A digital library of language learning exercises

Recent years have seen widespread adoption of the Internet for language teaching and learning. Interactive systems on the World-Wide Web provide useful alternatives to face-to-face tuition, and both teachers and learners can benefit from the exercises available. However, although there is a wealth of suitable material, it is hard to find because it is scattered around the web. Moreover, teachers are restricted by the material that is available, and cannot provide their own. To tackle these problems we have constructed a digital library of language learning exercises that presents students with different kinds of exercise, and also lets teachers contribute new material. We first reviewed existing language learning systems on the web in order to develop a taxonomy of exercise types used for language activity. A prototype, ELLE, based on this taxonomy, provides various kinds of interactive exercises using material that teachers submit. The system has been evaluated by practicing language teachers

ICT and applied linguistics – A project approach

This workshop discusses and shows examples of student-created ICT projects developed as part of Applied Linguistics coursework. A “Top 20 Site Search” asked students to select sites to recommend to other (novice) teachers of English. Besides student learning resources, they also located resources of use to teachers for lesson planning, test development, and so on. A similar project was conducted with students in a graduate Materials Design course. Students submitted their top sites, which were compiled and made available on web CT. In class, they took turns showing the best features of their favorite sites. Perhaps the best example of learner motivation linked to IT comes from undergraduate courses in first and second language acquisition. Although not explicitly asked to use IT, the better projects integrated digital video clips so as to show samples collected during their research. Another example is a fieldwork “scrapbook” presented via Power Point. It is clear that students went well beyond the requirements of the assignment when implementing and presenting their projects. IT was obviously a valuable tool and even a motivator for students as they explored language learning issues, processes and concepts

Authoring a Web‐enhanced interface for a new language‐learning environment

This paper presents conceptual considerations underpinning a design process set up to develop an applicable and usable interface as well as defining parameters for a new and versatile Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) environment. Based on a multidisciplinary expertise combining Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Web‐based Java programming, CALL authoring and language teaching expertise, it strives to generate new CALL‐enhanced curriculum developments in language learning. The originality of the approach rests on its design rationale established on the strength of previously identified student requirements and authoring needs identifying inherent design weaknesses and interactive limitations of existing hypermedia CALL applications (Hémard, 1998). At the student level, the emphasis is placed on three important design decisions related to the design of the interface, student interaction and usability. Thus, particular attention is given to design considerations focusing on the need to (a) develop a readily recognizable, professionally robust and intuitive interface, (b) provide a student‐controlled navigational space based on a mixed learning environment approach, and (c) promote a flexible, network‐based, access mode reconciling classroom with open access exploitations. At the author level, design considerations are essentially orientated towards adaptability and flexibility with the integration of authoring facilities, requiring no specific authoring skills, to cater for and support the need for a flexible approach adaptable to specific language‐learning environments. This paper elaborates on these conceptual considerations within the design process with particular emphasis on the adopted principled methodology and resulting design decisions and solutions

Using web-based language learning activities in the ESL classroom

This article looks at ways of using Web-based language learning (WBLL) activities and reports the results of a WBLL project that developed a Web site as a supplementary resource for teaching English as a second language (ESL) and tested the Web site with a group of students in an ESL context. The Web site provides WBLL session plans for ESL teachers, containing three types of WBLL activities: pre-created Web activities for grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening; task-based Web activities that require students to use the Web to produce certain outcomes; and teacher-made Web activities. Participants in WBLL sessions using the Web site showed positive attitudes toward WBLL and expressed the view that they would like to use more Web activities during and outside class time

Time Flies When You’re Focused and Having Fun!

Comprend des références bibliographiques

Virtual worlds, Internet resources, motivation: The results of a research project

Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00

TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS TO IMPROVE READING SKILLS FOR THE FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SD NEGERI 11 NGRINGO, JATEN, KARANGANYAR

This final project report is written based on the job training that which was carried out by the writer at SD Negeri 11 Ngringo, Jaten. The purposes of the project are to describe the process, method and the problems and the solution in teaching and learning process to improve reading skill for the fifth grade students of SD Negeri 11 Ngringo, Jaten, including its problems faced by the students and also the solutions for those problems. In writing this final report, the writer collected the data by observing the class, interviewing to the students, library study and directly teaching in the classroom. The writer found difficulties aced by students in the way to read the text covering the pronunciation and understanding the text. The writer used direct method in teaching and learning process. Moreover, the writer taught them systematically based on the lesson plan. It consist of three main steps namely, Pre Teaching, the process of teaching implementation and closing activity of the lesson. Pre-teaching was beginning activity of the lesson. The process of teaching implementation was the main steps of teacher duties that consisted of four steps namely, Building Knowledge of Field, Modeling Text, Join Construction and Individual Construction. The third step was closing activity where the writer could assess whether the objective of the lesson was adequately reached or not. Based on the job training experience, it can be concluded that the problems faced by fifth grade students in learning reading were from the students itself such as the low students’ interest and motivation. So, they were difficult to pronounce and understand the text. The writer tried to solve this problem by creating fun and communicative situation in the class related on the skill learned