Textbooks? No! Blended CALL for EFL Conversation Classes! Throw away the textbooks?

Textbooks? No! Blended CALL for EFL Conversation Classes

Bob GettingsHokusei Gakuen University Junior College

２００７ Sapporo Gakuin University CALL Workshop

Textbooks? No! Blended CALL for EFL Conversation Classes!

• Throw away the textbooks? I’ve been experimenting for the last five years with teaching conversation classes based on student surveys, short topical reports, longer presentations, online video self-analysis and peer-analysis of presentation skills, English karaoke, diary writing that blend the use of in class speaking activities backed up by web-based study or support. This presentation will take a “my share” approach to explaining some class activities, web based activities and class management approaches that allow the teacher to become a coach and let students learn at their own pace.

My General Goals for English Conversation (or History) Classes

• Warm, supportive human environment

• Each S can study at her own pace but must find partners to complete tasks

• Mix students as partners to prevent cliques & rote completion of tasks

• Class content: Ss share their lives & interests with classmates

• Teacher as coach not lecturer• KISS

My Goals for CALL = learning management

• Class homepage– Outline of syllabus– Ss can follow outline at

own pace– Clearly see steps of a

project– Asynchronous - anytime is

OK– Can pick and choose

modules for extra credit

My Goals for CALL = Documentation of Ss work

• Assignments, grades, feedback, class info all in one place

• Dialogue with + feedback for Ss online

• Makeup work/ Prep can be done outside of class

• Ss upload videos of speaking tasks for documentation or peer evaluation.

My Goals for CALL = Communication

• Teacher / Ss dialogues

• Peer evaluation• Ss can check grades

and progress online• Ss can catch

teacher’s mistakes• Ss can share their

production with others– Wikis, ppt, links, etc.

Classroom Management

Where do we do blended learning?• CALL Lab• Computer Lab• Ordinary classroom

with mobile lab.

Online Content

• English karaoke (YouTube)

• Free Writing Assignments

• Listening, etc. movietrailers.com

Cyclic Projects?• Imagine -->

– design - test - peer feedback

– redesign - test - peer feedback

– redesign - test - peer feedback …

• The more you practice or perform a task the higher your grade

• Ss repeat the same process (interview or presentation) over and over but with fresh content

Types of projects

• Short Topical Reports (presentations)

• Survey + longer, group presentations

• Video self-analysis• Diary writing: Four skills

management • Media links and extra

practice• Cyclic, self-paced

projects• Cyclic class management

Short Topical Reports

• Topic connected with a textbook lesson?– Self-introduction– My room– Part time job– Disney? Johnny Depp?

• Make a short slideshow (PowerPoint) or an A4 - A3 poster (Word or pencil)

• Present to small group + verbal peer evaluation – re-present + peer evaluation + again and again

Short Reports Classroom Management

Choose a topic: Do it in the last 15 minutes of class?

Task:

– Choose a topic and check with teacher

– If the topic is OK (manageable, not too broad, interesting, etc. ）

– Write on the board– Ss can leave class early

• Ss will choose a topic more quickly if they have a shorter time + the bonus of leaving early


Practice topic in Japanese first• Why? Students are never r

eady to start. This practice puts the pressure on Ss to come up with ideas.

• This is a kind of verbal, on-your-feet adlib or brainstorm

• Ss’ current English vocab can be a block to their creativity.

• Encourage them to create the ideas and then to find the English words to express them.

Peer evaluationPresentation

Practice in Japanese

(Re)design


Speed -Practice the Presentation• Keep it lite and lively• Timed practice = 2 minutes per s

tudent (never give them enough time)

• Groups of three – one speaks, two give feedback

• S gives 2 min speech and listeners give feedback

• Next, next, next, next, next!• S should repeat in the same gro

up more than once to see if there is improvement

• Start in Japanese and after a few times around switch to English

Peer evaluation2 - 5 Minute

Adlib Presentation

(Re)design


Do free writing before starting• Last 20 -30 minutes of cla

ss • Write 100 words on topic• I use Moodle’s assignment

module so I can give feedback immediately.

• Ss can find the words for topic at own pace.

• Ss can check the T’s online comments

• The free writing becomes the raw stuff of the speech

Presentation & Classroom Management

Evaluating Data

•Only one criterion

•Is it interesting?


Evaluating Data

•How long should it be?

•Long enough to be interesting!


Evaluating Data

•How many slides?

•Enough to be interesting!

Task: Survey & Presentations

• Ss choose a topic and after interviewing their classmates and finding information on the internet, make a presentation

• After peer evaluation, they decide what they could improve and present again, and again. . .

Peer evaluation

Presentation

(Re)design

Topic selection, Interviews &Presentation design


Getting Presentations started• Humans are

universally slow at starting

• Same as for topical reports– Choose topic– Small group practice

starting with Japanese and going to English

– Speed practice

Presentations = Practice

• As the Ss are interviewing, making the presentation, presenting and evaluating, the T acts as a coach

• Ss will do their presentation three to five times

• Never need to do a full class presentation (unless for a contest?)


Designing Questionnaire• Three types of

questions– Yes/No– Multiple choice– Open ended

• Are my questions OK?

• Are they interesting?– Focus on student self-

evaluation


Survey Time: Interpersonal Dynamics

• Ss find a partner and ask survey questions at their own pace.

• Focus on discussion not just Q & A– How about you?– Not just one person respon

ding

• T check: – Ask the questionee what th

e questioner’s answers were.

Interviewer answersthe same question+ discussion

Interviewee answers+ “How about you?”

Interviewer asksquestion


Survey Time: Physical Dynamics• Divide the room into two sectio

ns– Ss interview section– Waiting for a partner section

(Ss have free conversation as they wait/search for their next partner).

• Ss can only be doing two things– Interviewing– Waiting for their next interview

partner (+ chatting while they wait)

• Spatial separation by task allows teacher to coach easily

Interview Finished?Go to the Waiting for a Partner SectionOf Room

Move to InterviewSection with a NewPartner and Interview

Wait for Partner(+ Free ConversationFind a Partner


Evaluating Data

•Only one criterion

• Is it interesting?


Evaluating Data

•How long should it be?

•Long enough to be interesting!


Evaluating Data

•How many slides?

•Enough to be interesting!


Evaluating Data

•Do I need more info?

•Is the info you have now interesting?


Is it Interesting?• Look at Ss’

questionnaire papers, check the data and ask them question by question:

• Is it interesting?


Evaluating Data & Designing Slides• If responses are not interesting

– Make new questions?– Find info on internet

• Focusing Ss on content rather than design

• Practice: on A3 paper make your outline & make notes for speech?– Paper folded 4 or more times to ma

ke small slides• Or in PowerPoint first make slides

with titles only – no content• Use these for Practicing in Japanes

e and speed practice.

Verbal peer evaluation & adviceShow group your

outline and try tomake presentation

(Re)design youroutline

Presentation & Classroom Management Presentation - Evaluation - Redesign

• Presentation - Evaluation - Redesign




• Presentation - Evaluation - Redesign 　

Peer evaluation

Presentation

(Re)design


Physical Classroom Management• Students can only be

doing three things– Presenting (Standing at

presentation station or waiting while standing)

– Listening (Sitting at presentation station or waiting there)

– Evaluating (Sitting at their computer typing in English)

• Teacher can coach according to the physical location of the Ss and what they are doing.


Online Evaluation


Several presentations at same time

• Four corners of room• Write rotation of groups in

each corner on the board• First groups finish and

second in line sets up their presentation

• When four Ss come to sit in front of them to listen start presentation freestyle

Online Video Self-analysis

Practice changingone thing inyour classes.

Upload and analyzevideo on web.Find good & bad points. Choose One thing to change.

Make a conversation or presentation video

Making the movie

• Sony Xacti + small tripod• 3 cameras - 3 groups of four

students• Two performers, one camera

person, one timekeeper• Three 45 minute periods• How did it go?

– Fascination of technology– Easy to use– Being on stage (but

students didn’t feel it too much)

– Technical glitches

Cameras?

• Sanyo Xacti with SD card

• Cheap usb movie camera

• One Laptop per Child has built in camera

• Sound and easily uploadable

Uploading the video• SD card -> computer -> Net (Moodle) + School file

server• Size 17 - 150 MB

Good + bad top page

1. What was better or worse than in your usual conversation practice?

2. Describe one thing.3. List 4 or 5 of your good or bad

points.4. List some of your partner’s good &

bad.5. List some things you would like to

change.6. Pick one thing and concretely

describe how you can practice to change it. (Student Action Plan)

1. View the video

2. Then write about 200+ words about some of your presentation's good and bad points.

3. Tell me three concrete ways that you will try to make your presentation better.

Good + bad teacher response

One month’s practice: 16 classes

• At beginning of class: focus on the plan.

• Before each practice with a partner begins: share your plan

• Evaluate at end of class

• Adjust or change plan for the next class?

In 2008?• 2006

– Reduced time used for explaining the action plan.

– Created clearer task and more student autonomy.

• In the future (2008)– Continue with new action

plans after first is finished – expand the idea of action plans to other areas of Ss EFL study.

– After students can autonomously do action research using video, introduce some strategies for conversation that they might choose from.

Summary

• Conversation classes are based on face to face communication.

• Online components can help to– List steps so that students

can follow the class at their own pace in class or for homework

– Automate the cycles of learning, especially through feedback and references to keep on task

– Allow students to submit work outside of class (video or recordings of assignments)

Technology

Textbooks? No! Blended CALL for EFL Conversation Classes! Throw away the textbooks?