Example

| Description | Context | Actions | Knowledge | References | Issues |

Description

Designing and managing learning environments which take into account the opportunities and limits within the didactics of foreign language learning.

Context of actions related to the practice

From “The Impact of Information and Communications Technologies on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and on the Role of Teachers of Foreign Languages” - a report from the International Certificate Conference, commissioned by Directorate General of Education and Culture

The use of computers in the teaching and learning of Foreign Languages (FLT & FLL) in universities dates back to the 1960s, but it was not until the advent of the personal computer (PC) in the late 1970s that computers became accessible to a wider audience. By the mid-1980s computers were in widespread use in European schools and the acronym CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) had been coined. Nowadays it is more appropriate to talk about Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and FLT & FLL rather than CALL, thereby emphasising the important role that computers play in enabling teachers and students of languages to communicate with one another across the globe. The growing importance and globalisation of ICT in FLT & FLL was reflected in the establishment in 1986 of EUROCALL and in 1998 of WorldCALL, European and global organisations of professional associations that aim to outreach to nations currently underserved in the area of ICT and FLT & FLL.

ICT is ubiquitous in contemporary society and permeates almost all forms of human interaction. Its presence and usage have brought about changes of paradigms in communicative behaviour, above all in the spheres of business and administration, and governments in Europe and beyond have become increasingly aware of the need to provide education and training to meet the challenges and opportunities which the global economy, fuelled by developments in ICT, presents.

The new technologies are breaking down borders and barriers at a faster rate than is possible in physical terms. Sudden, unexpected encounters with other languages and cultures confront European citizens with new choices, opportunities and challenges. Thanks to the WWW, access to authentic materials has never been easier; vast linguistic resources and an exhaustive range of materials are available in all languages of the European Union and beyond, ready for immediate exploitation.

The aim of this report was to survey current developments in ICT, to measure its impact on FLT & FLL in Europe and to predict possible future developments. One important fact that has emerged from this study is that Foreign Languages as a subject area is “different” from most other subject areas in the curriculum, namely that it is skill-based as well as knowledge-based, and in this respect it has more in common with Music than, say, History or Geography. This has implications both for the types of hardware and software that are used in FLT & FLL, but also for FLT pedagogy and methodology.

The acquisition of new skills, referred to in the report as “the new literacies” (technical, critical, linguistic and cultural), plays an extremely important role in the acceptance, adoption and use of ICT in FLT. Teacher training is shown to be the key to the successful introduction and deployment of the new media. Special efforts are required to overcome observed gender and generation divides and to redress the balance by providing specific training programmes which encourage female teachers and older faculty to become acquainted with ICT and its attendant advantages.

With regard to pedagogy and methodology, research has shown that a “shift of paradigm” is necessary in teacher / learner roles. Co-operative, collaborative procedures are called for to harness the wide range of possibilities the new media offer. Teachers are called upon to abandon traditional roles and act more as guides and mentors, exploring the new media themselves as learners and thus acting as role models for their learners. The case studies show that there is closer interaction between teacher and students when the new media are employed.

Concerning the general availability of the necessary technology, recent statistics indicate that all Member States of the European Union are well on the way to achieving a satisfactory state of “network-readiness” which will facilitate and promote eLearning. The same is largely true of the pre-accession countries, which are making remarkable efforts to catch up and to bridge the digital divide.

Research also indicates that European teachers seem to be overwhelmingly open to technological change with an enormous reservoir of potential Internet users amongst EU teachers. Although there are few specific statistics for language teachers, what information is available indicates that, apart from ICT subject specialists, language teachers are the most open to the use of the new media.

However, the use and deployment of ICT in FLT and FLL is far from satisfactory, as ICT resources are traditionally reserved for “(computer) science” subjects, and rarely assigned to arts subjects. A general lack of appropriate training of language teachers in meaningful uses of ICT tends to strengthen this trend.

The case studies presented in this report provide samples of good practice and illustrate that the use of ICT increases motivation amongst teachers and learners alike and leads to improved performance and motivation on the part of the learners.

In their responses to the questionnaire distributed, ministries of education showed a growing awareness of the need to address the question of providing specific support for ICT in FLT. Research into this area is being initiated and teaching / learning programs are being developed for a number of languages (albeit the most frequently taught and used in Europe). Most expect a considerable increase in the use of ICT in FLT & FLL in the near future.

Experts polled about the future use of ICT in FLT & FLL are unanimous in their view that ICT will play an increasingly important role as the new media become increasingly integrated into everyday life. They predict greater co-operation and collaboration at a European and at a global level, particularly significant for the least widely used and least taught languages (LWULT). Advances in technology and increased user-friendliness of equipment will break down resistance to ICT use in and outside the classroom. The present fascination with technology will fade, giving way to an emphasis on improved pedagogy which will facilitate “blended” learning, which will become increasingly time and place independent. There will be a shift from passive consumption of ready-made programmes to independent building of content, tailor made for specifics groups or individuals.

However, the experts emphasised that, although increasing use is being made of ICT for content research and immediate communication needs in foreign languages, at present, not enough attention is being devoted to questions of how the new media can systematically aid language acquisition and learning.

In summary, it can be said that the positive potential of ICT in FLT & FLL has been recognised, the technology and materials are available, but ongoing training is essential if we are to reap the benefits of the rich learning environment which ICT offers for foreign language learning.

Actions related to this practice

Provide language learning environments and situations that:

- allow students to interact with multimedia rich material so as to engage them on various cognitive and sensorial levels;

- afford opportunities for students to communicate in interesting and meaningful ways;

- include opportunities for reflection about language meaning and about the language learning process (learning to learn);

- encourage learners to participate in collaborative efforts, where learners and teachers complement one another’s skills, expertise and knowledge.

Involve students in projects of an interdisciplinary nature, where there are opportunities for collaboration and for developing target language skills in specific contexts. 

Provide students with adequate linguistic support and mediation so as to allow them to take full advantage of the opportunities made available through the use of ICT.

Reflect on the structure and organisation of language class activities dedicated to specific topics (chosen by the students, assigned by the teacher) which call on students to use and represent their knowledge of the target language.

Encourage students to be active creators of the target language and not merely passive recipients of it.

Knowledge areas related to the activities involved in this practice

Knowledge of technology-enhanced learning environments  and of the opportunities and challenges they can offer within language learning and teaching.

Knowledge of the impact on the language learning process that derives from the adoption of different media within language learning and teaching.

Knowledge of different methodologies and approaches to language teaching and learning and how these are affected and enhanced by ICT

Awareness of new types of language forms and genres, and to what extent language acquisition must be complemented by language socialisation.

Knowledge of how ICT can change language acquisition and how paths and activities may be designed to exploit those changes for language learning purposes.

References

"The Impact of Information and Communications Technologies on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and on the Role of Teachers of Foreign Languages" (downloadable in PDF or Word format from the ICC website: http://www.icc-europe.com)

Information & Communications Technology for Language Teachers

http://www.ict4lt.org

ISSUES

Issues 1

Description

Understanding how the use of concordancers and language corpora fits in with language teaching methodologies.

Possible response

Seeking out cases and tools used in concordancing with language corpora and adapting these to best  meet the specific goals that the teacher wishes to attain.

Resources

Language Learning & Technology - Special Issue “Using Corpora in Language Teaching and Learning” Volume 5, No. 3. September 2001.

http://llt.msu.edu/vol5num3/default.html

CASE STUDY 1.1

Information & Communications Technology for Language Teachers (ICT4LT) Module 2.4

Using concordance programs in the modern foreign languages classroom

http://www.ict4lt.org

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