CALICO 2001, University of Central Florida
Technologies for Language Learning:
Using the Proven and Proving the New
March 13-17, 2001
Hosted by
University of Central Florida
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Conference Presentations: Day One
March 15, 2001
10:00 – 10:45
Training Future Foreign Language Teachers with the Tek.xam
Edwina Spodark
As the expectation that foreign language teachers will know how to integrate the latest computer technologies into their classes becomes a reality, in turn, it becomes incumbent upon those of us who teach teachers to incorporate methods of instruction into our own classes that ensure their success. Based on the Tek.xam, developed by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, this presentation will demonstrate how to organize a foreign language methodology course using technology modules that link technological specifics to real classroom practices that are necessary for every future language teacher.
Second Language Hypertexts: A Study of Reading Behavior and Reading Comprehension Among Intermediate Learners of French
Susan Cooledge
In this presentation I will briefly demonstrate a hypertext application used to track the reading behaviors of second language learners. The hypertext is annotated at two levels: immediate lexical information in the target language (French) and subsequent lexical information in the native language (English), which is available only after the second language annotation has been accessed. I will then report findings from a study conducted among intermediate learners of French which explores relationships among reading behaviors, as documented by the computer, reading comprehension, language proficiency, and language learner variables.
Software Selection: A Primer on Sources and Evaluation
Jack Burston
Foreign language teachers are increasingly being called upon to make software acquisition decisions. Making software recommendations presupposes informed decisions based on adequate knowledge of software resources and their evaluation. Yet many language teachers are at a loss how to go about this and regularly turn to colleagues for software suggestions. In the end, however, software selection must be made relative to local curricular circumstances. The purpose of this paper therefore is to provide guidance in software selection by identifying sources of foreign language software, indicating sources of foreign language software reviews, and, outlining essential procedures of software evaluation.
Distance Education: An Application in a Work Environment
Lise Desmarais
Research on distance education has been conducted mostly in school, college, and university settings. However, distance education in a work environment is a viable option since learners can work at their own pace, according to their schedule and time zone. Since 1996, the Canadian Foreign Service Institute has used distance education to deliver a part of its language training programs. The programs offered so far focus on developing writing, reading, and translation skills through activities directly related to students’ work. In the presentation, the language training programs will be described as well as the logistics of delivering distance language learning programs in a work environment. Research results on students’ attitudes, participation, and teachers’ influence will be also described.
Using Authentic Documents
Fabienne Gérard and Claudia Hausburg
The use of the authentic documents provided by the Web requires careful planning. This session presents a selection of complete lesson plans in which high school students use the Web as a tool to discover and practice new linguistic elements within the framework of authentic cultural documents (French). Each unit follows a carefully constructed three-step progression consisting of (a) introduction, (b) systematic practice, and (c) application in broader context.
Learning French Pronunciation: Audiocassettes or Multimedia?
Alysse Weinberg and Hélène Knoerr
Are the receptive and productive skills of intermediate level learners of French as a Second Language influenced by the explicit teaching of phonetic and prosodic elements? If so, which delivery mode, audio cassettes or multimedia, is the most effective to teach these elements? This paper describes the results of an experiment with three groups of intermediate level French students. The first group learned phonetic and prosodic elements using a traditional audio cassette module, the second group worked with a multimedia version of that same module, while the last group received no explicit instruction in these elements. The comparison is based on the results of a pre- and posttest and a satisfaction survey.
Getting SMART about Authoring
Christopher Cieri
To create realistic, adaptive, and multimodal learning experiences, the materials developer requires not only courseware technology and distribution channels but also raw and annotated language data. The Source Media Authoring Resources & Tools (SMART) project addresses the relative dearth of such material for language teachers and learners. SMART delivers raw and annotated data, including conversations, written text, and broadcast audio and video, via an infrastructure that provides licensing and computing support such as browsing, searching, extracting, and converting. This paper describes the SMART data, tool set, and distribution mechanisms as well as the pilot efforts now underway in Arabic and German.
11:00 – 11:45
Leave Your CD-ROM at Home––all you need is … WEB! How a Multimedia CALL Tool Can Make Optimal Use of the Java Runtime Environment
Zhang Senquan, Peter Leimbigler, and William Arthur McKee
This demonstration of the multimedia CJK CALL software, KEY (cjkware.com), features the new, completely web-based server edition, only released in December 2000. Instead of installing and running the software on a single computer or on a conventional network (LAN), it is installed on an Internet or Intranet server in its Java version. The software is operated remotely on the client machine as a Java Applet within the Java Runtime Environment of Sun Microsystems, including such processing-intensive multimedia features as Text To Speech. It reflects the growing trend to make traditionally CD-ROM-based CALL programs available through world-wide or intranet-wide networks.
Demonstrating Discourse Features Through Authentic Speech Video
Karen Schairer
Filmed in culture-rich settings, quality language videos provide credible illusions of spontaneous conversation, facilitating comprehension by progressing through language forms and functions appropriate to each acquisition level. Scripted conversations, however, seldom incorporate natural discourse features such as false starts, hesitations, restatements, and midsentence topic changes that abound in unscripted authentic speech and that complicate learner comprehension. This presentation offers authentic speech segments that accustom students, beginning through advanced, to natural discourse features. It includes techniques for overcoming some of the challenges inherent in converting “talking heads” into dynamic language presentations through imaginative use of interactive tasks, color, graphics, and sound.
Managing Resources and Users in a Digital Language Lab
Maria Erickson
Santa Monica College (SMC) made the transition from an analogue to a digital lab in March 1999 and has used Teleste’s Library Pilot managing software to organize the database that the students access to find their materials. The presenter will share SMC’s transition experience and explain how SMC has utilized and adapted various Library Pilot features to meet the distinct needs of its 10-language community college curriculum. She will also demonstrate how she is using the program to input and access student data and how SMC students navigate through the system to find what they need. This presentation will be beneficial to current users of Library Pilot and to participants exploring database organization for Language Labs.
Music for the Spanish Classroom
Karl Fisher
Funded by Middlebury’s Project 2001 Mellon grant, this project is a collection of Spanish and Latin American songs for the classroom. The accompanying web site will include lyrics, cultural notes, MP3’s of the songs, and JavaScript cloze exercises.
Interpersonal and Intrapersonal English as a Second Language (ESL) Acquisition Using WebCT
Stephen Carey
A coherent series of studies on English as a Second Language (ESL) acquisition through content teaching for Asian students in graduate courses such as Research Methods, Narrative as Inquiry for Inter-Cultural Understanding, and Language Planning showed the limitation of widely held views on negotiated meaning as an interpersonal variable and underscored the importance of iterative intrapersonal and recursive processes in throughput as primary variables in promoting ESL acquisition. Detailed analyses of data from both student protocols and interview data showed how students’ search for voice and face were critical variables in promoting ESL acquisition.
Libra Becomes Gemini
Michael Farris, Robert Fischer, and James Champion
The Libra multimedia authoring system has evolved into Gemini which supports the development of reading and listening comprehension materials for both standalone and web-based applications. This presentation will describe the features of the new Gemini authoring environment, its procedures for web-based and cross-platform deployment, and its application to a multimedia reading lesson designed for Polly Platt’s Ils sont fous ces Français ‘French or Foe’ and to a reading lesson based on a short story, “Mi tío Cirilo,” by Sabine Ulibarrí.
Reading French at the University of Calgary
Brian Gill
I will present a new web-based course in reading French, launched at the University of Calgary in the 1999-2000 academic year. After discussing the rationale, objectives, and theoretical underpinnings of the project, I will demonstrate the web site which takes students from zero French to comfortable reading knowledge in four semesters. The courses emphasize, but are not limited to, constructivist activities based on the wealth of authentic materials in French on the Web. I will show the results of preliminary evaluations and end the presentation with an overview of lessons learned.
2:30 – 3:15
The Effect of Text and Picture Annotation Types on Incidental Vocabulary Learning: A Qualitative Study
Makoto Yoshii
In this presentation the results of a study on the effect of annotation types on incidental vocabulary learning will be presented. The study has been conducted to see what kind of annotation is most useful for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners to pick up words as they read a story on the Internet. Following a brief summary of the results of the quantitative part, the qualitative part of the study will be introduced. The results of a questionnaire and survey given to the beginning and intermediate ESL learners will be presented and discussed concerning the annotation type on the Web.
Increasing Cultural Awareness via the Internet
Minjie Xing and Jinhui Wang
Being 8,000 kilometers away geographically and 3,000 years historically, British students at Salford University in the UK can hardly understand some of the Eastern culture when learning the Chinese language for Traditional Chinese Medicine. To meet this demand, a Computer-Assisted Culture Awareness system came into being. Through the integrative use of specially designed homepages and NetMeeting, not only can they observe the traditional Chinese philosophy, institutions, and education systems, but they also can communicate with the students in China. By clarifying relevant information and exchanging ideas, language learning is no longer a standalone task, but an interactive part of the culture learning experience.
Speech-Enabled Multimedia Lessons for German
Johannes Vazulik, David Wilson, and Mark Gagnon
In the last decade a library of laboratory lessons has been written at West Point to provide cadets the sights and sounds of the target language using videodiscs. Recently, the German faculty has begun the process of retrofitting these lessons to make use of speech recognition technology. Where copyright permits, videodisc materials are being converted to digital file format. The resulting courseware is useable both in the laboratory and also on cadet-owned computers in their own rooms. This presentation includes a demonstration of the speech-enabled courseware and a review of cadet attitudes toward this new genre of study materials.
Learner Control and Error Correction in ICALL: Browsers, Peekers, and Adamants
Trude Heift
This presentation reports the findings of a study on the impact of learner control on the error correction process within a web-based Intelligent Language Tutoring System (ILTS). During three one-hour grammar practice sessions, 33 students used an ILTS for German that provided error-specific and individualized feedback. In addition to receiving detailed error reports, students had the option of peeking at the correct answer, even before submitting a sentence (browsing). The results indicate that the majority of students (85%) sought to correct errors on their own most of the time and that some students (18%) abstained entirely from looking up answers.
Non-Programmers Guide to Interactive Web Sites
David Brooks
This session offers a demonstration of free Internet tools for building interactive web sites without requiring programming skills. While providing on-line course materials and activities may appear to be a challenging and time-consuming task, a wealth of useful and easily learned tools are available for making the creation of language learning web sites quite manageable for any classroom instructor and successful for students. Using actual sites, the presenter will show how to use on-line forms for collecting data and making surveys and polls, how to create various types of language exercises for practice and evaluation, and how to add interactive content.
Phonagogue––A Template for Phonetics Activities
Françoise Denis and Dan Soneson
This template allows instructors of all Western languages to develop phonetic activities for their students. It includes model pronunciation of words, phrases, and sentences using either audio or video files, construction of a lexicon of phonemes with video examples and a cutout side image of the articulation points, and phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Students may listen as often as they like and record their own voices. Examples of two French lessons constructed with the template will be demonstrated.
Technologies to Facilitate K-16 Articulation and Collusions
Kathryn Murphy-Judy and Robert Godwin-Jones
This panel probes the use of technology to promote K-16 collaborations. There is no lack of good will or interest to learn, implement, create and share technology-enhanced language learning up and down the curriculum. There is, however, a serious lack of time. Since no one is going to offer educators more free time, we are devising ways to reconfigure the time that we do have. One way is a consortial effort that includes materials, lesson plans, assessment forms, and the like that will allow us to share what we have already produced with our fellow teachers in central Virginia.
3:30 – 4:15
On-Line Language Learning Assessment Tool
Claire Bartlett, Hiroko Sato, and Jane Verm
For almost two years, we have been using ExTemplate, a multimedia web assessment tool created by the Language Resource Center at Rice. This web application enables instructors to easily create tests, quizzes, and exercises, while providing them with easy access to student records. Its new features will be presented with examples in several languages including those using non-Roman character fonts. Since Spanish and Japanese courses have a significant amount of material created with ExTemplate, most examples will be taken from these two languages.
Teaching Technical Communications in the MultiMedia Learning System
Ma Lee
Multimedia University aspires to innovatively offer its programs in multimedia via the computer, virtual experiences, and new technologies. The MultiMedia Learning System (MMLS) attempts to achieve effective teaching /learning in this institution. This paper discusses the fundamentals of MMLS materials, student needs, expectations, and rationale of organization In the MMLS, the lecturer module is supported by a student module, an administrative module, and a miscellaneous module. The paper demonstrates the elements expected in the teaching materials such as the instructional system, interactivity and intelligence, and multimedia mode through the teaching of the English Communications offered to Information Technology (IT)/Engineering undergraduates. The system mainly supports the teaching of writing skills for communication; teaching strategies involve more of genre writing template writing. The on-line materials attempt to demonstrate how the MMLS facilitates this. As it is still an evolving methodology/approach, the paper attempts to evaluate the tremendous challenges that lie ahead in the teaching of English for Special Purposes (ESP), in particular, to the IT and Engineering undergraduates
The Digital Age: Teaching and Learning for Tomorrow Today
Mark Benno
We have equipped teachers and students with multimedia computers connected to the Internet, but it is apparent that hardware and connectivity alone will not make the improvement in education that we were hoping to see. The students that we are working with today are different from students of even a few years ago. That is fairly obvious, but the real question is how are they different and how should we as educators adapt our approach to instruction to meet the needs of our students. What should instruction and learning look like when technology is integrated appropriately? The potential for teaching and learning for tomorrow is extremely high. Learn how to get there today.
Developing a Web Concordancer for English as a Second/Foreign Language Learners and Teachers
Hao-Jan Chen
The Data-Driven Learning (DDL) approach to language learning (Johns, 1994) has been highly recommended by second language teachers and researchers. The key tool for DDL is the concordancer. However, many PC-based concordancing programs are not widely accessible. As the World Wide Web has become the best platform for distributing educational resources, a web concordancer can provide convenient resources to users from anywhere at anytime. This paper first reviews several existing web-based concordancers and then identifies their strengths and weakness. Based on the comparison, the final section describes how language faculty at National Taiwan Ocean University developed a web concordancer.
Knowledge Construction and Template-Based Learning: New Technologies and Language Learning in Theory and Practice
Bernd Rüschoff
The paper discusses principles of the knowledge society in terms of its characteristics and resulting challenges for language learning. Constructivism is seen as the appropriate paradigm for language learning, and Papert’s term, constructionism, will be considered as a basis for putting theory into practice, thus keeping separate the theoretical platform of such an approach and its practical implementation. Constructionism could serve as the guiding principle for curriculum design, materials development, and classroom practice. The paper then discusses template-based learning as a possible metaphor for the design of technology-enhanced materials aimed at providing learners with constructionist learning scenarios and concludes with a presentation of selected examples.
Assessing and Customizing Language On-Line (LOL)
Christopher M. Jones, N. Ann Chenoweth, and Kimmaree Murday
This presentation will detail progress in the Mellon-funded project at Carnegie Mellon University to offer the first two years of French and Spanish on line. First and second semester Spanish courses will be demonstrated. An enhancement allowing multiple instructors to offer custom student assignment plans integrating both external and LOL pages will be explained. Updated research results from both French and Spanish on-line course offerings will be presented.
4:30 – 5:15
Organizing New Interactions: Internet Communication Portals for Learning
Owen McGrath, Erika Shuh, Fabian Banga, Howie Lan, and Jeffrey Rusch
Older standalone communication tools, such as Chat, Maillists, Listservers, Newsgroups, and MOOs are increasingly being brought together in on-line learning management systems. In this panel discussion, we present e-Babel, a Berkeley foreign language portal project which aims to provide an integrated set of tools–together with activities and resources–for offering language learners new opportunities to encounter, interact, and reflect on their use of the target language. We discuss both the educational development (e.g., instruction or training) and technological requirements of the project. In particular, we will give an overview of efforts to address the technical needs of non-alphabetic languages.
Accent Coach using Acoustic Analysis
Garry Molholt
This presentation is designed to help language instructors learn how to use visual displays of real-time acoustic analyses of speech signals to better communicate with nonnative speakers who want to improve their listening comprehension and pronunciation. It includes work on suprasegmentals, including pitch, stress, and rhythm, along with segmentals, including vowels and consonants. Basic features of several languages will be included in the examples with English featured both as the target language and as the native language. In addition, the presentation will include a brief survey of current products available for acoustic analysis.
A Multimedia Template for Video-Based Instruction and Exercises
De Bao Xu and Hong Gang Jin
De Bao Xu and Hong Gang Jin will present a multimedia template for video-based instruction and exercises which is designed for language teachers to utilize Quick-Time video in their language classes (including double byte-languages such as Chinese). The multimedia template allows language teachers to freely link video and texts, video and sound, and video and designed exercises based on their personal needs. The template is being developed with Director, and the finished video-based instruction and exercises will be a standalone program which can be used in a language lab, in a classroom, or on a personal computer.
Useful Things to Do with JavaScript: the Game-O-Matic
Dennie Hoopingarner
Beyond simple eye candy and stupid web page tricks, JavaScript offers the potential to create engaging interactivity to support language learning. One application of the technology is interactive web pages. Games are engaging to students and encourage them to spend more time on task, but games are difficult to create. This presentation will introduce the JavaScript algorithms that underlie the Game-O-Matic, a suite of wizards that automatically creates interactive web pages based on users’ input.
Psychosocial Responses to Interactive Media: Implications for CALL
María José Alvarez-Torres and Punya Mishra
Research into human-computer interaction indicates that people often respond to interactive media as they would to other people, that is, they treat interactive media as if they were intentional social actors (Reeves & Nass, 1996; Mishra, et al., 1999). For instance, people are polite to machines, they feel betrayed and angered by machines, are flattered by machines, treat machines as teammates, and so on. This response is instinctual and does not go away with expertise. In this presentation, we review some research findings in this area, including our own research studies, and outline some of the potential implications for CALL.
Errors in CALL
Mathias Schulze
Learner language varieties (e.g., Klein, 1986) have grammars that contain rules which are neither part of the mother tongue grammar nor of the target language grammar. The systematic deviations of these rules from those of the target language are usually referred to as errors (Ellis, 1994). This paper describes ways in which findings of Second Language Acquisition theory, in particular Error Analysis, inform the design of CALL components. Issues like how the stages of error analysis (recognition, description, interpretation) are implemented in different language learning packages will be discussed. The advantages of using an error classification for student profiling will be shown.
Conference Presentations: Day Two
March 16, 2001
8:00 – 8:45
The Effects of CALL on Teaching English as a Second Language
Isabel Hernandez
The purpose of this paper is to determine objectively observable effects of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). First a general view of the role of computer technology in the last years is given, next the advantages and disadvantages of using computers in ESL classrooms are explained, and finally the components are described which may make English learning–through the use of computers–a valuable, useful and meaningful experience
Analysis of Computer-Mediated Communication in a German Class: A Case Study
Claudia Kost
This study investigates learner interaction and language use in synchronous computer-mediated discussions in a fourth-semester German class. In small groups, students responded to assigned topics and then reacted to their peers’ statements. Analysis of transcripts of these sessions will be presented with respect to language production, discourse management, code switching, and syntactic features. Learners’ perceptions of their own language development as well as opinions about the use of computer-mediated writing will also be examined. The development of learners’ interactive competence and overall communicative proficiency are the main focus of this study.
A New Point of Departure for the Year 01: Initial Implementation Plans for DISSEMINATE: Macrostructure and the First Set of Modules
Philippe Delcloque and Alexandre Bramoullé
This presentation on DISSEMINATE will demonstrate the first set of modules and explain how they will operate on a client server basis interlinked together and with communication, results, and tracking structures. A report will be given on the results of a large scale survey of digital authors’ attitudes to authoring tools. The mix of technologies employed will be described including the incorporation of XML data structures and the use of other advanced tools and web technologies ranging from DreamWeaver, Flash, Shockwave, SMIL, VoiceXML, Speech Technology tools and tools generally used in the real world. The issue of the drag and drop insertion of real life assets such as Word and PowerPoint files will also be explained. The proposed international distribution structure will be outlined and the links to a materials portal will be suggested to act as a form of an Authors Co-operative.
Self-paced Language Instruction: Technology and the Beginning Language Learner
Mary Morrisard-Larkin
Holy Cross offers Spanish students an opportunity to work independently and personalize their language learning when they participate in the college’s Self-Paced Language Program. When the program first began, many questioned its appropriateness for beginning learners, choosing to believe that novices could not teach themselves. Student demand and institutional constraints, however, necessitated the creation of elementary level courses. This presentation will describe those courses and how technology is used to communicate with students and to provide them with language input. It will also review data that compares the performance of Self-Paced students to those who learned Spanish in a traditional classroom.
Bringing Culture to the Forefront of the Language Class: the Cultura Project
Gilberte Furstenberg and Sabine Levet
This session will present an innovative web-based, cross-cultural, comparative approach for developing students’ in-depth understanding of a foreign culture. We will show the Cultura web site and its content and illustrate the process which allows American and French students to gradually and collaboratively construct understanding of each other’s culture. We will also highlight the new ways in which culture and language study meet in the classroom. Presentation in English, examples in English and French.
Addressing the Teacher Experience in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication
James M. Hudson, Sébastien Dubreil, Lisa Jurkowitz, and Lionel Lemarchand
In foreign language learning, the use of chat often causes changes in discussion patterns. Students feel freer and participate more which can cause erosion of traditional forms of teacher control. The members of this panel participated in pilot studies in which they used IRC Français in a variety of ways. We will explore what it takes to make the transition from managing face-to-face conversations to managing on-line conversations and ways of successfully integrating chat into the classroom. Finally, we will examine general lessons that stem from these experiences. The format of this panel will be question-and-answer to encourage maximum audience participation.
Fokus Deutsch for First and Second Year German: On the Web, on TV, and on Campus
Ruth Sanders
Based on three semesters of experience in designing a web site for teaching an on-campus web-enhanced course for the first three semesters of German language using the Fokus Deutsch video/TV program and text, this presentation will consider issues and challenges such as interactivity, student achievement, in-class versus out-of-class assignments, gearing material to high and low achievers, student teamwork, and faculty time issues in development.
9:00 – 9:45
A Technology Enhanced Course in German Pronunciation
Randall Jones and Devin Asay
The German 310 course at Brigham Young University teaches phonetics and pronunciation. The lab portion of the course uses the Computer Based Testing Lab in the Humanities Learning Resource Center. In a learner-controlled environment, students can listen to digital exercises which demonstrate the German sounds, compare similar sounds with each other (e.g., Hüte vs. Hü:tte, Güte vs. Goethe, bitte vs. bitter) and then record their own production and compare it with that of a native speaker. The response on the part of the students has been enthusiastic. The paper will talk about the lab program and demonstrate some of the exercises.
The Design of an On-Line Text Analysis Tool
Steven D. Tripp
I am creating an on-line program for assimilating words in text files. Assimilation means taking the lexical base of the word and grouping it with all the forms of the word that appear in the database. Thus, it will count ‘system,’ ‘systematic,’ ‘systematically,’ and ‘systems’ as one word-type not as four separate word-types. The identification of such groups and a frequency ranking may be very helpful in the rational construction of a lexical syllabus. The frequency of such lexical types appears to be different from the frequency of individual word types in any database.
Starting with Pedagogy: Principles for the Development of Technology-Based Language Instruction
Ken Peterson, Stephen Flemming, Robert Zerwekh, and Carol Anne Spreen
Technology has been a key component in efforts to expand the teaching of less commonly taught languages in American universities. When designing technology-based language courses, instructors are faced with both technological and pedagogical questions. What are the best tools to use? What tasks and activities need to be enabled? What is the target audience for instruction and what skills will they gain through this medium? In seeking a balance between these exigencies, one must consider the fit between type of technology, individual teaching styles, and overall language acquisition. This presentation will address the development of web-based and CD-ROM formats for language instruction in light of the pedagogic and technical issues that program developers are faced with. Discussion includes presentations from several institutions/organizations representing a diverse set of language programs: IU/ACTR (Azeri, Kazahk, Turkmen, Uzbek), UH (Chinese), NIU (Thai, Tagalog, Burmese, Lao, Indonesian, Vietnamese).
Speech Visualisation and Synthesis in Language Teaching and Learning
Aline Germain and Philippe Martin
After a short historical introduction on Speech synthesis and visualization in the research and teaching fields, we will discuss the technological and pedagogical characteristics of WinPitchLTL, a real time speech analyser/visualizer/synthesizer used to teach/learn second language oral communication. We will present concrete examples of teaching/learning applications in three different contexts: in class (or in a multimedia lab), in a distance learning setting, and on line (via learning web sites).
Cyber-Class: Student-Initiated Technology
Christina Frei
Students in the University of Pennsylvania’s fourth semester language course created their own web sites which were incorporated in the syllabus of the third semester course. Working in teams, students researched personalities of the target cultures and created personality-specific web sites. Students also wrote, directed, acted, and filmed dialogues, which they digitized and included in their web sites. Furthermore, teams also didacticised information from their web sites incorporating activities which address all four skill areas. In the process of completing their projects, students gained experiences working as teams, acquired digitizing skills, recognized individual learning strategies and styles, and focused on listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.
Managing On-Line Language Teaching
Wen-chiu Tu
Chinese Sustainment and Enhancement program at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center delivers on-line language materials at proficiency levels 1+ to 2+ to military linguists. Four-skill-integrated communicative tasks are built upon current authentic materials related to military, security, economy, politics, and so on. Users’ performance is recorded by a course management system programmed by Dr. Earl Schleske at University of Minnesota. Based on error analysis and frequency count of glossary/grammar lookup, individualized smart lessons are dynamically generated to provide additional comprehensible input. Statistics collected by the course management system are used to tailor the on-line materials and conduct quantitative studies.
Beyond the Classroom Walls: On-Line Spanish Course
Robert Blake and María Victoria González Pagani
This presentation will describe the rationale behind the creation of an on-line introductory Spanish course. The course materials combine four CD-ROM disks (TESOROS), a dynamic Spanish database (via Cold Fusion), and a flexible synchronous chat program (RTA). The design of the database, which also collects data on student usage patterns for research purposes, will be illustrated with an eye to provide an overview of how students would work through a typical lesson. Specific examples of activities and tasks will be demonstrated within the context of a virtual classroom that is content based.
10:00 – 10:45
Cognitive Strategies in CALL: Matching Interactivity with Learning Goal
Lee Forester
Many types of interactivity have been implemented in CALL applications, including multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, drag-and-drop activities, and more. But what cognitive strategies do users actually employ to complete these activities? How and where do such tasks fit in the process of language learning? This session will provide an overview of types of interactivity and their cognitive basis, using examples from current CALL applications. A set of principles will be presented to assist in the effective design of CALL applications (both Web and CD-ROM) as well as to guide instructors in appropriate integration of CALL into their teaching.
Exploring New Venues: Integrating Web-Based Course Tools into Foreign Language and Culture Instruction
Siegrun Wildner
Based on the results of an experimental project, this presentation explores the potentials and limitations of web-based courseware products, such as WebCT, as a course delivery system and as an interactive learning environment for foreign languages and culture courses at the college level. A hands-on demonstration of a model which uses the WebCT environment to enhance foreign language teaching and learning in first year German courses introduces the audience to WebCT and provides examples and ideas for current and future applications of this technology. The demonstration is followed by a critical analysis of the steps involved in developing and implementing WebCT technology. Finally, this presentation discusses WebCT applications for foreign language and culture instruction within the larger context of foreign language research and pedagogy.
On-Line Discussion in Support of a CALL Course for Distance Language Teachers
Jeong Bae Son
Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) is increasingly used in support of language teacher education. In the context of a Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course for distance language teachers, on-line discussion activities can provide teachers with live experience of CMC. These activities also offer communication channels for sharing ideas and resources with their fellow teachers. The purpose of this presentation is to describe an on-line discussion group set up for a CALL course offered by distance education and to report on the results of a study that evaluated teacher perceptions of on-line discussions on CALL-related topics and investigated teacher-teacher interaction via electronic communication.
Randomly Generated Computerized Oral Tests
Jerry W. Larson and Kim L. Smith
The Oral Testing Software (OTS) created at Brigham Young University was designed to test students’ speaking skills via the computer. However, a significant shortcoming of this kind of “canned” test is that after a number of students have taken the test, word gets around about the test items, thus compromising the test. During this session we will demonstrate an enhanced feature of the Oral Testing Software that allows random selection of items to be administered to examinees from test item banks. This feature presents alternate–yet similar–questions to examinees taking the “same” test.
Perceptions, Beliefs, Practices, and Expectations of Independent Japanese Learners of English as Foreign Language Toward Internet-Based Language Learning
Mayumi Hoshi
Data was gathered through a survey of 30 Japanese internet-based self-access independent learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) consisting of telephone and face-to-face interviews as well as open-ended e-mail surveys carried out in May and June, 2000. Emphasis was placed on emotional (motivational) and technical factors through the analysis of perceptions and expectations. Based upon differing beliefs, the subjects utilized a variety of tools on the internet, ranging from very basic to high tech functions. The research findings aided in identifying new roles for teachers in this emerging environment and the determination of an optimum balance between content and linguistic levels in EFL classes.
From Sex, Lies and Videotape to Dirty Words, Untruthful Statements and Streaming DV
John Vitaglione
Theoretical and instructional implications of the ever broadening definition of what constitutes “text” include television news broadcasts and documentaries, e-mail messages, contemporary film, commercials, and even digital video clips, while if you go online now you can find adult material and also when was porn created if you’re interested in the subject. Now, when referring to cultural or linguistic “readings” of textual information, both print and nonprint forms must be considered. This presentation examines how video and interactive technologies relate to such a broadened definition of text in relation to the linguistic and cultural nuances used in authentic foreign language media. It investigates the use of authentic language materials and streaming video in exploring cultural identities and speaker intentions with needed media awareness of untruthful statements. Media can distort perception and truth, and, thus, it is important that it be conveyed accurately when using foreign language that engages learners/users in cultural indoctrination and comprehension. Original intentions may be distorted by the lack of good cultural awareness that could generate inaccurate or “untruthful statements.”
Speech Enabled Courseware for French using SRI’s EduSpeak
Stephen LaRocca, Sherri Bellinger, John Morgan, and Brian Poe
With considerable experience in the use of speech recognition technology, the U.S. Military Academy’s language faculty is enthusiastic about the recent availability of SRI’s EduSpeak Toolkit, an implementation of advanced speech recognition specifically engineered for language learning. With comprehensive diagnostics for student utterances at both the word and “phone” levels, EduSpeak greatly enhances opportunities for students to practice speaking skills. While the choices for exercise design are currently limited to a multiple choice format, the system benefits from excellent stability and ease of use. A lesson set produced at West Point will be demonstrated. Surveyed opinions, reactions, and suggestions from cadets will be presented.
1:30 – 2:15
A New Key to Grammar
María Victoria González Pagani
I will present a Dynamic Spanish Grammar developed using an authoring software for creating interactive animations for the Web. This grammar consists of different modalities in which graphics move on a computer screen and along with juxtaposed sound act as descriptive agents. Written and oral text combine in a design that provides examples and explanations so that students learn not only the grammar but also the metalanguage to describe it. I will address the principles underlying its design, its integration into the curriculum, and the research options it offers. Preliminary research results from testing sample modules will also be discussed.
Input Enhancement for the Learning of Spanish Aspect Through CALL
Fenfang Hwu
Selecting the correct usage of the preterit and imperfect is regarded as a challenging task for learners. In part, this situation stems from the inadequate input to which they are exposed and from the inadequacy of their training about making sense of this input. At CALICO 2000, the author proposed taking advantage of the nonlinguistic and pragmatics/discourse cues from soap opera clips, reconstructed through RealVideo and SMIL, to enhance the quality of input. This presentation suggests activities (within the WebCT environment) that focus learners’ attention on the nonlinguistic and pragmatics/discourse cues to decipher the uses of the preterit and imperfect while accommodating their learning styles and proficiency levels.
Computer-Based Testing of Sociocultural Competence of German as a Foreign Language
Thomas Lovik and Olaf Böhlke
This project aims at measuring sociocultural competence with a computer-based testing module. The module focuses almost exclusively on the appropriateness of expressions and their meaning in specific, high frequency situations, for example, greetings and farewells, forms of address, requests, invitations, and so on. This linear test simulates authentic scenarios through the use of culturally authentic still photos and recorded audio which simulates appropriate or inappropriate utterances by the “speaker” visible on the still photos. Various criteria for retaining, revising, and deleting items were established during the development phase. The data showed that only very few students would be proficient in sociocultural communicative situations.
CakeWalk: Learning Management for Foreign Language Instruction
J. Scott Payne
CakeWalk is an open-source, database-driven system developed by the presenter that promotes collaborative curriculum building among teachers and collaborative learning among students. All instructional tools contain multimedia authoring templates that support Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Cyrillic fonts. Learning tools consist of traditional drill-and-practice, quizzing, and placement testing environments as well as innovative, process-oriented tools focusing on asynchronous and synchronous discussion and collaborative research and writing. The course management components enable teachers to keep track of attendance, post lesson plans with homework, maintain student information, and record grades in an on-line grade book that is fully integrated into the learning environments.
Interchangeable Parts: Using XML and the IMS Specifications to Run Any Content with Any Engine
Rick Kunst
It is difficult for courseware authors to decide which authoring tools to use to create their content. Much language learning material has become inaccessible as it has been superceded by newer technologies. Now the emerging standards of Extensible Markup Language (XML) and the specifications for managing instructional content of the IMS Consortium (www.imsproject.org) will permit truly interchangeable materials. Any engine which supports the IMS specifications can present any content, to the extent of its functionality. This presentation will show how materials developed variously for CALIS, ToolBook, EIDS, PowerPoint, AuthorWare, and CourseInfo can be converted and presented interchangeably by future IMS-compliant tools.
Digital Reading: A Theory-Driven Inquiry
Mary Ann Lyman-Hager and James N. Davis
Two on-going projects at the Language Acquisition Resource Center at San Diego State University are consonant with the conference theme. The first “uses the proven:” an automated version of recall protocols, a widely accepted comprehension metric, which is the most salient feature of new foreign language reading software. The second, originally a “thought piece,” attempts to “prove the new” by demonstrating the necessity of a radical reconceptualization of reading in WWW environments. In the collaborative spirit of electronic literacy, the single-author text was expanded upon by a panel of experts whose edited comments became an integral part of a professional policy document.
From a Simple Reading Program to Full Scale Multimedia Production: La taupe and A travers la lumière
Robert Balas and Anne George
Using our authoring program La Taupe and our student program A travers la lumière, configured to control QuickTime Movies, permits students to access a transcription of the sound portion of the video, a dictionary connected to graphics, text and other QuickTime Movie files as well as providing a variety of exercises with tailored error feedback messages. The program is used for students in (a) phonetics courses to videotape, playback, and analyze their performances, (b) independent study for advanced students who record, analyze, and correct sustained dictation exercises, and (c) advanced courses through creation of our own QuickTime movies including two one-hour interviews by Anne George (a native French speaker) of two women dramatists, Suzanne Lebeau and Pol Pelletier, a one-hour interview with Moroccan writer Abdellatif Laabi, an evening of French poetry, and a one-hour play, Les Filles de Tahar Haddad, by Evelyne Accad.
2:30 – 3:15
Investigating a Computerized Test of Listening in English as a Second Language for Classroom Assessment
Sha Balizet
Computerized testing of second language listening appears to provide key benefits, including convenience and improved sound quality. Yet, few such tests exist for classroom assessment and the research literature is limited. Our study examined the advantages of using computer technology for classroom progress tests of listening in English as a Second Language (ESL) and compared the measurement quality and validity between computer and paper-and-pencil test modes. We developed a prototype second language listening progress test, and 28 students were randomly assigned to test mode. Results of our experiment were promising. Analyses showed evidence of both the validity and advantages of the computer-delivered mode.
Technology and the National Standards: A Case Study in a Midwestern High School
Peter A. Schultz
The National Standards for Foreign Language Learning have become the driving force behind today’s thinking on foreign language instruction and have endorsed the integration of technology in the classroom. Further research needs to be conducted in high schools in which the foreign language instructors use the National Standards as part of their curriculum and integrate technology into their classroom practice. This researcher conducted a qualitative case study at a Midwestern high school to investigate the teaching practices of two German instructors who integrated technology into their classroom practice as well as investigating the role of the Standards in the German teachers’ curriculum.
Comparing Reading Comprehension and Student Preference Between Reading On-Screen Materials and Reading Print Materials
Sabine Siekmann
Reading comprehension is an important skill for language learners. With the increased use of the Web to give language students access to authentic reading materials, reading from computer screens has become an important new skill for language learners. This presentation will report on the findings of a research study comparing low intermediate English as a Second Language students’ reading comprehension and preference for text delivered on screen and text delivered on paper. Issues under investigation are: reading comprehension scores; performance for certain reading tasks, such as finding detail, guessing the meaning, and finding the main idea; reading time; the influence of computer anxiety; and students’ preference.
What Should You Know about Language Courseware Design and Why?
Jozef Colpaert and Wilfried Decoo
Design will be a decisive factor for the survival of interactive language courseware. Within the scope of a research project, an extensive study of literature and the re-engineering of existing language courseware have led to a new definition of the design process. We will explain why usefulness is a key concept in goal-directed design, why interactivity is the main problem, and why design is important for all actors involved. Finally, we will comment on the following statement: “Foreign Language Learning Research should focus on design of language learning and teaching; language courseware design should only focus on usefulness within this context.”
The WebCT Language Hub: Designing and Assessing On-line Second Language Activities
Nathalie Grant
Created at the University of British Columbia, WebCT has gained popularity in its home language program. This session reports on a departmental wide project to integrate WebCT technologies for language modules from first to third year French. The design of the various WebCT on-line activities are discussed according to the different language goals set by the various instructors. Students’ assessments and feedbacks are provided to prove the relevancy of WebCT on-line activities for second language acquisition and teaching. Concrete examples are discussed in this session.
Weaving Grammar into Writing Courses: A French Solution
Diana Mériz
Foreign language students customarily face the daunting prospect of the typical third year round of civilization, literature, and language-oriented courses with an imperfect grasp of the basic structure of the language they have chosen to study. The burden of remedying this situation is traditionally placed on the writing courses that form one of the core components of a foreign language major. This presentation will demonstrate HyperFrançais, a multimedia program designed to enable students, through a broad range of interactive exercises and readings, to review and explore the grammatical structures essential for written communication.
A Perception-Training Tool for the Study of Second Language Phonology
Carmit Romano-Hvid
This presentation focuses on a study carried out with specially built hypermedia courseware. The application was used to investigate whether nonequivalent sounds are learned more completely than equivalent or similar categories. This was done by testing whether a group of English as a Foreign Language learners improved their perceptual ability of a group of English phonemes as a result of using the courseware. The courseware consists of a series of exercises and reference materials as well as an integrated pre- and posttest facility. Logging enables tracking of the students’ navigation, choices of modules, access to hints and reference material, as well as answers to exercises.
3:30 – 4:15
A New Look at Placement Examinations
Lathrop Johnson
This presentation will review language placement tests currently in use, concentrating on both computer adaptive tests and traditional tests. Data will be provided from different tests, taken by the same students at the same time, as well as longitudinal results, tracking performance on the tests over a two-year period. Participants will be challenged to consider their own placement tests and policies and how well they serve their purposes. There will be handouts and time for discussion of problems and solutions.
Development of Japanese Input Method for Learners of Japanese
Kazumi Hatasas
A new Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) will be demonstrated and its advantages over conventional IME will be discussed. (An IME is software that takes care of Romaji-Kana conversion and Kana-Kanji conversion for keyboard input in Japanese.) When typing at the keyboard, students make errors such as the insertion or deletion of a double consonant, substitution of long and short vowels, substitution of voiced consonants. The new system can handle these mistakes and prompts students with the correct ones. It also limits the Kanji set to smaller subsets (1,000 or 2,000) which represents students’ knowledge more closely.
Developing a Teacher’s Toolkit: How to Integrate Pedagogy and Information and Communication Technology into Teaching Language for Special Purposes
Erja Laurila-Hellman and Aija-Leena Nurminen
This paper discusses the process of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into Business French and Business Russian courses at the Helsinki School of Economy and Business Administration. It first describes the pedagogical framework for web-based learning environments with such interactive elements as electronic journals, learning diaries, and electronic portfolios. The paper argues that it is crucial to provide teachers with pedagogical training to help them focus on learning goals instead of technology and to enable the transformation from a classroom-oriented teacher to an independent learning manager.
Traditional or Technology-Enhanced Spanish Phonetics?
Scott Despain
Speech recognition software continues to improve in its efficiency and complexity. Traditionally, phonetics course students are divided into groups of six to eight students and during a portion of the semester attend a series of 20-minute sessions with the instructor. Time is spent reading phrases and being critiqued by the instructor. Is development of speech recognition software at the point that it can provide individualized guidance and enhanced instruction, comparable to the traditional method? This presentation describes a study using Spanish phonetics students, one half following the traditional method, the other half using the pronunciation component of Tell Me More by Auralog.
Keeping Content up to Ever Changing Technological Standards: La Chaise berçante CD-ROM
Donna Mydlarski and Dana Paramskas
La Chaise berçante ‘The Rocking Chair’ uses an Oscar-winning animated film to teach and promote French language and French Canadian culture. In 1990, a DOS version of the Vi-conte videodisc was published; in 2001, La Chaise berçante CD-ROM was released. Getting a second chance at updating and enhancing courseware in the light of advancements in technology and pedagogy proved to be both daunting and exhilarating. This experience forced the developers to re-examine fundamental considerations: content, process and learner support. The presenters will discuss development and production issues and demonstrate highlights from the CD-ROM.
GOLDEN (German On-Line, Distance Education Network): Interactive Professional Development on the Web
Joan Keck Campbell, Aleidine Moeller, Stephen Panarelli, and Eleonore Sylla
Features of GOLDEN (German On-Line, Distance Education Network) will be demonstrated and discussed. Topics will include: how pedagogy is used as a tool to bring content experts and classroom teachers together; how course participants become more reflective about their language teaching practices via a model conceptually grounded in social construction of knowledge; and how course authors/instructors, administrators, and computarians effectively collaborate at a distance. The presenters will discuss further plans for and expansion of GOLDEN. The results of a longtitudinal research study regarding the impact on instructional practices, teacher reflectivity, and student learning will be reported.
Validation of a Web-Based English as a Second Language Test: How Much is Enough?
Carol A. Chapelle, Joan Jamieson, and Volker Hegelheimer
Testing theory portrays validation as an elaborate process requiring researchers to integrate a variety of theoretical and empirical evidence pertaining to test interpretation and use. All test developers must decide how and how much validity evidence to gather, but developers of web-based language tests face more difficult issues because of the complexity of web delivery and the opportunities for data collection. We explain validation during development of a web-based English as a Second Language (ESL) test. Decisions were based on the definition of test use, which constrained the possibilities for validation. We demonstrate the item types developed for the test and outline the validity evidence gathered.
4:30 – 5:15
Computers, Classroom Cultures, and the Social Contexts: A Study of Integrating CALL into College English as a Foreign Language Curriculum
Hsien-Chin Liou
This descriptive study explores how college English as a Foreign Language students in a writing class used electronic mail, World Wide Web resources, web publication, and a web concordancer to support their English language learning for a school year. Characteristics of the use of the four CALL applications are analyzed. The social context of using CALL in the college was investigated using Pennycook’s critical approaches (1999). It is hoped that the role of CALL in authentic educational contexts can be delineated using the current research approach and that the question of CALL effectiveness or impact can be addressed within a meaningful sociopolitical context.
The Witzbold Project: Using Web-Based, Hypermedia Jokes to Teach Foreign Languages
Thom Thibeault
The Witzbold Project involves foreign language students and instructors in the development of web-based, hypermedia jokes for language learning. As a result of working intimately with the materials, comprehension, expansion and retention of vocabulary as well as grammar concepts are all enhanced. Another major benefit is that the materials then become available as part of an arsenal of teaching materials for future classes. The focus of the presentation will be the process of involving students in the development of the hypermedia jokes. There will also be a discussion regarding the implementation and pedagogical rationale for using jokes as reading material.
Notes from the Luddite Underground: Technology and Faculty Development
Renate Schulz
Computer technology has been advocated as the ultimate instructional innovation. Without question, appropriate use of technology can enhance instruction and learning. But what is appropriate? For what purpose? At what cost? And, most important, how can faculty be trained and convinced to use technology appropriately? This presentation will draw on the presenter’s personal experience of successes and failures in making instructional use of various technological innovations. Some proposals will be made for convincing those colleagues who are technologically challenged to experiment with the integration of computer technology in instruction.
DVD Creation Made Simple
John Allen
iDVD is a simple-to-use software program for assembling DVD-Video discs and recording them on your Macintosh. For the first time, people everywhere–not just a small cadre of trained Hollywood professionals and multimedia producers–can easily create DVDs that can be played in most standard DVD players. Every day, more and more people are able to view DVDs on their TVs or computers. iDVD lets you share your movies, music, and pictures with one of the world’s fastest-growing audiences.
Opening the Door to German Language and Culture through Technology: The Supersite Project
Anne Green, Donna C. Van Handle, and Eleonore Sylla
The American Association for the Teaching of German (AATG) Technology Committee (TC) believes strongly that the Internet will only become more important as a medium of communication and information exchange in the new century. As this occurs, the Internet will become an even more powerful educational tool. It is our goal, then, to focus on making Internet resources, especially web resources dealing with the German language and the German-speaking countries, more available to teachers. The TC has set as its goal the creation, and more important, maintenance of a “Supersite” for German which includes web resources, web activities, and professional resources and tools for German language educators.
Web-Based Grammar Diagnostic Testing and Remediation
Harold H. Hendricks
For many language learners who have had the chance to live abroad, fluency may exceed language accuracy. Faced with the need to equalize a broad range of accuracy in hundreds of students returning from two years of substantial language use, Brigham Young University created a system of diagnostic testing coupled with courseware designed to improve grammatical accuracy. This session will demonstrate the web version of the Spanish Diagnostic Test and the Computerized, Language Instruction and Practice Software that has been in use in Brigham Young University’s computer labs for over 12 years. With a web version of the test, anyone seeking to diagnose Spanish grammar weaknesses may do so using this testing instrument. Those areas flagged as deficient can then be improved by working through a series of lessons and then taking a more focused achievement/diagnostic test to determine if the relevant concepts have been learned.
Extending and Enhancing Interactional Sequences in Tutorial CALL
Phil Hubbard
Despite the large number of commercially published programs, there is surprisingly little available at the methodological level to help teachers and developers understand the nature of tutorial CALL interactions. This presentation builds on a study that developed a taxonomy for interactional sequences based on a review of over 40 published computer programs for language learning. That study identified and classified types of material presentations, prompts, learner responses, and feedback. Extending those findings, the presenter identifies a number of unutilized or underutilized options for interactional sequences compatible with current technology that have the potential to enhance the learner’s experience significantly.
Conference Presentations: Day Three
March 17, 2001
8:00 – 8:45
Addressing Individual’s Learning Styles by Using Web-Based Instructional Tools
Esperanza Roman-Mendoza
With the increasing use of web-based instructional tools, such as WebCT, to enhance foreign language teaching, some specific questions arise regarding the effectiveness of these tools from all perspectives. This paper will address the relationship between the use of web-based course materials and individual learning styles by describing a case study carried out with students from a Spanish Culture course at the advanced level. The session will present (a) the WebCT materials and activities developed for the course, (b) the research design, (c) the qualitative and quantitative findings, and (d) several specific recommendations to tailor web-based language instruction to accommodate different learning styles.
Chinese and Italian: Different Authoring Platforms, Their Viability for Students and Teachers
Mao Chen and Shirley Smith
This discussion and demonstration illustrates the viability in Italian and Chinese language and culture lessons of the following authoring platforms: X-media engine templates, Libra, Web Makers, (and somewhat less extensively Manna and Tick-Tac-Toon). The discussion and presentation will revolve around contrasting the scope and limitations of these systems. How does one choose which is most suitable and what success have we had with using one or another in a college language learning environment. Each authoring system raises a different set of pedagogical questions concerning effective language teaching and student learning. The materials (CALL lessons themselves) provide a context for an empirical discussion of computer-assisted pedagogy.
Digital Video Reports to Improve Oral Language Skills
Franziska Lys and Mark Schaefer
Improving oral skills in advanced speakers is challenging. Many students at this level feel comfortable communicating even though their language is far from being perfect. The difficult part for teachers is to help students improve their language without constantly interrupting the flow of the conversation and finding tasks that help them focus on form as much as on content. To accomplish this goal, students were working over the course of 10 weeks with a digital video camera to put together a video report on an issue of their choice. These projects were then shared on the Internet. The presentation will describe the technological and pedagogical merits of such an approach.
NEARStar: Meeting the Reading and English Language Development Needs of Young Learners via the Web
Zoe Ann Brown and David Brauer
NEARStar’s purpose is to meet the reading and language development needs of elementary English language learners with a language-rich supplemental reading program composed of interactive, animated activities. This web-based, multimedia program is designed for students who are in the beginning stages of both reading and oral language development. Students engage in comprehensive instructional support and assessment activities which teach the basic skills necessary for beginning reading proficiency. Teachers are able to instantly access individual student or group diagnostic reports to identify individual student strengths and areas needing additional support. Reports also provide customized professional development recommendations based on student individual needs.
Computerized Testing, Communicative Tasks, and the National Standards
Eric Jewell
Researchers in foreign language testing have indicated a need to “test the way we teach.” Test items and tasks should reflect our instructional methodologies and classroom activities. Advances in computer technology allow for the creation of truly communicative testing items without placing undue stress on a teacher’s time or resources. This presentation explains how paper tests often are adapted to the computer without improvement in quality. It also demonstrates several ways to enhance these tests using communicative tasks. Targeted standards from the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning are also identified for these tasks.
Better than Being There: Advantages of Virtual Discussion in the Advanced Foreign Language Classroom
Christine Coleman Young
Monitored student discussion, without the physical presence of a teacher in the classroom, creates an optimal student centered learning opportunity. Participants in this study engaged in both classroom and WebCT chatroom discussion of literary works in an advanced Spanish class. Teacher observations and student evaluations indicate that chatrooms lower students’ affective filter, stimulate more discussion of the material, result in participation by all students by removing many social barriers, and give weaker students the self-confidence to speak in subsequent classroom discussions. A further advantage is that WebCT chat discussions are logged, which allows in-depth analysis of student performance.
The Orality in the Intelligent Classroom (via Computer)
Ninette Cartes-Enríquez
This was a five-month study among university students, whose main purpose was to develop orality in English as a Second Language in the intelligent classroom, after being exposed to Internet materials. The specific objectives of this work were: to learn how to persuade and argue, develop analysis and synthesis, and know the steps the sample followed to acquire the target language. The research design consisted of Pretest/Development of strategies by the students/Postest. The study yielded qualitative and quantitative evaluation data. The quantitative assessment of the learning/acquiring processes was evaluated weekly by the teacher, and the qualitative one was obtained by means of questionnaires and interviews.
9:00 – 9:45
From Landeskunde PC to Landeskunde PC Web or the Not-So-Easy Transition to Web-Based Hypertext Information Systems
Rainer Kussler
At Calico 1998 I reported on the development of Landeskunde PC, a hypertext information system created with Guide 3.1 and distributed on diskettes for installation on individual work stations. This presentation will report on the conversion of this application into a web site, Landeskunde PC Web. Although the web site serves much the same purpose as its ancestor, it necessitated a significantly different development approach. The presentation will focus on the major differences. It will conclude with some advice for those who may consider transferring CALL applications into web sites, touching on aspects like development tools, structure, navigation and browser peculiarities.
Using a Crossword Program to Increase Vocabulary
Martine Peters
Crosswords have been used in the language classroom for many years. However, with the development of a software program, crossword puzzles can be built by a computer in seconds after the data have been entered. This presentation will show how a class of beginners used the software to improve each others’ vocabulary knowledge. Lists of thematic words were used by the students who wrote three definitions for each word chosen. The crossword puzzles that were built were then filled in by the other students whose vocabulary knowledge was tested. Results show that students were highly motivated and learned more vocabulary than by using traditional methods of studying lists of words.
Through the Eyes of the Learners: Computer-Assisted Instruction and Second Language Acquisition Research
John Liontas and Meena Singhal
This presentation describes the results of two studies which investigated the effects of computer-assisted strategy training on second language learners’ reading comprehension of both academic and literary texts and Vivid Phrasal Idioms. The subjects of the first study were 22 English as a Second Language adult university learners enrolled in a freshman composition course; the second study included 60 third-year adult university learners of Spanish, French, and German. Results of computer-mediated reading tasks, post-reviewuation surveys, and measures of reading proficiency show significant differences in overall reading comprehension and proficiency. Results also indicate the beneficial effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction in enhancing learner motivation and affective factors and in improving use of reading strategies.
Without Human Intercourse, It’s Just Not Interactive!
Lonnie Turbee and Greg Younger
The word “interactive” is used to sell language programs, yet this concept is often poorly defined. Many on-line programs claim to be fully interactive, but in fact they are not. Today, students may interact with computers, teachers, peers, web-based content, or target language native speakers in live chat areas. However, the complexities of human intercourse are often avoided. Much current software is demotivating and pedagogically inferior to full on-line human interaction. This presentation will examine different types of interactivity and their associated pedagogy, from computerized practice of discrete items to the most complete interaction that learners can experience on line.
Learner Input in the Design and Development of CALL Materials: The Advanced-Level Listening Comprehension Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dianna L. Murphy and Xenia Bonch-Bruevich
Usability and feedback tests with potential users of CALL materials are frequently conducted relatively late in the design and development process. This paper will show how including students in the early stages of the development of a web-based, multilingual, advanced level listening and viewing comprehension application has challenged some of our basic assumptions about listening, listening strategies, and learning styles as well as helping to shape the design of the program itself.
Revisiting HyperCard: Surviving Learning Aids
Erika Gilson
The potential for language learning that the Internet provides is not in dispute. Yet, current instructional technology has neglected beginning students’ needs. Students, especially students of truly ‘foreign’ languages, still are in need to acquire speedily a minimal concrete base on which to build. Vocabulary and familiarity with the sounds of the language form an important part of this base. Thus far, nothing available on the Internet affords all the functionality which HyperCard did. Two HyperCard stacks developed as learner-adaptive memorizing and listening aids almost 10 years ago will be revisited.
10:00 – 10:45
Enhancing Preservice Teacher Education with New Innovative Technologies
Jacqueline Kaminski, Alan Garfinkel, and Marcela van Olphen
This presentation details the successful implementation of a web-based distributed learning environment, employing WebCT, in the foreign language education methods course (EDCI427) at Purdue University. Previously approached by preservice teachers (EDCI427 students) as individually done observations, technology revolutionized the course. During Fall 2000, preservice teachers and experienced in-service teachers worked collaboratively and communicated synchronously/asynchronously to increase interactivity, reflecting on their experiences and methods. Culminating in a digital video exercise, preservice teachers were provided with an innovative and interactive experience which proved to be invaluable. Attendees will receive a tour of the on-line course, examples of student work, hand-outs, and data.
Going Virtual? Tips, Tricks and Recommendations from a Recent Survivor
Mary Fetherston
More and more colleges and universities are transitioning to virtual language labs. Unfortunately, all too many are getting bogged down in the trial and error stage. Come learn about the successes and problems encountered at a number of other sites as well as tips and tricks to make your journey to the virtual side easier.
Content Selection and Didactic Strategies for a Web Service: the Experience with Internet Actuel for French as Foreign Language
Wilfried Decoo and Jozef Colpaert
Web services for language learning pose a number of challenges. How can we make the offer match the level of the student? How can we assure an optimal interaction between class learning and web-based learning? How can we adapt the strategies to the limitations of the Web? How can we integrate surfing tasks into an efficient didactic model? Our experience with Internet Actuel, launched in August 1999, provides some answers to these questions.
Web-Based Language Courses: Design Issues
Dana Paramskas
The WWW is now well integrated into most second/foreign language courses (“WWW-Assisted Language Learning”). Distance Education formats have also embraced the WWW in full course format (“WWW-Based Language Learning”). However, the WWW is a different medium from CALL and requires some different strategies for design. One of those strategies must be a re-evaluation of what “communicative” means in this context. We have two web-based courses for introductory French: the first has been on line for the past six semesters and the second for two semesters. Both of these courses offer insights into design problems and student reaction which might be useful for any second language instructor.
Using CourseInfo/Blackboard in Multisection Basic Language Courses
Catherine M. Barrette
CourseInfo/Blackboard (CI/B) is a user friendly tool for establishing a course web site for a single instructor and his/her course(s), but how well does it work in other situations? Other contexts introduce different challenges to the use of CI/B: multisection courses and cross-listed or multilevel classes. The challenges in the situation of multisection courses are with a common syllabus that allows for individual teaching styles and differences in computer literacy. Cross-listing and combined undergraduate/graduate courses create access and interaction difficulties in the more attractive features of CI/B: chat, discussion boards, and class e-mail. This discussion provides strategies for dealing with these challenges effectively.
New Wine in New Bottles: The MERLOT World Languages Discipline Team
Scott Despain, Kylie Hsu, Carla Meskill, John Thomas, and Sandra Walker
The Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) is a growing collection of on-line learning materials and support resources that help faculty enhance their instruction. Participating in the growth and peer review of quality on-line materials is The World Languages Discipline Team. A panel of representatives from this team will present an overview of the MERLOT mission and organization and the processes designed by team members for expanding and peer reviewing the World Languages collection and will demonstrate access and contribution procedures for the audience. Supporting materials will be distributed to audience members and questions for discussion solicited.
Brigham Young University’s Multimedia Testing Template
Russell Hansen
Although the benefits of computerized testing have not been proven through research, they have in fact been proven by practical use. One example is the multimedia tests used in the College of Humanities at Brigham Young University (BYU). Previously, these tests were available only at BYU because creating them required HyperCard programming ability. Now, a new testing template exists which makes it possible for any teacher to create tests without having programming experience. This presentation will show the template, demonstrate its ease of use and range of testing types, and give purchasing information.
11:00 – 11:45
Repurposing the Proven: Faculty Development Trends with CALL, Virtual Collaboration and Geographical Information Systems
Joel Goldfield
This presentation describes and demonstrates concepts and technologies for a Virtual Language Lab (VLL) with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) used in the International Studies/Language Technology (ISLT) Initiative funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. A strong need for new faculty models in Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum, developing technology skills, boosting language enrollments, and removing linguistic barriers led to the creation of this interdisciplinary project involving eight disciplines and up to 20 courses. The VLL component allows faculty to collaborate with “virtual” office hours and distance-learning tutorials. Faculty development here is also compared with historical trends and challenges to institutional implementation.
Technology-Enhanced Peer Review: A Comparative Study of the Effect of Commenting Mode on Revision
Randall Sadler
This study investigates whether differing modes of peer review (technology-enhanced vs. traditional) make a difference in the area, the type, and the nature of comments by peers and the teacher and how those differences affect revisions. The findings show that the overall number of comments, percentage of revision-oriented comments, and the overall number of revisions made by the experimental group was larger than those of the control group. This study suggests that electronic peer review may serve as an effective tool for the revision process and that the timing of teacher comments is crucial to maximize the effects of peer feedback.
Fostering Second Language Learning Communities with On-Line Collaboration Tools
Lisa Nalbone
Growing trends in education emphasize the importance of learning communities to foster material mastery. As this theory applies to language acquisition, implementing technological resources to establish learning communities becomes a crucial element of student performance. With the emphasis on problem-solving through collaboration, focus shifts toward student performance achieved through communicative forums, supported by research theories that collaboration enhances written/oral skills, accuracy, and vocabulary mastery. This paper discusses using collaboration tools in the elementary second language classroom and examines practical measures with WebCT-related applications and their impact on collaborative learning, considering that success of these activities depends on clearly established communicative goals.
Intercultural Communication and the Foreign Language Subject
Steve Thorne
The Pennsylvania State University’s Foreign Language Telecollaboration Project is a grant-funded, multiyear research program. Through empirical analysis, we will assess the effectiveness of telecollaborative intercultural pedagogy for foreign language learning in French, German, and Spanish. The telecollaboration sections are compared to conventional sections of the same course across the three languages. Our research focuses on the quantitative assessment of standardized pre/posttests (e.g., oral and written proficiency) as well as qualitative analysis of discourse properties (e.g., the development of syntactic complexity and morphological accuracy) in student produced texts. This presentation will provide a preliminary report from our first year of operation.
Preparing Tomorrow’s Language Teachers to Use Technology: Case Study of a Grassroots Initiative
Inge DiBella, Thomas C. Reeves, Antje Krüger, and Nina Augustin
The University of Georgia has implemented a technology training program for German Teaching Assistants (TAs). Centered on the TA’s needs and interests, this training resulted in original classroom-tested material (developed by TAs) and an on-line teaching portfolio. The overall theme of the training is “Using Technology as a Cognitive Tool.” The panel will discuss practical issues and guidelines in establishing a technology program for TAs which puts as much emphasis on increasing pedagogical expertise as on gaining technological skills. The panel consists of the program director, TAs, and an instructional technologist.
FLOW APPLIED: Optimal Computer-Based Language Learning
Shamus Johnson
The presenter will discuss the practicality of applying Flow (optimal learning) to immersive language environments using evolving multimedia technologies. Design issues include incorporating simulation, world-building and problem-solving tasks into an immersive language learning experience. This presentation is a follow-up to a paper delivered at CALICO 2000, where the theory of Flow was presented. This year, practical design issues will be the focus.
Re-Searching the Web for Language Professionals
William Fletcher
Despite its richness, the Web’s magnitude and disorganization discourage instruction or investigation by language learners and professionals. Too often, locating eloquent examples, insights into contemporary usage, elusive facts, or learner-accessible readings depends more on serendipitous finds than on systematic searches. The right tools and techniques facilitate efficient, rewarding on-line (re)searching. The presenter surveys presearch activities, search automation technologies, and postsearch assessment strategies beneficial to teacher and student alike. Then he demonstrates his free KwiCFinder and WebKWiC concordancers, which turn the Web into an inexhaustible linguistic and cultural corpus, and discusses approaches to managing search results with XML.
1:30 – 2:15
Comparing Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication in a Foreign Language Classroom
Martha Castañeda
Comparing face to face and electronic discussions has been the focus of many research studies in Computer-Mediated Communication. A promising line of inquiry is examining electronic discourse in its own right. In this study, the participants used both asynchronous and synchronous communication in their discussions. In addition, this study examined the quantity and complexity of language produced by university students in a foreign language class.
Computer-Mediated Chat: Focusing on Form While Emphasizing Open-Ended, Meaningful Discussion
Lisa Jurkowitz
Grammatical accuracy has often been raised in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) studies as a difficult goal to achieve, especially if the primary pedagogical objective is for students to engage in open-ended, meaningful discussions in the target language. The purpose of this session is to present the results of a pilot study that used chat with intermediate French students. A variety of tasks, aimed at helping students focus on form, will be presented. Students perceptions of the effectiveness of these tasks, as well as their attitudes regarding CMCs helpfulness in improving their general language skills will also be discussed.
When Nonnative Speakers meet Native Speakers On-Line: A Study of Students’ Discourse Strategies in an English Grammar Course
Chia-Huan Ho
Several research studies have been conducted that examine second language learners’ use of e-mail and the Internet to learn target languages, writing, and culture (e.g., Warschauer, 1999; Sotillo, 2000; Miller-Hartmann, 2000). Fifteen graduate students from the TESOL master’s program at a research university in New York state participated in this study. Students took an English grammar class and interacted with the instructor and other students via the Web. This paper focuses on students’ learning strategies, specifically the on-line discourse strategies used by native speakers and nonnative speakers. How their discourse and strategies correlate with the perception of learning and social presence is also discussed.
The Success of Task Type in Facilitating Oral Language Production in On-Line Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Projects
Shannon Sauro
Easy to use and available free on-line, synchronous text/voice chat programs allow foreign language students the chance to use more authentic language. Still relatively underutilized, this medium represents an area of potential research into CMC tasks appropriate for synchronous voice-chatting. This paper investigates two such communicative language tasks conducted over an on-line text/voice-chat program and looks at which type of task and which type of dyad, native speaker/nonnative speaker or nonnative speaker/nonnative speaker, facilitates the greatest amount of total language use and negotiation of meaning. In addition, the paper examines which type of task might be most useful in a foreign language classroom.
One Class In Two Countries
Yoko Kano
Students in Intermediate Japanese at University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) were instructed to carry conversations and exchange information through an asynchronous bulletin board called Forum and live videoconferencing five times a semester with students in Japan. The students are assigned to interview their partners in Japan through Forum, type a summary of the interview, and have their writings corrected by their partners in Japan. UNCW students correspond in Japanese, and Japanese students correspond in English. The UNCW students receive most of the class instructions from the materials on the web site. This session will introduce the course structure and discuss the findings.
Development of a Prototype of DVD-Audio Instructional Materials for Listening Foreign Language Sounds
Tsuneo Yamada
To examine the possibility of Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) as a medium for instructional materials, we have developed several prototypes using DVD beginning in 1996. In 1999/2000, we developed a prototype of instructional materials for English listening using DVD-Audio. In the DVD-Audio format, both high quality sounds (up to 192 kHz and 24 bit sampling, 6 channel multi-audio Surround recording) and slideshows of the scripts were realized. In addition, supersonic sounds and sound image tracking were available in this system. The effects of such “authentic” audiovisual characteristics on listening and learning behavior were evaluated.
German Business Correspondence: Computerized Approaches
Tom Leech
This presentation examines the use of the Internet to teach German business correspondence, not only as an authentic source of information, but also and primarily as a medium for distance learning by means of HTML forms, WebCALIS exercises, and the Blackboard testing feature. A comprehensive survey of computer applications and Internet resources relating to German business correspondence will be included, and new features of the WebCALIS program will be demonstrated.
Development of ForMOOsa That Addresses Local Needs in Taiwan
Hsien-Chin Liou
In this demonstration, the author will talk about how a MOO in Taiwan, called ForMOOsa, was constructed. Its design was based on culture in Taiwan by adding local legends as story books and bot-narrators. The technology used is enCore Xpress Web Objected Oriented; thus, it has the strengths of both Web and synchronous text-based virtual reality as used in traditional MOOs. Experiences of a graduate students’ group term project that aimed for English teaching in a Taiwanese context and teaching a course “Internet English” in a vocational high school will be used to verify the claims of MOO advantages over other Internet technologies.
Bringing Digital Video into On-Line Language Courses
Eugene Borzov
Interactive educational multimedia is a powerful tool for distant visual communication. This presentation will examine the ways to integrate digital video technology into a language classroom. The process of shooting, editing, and formatting educational video for students learning English as a Second Language will be discussed. The focus will be on a comparative analysis of traditional VCR/Camcorder technology versus digital cameras and modern CD-ROM/DVD/Web technologies for disseminating the resulting video. Examples of effective techniques and original QuickTime movie clips will be included in the presentation.
Bridging the Gulf Between Language Teachers and Computers––How to Expand Understanding and Promote Competent and Successful Use of CALL in Your Institution
S. Levi
In order to foster the use of CALL, we have developed a “convincing PowerPoint presentation” which presents a brief overview of history of CALL, clearly explains the present trends and finally shows the main advantages of the use of CALL as reported in professional publications. This presentation has been made with a significant effect to colleagues, departments, and decision-making bodies. Subsequent to the presentation, we have noticed a positive change and a much better use of CALL among colleagues. We are willing to share this “convincing slide show” with colleagues who would like to use it in their own or other institutions.
Electronic Portfolios
Stayc DuBravac
Portfolio grading has become increasingly popular in language programs in the US. While various second language composition courses have championed portfolio grading, the cause has not spread to the lower division language courses or to the upper division literature or language courses. This presentation examines the use of electronic portfolios in third and fourth semester French classes. Participants will identify goals of electronic portfolios and various methods of incorporating portfolios into the foreign language curriculum. Handouts include a discussion of portfolio types, ideas of what to include in electronic portfolios, portfolio “do’s” and “dont’s,” and how to assess portfolios.
Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language: Technical Problems and Pedagogical Solutions
Mootacem Bellah Mhiri
As a less commonly taught language, Arabic poses a double pedagogical challenge for both instructor and learner. On the one hand, access to Arabic speakers is limited, and on the other, pedagogical materials (e.g., textbooks and software) are fewer and often less well developed than for more commonly taught languages. The internet includes a vast array of on-line resources geared toward the Arabic speaking world. How can these materials be used in foreign language education, especially at earlier levels of instruction? This presentation sums up the major difficulties, offers some tested solutions to the above obstacles, and includes examples of activities.
Interactive Chinese Video Exercises On-Line
Marisa Castagno and Mingliang Hu
Marisa Castagno and Mingliang Hu developed an interactive Chinese exercise web site to meet some of the most common problems American students have in learning Chinese: tones, Chinese characters, and grammar. Each exercise consists of a web page split in half. The top part contains the video with the transcript in both traditional Chinese and English. The bottom has multiple multiple-choice questions with feedback based on the dialogue. Questions, answers, and feedback are written in traditional Chinese. The combination of video and text in Chinese and English allows students to use these exercises in both beginning and advanced courses.
Distance Learning: Teaching with French in Action at the African Virtual University
Nicole Vaget
In 1999-2000, I taught, via the web and satellite TV, an elementary French language course to students and their moderators in several African Sites in Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. Web pages and e-mail were used to manage the course and communicate all nonverbal information to the moderators. Once a week, direct interaction with the students was provided by the professor via live satellite TV sessions, and the students responded via telephone lines.
Putting the E-Class in Its Place: The Interstitial Role of Electronic Communication in World Language Classrooms and Programs
Kevin Gaugler
In 1995 Richard Kern experimented with synchronous electronic communication in his second semester French class. Kern concluded that such electronic interaction in prediscussion exercises fostered more sophisticated student commentary in class. This presentation will demonstrate my use and further development of Kern’s findings in several of my Spanish language, literature, and culture courses at Marist College and at the University of Connecticut. Furthermore, I will present electronic exchanges between students from a new Hispanic Studies on-line course while suggesting that a language curriculum that uses computers best supports the goals of today’s language programs.
Expanding the Power of Authentic Foreign Language Materials in Foreign Language Instruction; Less Commonly Taught Language and More Commonly Taught Language Perspectives
Gwyn E. Koepke and Gillian M. Johnson
Authentic foreign language materials aid students’ acquisition of aural skills and support the process of improving oral skills. This discussion is intended to identify and explore the advantages of the use of authentic foreign language material teaching aids that are currently available and to investigate how the needs of foreign language instructors might be better met. Attention will be given to the breadth of materials available for commonly taught languages and the scarcity of materials available for Less Commonly Taught Languages. We will also discuss ways to simplify the copyright process while expanding course content. We will explore possible value-added tools to deliver and interact with authentic material.
Listening Exercises with Digitized Audio: Beyond the Basics
George Mitrevski
This presentation shows a variety of web-based exercises using digitized audio. The presenter first describes each format for digitized audio and then shows a series of listening exercises that are appropriate for each format. The types of exercises described include listening for comprehension, dictation, audio matching, audio crossword puzzles, audio cloze, and many others. Examples are provided in English, Spanish, French, and Russian.
2:30 – 3:15
Creating Interactive Text on the Web: Bernhard Schlink’s Der Vorleser
Caroline Schaumann
This paper presents a pilot course for the “Collaboration in Virtual Space” project 2001 at Middlebury College. After reading and discussing Bernhard Schlink’s Der Vorleser, students produced, in collaborative groups, a web site with information on Schlink, the text’s cultural-historical background, and the text’s reception and developed an interactive, annotated text program on the Web. Involving students as creators, not merely consumers of technology, I suggest that my project encourages content-based and student-centered teaching. The emerging program, an effective teaching tool, will be used in future German classes at Middlebury and hopefully inspire similar projects in the future.
Comparison Between Newsgroups And WebBoard in Facilitating Foreign Language Learning
Hui-Mei Hsu
Electronic communication tools such as newsgroups and WebBoard are often used to facilitate foreign language learning. However, their differing characteristics and interfaces (e.g., web-based/telnet-based, threaded/nonthreaded) may lead to differing degrees of effectiveness. In this study, a different interface, newsgroups versus WebBoard, was implemented in each of two beginning Mandarin Chinese classes. Multiple methods were used to assess usage differences, including surveys of computer proficiency, surveys of students’ perception of on-line interaction, analysis of communication patterns, and user interviews. Research results suggest that communication patterns, effectiveness, and satisfaction vary according to interfaces.
Learner’s Perspective on On-Line Language Courses: A Case Study
Eiko Ushida and Kanae Igarashi
This session reports the results of a case study which documents learning experiences in on-line language courses. Two students took college-level first-semester on-line language courses, and kept journals to record their perspectives on learning processes. A qualitative analysis of these journal entries revealed that learners’ affective states were not static but constantly changing throughout the semester, influenced by the nature of the on-line-based instruction. Assuming that such changes in affective states have an impact on the motivation and attitudes of language learners, the presenters will discuss possible advantages and drawbacks of on-line courses as effective and efficient language instructional tools.
Building On-Line Community for Teaching: Sharing Resources and Professional Development on the Internet
Yasuhiro Omoto and Keiko Schneider
Building on-line community is a way to take full advantage of the Internet for language teaching. In non-Roman languages, it is even more important because support for multilingual computing is not always locally available. “senseiOnline listserv” functions as an exchange of information and support as well as professional development opportunity through its monthly on-line forum. Lack of materials is often problematic in Less Commonly Taught Languages. “Japanese Language Material Ring” seeks to fill the need for more materials such as copyright free/safe materials, teaching plans, and so on. Both projects use free services and can be easily implemented.
Error Feedback and Correction Strategies in Intermediate French CALL CD-ROMs
Clare Homan
Because of the relative newness of the CALL field as a whole, few evaluations have been done on the methodology of multimedia, and even fewer single out specific elements for appraisal. Two specific error treatments which have been explored in the real world environment show promise for CALL: (a) the garden path induction and correction method and (b) self-repair. I will examine in the error treatment strategies employed by a selection of intermediate French CALL CD-ROMs. How well do the two real world treatments transfer to the CALL teaching environment? Has CALL technology spawned another, new error treatment method unique to the technology-assisted environment?
Using MaxAuthor to Create CALL Courseware for Internet Delivery
Scott Brill
The University of Arizona Computer Aided Language Instruction Group (UACALI) has made freely available for noncommercial use, MaxAuthor, its CALL authoring system, which has been under development for the past decade (cali.arizona.edu). Without any programming, MaxAuthor creates language instruction courseware for: Cantonese, Chinese, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Russian, and 16 other languages. Completed courseware can be delivered over the Internet or in MS-Windows and can utilize audio, video, graphics, and exercises such as multiple choice, fill in the blank, listening dictation, pronunciation, and audio flash cards. This demonstration will show examples of completed courseware and how to create a simple lesson and distribute it to students.
“If You Build it, They Will Come” Or Will They?
John Liontas
Emphasis on multimedia technology has forced foreign language educators to reexamine interactive digital technologies and their potential for delivering the long awaited result: encouraging a variety of learning processes and thereby increasing learning. But technology keeps changing, more rapidly than ever. The phrase “state-of-the-art,” once the banner of any new teaching-with-technology initiative, now threatens to be a challenge that must be met at a pace more rapid than budgets or learning curves for teachers allow. Does new technology enhance the curriculum or does the enhanced curriculum demand new technology? Presentation plus group participation will illuminate both sides of the issue.
3:30 – 4:15
The Role of Chat in Increasing Student Participation
James M. Hudson and Amy Bruckman
This presentation will examine both effects and affects of using chat in a conversation-based classroom. We will present results from a semester long experiment in which students meeting in a standard second year French conversation class also met for one hour each week in a chat environment. In the classroom, the teacher tends to be the dominant figure speaking nearly an order of magnitude more than the students. All comments are directed through the teacher. On line, however, these patterns reverse; students actively take control of their learning. We will explore these results and some mechanisms that students viewed as causes.
Asynchronous Communication in the Literature Classroom
Ayo Abietou Coly
This presentation is based on my recent experience in teaching a literature course that integrates asynchronous communication as a pedagogical tool. General patterns of learner-learner interaction in the coursetalk forum will be analyzed and compared with face-to-face discussion taking place in the classroom. In addition, the study will address the repercussions of on-line discussions on the classroom environment. Finally, I will present preliminary results of an analysis of the corpus in an ongoing project that was generated through on-line discussion in an effort to trace the development of students’ analytical skills and cultural attitudes. Transcripts of the students’ exchanges, as well as their responses to an open-ended evaluation, will be shared with the audience members.
Exploring the Potential of Hypermedia Annotations for Second Language Reading
Gulcan Ercetin
This study investigates the use of hypermedia annotations by intermediate and advanced second language learners. A total of 100 ESL learners were asked to read a hypermedia document which incorporated multimedia annotations, including text, graphics, sound, and video to provide cues about the text. The program tracked every interaction of the readers with the document, including which annotations they chose to view and how much time they spent on a particular annotations. Results indicated a main effect for annotation type but no interaction effect between proficiency and annotation.
Integrating Databases with On-Line Courses
Paul Daniels
With the recent surge in offering web-based courses, educators are integrating their web pages with databases to offer the flexibility to save, search, and retrieve large amounts of course information. A sample database currently used in a writing class will be used to demonstrate how teachers can save, search and retrieve student prewriting and writing activities through the integration of HTML, a SQL database, and a PHP script. Finally, additional applications for using web-enabled databases for on-line coursework will be demonstrated.
Cognitive-Oriented Web-Based Courseware Design for Teaching Academic English
Jin Chen and Toshio Okamoto
The goal of this research, the English Learning for Academic (ELA) language project, is to build a database system for delivery of academic English learning courses via the World Wide Web at the university level. The ELA is to deliver teaching information through multimedia in accordance with the improvement of students’ academic language competence by means of the cognitive academic language learning approach (Chamot, 1987). This presentation mainly describes the accomplishment of this teaching approach in the courseware design of ELA.
Telephone Speech Data in the Foreign Language Classroom
David Miller
This presentation will discuss various applications for recorded telephone speech data in the contemporary foreign language classroom. It is based on examples from usage in advanced German courses at the university level. The source for the data covered in this presentation are the CallFriend/CallHome telephone speech corpora conducted at and published by the Linguistic Data Consortium at the University of Pennsylvania. The languages covered in these studies include: Arabic, English, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, French, Tamil, and Vietnamese. On-line lexicons, pronunciation guides, and transcriptions for a subset of languages were also created.
What’s the Point? PowerPoint in the Foreign Language Classroom
Read Gilgen
PowerPoint is now finding its way into the classroom. But, what’s the point? Can PowerPoint really help students learn better? How must the use of PowerPoint be adapted for the academic environment? Is there potential for such diverse topics as foreign languages or natural sciences? This session presents some of the most common and justifiable complaints about the use of PowerPoint in the classroom. However, concrete examples show how animations, graphics, and multimedia elements can be used for more effective teaching and learning, including ways to adapt PowerPoint to the foreign language classroom.