Technology and Second Language Teaching

Ken Romeo, PhDkenro@stanford.edu

Academic Computing and Stanford Language CenterAcademic Technology Specialist

Reminder:

• Remember your SUNetID and password. But don’t tell anyone …

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 2

Goals

• Discuss one technology (audio) as a vehicle for understanding others

• Show concrete examples incorporating audio into an activity

• Demonstrate what you will do during the hands-on session

• Establish key points for adaptation and expansion

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 3

Audio: What makes listening difficult?

• Recognizing word boundaries• Recognizing new words or reduced forms of

words known in text• Recognizing unfamiliar accent• No second chance (unlike reading where

review is possible)

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 4

Audio: What makes listening easier?

• Familiarity with vocabulary• Familiarity with accent• Fine-grained control to:

– Identify the word boundaries– Isolate difficulty– Repeat

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 5

Audio: What makes listening easier?

• Familiarity with vocabulary• Familiarity with accent• Fine-grained control to:

– Identify the word boundaries– Isolate difficulty– Repeat

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 6

Examples forpractice.

Record for multiple, controlled playback

Technology!

Compare:

A live lecture vs.

cassette player vs.

online .mp3

How do we turn this into an in-class activity?

… and how would it be different for homework?

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 8

A few examples

Comprehension Questions [link]Fill in the Blanks [link]

Discussion [link]Audio Response [link]

How to ….

• Record in Audacity• Add audio to a PowerPoint presentation

• Do the afternoon activities

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 10

Hands-on Session

• Work in groups• 1:30-2:10 - Half with me, half with Joseph• 2:10-2:50 - Switch• 3:00-3:30 - Presentations• My section: – Follow the written instructions– Work on the PowerPoint slides first– When you are done, move on to the next section

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 11

Adaptation and expansion

• In-class vs. Homework: The context does make a difference …but how?

• Information control is the key: – When to play the media– When to show the questions– When to show the transcript (if at all …)

• Don’t forget the reflection / consolidation

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 12

Technology in Instruction

• What? – Books, handouts, audio, video, webpages ….

• Why? – Increase face time opportunities – Because many students expect it – To expand your possibilities:• Provide contact with L2: photos, video, audio, text …• Facilitate the mechanics of instruction• Assessment

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 13

Don’t forget …

• Guarantee student privacy• Don’t violate copyright• Allow for diversity

August 17, 2011 Stanford FLTA Orientation 14

Next steps …

Assignments in an LMS (Learning Management System)