taken The petition is usually signedrr of people

locations

ways in which people etas in a religion you are iamtliar withV slimier toot different trom the ways discussed in this passage'

ill people us your country believe in ghosts? If so. what do theyat them'

pIe in your country complam to the government'

atch the Movie

d the following risseettons. keep them tar mind while you watch thede. After the movie, abacus+ your answers to these questions with aai group of yew cleoneoles.

mole about a small New Mextcan land war As you watch the moviessons each person tom for the action he or the takes. What err Mr'What are lose Mondroon a reasons" Aa the characters change, how du

their ressons change' Also, consider what the characters know end assume about each

other

Postmovi Discussion Questions

1 What were losb Mondragon'a resaons for watenng the been( ield'

2 What were Mr lievine $ reason. for developing the Miracle Valley Item,anon Area'

.1 Kos did the dIfferent people in Mtlagro rem I to the IseanfieldRubsChutes the sheriff Mots. Maclennan' Pt hat were then masons tor takingthr at toms that they did"

4 P. hat does the sociologist learn about Mexican.Amencan culture,

51

Inclusive might best describe what theABC News ER l'ideo Library attempts to beand to a large extent, it is successful. Fivevideos and accompanying textsFocus cmInnovators and Innovations. Focus on theEnvironment. Focus on Health. Focus onAmerican Culture. and Focus on Businessseek to be "an authentic communication inthe context of contemporary topics andissues concerning the global village for atask-based approach to learning English"(from sampler video introduction).

Each unit in the ABC Neus ESL VideoLibrary is task based and divided into thethree segment format of ABC News programssuch as "Prime Time Live." '20/20," or"Business World." Each segment has a cumu-lative final task. For example. Unit 4 of Focuson Business is titled "Globalizing for theFuture" and contains segments on competi-tion in Europe. McDonald's in Moscow, andbusiness mergers and acquisitions. The seg-ment on competition in Europe has as itsfinal task a semiformal team debate aboutcompetition.

The ABC News ESL Library is interactiveand student centered. The segment onMcDonald's, for instance, facilitates predictionskills by instructing students to -get intoteams to think up and write down as manyquestions as[they] can"(Maurice,1992. p. 121)that might heanswered inthe segment.Then, afterviewing thevideo, the stu-dents are toldto comparetheir answerswith those ofteammates,ask otherteams theirquestions, andanswer ques-tions. Byencouragingsuch strate-gies. the seriesallows theteacher to playthe role offacilitator in astudent-centeredcurnculuni

Segment 10

ABC News ESL VideoLibrary.

Regents/Prentice Hall and ABCNews.

Englewood Cliffs. NJ: 1993.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Klausman

In addition, the seriesintegrates languageskills. Students not onlywatch and listen to thevideo, they work inteams and pairs todevelop ideas orally.Key and specializedvocabulary is introducedvia basic exercises. Forexample. students in theMcDonald's segmentlearn such key phrasesas gear up andupwardly mobile, aswell as such specialized

terms as incentives and

shortages. The workbooks contain relatedpostviewing readings from original sourcessuch as Business Week and The Futurist. TheMcDonald's segment is enhanced by a read-ing from Business Tokyo on McDonald's inJapan. These reading selections provide back-ground for a final task, such as a negotiationin which students adopt the roles of businessand government leaders negotiating theexpansion of a multinational fast-food chainin an industrializing country.

Competition in Europe in the 1990's and Beyond

80,10e55 45 or, ,f 4 .44 I

Runtime s avRem I 10 iii

Note I his wgrnent actuallyhvgins at 26 (.1 and has aruntime al IS (7. hut onlythe last W(11E1111, used.

ECONOMIC stria

PreviewingKEY QUESTIONS

I What are the most important political, societal, and economtc events andchanges in the world at the present time,

2 How are those events changing, and how will they change the internationalhusiness environment'%%hat actions. if any, should national gosernmenis take to support, subsidizeor protect key business sectors'

4 What arc the trends for business in different industries in differ...tit areas ofthe world In the 1990's and hes cid'

DISCUSSION

In small groups, discuss thc tollowing question,.

I What ate the most imponant events and c hanees in the world today that'nay allot the business environment, Use the chart belt.,

l'olitical

iconomd

Technological

International Domestic

Lastly. the materials are easy to use andcomplementary. Each video includes timecodes on the screen that correspond to num-bers in the texts. For example. each segmentin the text provides information about runtime (i.e., how many minutes the video seg-ment lasts) and stan time (e.g., 00:50 fromthe start of the video). For those who have adecoder chip in their television or access to adecoder: The videos are closed captioned(except "Business World." for which ABCdoes not offer this service) so that studentscan follow the written transcripts as thewords are spoken. The text and the video inconcert prepare the student to go beyond the

52 BEST On MI::: Autumn 1993 49

media and into tasks that require both lan-guage facility and critical thinking skills.

The series avoids the trap of trying to beall things to all people by operating on a fewbasic principles: (a) that authentic languagepresented interactively in real situations ontimely and lively topics will facilitate lan-guage learning; (b) that international studentshave a inherent need to place their culture inthe context of a global village; and (c) thatany text-video combination must be comple-mentary and easy to use. This is truly animpressive series, incorporating authentictelevision broadcasts on intriguing topics in ameaningful and enjoyable way.

ReferenceMaurice, K. (1992). Focus on business.

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Regents:Prentice Hall.

AuthorJeffrey Klausman is Director of Curriculum

for the American Language Academy at theUniversity of Ponland in Portland. Oregon.

ANINVITATION

TOREVIEWERS

We welcome your reviews ofrecently published ESOL text-books, curriculum guides,computer programs, andvideos.Send your submissions to:

Joy ReidTJ Review Editor

Department of EnglishUniversity of Wyoming

Laramie, WY 82071-3353 USA

50 TESOIJournal

Sfream=LineTHE STUDENT REGISTRATION ADMINISTRATION

AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Stream-Line is computer software specifically designed for theadministration of international student training programs.

The choice of university extensions, language schools, studentplacement agencies and other institutes in the USA, Canada,Britain, Ireland, Continental Europe, the Mid and Far East,Australia and New Zealand, Stream-Line provides fast, easystudent enrollment and full academic, general and financialmanagement. Flexible setup and unlimited reports, lists, letters,

labels or other documentation.

For further details of Stream-Line and news of how you canevaluate the program for yourself completelyfree of charge, contact

the publishers:

EFL SERVICES LIMITEDAvenue Farmhouse, Elsworth,Cambridge CB3 8HY, UKTel: 011-44-9547-661 Fax: 011-44-9547-683

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Student's Workbook Teacher's Manualpaper $9.95 paper $5.95

Brenda Prouser Imber and Maria Guttentag Parker

INTEGRA1ED LESSONSPronunciation and GrammarClassroom-ready lessons that both beginning and experienced teachers can

use to teach oral communication skills in an integrative manner.

Student's Workbook Teacher's Manualpaper $12.95 paper $13.95

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Thc University of Michigan Press to (800) 876-1922

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53

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TESOL JournalSpecial Issue on

Teacher ResearchTeachers' roles and the professional areas in which they are expected to be expertcontinue to expand. However, teachers are learning that they can explore and supporttheir own teaching in useful ways by using simple research tools.

Topics of interest for the Autunin 1994 special issue include:Teachers as researchers

Case studies on teaching and learningPersonal reports, experiences, and views

The role of research in the classroomResearch on, for, by, with 7

Research tools and processes for teachersClassroom observationsTeam- and co-teaching

Classroom discourseLearner feedbackInstructional languageTalking about the classroom

Reflections on teaching practiceLearning about our own teachingLearning from learnersMentoring

What teachers want to know about teachingFinding a topic to researchDeveloping personal theories by exploring practice

We especially welcome articles from teachers about classroom teaching.Contributions may take the form of articles, perspectives, tips from the classroom, andreviews on any of these topics or others that fit the theme of this -, :al issue.

All items will be refereed and must conform to regular submissir . guidelines.

The deadline for submissions is February 15, 1994.Send inquiries and material to:

Elliot L. juddEditor, TESOL lournal

Department of English (M/C 162)University of Illinois at Chicago

601 S. MorganChicago, IL 60607 USA j

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Autumn loQ3 51

Editor's Note: In the Spring 1993 issue ofTESOL Journal. an EFL instructor asked forsuggestions jOr increasing students exposureto native weakers or proficient nonnativespeakers in circumstances where few suchindividuals an, aivilable. Readers from fourcontinents responded: their economical andimaginative suggestions make it quite clearthat finding resources is solely a function ofthe resourcefulness of the instructor.

Dear 7.7.

Having taught ESL in Europe for 3 years. Ihad very similar problems to those of yourquestioner in the Spring 1993 issue: that is,my students had very limited exposure tonative speakers (NSs or near Nss outside theEFL classroom. Here are my suggestions foraddressing the problem.

American. British. and Australian films andradio programs are excellent sources of inputto enhance listening comprehension. to serveas pronunciation models, and to expose stu-dents to language in context. A piece of card-board taped to the bottom of the TV screenremoves subtitles of TV films or videos. Aclass protect might include having all studentssee the same film before the next class meet-ing. The film can then serve as a.topicclass discussion in which both language andculture are explored.

Anglophone embassies, libraries, and cul-tural centers in the foreign country are richwith resources. Among the resources that Ifound were film screenings, guest lectures.videotapes. audiotapes. plays, and poetryreadings. Some embassies even offer classesin painting, dance. and yogaand the lan-guage of instruction is English!

Many big cities in foreign countries alsohave Anglophone churches. cathedrals, andsynagogues. These can he places where stu-dents not only hear English in a contextwhere sublect content is well known (sounkoown vocabulary is easy to guess) hutmay also learn of clubs, trips, and church-related events in English

II the instructor is a native or near-natisspeaker. s he probably know s Anglophonehangouts in the community These are oftencottee shops and restaurants with service and

52 JF.sni. jourmil

menus in English and plenty of English-speaking patrons. Do not hesitate to tell stu-dents of these places where they can live theEnglish experience.

Art and natural history museums in somecities have audiotaped self-guided tours ofexhibits in several languages. one of which isusually English. Why not suggest that stu-dents rent the English version or the tour?

Finally, the instructor can take advantageof the worldwide popularity of Americanmusic to encourage students to learn andpractice the language through song.

I distributed lists of activities and places tomy students. Though compiling the lists

some research on my part. they were vanedand specific enough to help class membersreadily find something of personal interestand taste. If you do this, though. make sureyour lists are very specific and include typesof activities, addresses, phone numbers. TN'and radio channels and fees.

If increasing students' exposure to nativespeakers requires that you meet the needwithin your classroom or institute, here are afew low-cost suggestions

A modest listening laboratory can easilybe established. Just a few commercial cas-settes along with three or lour inexpensis e

55

portable tape recorders with headsets can heplaced in an empty classroom during periodswhen the room is not in use. Students wish-ing to stay after class or those arriving earlycan use the material between classes. Thissystem works best when the same person onyour staff sets up and removes material tokeep track of it. If this procedure is too timeconsuming. a larger classroom can perma-nently house the material in a designatedarea. My motivated students appreciated theopportunity to use cassettes and books differ-ent from those used in their classes.

I have also had success with audiotapelending. Students sign out for material andbring it back the next class meeting. As com-mercial tapes are often quite costly. this givesstudents the chance to work with materialthey would not otherwise he able to afford.Though they are told the cost of each tape(which they have to pay if it is not returned),not once did any one of my students abusethe privilege of audiotape lending.

If speaking practice is the goal for yourstudents. consider an English party at yourinstitute. In the EFL institute where I worked,we had such parties even. month. Native andnear-native English-speaking instructors, staff.friends. and spouses were all present. For asmall admission price t to cover snaLks andlight drinkschocolate chip cookies werealways a hit), students at all levels socialized,listened to American music, and spoke withinstructional and administrative staffinEnglish.

I hope your questioner finds these sugges-tions helpful and that at least some of themare not too challenging to implement.

Beverly BeisbierAmerican Language InstituteLos Angeles. California LISA

Dear 77,

Although I agree that exposure to nativeinformants is important for EFL students. myexperience has shown that social contactbetween EFL students and native Englishspeakers cannot be imposed. I'd ri.x ommendother torms of exposure

'Ask the TJ

During my years of teaching EFL to Israelistudents majoring in English literature or lin-guistics (at Bar Ilan University), the same storywould unfold. An invisible barrier, part cul-tural, part linguistic, separated the nativeIsraelis from their foreign, English-speakingclassmates. In their academic courses, theEnglish speakers would form a tight clique,sitting apart from the Israelis and displayingno interest in becoming friendly. Even depart-mentally sponsored social activities, meant toforge mixed friendships, failed miserably.

Having accepted the separation as a fact. Ihave directed my EFL students primarily tothe media as a rich source of authenticEnglish. By assigning my students an oralreport on an English-speaking programshown on Israeli cable TV, students often hadtheir eyes opened to the free and plentifulEnglish broadcasts around. Some studentswithout a TV have discovered the videolibraries of the British Council and AmericanCultural Center in Tel Aviv, where up-to-datevideotapes on a variety of topics can beviewed. Other students have looked foropportunities for contact with tourists, takingsummer jobs as counselors of English-speak-ing youth groups. Still others find part-timework as hotel clerks or waiters and as over-seas operators, jobs where English is used.

Although at first greatly dismayed by thenonaccessibility of the English-speaking stu-dents, my EFL classes and I have discoveredproductive ways of obtaining the necessaryexposure.

Mona SchreiberBar Ilan UniversityRamat Gan, Israel

Dear 77,

I would like to make a couple of sugges-tions about how instructors can increase stu-dents' exposure to native speakers:

1. Ask a native speaker (NS) if he or shewould be willing to participate in aChatterbox Clu'.) on a regular basis. Fix aweekly meeting and ask students to enrollbeforehand and state their level of Englishand points of interest to be discussed.

2. Ask a NS to visit your class on a regularbasis. To make it more purposeful (andprobably easier for the NS), ask the classto prepare interview questions. The inter-view can be personal or deal with opin-ions on a given subject.

3. Take advantage of the spouses of theavailable NSs. Teachers tend to look forNSs who, in turn, are teachers, butspouses can also be very helpful andsometimes have more free time.

Maria Julia SainzUniversity of the Republic

Montevideo, Uruguay

Dear 77,

As a secondary school ESL teacher, I findthat my students have very little contact withnative or proficient nonnative English speak-ets during their school day. (The situation issurely even more difficult in an EFL situation.)

What we have done is to invite guestsfrom the business community to serve as rolemodels and temporary language teachers.These people tell the students what it is likein the outside world in various vocationaland professional capacities. They interactwith them in whole-class, individual, and

Questions,responses, andsuggestions for

Ask the 77 should besent to 0

small-groups situations, sharing information,stories, pictures, objects, and other realiarelated to their occupational roles. Sometimeswe even videotape the sessions and playthem back later as the basis for other les5ons.

My students are able to pose questionsthat are meaningful to them and to practiceasking for clarification when the input is notentirely comprehensible. Often, they findthemselves confident enough with the visitorsto begin to discuss their own career goalsand interests. Both the guests and the hostsenjoy these visits, and everyone learns fromthem!

Janice PilgreenGlendale High School

Glendale, California USA

A question toyou, the

readers ofTESOL Journal

I am an ESL teacher in a schoolthat serves an ever increasing popu-lation of L2 learners. Many of themainstream teachers in my buildingare in need of basic informationabout working with L2 learners.Can you suggest any good introduc-tory books aimed at mainstreamclassroom teachers to help them bet-ter understand and serve the ESLstudents in their classrooms?

We want your questions as well as yourresponses. Do you have any questions thatyou would like to ask your fellow TESOLprofessionals? Ask the 77 is an open forumfor giving and getting advice from profession-als around the world.

Nancy CloudEditor, Ask the 77

7ES0L JournalDepartment of Curriculum & Teaching

243 Gallon Wing, Mason Hall113 Hofstra University

Hempstead. NY 11550 USA

Note: TESOL

Journalreserves

the right to edit

submissions.

Autumn 1993 53

TESOL Newsirom-TESOL Publications\d71/

Video in Second Language TeachingSusan Stempleski and Paul Arcario, Editors

As VCRs and video cameras become increasingly available in classroomsaround the world. ESOL professionals need to learn more about using video-related resources effectively to teach English to speakers of other languages.Video in Second Language Teaching provides practical and principled adviceto novice and seasoned practitioners using or planning to use video in secondlanguage teaching.

The authors give practical ideas for using prerecorded video to teach studentsof all ages and language levels, suggestions for using the video camera for lan-

guage instruction and evaluation, information about factors affecting videoproduction for language teaching, and an overview of available EFL'ESL videomaterials and criteria for their selection.

1.992. 6" X 9", 183 pp., ISBN 0-939791-41-2. $12.95 ( $9.95)

ADirectory

OfEnglish

LanguageTeaching

Videos

Directory of English LanguageTeaching VideosProduced by the TESOL Video Interest SectionChuck Passentino and Peter Thomas, editors

This directory of professional quality English language teaching videos includes mate-rials to assist in both the teaching of English and the training of teachers. Entriesinclude information on format, standard, purpose. and target audience. Distributors'addresses are also included.

1991. 69 pp.. S14.95

CALL ISSoftware ListProduced by the TESOL CALL Interest SectionDeborah Healy and Norm Jackson, editors

Annotated list (updated edition) of software forlanguage learning used by ESOL teachers.

Titles grouped by hardware and within that bylanguage skill or application

Listings include publisher and address. contactsfor more information

Special indices for bilingual, business. elernen-tary, literacy, and service.itechnology uses.

1993, 192 pp.. $17

Order fonn appears on opposite page

MakingConnections:Learning Language,and TechnologyTechnology can be a powerful tool to help studentsmaster their first or second language. This videodemonstrates how multimedia technologies enhancethe curriculum in ESL and bilingual classrooms aroundthe United States. The schools featured effectivelydemonstrate how technology advances the literacyskills of students at different levels of language devel-opment. Cosponsored by Apple Computer. Inc., theNational Association for Bilingual Education (NABE).and Teachers of English to Speakers of OtherLanguage,, (TESOL1 799$. 1.7-151 17 minutes. $

5 ?

TESOL ProfessionalAudiocassettelibrary

This library includes 17 cassette tapes and handouts from past TeleTESOL conferences. Individualcassettes and handouts are only $12.95. Buy six or more and pay only $10 per cassette. Order all17 for only $150. Great for teacher and in-service training.

Content-Based ESL by Jodi CrandallInner-City Life to Literature by Shirley Brice HeathThe Accuracy Dilemma by Heidi BymesLearner-Centered Teaching by H. Douglas BrownCulture in the Classroom by Myriam MetGrammar and Communicationby Diane Larsen-FreemnFree Voluntary Reading by Stephen KrashenRole Playing in Second Language Learningby Mary HinesTechniques for Teaching and Assessing Contentby Deborah ShortWorkplace ESL by Allene Grognet

Writing Development in Young Learnersby Carole UrzüaA New Look at Memory by Earl StevickFamily Literacy by Loren McGrailFluency First in ESL by Adele MacGowan GilhoolyMaking Cooperative Learning Work for Youby Judy Winn-Bell OlsenContent-Area ESL at the University Levelby Rebecca OxfordContent-Based ESL for Low Literacy Students in theMath Class by Keith Buchanan(Includes a short introductory video. S17.95)

Order Form for TESOL Publications and Audiocassettesauan. Title Price Total

Nonmember/member

AIDS Education Newspaper SIO per set

All Things to All People $17.95'514.95

CALL IS Software List $17

Common Threads of Practice S15.95/S13.95

Directory of Teaching Videos $14.95

Diversity as Resource $22.95/$19.95

Making Connections Video $7

A New Decade of 120g. Testing $29.95/$24.95

New Ways in Teacher Education $22.95/S19.95

New Ways in Teaching Reading $18.95/S15.95

State of the Art TESOL Essays $29.95 '525.95

TESOL Resource Packet $17.95

Video in Second Language Teaching 512.95/59.95

TeleTESOL Audiocassette LibrarySet of 17 cassettes and handouts $150

Individual cassettes and handouts $12.95 each

6 or more $10 each

Check off your selections above.

:I 'Content-based ESL in the Math Class $17.95

'Includes introductory video. No discount.

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achers ot.English to Speakers ol Other,Languages Int00 Cameron Street. Suite 300exandria. Virginia 22314-2751 USA

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FUN!!L TIMM' 'TO T:0111DEADIV

OVER 50 SONGS FOR LEARNING ENGLISHPOP, ROCK, RAP, JAZZ & MUSICAL THEATER STYLES

ENGLISHfor the 21st CENTURY

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC VIDEOS

PAID

496--d-16e

4.64' "4SONGS-IN-CONTEXT, ON LOCATION -14eAACTION-BASED VISUALS TO GET STUDENTS INVOLVEDCONTEMPORARY ISSUES TO SPARK LIVELY CONVE'RSATIONSMUSICAL LOOK, LISTEN, AND TALK BACK SEGMENTS TO HELP

STUDENTS INTERNALIZE ENGLISHA RICH RESOURCE FOR EXTENDED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

26 MUSICAL RADIO-MAGAZINE SHOWSLANGUAGE-FOCUSED SONGS IN EVERY SHOWINTERACTIVE TALK BACK SEGMENTS & DIALOGUE SEGMENTSCOMPREHENSIVE SCOPE AND SEQUENCEREAL WORLD THEMES2,000 WORD VOCABULARY

MOTIVATING! EXCITING! DYNAMIC! EVJOYABLE!

-0K

61

COMPONENTS - AUDIO* Learner's Book One (Programs 1-13)* Learner's Book Two (Programs 14-26)* Teacher's Book (Programs 1-26)* 6 Audiocassettes of the complete radio seriesCOMPONENTS - VIDEO* Learner's Video Book One* Learner's Video Book Two* Teacher's Video Book* 2 Music Videocassettes

Call for Free Audio Demo

American Media International* 191PostRoadWest Vii2stpott, Ct 06880 USA R1800-775-7890

REST COPY AY B,