Speak Up / CALLing all teachers
Mark R. Freiermuth Special to The Daily Yomiuri
In most universities in Japan, the computer lab has recently become part of the staple diet for language learning; so much so that the term CALL (computer-assisted language learning) has become a ubiquitous acronym throughout Japan. Nevertheless, a good CALL lab requires considerable resources. Universities must cough up huge sums of money to establish a lab, equip a lab, buy necessary software for the computers in the lab and then employ people to keep the lab running. on top of all of this are the never-ending upgrades and upkeep costs. So, the question must be asked, "Is it even worth the money to have a computer lab for language learners?"
The answer is a resounding maybe.
If there are few teachers who know how to use a lab effectively and won't be trained, then the answer is no. However, if there are enough teachers who will be able to maximize its usage, then the answer is yes.
So in what ways can a lab be used effectively? First, I would recommend some good language learning software. Developing criteria for what would constitute good software is one way to get started. Here are some questions you might want to consider: Who is going to use the software and how? Will more than one teacher use the software? In what classes can the software be effectively used? Can the software be upgraded? Will the software run effectively on the computers' operating system? Is there a cheaper alternative that will help the students achieve the same results? Does the software run on a Japanese operating system? Is the software easy or complicated to use? And one question that must be asked at most Japanese universities is: What TOEIC (the Test of English for International Communication) software should the university invest in to really help students achieve higher TOEIC scores?
Second, can everyone who is scheduled to use the lab actually use the lab? It may be the case that some teachers who really want to use the lab aren't able to understand how to maximize the lab's capabilities. This is an import!ant issue for the full-time faculty members, but it is just as import!ant for any part-timers who may be sporadically scheduled to teach in the lab. Prior to the start of a semester, it is highly recommended that there be a meeting in the computer lab with all the teachers who are going to be scheduled in the lab. Those who are comfortable using the system can help those who are a bit uncertain. This can help to alleviate worries for everyone involved.
Concerning software, there are the obvious must-have items. Undoubtedly, the lab will need to have word processing software, but I also recommend that the lab have presentation software. Microsoft PowerPoint is very user friendly and many of the students will have already started using it in high school. Teachers may also want students to use spreadsheets for presentations and written reports, so it might be a good idea to have Excel or some other kind of spreadsheet software.
As for practical applications, try using the Web. There are tons and tons of Web sites that can provide students with reading and listening opportunities. Try a Google search and see what you come up with. Besides the usual news sites, you might want to check out Voice of America's American English Web site at: www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm. Students can listen to VOA news and teachers can download sound files and get the transcripts of the audio.
Also, if you're going to be in the lab and have Internet access, why not make a Web-based syllabus? With a bit of practice, you can make a very handsome online syllabus using Nicenet (nicenet.org). Nicenet allows online discussions using a bulletin-board format, which my students have been very eager to use. It also gives the teacher the capability of contacting students with just a click of the mouse. When students register for the class, Nicenet generates an e-mail list of every student in the class.
If you want interactive software, I suggest online synchronous chat software. There are many options, but I recommend Language Educational Chat System (LECS), which was developed for language teachers by Taoka Harada and Tomohiro Yasuda of Kanto Gakuin University. It allows the teacher to put students in small chat groups--a place where even hesitant learners can feel comfortable communicating. Here is the URL: http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/-taoka/lecs/. If you are a little bit more adventurous, you can make a peanut butter wiki for your students (http://pbwiki.com/edu.html). This can act as a syllabus or a blog; and it allows teachers to upload and download files. The aforementioned ideas are a few fairly easy and free applications, but there are a thousand others. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open, and use your fingers on your keyboard to uncover them.
The computer lab is a special place that opens up many interesting language learning avenues, but in the end, computers are just tools--like pencils. A pencil can be used for a lot of things, such as scratching one's head, but it is most effective as a tool for writing. The same can be said of computers, when they are used in the right way by trained teachers, they can be very, very useful. Computers make for expensive paperweights, so let's put those computers to use!
Freiermuth is an associate professor of applied linguistics at Gunma Prefectural Women's University.
(Aug. 24, 2007)
Mark R. Freiermuth Special to The Daily Yomiuri
In most universities in Japan, the computer lab has recently become part of the staple diet for language learning; so much so that the term CALL (computer-assisted language learning) has become a ubiquitous acronym throughout Japan. Nevertheless, a good CALL lab requires considerable resources. Universities must cough up huge sums of money to establish a lab, equip a lab, buy necessary software for the computers in the lab and then employ people to keep the lab running. on top of all of this are the never-ending upgrades and upkeep costs. So, the question must be asked, "Is it even worth the money to have a computer lab for language learners?"
The answer is a resounding maybe.
If there are few teachers who know how to use a lab effectively and won't be trained, then the answer is no. However, if there are enough teachers who will be able to maximize its usage, then the answer is yes.
So in what ways can a lab be used effectively? First, I would recommend some good language learning software. Developing criteria for what would constitute good software is one way to get started. Here are some questions you might want to consider: Who is going to use the software and how? Will more than one teacher use the software? In what classes can the software be effectively used? Can the software be upgraded? Will the software run effectively on the computers' operating system? Is there a cheaper alternative that will help the students achieve the same results? Does the software run on a Japanese operating system? Is the software easy or complicated to use? And one question that must be asked at most Japanese universities is: What TOEIC (the Test of English for International Communication) software should the university invest in to really help students achieve higher TOEIC scores?
Second, can everyone who is scheduled to use the lab actually use the lab? It may be the case that some teachers who really want to use the lab aren't able to understand how to maximize the lab's capabilities. This is an import!ant issue for the full-time faculty members, but it is just as import!ant for any part-timers who may be sporadically scheduled to teach in the lab. Prior to the start of a semester, it is highly recommended that there be a meeting in the computer lab with all the teachers who are going to be scheduled in the lab. Those who are comfortable using the system can help those who are a bit uncertain. This can help to alleviate worries for everyone involved.
Concerning software, there are the obvious must-have items. Undoubtedly, the lab will need to have word processing software, but I also recommend that the lab have presentation software. Microsoft PowerPoint is very user friendly and many of the students will have already started using it in high school. Teachers may also want students to use spreadsheets for presentations and written reports, so it might be a good idea to have Excel or some other kind of spreadsheet software.
As for practical applications, try using the Web. There are tons and tons of Web sites that can provide students with reading and listening opportunities. Try a Google search and see what you come up with. Besides the usual news sites, you might want to check out Voice of America's American English Web site at: www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm. Students can listen to VOA news and teachers can download sound files and get the transcripts of the audio.
Also, if you're going to be in the lab and have Internet access, why not make a Web-based syllabus? With a bit of practice, you can make a very handsome online syllabus using Nicenet (nicenet.org). Nicenet allows online discussions using a bulletin-board format, which my students have been very eager to use. It also gives the teacher the capability of contacting students with just a click of the mouse. When students register for the class, Nicenet generates an e-mail list of every student in the class.
If you want interactive software, I suggest online synchronous chat software. There are many options, but I recommend Language Educational Chat System (LECS), which was developed for language teachers by Taoka Harada and Tomohiro Yasuda of Kanto Gakuin University. It allows the teacher to put students in small chat groups--a place where even hesitant learners can feel comfortable communicating. Here is the URL: http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/-taoka/lecs/. If you are a little bit more adventurous, you can make a peanut butter wiki for your students (http://pbwiki.com/edu.html). This can act as a syllabus or a blog; and it allows teachers to upload and download files. The aforementioned ideas are a few fairly easy and free applications, but there are a thousand others. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open, and use your fingers on your keyboard to uncover them.
The computer lab is a special place that opens up many interesting language learning avenues, but in the end, computers are just tools--like pencils. A pencil can be used for a lot of things, such as scratching one's head, but it is most effective as a tool for writing. The same can be said of computers, when they are used in the right way by trained teachers, they can be very, very useful. Computers make for expensive paperweights, so let's put those computers to use!
Freiermuth is an associate professor of applied linguistics at Gunma Prefectural Women's University.
(Aug. 24, 2007)