Teaching with Technology

Article #3

The Internet has introduced a world of collaborative opportunities to language educators.   Language teachers utilize many familiar tools such email, discussion forums, chat, blogs, and wikis to promote online collaborative opportunities for language learners.  XML (extensible markup language) helps language teacher’s link documents to the students in their classes and is recognized as the second-generation Web. 

 The second language learner needs practice in communicative skills and many language teachers agree that the extra writing done on discussion forums is beneficial to their language students.  From the beginning, E-mail has been a useful instrument for “classroom exchanges” (Godwin-Jones 12).   However, many language teachers use discussion forums as the primary tool to promote conversation between them and their students.   The language learner needs a place to communicate and discussion forums “encourages universal participation” (Godwin-Jones 12).   To encourage communication discussion forums are used as vehicles for peer networking.  Language learners need the comfort of group learning environments to be completely successful in their target language.   Discussion forums also promote discussions amongst language learners outside of the classrooms.  However, language teachers need to educate their students about the rules that govern such forums and the “cultural dynamics at work” (Godwin-Jones 12).  

 The asynchronous tools of the first-generation web users prepared language learners for entering into text-based chat rooms.  In order for the language learner to navigate successful with these communication tools the language teacher needs to acquaint the student with chat room etiquette.  The speed of ‘real time’ communication is viewed as a useful tool for classroom exchanges.   Instant messaging also revolutionized communication for language learners.  However, it was the second-generation Web that pushed collaborative environments into the 21^st century.  Blogs opened the doors to a new method of online collaboration.  Language teachers strive to help the language learner become independent and confident.  In second language blogging can help “encourage ownership and responsibility on the part of the students” (Godwin-Jones 13) because it provides a forum that is authentic.  According to Robert Godwin-Jones,   this type of ownership and responsibility does not exist when using discussions forums. 

  Another point is that blogging does not require any prior knowledge of the Web.  The set of a blog is simple once the web site has been created.  Unlike other forum types, blogs offer “a great deal of flexibility and the potential for creativity in the construction of the site” (Godwin-Jones 14).    Blogs can also be effective when doing project-based assignments.    However, blogs do tend to be more personal and a more collaborative environment suitable for on line projects would be wikis. 

 Wikis like blogs do not require any prior knowledge and “use a simple set of formatting commands” (Godwin-Jones 15).    Changes on wiki sites are “logged along with identification of the author” (Godwin-Jones 15).   As a collaborative tool wiki-type sites are ideal for second language learners.    Second language learners always need to practice their newly acquired skills.  Wiki sites give the language learner a place to discuss common issues with other language learners and to share problem often not express in a classroom environment. 

 “Emerging Technologies: Blogs and Wikis: Environments for On-line Collaboration”, Language Learning & Technology. May 2003, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.12-16.  http://msu.llt. edu/vol7/num2/emerging