Authentic AudienceEFL 537

Submitted by:Sura Al-Tall

Susan Hansen

January 19,2006

                                                                                                             

Overview Audience, language use, and language

learning (Sura). Classroom Practice: An introduction to

e-mail and WWW projects (Sura). Classroom Practice: Authentic audience

on the Internet (Susan). The challenge and opportunity of

technology: An interview with Mark Warschauer (Susan).

Audience, Language Use, and Language Learning.

Audience and Language Use

Language scholars consider the notion of audience in language use as a central construct.

The speaker’s relation to the hearer determine the form of language used to convey the message.

Some of the theories in which the role of audience is central are: Bell (1984): Concept of Audience design. Giles’ speech accommodation theory (Giles &

Smith 1979).

Audience and language learning

The role of audience is also an important factor in language learning.

Availability of an authentic audience is important for second language learning.

(Ellis, 1994; Lightbown & Spada, 1994), believe that interaction is a prerequisite to language acquisition.

Audience in language teaching The concept of audience has found

its way into many approaches in language teaching, such as: Whole Language. Process Writing. English for Special Purposes (ESP).

An authentic audience is an audience that is concerned

exclusively with the meaning of the speaker’s language.

What is the meaning of authentic audience in language learning?

Authentic Audience and computer-Mediated communication in ESL

The size of the audience available to learners has increased dramatically.

The nature of the new audience is hard to judge.

Electronic audiences are authentic audiences. Written and spoken forms of language are

converging. Computer-Mediated Interaction is Intensely

language based. New Conventions are emerging.

An Introduction to E-Mail and World Wide Web Projects

                                                                                                  

Internet and the WWW

Internet is a network of computers. World Wide Web is the multimedia version

of the Internet. Hard to navigate the Internet without

software tools (e.g. E-Mail tools and Web Browsing tools).

There are many ways to connect to the Internet (e.g. ISP, University, Public Library).

                                                                                              

Why should students use the Internet

Increases self-esteem by empowering both the teacher and the student.

Accommodates different learning styles and empowers learners regardless of physical challenges or social and cultural differences (Berge & Collins, 1995).

Encourages and motivates students to become involved in authentic projects and to write for a real audience of their peers instead of merely composing for the teacher (Berg & Collins, 1995).

Why should students use the Internet continued …

Promotes critical thinking because students move from being passive learners to participants in the exchange of knowledge and meaning.

Allows learners to participate cooperatively in the educational process.

Gives learners enough time and feedback. Help learners work in an atmosphere with

an ideal level of stress and anxiety.

Electronic Discussion Lists

Valuable lists for discussing issues, asking questions, and giving and receiving information. And that is by sending a message to a certain address via email, and then everyone on the list receives the message (similar to mass mailing) to read and respond to (e.g. TESL-L).

                                                                                              

Keypals

Keypalling is a way of authentic communication between groups of different cultures.

To find keypals: join a discussion list, connect to other classes or school sites that are willing to be keypals.

E-Mail is used to exchange messages between keypals.

The SL-Lists is an example on a student list that specializes in cross-cultural discussion.

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                      

On-Line Projects

Assign projects to students to complete through on-line collaboration with other students.

Completed projects are placed on the WWW for display.

An example on Online projects Email Projects Home Page.

                                                                                                             

Authentic Audience on the Internet

The Learner’s Role Passive

Receptive

Active

Interactive

The Teacher’s Role Assess the students’ level and

needs

Assess the student’s access to technology

Determine language and course goals

Mark Warschauer’s View on Technology Personal Background Electronic literacies Uses of Internet Future Uses

Passive Learner

Language learners are not engaged; they are not involved in any language-based, cultural, or technological communication (e.g. sleeping)

Receptive Learner

Language learners function as an authentic audience, that is, as receivers (e.g., reading a newsgroup posting) or by lurking, that is, reading messages but not actively posting on an electronic list

Active Learner

Language learners address an authentic audience (e.g., writing a poem for publication in an electronic magazine [e-zine])

Interactive Learner

Language learners communicate both as and to an audience, in whole or in part by means of technology (e.g., exchanging e-mail with a keypal or taking part in a real-time electronic discussion

Teacher’s Role: Assessing the students’ level and needs

Set expectations relative to students’ language, cultural, and technological experience

Assess the students’ access to technology

Be realistic but creative, and find support

Determine language and course goals

Plan how technology will enhance or improve what can already be done; integrate CALL purposefully and meaningfully

Receptive Activities Reading electronic documents

online Listening online Using search engines Downloading files Lurking on a list or a MOO

Receptive Examples:

Electronic Books & CD ROMsComputer Software & Computer Hardware - BMSoftware

Reading Softwarehttp://www.gutenberg.net/

Interent E-Zines, Web Site Sound and Video Clipshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/

Real-Time Soundhttp://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/archive/audio.html

IPTV Real-Time TV or Videohttp://www.cnn.com/video/

Newsgroupshttp://www.geocities.com/findnewsgroup/

Receptive Examples:Electronic Discussion Listshttp://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html

Push Technologyhttp://my.yahoo.com/

Search Engine or Gopher Searchhttp://www.yahoo.com/

File Transfer Protocolhttp://www.jumbo.com/

MOOs and MUDshttp://schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu/

Active Activities Producing short writings Short answers on electronic quizzes Commenting on other students’ writing Playing simulation games on-line Telephoning into satellite broadcasts Creating a web page

Active ExamplesWebsite activities:www.whitehouse.gov, www.cnn.com/feedback/, www.crayon.net

Software:www.disney.com

LAN simulations & Online games:www.teachtsp.com

Synchronous Communication: real-time television

Web page Creation:Frontpage

Interactive Activities Holding asynchronous text-based

conversations Holding synchronous text-based

conversations Participating in audio exchanges Videoconferencing Taking distance-learning courses

Interactive ExamplesAsynchronous Communication: Textwww.iecc.org

Synchronous Communication: Textwww.eslcafe.com/chat/chatpro.cgi

Audio ExchangesSoftware: CU-SeeMe

Video conferencing:Need video camera & high speed modem

Distance Learningwww.homeschoolzone.com

Mark Warschauer Vice Chair of Dept.

Of Education at UC-Irvine

Previously taught at:

UC-Berkley University of Hawaii Moscow Linguistics

University Charles University

Researches role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in L2 learning and ICT’s relationship with institutional reform, democracy & social development

Electronic Literacies

The reading, writing, knowledge, skills, & practices that take place electronically

Electronic Literacies Information Literacy – being able to navigate

the Internet and analyze the information Computer-Mediated Communication Literacy

– using the Internet as a information too, e.g., sending a proper email

Multimedia Literacy – knowing how to create texts on the Internet through media and can also interpret the media to create a message

Uses of Internet in the Classroom E-mail at the very

least Use it for active &

constructive use, so students learn the technology, not just using it passively

Identify problems with false research info on Internet

Use different registers for different uses

Translators can be a learning tool!

Give students structure & support, but leave open ended for their own creativity & motivation

Future Uses Copra – use of concordancer to

search texts & speech for grammar, provides real-life examples

It will be a normal part of life the “pens & paper of tomorrow”

Questions: Do you feel that interactionism is important for SLA? Can you think of other examples on email projects? Is one of these audiences more valuable than

another? (Passive, Receptive, Active, Interactive) With interaction over the Internet, a teacher cannot

always be monitoring each student, for example, when making audio exchanges, how can the teacher evaluate the student?

What do you think will be the future of the Internet and CALL?

Sources: CE Text, Part II, pp.55-97.

The Internet, an E-Mail Audience, Language Use, and Language Learning

Ackers, W. P. (2002). The challenge and opportunity of technology: An interview with Mark Warschauer. English Teaching Forum, 40(4),1-8