Group items tagged

Abstract: This case study is based on an investigation into the use that a group of language learners made of Livemocha.com, a Social Networking Site through which language exchange is enabled via social media applications. The learners created profiles in the website and proceeded to interact with speakers of their target languages, reporting back on their experiences over a 10-week period. As communication between language partners can take place through several different channels, and can be asynchronous or synchronous, written or spoken, it was considered that the preferences of learners with different personality types (as indicated by responses to a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire) might be accommodated. Several studies have suggested that the anxiety that some language learners feel when communicating in L2, especially when speaking, is reduced in online environments. Under the premise that a reduction in anxiety may lead to an increased "willingness to communicate" (MacIntyre et al., 1998), the principal objective of this project was to examine the type and frequency of online interactions that the participants engaged in with other speakers of their target languages in the Livemocha language learning community.

potential reading about differences b/w gen x, gen y, and babyboomers and how different generations might respond to teaching styles.

Looking for a different language learning network to sing up for, I came across this list of language learning sites. I browsed through it and there are some networks I haven't heard about, as well as sites with all kind of resources for learning different languages. Hope it helps!

Great suggestions in this article for using Flipgrid. I really like the idea of keeping track of completed assignments (in my school that would be considered a Habit of Work as we do not grade homework anyhow) and perhaps using Flipgrid as part of a summative assessment at the end of the semester...lots of no stress practice and, by the time the assessment comes, they are all familiar with the technology.

Thanks for sharing this article! I liked the idea of different context and different identity :-) Sometimes students express themselves more comfortable at the beginning through the use of alternate identities. Specially if they have to video record themselves when they are learning the language.

My only concern is that how much the material they use in video can be authentic.

This article presents a research about the effects on integrating multimedia sources on second language vocabulary acquisition. The researchers exposed the language learners to different stimulus: video with audio and captions, video with audio, and video with captions and compare the results to analyze their effect on language acquisition.

I like this article even though it's from 6 years ago because it talks about the benefits to teletandem communication. I hope you are able to read it because it's from the Chronicle of Higher Education and you might need to sign up.

It sounds interesting but I can't read the article because it prompts me to log in or create an account. I've always been interested in what I call "The cultural dimension of FL teaching".

Some different ways of reading and checking on what students have read!

These are great ideas! I think some are very adaptable for different types of activities, too.

Create different color QR codes in order to separate the groups by task. Differentiated instruction but more discreet with the use of QR codes.

I thought this episode of the 'Cult of Pedagogy' podcast provided a thorough, relatable and succinct description of differences you need to take into account when planning an online course. It was informative, but also comforting. It didn't just talk about all of the things that you MUST DO to be a good teacher online. It also discussed the social needs of teachers and students in this environment.

Abstract This study contributes to the body of research that aims to understand the relationship between online communication and foreign language (FL) learning, in particular when teachers seek to provide authentic opportunities for interaction for their learners. The study was motivated by efforts made in the New Zealand context to overcome the geographic limitations of interaction between FL learners and native speakers. We report on the findings of an exploratory study into an online reciprocal peer tutoring program established to enhance the FL learning of a group of beginner eleven-year old students of Spanish, with particular focus on the benefits of written corrective feedback. The project aimed to examine the processes by which students tutored each other in the online environment as they responded to each other's texts. The analysis of the students' messages focused on (1) the aspects of language corrected by the tutors, (2) the frequency with which tutors accurately identified and provided input on errors, (3) the types of feedback provided by the tutors, and (4) what the learners did with the corrections and feedback. The findings indicate that the students were willing to contribute to peer correction and used different strategies and correction techniques to foster attention to linguistic form, although they were not always capable of providing accurate feedback or metalinguistic explanations.

"Systematic reviews of literature are studies that strategically search for published research on a specific topic in order to synthesize what is known about the topic. This systematic review describes 157 articles on synchronous online learning (SOL) from thirty-four different countries on instructional setting, content areas, participant demographics, research designs, independent and dependent variables, SOL technologies, and data-collection tools. "

Abstract: This paper sets the stage for the articles selected for the special issue "Language learning and social media: (r)evolution?". Starting with some definitions of mainstream terms like "social media", "web 2.0", "social web", "social networking sites (SNS)" and "web 2.0 language learning communities". The purpose is not to "reinvent the wheel" by suggesting new definitions, but to synthesize definitions of mainstream terms and juxtapose them to similar concepts from CALL literature. We then critically discuss three key features of web 2.0 technologies (user participation, openness and network effects). Despite the fact that these three features were present to some extent in technologies prior to social media, we examine whether they take on a radically different meaning in the social media era. Research insights are discussed in the last section of the paper.

Abstract: In this paper, we examine the use of Facebook (FB) as a social networking tool in an intermediate French class. After reviewing the available studies on FB in language instruction, we analyze surveys that were administered to students as well as student FB posts. We look at the potential benefits of social media, specifically FB, and discuss its impact on foreign language learning. We aim to address how FB is being used in the language classroom, how students respond to the integration of this social networking site in courses, the attitudes of higher education foreign language learners towards FB, as well as the role of FB in new learning spaces and with today's learners. An analysis of survey data suggests that students respond in a positive manner toward the use of FB in education and highlights some differences in the way FB is used in both personal and academic settings.

Why do the terms "nature," "landscape," and "wilderness" have such positive connotations in German? Why do humans yearn for nature and protect it? How does this differ from culture to culture? Dossier article from the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

If you are really into Twitter, here is a site that investigates a number of tools that will help you use Twitter in different ways.

Interesting note on cultural differences in the apps used.

The debate about teaching languages online continues - with Rosetta Stone at the center of this article.  With a teacher, without a teacher, with RS or without, the key is still how it is taught and that can differ widely from class to class!

I totally agree with you. I think that RS is a good tool to use in place of a textbook, but it doesn't change the fact that you need more than a textbook to learn something with great quality. Conversation is key and having someone there to converse with is what helps and increases the learning. If you don't use it, you loose it fast.