Sunday's plenary at the IATEFL conference in Manchester was by Joy Egbert,
A still-common issue with technology use in language learning is an overly-strong focus on the digital tools and a relatively weak emphasis on actual learning. This technocentric approach may arise, in part, from a lack of clear theoretical grounding for classroom technology use. While it's unclear whether atheoretical uses of technology actually provide barriers to learning, it is clear from the research that principled uses can lead to student achievement. But which principles should language educators use to guide their planning? This plenary proposes that principles of task engagement, as part of an educator's overall understanding of second language learning, can serve both educators and learners well in technology enhanced environments. Task engagement -- which includes principles of authenticity, connection, interaction, feedback and challenge/skills balance -- supports current popular trends such as flipping instruction and the use of serious education games that underscore the need for students to find their studies engaging.
This plenary provides an overview of task engagement and examples of why and how language educators might engage their learners with technology.
After musing on BAFL (British as a Foreign Language) and her difficultly understanding Doctor Who, Joy Egbert, who is a profesor at Washington State University, started to talk about issues in language learning and technology.
Her first point struck a chord, as she suggested we needed to move away from referring to this field as CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), as "there is too much emphasis on the computer part and not enough on the language learning part." In fact, this is not new, and is why practitioners involved with IATEFL have for years now referred to what was known as CALL, as Learning Technologies. It's also why the focus of the book I wrote, Language Learning with Technology organises the content by language learning areas and not by technology, as most of previously published books for teachers do. I always thought that it was mainly the academics who were the only ones who clung to using this term (EuroCALL, for example), and perhaps this is what Joy was referring to. Or perhaps it's more the case in the U.S. - the TESOL Special Interest group is named CALL-IS.
Why engagement matters
Joy believes this matters, because her experience of learning Spanish at school was not good - she was drilled and killed and only got to really know how to speak Spanish when she lived in Mexico. She also experienced PLATO, trying to learn Russian this way, that was not a good experience. Her kids also are learning languages in different ways and her daughter in her first year of Spanish has been put off learning languages because of the way she is being taught - it is boring and frustrating.
How language is learned
Joy next turned to Spolsky's explanation of how language is learned (see below) and she believes that the most important thing a teacher can do is to provide opportunities for learners:
A still-common issue with technology use in language learning is an overly-strong focus on the digital tools and a relatively weak emphasis on actual learning. This technocentric approach may arise, in part, from a lack of clear theoretical grounding for classroom technology use. While it's unclear whether atheoretical uses of technology actually provide barriers to learning, it is clear from the research that principled uses can lead to student achievement. But which principles should language educators use to guide their planning? This plenary proposes that principles of task engagement, as part of an educator's overall understanding of second language learning, can serve both educators and learners well in technology enhanced environments. Task engagement -- which includes principles of authenticity, connection, interaction, feedback and challenge/skills balance -- supports current popular trends such as flipping instruction and the use of serious education games that underscore the need for students to find their studies engaging.
This plenary provides an overview of task engagement and examples of why and how language educators might engage their learners with technology.
After musing on BAFL (British as a Foreign Language) and her difficultly understanding Doctor Who, Joy Egbert, who is a profesor at Washington State University, started to talk about issues in language learning and technology.
Her first point struck a chord, as she suggested we needed to move away from referring to this field as CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), as "there is too much emphasis on the computer part and not enough on the language learning part." In fact, this is not new, and is why practitioners involved with IATEFL have for years now referred to what was known as CALL, as Learning Technologies. It's also why the focus of the book I wrote, Language Learning with Technology organises the content by language learning areas and not by technology, as most of previously published books for teachers do. I always thought that it was mainly the academics who were the only ones who clung to using this term (EuroCALL, for example), and perhaps this is what Joy was referring to. Or perhaps it's more the case in the U.S. - the TESOL Special Interest group is named CALL-IS.
Why engagement matters
Joy believes this matters, because her experience of learning Spanish at school was not good - she was drilled and killed and only got to really know how to speak Spanish when she lived in Mexico. She also experienced PLATO, trying to learn Russian this way, that was not a good experience. Her kids also are learning languages in different ways and her daughter in her first year of Spanish has been put off learning languages because of the way she is being taught - it is boring and frustrating.
How language is learned
Joy next turned to Spolsky's explanation of how language is learned (see below) and she believes that the most important thing a teacher can do is to provide opportunities for learners:
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