After reading the article "The Employment of CALL in Teaching Second / Foreign Languages" by Julia Gong I am amazed at how behind we are here in Paraguay in terms of techonogical tools and softwares in language institutions.
I was amazed at reading about softwares that can help kids hear their voices and even web sites in which they can get an actually interact with others.
My point of view about all this is that there should be a balance of everything. There is nothing that replaces a human contact in class. Students benefit from the real teacher and partners who they have to deal with and learn to interact socially and share academically.
I agree with the fact that applying Call strategies students are exposed to exercises up to their levels and that they are not facing constant feedback which may not be as friendly many times. But there is nothing like real interaction with peers and even experiencing the real culture through senses and activities.
I was curious on finding out more about Voice of America after reading so much about this site in the article. Oh my!!! That is such a wonderful web site!! These things can be applied in the classroom, they can be used to have real discussions!! The videos, the text, the scripts, the listening comprehension you can do!!!
Just to sum up. I believe we should open up to new strategies and to new techonology that our students are already using. Many teachers learn from younger students nowadays, don't tell me it is not true!!
So, why not applying their interests in our classrooms with a touch of culture.
Always, keeping in mind that leaving them infront of a computer is not enough. Showing them our interest, supporting them through issues we discuss in class, exposing them to culture of the language they are learning and providing constant human interaction could really help us to make a true balance.
And of course there is a lot more we can do as educators... a lot more!!
Hello Carolina! Thanks for your post! You are absolutely right saying that no technology can reaplce a teacher. Nowadays the tehnology possibilities grow every day and it is impossible to follow them sometimes but we live in this century when we have to be modern and interesting for our students as they are computerized so much that they become alien, not so sociable, for example. And we the teachers of English like the teachers of other subjects can help them not to lose their personality.
ReplyDeleteHello Carolina,
ReplyDeleteAn important spot of concern was your indication to the necessity of creating a “balance” between employing CALL and still finding space to human interaction inside classrooms. It’s very true, as you said, that teaching is after all a highly functioning human profession, with face-to-face learner-instructor contact, even with the current trends of the learner-centeredness approaches. Nevertheless, the whole point CALL raised this week was rather about the active complement, not any total replacement of the teacher’s “human” role by any technical or robot interface. Your pointed out “balance” hence comes from the instructor’s awareness of the recently updated role as a facilitator who monitors, interactively, the students’ progress, with any newly implemented teaching aid like the CALL. It’s not only about introducing new instructional material; it’s also about the ever changed human, and specifically the teacher role in the whole learning /teaching process. Nothing should eliminate the teacher’s function, yet this function shouldn’t come also at the expense of employing any advanced high-tech learning tool.
Learners’ cultures and interests had the most suffering share of traditional instruction. In fact, such disregard threatens the whole instructional procedure of yielding no fruitful outcomes, regardless of what we implement as new technology and material. I agree with you for giving a special weight to learner’s preferences and learning styles, and this should have a priority on utilizing CALL and other technical strategies. Teachers in general, however, find it easier to use new technologies than trying to recognize and stand before every single learner’s style of receiving, interacting with, and digesting classroom instruction!
Best,
Hassan
Hi Perizat and Hassan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. I am still thinking about how I will start implementing these new strategies I am learning. It is essential for us to adopt 21st century literacy skills strategies and share this with our students and colleagues.
Balance. Heart. Caring. Are key factors though.
Take care and have a nice Sunday :)
Carol
Hi Carolina,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to learn about your view point concerning CALL and the potential loss of human contact in class.
However, I believe that CALL can be really powerful to teach and learn languages and provide opportunities for both learners and teachers to interact with real people.
I totally agree with Hassan's point in that CALL is "an active complement" .
Working with technology will certainly demand a lot of effort from our part , creativity and willingness to learn from our students... True !
Cecilia