FACULTAD DE EDUCACIONLICENCIATURA EN LENGUA EXTRANJERA INGLÉS

COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNINGStudy-guide in the SECOND EVALUATIVE MOMENT

OBJECTIVES

ASSIGNMENTS

INTRODUCTION

This SECOND EVALUATIVE MOMENT will be drawn with a complete

analysis of Computer Assisted for Language Learning and its implications

related to the theory of Second-language Acquisition (SLA).

The assignments will be focused on section II of your course-book which

deals with “the place of CALL in researching and teaching”.

To differentiate key concepts and constructs related to CALL.

To reflect on CALL and global trends when talking about technologies for education, e-learning, online learning, blended learning and trends in

digital education.

To analyze implications related to CALL and both language pedagogy and language research.

To differentiate key concepts and constructs related to CALL.

To reflect on CALL and global trends when talking about technologies for education, e-learning, online learning, blended learning and trends in

digital education.

To analyze implications related to CALL and both language pedagogy and language research.

ONLINE ASSIGNMENTS

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT: It will be focused on the definition of a model of CALL taking into account the references provided in chapter (7) and the theoretical and pedagogical concerns introduced in chapter (8). As part of the CO-EVALUATION strategies oriented in this course, each one of the students who participate in the subject will post the assignment before the deadline to socialize it and at the same time each student must choose a partner to co-evaluate him or her. This co-evaluation consists of providing positive and aspects to help your partner improve his or her assignment before the teacher’s evaluation.

1. The cyberglossary is an online exercise to build up an inventory of those terms, which whether unknown or new for us will help you to consolidate a wide range of vocabulary and theoretical background necessary to talk about a cyberlanguage or better to build up a cyberculture, meaningful for 21st century teachers and digital learners.

Our social network has been created. You are invited to participate in our blog, CALL for 21st century teachers, which will help us to collect as many resources as possible to promote online learning and online interaction through the new possibilities of the cyberworld. Follow it, http://smile-rod.blogspot.com/

For the WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT development you must consider the following summary taken from the theoretical presentation of your course-book:

The second section II, chapter (5) of our course book introduces the concept of Second-language Acquisition (SLA) which I think you are familiar with (on page 78) and at the same time presents the concepts of Negotiation of meaning from Nunan’s perspective (1993). However, the crucial point of both concepts is not to get to know them, but to comprehend how CALL as a discipline and as a field of study can provide us a clear relation between second language acquisition and computer mediations, which of course go beyond technology applications or the use of digital devices in the English classroom.

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION APPROACH

STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION AND

NEGOTIATION OF MEANING WHEN LEARNING ENGLISH

ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES TO FOSTER COLLABORATION IN AN ONLINE OR VIRTUAL

ENVIROMENT

You will choose between behaviourist or

constructivist. Describe the WHY of your selection.

What kind of strategies would you consider for a pedagogical implementation the area of Computer Assisted for Language Learning?

Describe briefly the activities and resources you would implement as an English teacher to promote the strategies aforementioned.

In this assignment you should choose one model of instruction, behaviourist or constructivist to describe the pedagogical implications within the area of CALL when referring to Second Language Acquisition (SLA). These implications can be described in specific characteristics (no more than ten characteristics, minimum five of them). For further clarification, you can ask yourself about the:

Characteristics that must be considered when designing a programmed learning within the area of CALL from a behaviourist approach or a constructivist approach. You must include authors and references according from your course-book. The second part of the assignment will be focused on chapter (6), “collaboration and negotiation of meaning” to complete the chart below:

From my point of view, teachers and learners expect more than to use software or to explore links which may be useful or supportive in a language class. In this sense, the theoretical background provided in chapter (5) let us reflect on:

If negotiation of meaning is understood from Nunan (1993) as the “interactional work done by speakers and listeners to ensure they have a common understanding of the ongoing meanings of the discourse” different evidences of communication may take place between the learners and the teacher, and between the learners, which involve “acts of negotiation of meaning” according to (Beatty 2003), even if we refer to activities mediated by the computer of any other digital resource with a specific purpose for teaching or learning a foreign or a second language. Additionally, Pica (1998) states that “negotiation of meaning takes place through collaboration where discourse is both between the two learners as well as with the computer software program”. “Negotiation of meaning and collaboration can occur regardless of the program” (Beatty, 2003). “Opportunities for Second-language Acquisition (SLA) can be offered at the computer as learners are exposed to new language and when learners are prompted to engage in collaboration that promotes negotiation of meaning.

A second dimension is clearly presented and related to the idea of comprehensible input and output when talking about SLA from Krashen’s perspective (1981). According to Krashen, CALL involves four main dimensions which provide optimal input for language acquisition, defining input from Ellis (1985) “as the language which learners are exposed to”.

On the other hand, the concept of output is presented in the course book from Tsui (1985): “when the students produce the target language and try to make themselves understood, they are in fact testing out the hypothesis they are forming about the language”. Partially, the discussion presented on page (84) of your course-book is related to the concept of output and the learners’ mistakes arguing idea of how to correct and to what extend these mistakes should be corrected, even if learners are exposed to language learning software or a digital resource. Besides, a platform or particular software is able in some cases to correct learner’s mistakes.