Using wimba voice tools to support language teaching

T.MacKinnonJanuary 2010

Voice over the internet

Context• Language Centre, 3500 students a

year, 8 languages for academic credit.• Business language teaching operation• In house vle• 4 sanako digital labs• Evolving senior tutor team• Interest in ICT for teaching and learning

Voice tools• Range of easy to use, international tools to

support spoken language over the internet• One basic interface: the voiceboard

Data collection• Practitioner interviews and questionnaires• ICT “can do” questionnaire (based on Davies,

2004)• “Traveler metaphore” (Steiner Kvale,1996)• Walkthrough interviews (Garfinkel, 1967)• Bildungsreise

Themes• Tutor role• Error correction• Affective factors: in technology and in

language learning• Technical management and support

ResultsVoice tools created

02468

101214161820

date

num

ber

voiceboards

voice email

oralassessmentspodcaster

Conclusions• Useful process to encourage dialogue• Community of practice• Reflective practitioners• Importance of awareness of research• Student engagement and desire for

control!

Next steps:• This study clarified for me that the deployment of

such technologies requires serious reflection on the part of the language tutor, particularly in examining their perception of their role in the learning process. Language tutors have a wealth of experience in encouraging and facilitating interaction face to face which they could bring to e-learning. In modern society more interaction is taking place in virtual environments and we need to understand how best to use our skills to ensure that our learners are equipped to interact in these new situations. Where there are affective barriers for ourselves and for our learners, how will we address these?