My own acquaintance with Computer Assisted Language Learning comes in the form of various podcasts I have downloaded in order to enhance my own abilities. Like a lot of people, my expertise in any of the foreign languages I have been introduced to is fairly lopsided; this makes any particular format or lesson, in any media, insufficient to address all of my own shortcomings.
I have therefore sifted through quite a number of podcasts over the years, hoping to find one tailored to my needs in, say, French or Spanish. I have seen the quantity and variety of podcasts multiply substantially in the last year or so, which leads me to wonder if we won’t eventually reach a state where every second language learner on the planet is in possession of his or her own needs-based curriculum, available on the internet or some other unforeseen method of distribution.
My reservations are that this could seemingly lead to the creation of a dystopian “hive-mind” in which each of us represents a single cell in a unified organism—but, then, I am prone to consider such things. I only hope that we, as a species, are blessed with an enlightened and benevolent Queen.
As for the reading, I have long suspected that pedagogical texts require a certain quota of graphic insertion in order to present the illusion that they are embracing a multimedia approach to instruction. In the present article we are offered the conceptual benefit of triangles, as well as a set of concentric circles; in the next chapter I fully expect to be entertained by a trapezoid.
In the end, I guess the real question here is how to use CALL technology for good without making our roles as teachers (or our species) obsolete?
Notes for Tuesday, April 13, 2010
14 years ago
Nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI am also looking forward to trapezoid shaped graphic organizers. . .
ReplyDeleteWell, as long as we don't turn into the Borg, we should be alright!
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, I posed a similar question on my blog. I think we need to find a nice "middle-ground" where we utilize technology as a resource, not a crutch.
I, too, dread the Borg, but agree that a kindly and benevolent Queen might provide the hive with the sweet nectar of taking the yoke of responsibility off of our shoulders.
ReplyDeleteAnd ditto what you all said about trapezoid shaped graphics. Mayhaps we will be blessed by a dodecahedron soon?
Language learning best occurs through interaction under authentic circumstances. Until this changes I think there will be a place for human instructors in person or online.
ReplyDeleteI think with every technology advancement and implement you must question how to retain the human presence and have it actually feel human. In true luddite fashion, I have resist using technology in much of my own self directed learning, fearing it would replace both the human element and the feeling of satisfaction derived from success. But it seems that choice is disappearing and the only way is to use the technology for your own limited purposes. I selected the word limited, because outside of being a nice modifier, I think technology use should be kept to a limit as one tool for expression but not the sole medium. As blogs, facebook, and what the hell else people pour their emotions unto swell into a wave, the only was to retain your presences is to swim...express yourself with others--face to face, and occasionally with online tools
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point about the possibility of a learner being able to come up with his/her own needs-based curriculum. There are plenty of interactive websites for practicing vocabulary and grammar, including quizzes that can be scored when one completes a given set of exercises. I think that self-motivated learners can benefit from such Internet sites. A shortcoming of such 'fill-and-drill' activities is the lack of practice geared towards fluency improvement.
ReplyDelete