Social Media in ELT - Languages Out There News Jan 2010
publication date: Jan 28, 2010
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author/source: Jason West
Hello to everyone Out ThereThis is the social media in English language
teaching and learning newsletter. The one where I tell you what I have
learnt about this amazing subject over the last year.
I really hope your growing social media habit
is bringing you and your new friends together in increasingly
worthwhile communicative interactions.
Listen to this newsletter online
"This is great...but whatever you do, don't do it!" - conflicting advice from a British Council/BBC website
How to train an ageing brain
Top 5 things I learnt in 2009
Old Jokes Home
Listen to me read this newsletter:
you can see and hear me read this newsletter on our Facebook fans page,
click here (careful I do it in one take, so no editing, and the
mistakes are left in):
"This is great...but try not to do it!" 'Teaching and learning through social networks' is an article that was submitted to the British Council and BBC joint website Teaching English
by the editor of the site (whom I know has used online language
exchange websites to practise his Portuguese because he told me).
It is a very useful article but there is one
hilarious and highly contradictory sentence nestling in amongst all of
the good advice. I would say that this sentence displays, in a
nutshell, the dichotomy (two opposing views) that many in ELT are
struggling with. See if you can spot it?
Did you see it? Did you? If you missed it, see if you can spot it in this excerpt, I have highlighted it,
"In
2007, the British Council conducted market research into how the
Internet has affected the preferred learning styles of young people
wanting to learn English around the world. The results of this research
suggest that if teachers are to remain relevant and effective, then
they need to use 'learning technologies' to help students reach the
world outside the classroom.
69% of learners around the world said that they learned most effectively when socialising informally
This result suggests that a lot of students learn best from their friends and family. Perhaps that isn't so surprising. The things we learn from our loved ones are often more immediately relevant to our lives than what we learn from a teacher in a classroom. Also, when we are relaxed (such as when we are at home or in a café), then we are more open to suggestions and new ideas.
Does that mean teachers should start taking their students to cafés more? No, of course not. However, a lot of teachers take their students outside of the classroom once a term to try and create a different experience, atmosphere and dynamic for their teaching and learning."
Adult brain ache and how to beat it - When
I read this article it didn't really surprise me but I think it does
give a strong idea about how, with all of the other recent research,
there is a very clear pattern developing. This path of enquiry is
heading towards a much more concrete scientific explanation of how
human beings learn a second language most effectively.
Top five things I learnt in 2009:
- The human brain is amazing. That latest research is taking language learning in a whole new direction and the world needs course materials to match: Read: 'A new view of language acquisition' - Kuhl and Rivera-Gaxiola, 'Neural substrates of language acquisition' - Kuhl and Rivera-Gaxiola, 'Meaning Threats (implicit learning)' - Travis and Proulx.
- We have the technology and it will only get better - visit Wiziq.com to see EOT materials being used inside a virtual classroom on a virtual whiteboard, go to Facebook to see how it is now voice enabled and can record using fully integrated Vivox VoIP technology.
- The growth in online language exchange using social networks has been driven by an innate need of learners to practise. They have gone online to get what conventional courses and teaching cannot provide. Real sustained practice. However, language exchange has some problems for the participants. But I think the problems can easily be solved.
- There is no doubt that language is learnt socially and the world's English learners really want to improve their spoken English skills but they need better systems in which to study and practise.
- Progress and change still scare a lot of people. Most tellingly, those who can already speak very good English.
How to use our unique materials...anywhere, online, offline, in Second Life.......:
You still might not know but we have had a
channel on Youtube for a while now...see students talking about their
experiences of EOT:
We have temporarily suspended premium
membership and ebook purchases whilst we make some changes. Meanwhile
you can purchase a printed version of the world's first English course for use with online social media, Intermediate TD4, from Amazon:
....and here is a review of Intermediate TD4 on TEFL.net:
"I would certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a new, vibrant
and engaging approach to learning English and look forward to using
these materials in more of my own classes."
BTW, tech and social media dominated the new words in the Oxford English dictionary last year:
...and this fantastic video called Social Media Revolution tells you how important a change we are going through:
Old Jokes Home:
Q: Why did Frosty go and live in the middle of the ocean?
A: Because snowman is an island.
A: Because snowman is an island.
Until next time...
Cheers
Jason