Circling the globe: fostering experiential language learning

ReCALL ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIRSTEN SÖNTGENS

This paper describes a Computer Supported Experiential Learning project at the University of Central England (UCE), for which a bid has been successful to the UK Higher Education Funding Councils’ learning and teaching fund to develop innovative teaching and learning strategies. The project is based upon a well-established curriculum model (Kolb, 1984) which has been adapted by the Learning Methods Unit (LMU) at UCE to include technologies each addressing a particular stage in Kolb’s learning cycle. The model recognises that it is insufficient simply to learn new concepts, just as it is insufficient to have an experience in isolation. The learner must make the link between theory and practice through active experimentation and through reflection on the learning process.

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-140
Author(s):  
Catriona Cunningham

This article considers the way we talk about learning and teaching the humanities in higher education in the UK. By using the tools of the arts and humanities within the scholarship of learning and teaching, and examining a personal perspective, the author explores the transformational impact of French language learning and teaching. Close textual analysis of literary language learning memoirs highlight the sensual and physical effects of language learning that can remain muted in our everyday conversations. As a result, the author suggests that rather than lament the death of the humanities in 21st century higher education, learning and teaching a language offers a pedagogy of desire that embodies the transformation aspect of our disciplines, as we deal with the business of being human.


Author(s):  
Michael Gardner ◽  
Adela Gánem-Gutiérrez ◽  
John Scott ◽  
Bernard Horan ◽  
Vic Callaghan

This chapter presents a case study of the use of virtual world environment in UK Higher Education. It reports on the activities carried out as part of the SIMiLLE (System for an Immersive and Mixed reality Language Learning) project to create a culturally sensitive virtual world to support language learning (funded by the UK government JISC program). The SIMiLLE project built on an earlier project called MiRTLE, which created a mixed-reality space for teaching and learning. The aim of the SIMiLLE project was to investigate the technical feasibility and pedagogical value of using virtual environments to provide a realistic socio-cultural setting for language learning interaction. The chapter begins by providing some background information on the Wonderland platform and the MiRTLE project, and then outlines the requirements for SIMiLLE, and how these requirements were supported through the use of a virtual world based on the Open Wonderland virtual world platform. The chapter then presents the framework used for the evaluation of the system, with a particular focus on the importance of incorporating pedagogy into the design of these systems, and how to support good practice with the ever-growing use of 3D virtual environments in formalized education. Finally, the results from the formative and summative evaluations are summarized, and the lessons learnt are presented, which can help inform future uses of immersive education spaces within Higher Education.


2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. i-i ◽  

Phil Benson's state-of-the-art review of autonomy in L2 learning and teaching is a timely response to an ever-growing interest in autonomous language learning. Focusing his attention on the recent literature, he explores how this interest in autonomy is influencing theory and practice, leading to the emergence of new research agendas in the field. He focuses particularly on the ways in which conceptions of autonomy have evolved and continue to change, and how these new conceptions fit in with broader developments in language teaching and learning theory, educational practice, and social thought.This issue includes also a call for papers on Replication Research Studies, two features marking the publication of this fortieth volume of the journal, and reports on a series of research seminars.Richard Johnstone's article in which he reviews research published in 2004 and 2005 on language teaching, learning and policy is available online at <http://journals.cambridge.org/jidLTA&volumeId=39&issueId=04>.


ReCALL ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUNE THOMPSON

EUROCALL continued to operate from the Language Institute at the University of Hull. The former CTI Centre for Modern Languages became part of a much larger Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, in turn part of the Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) funded by the UK Higher Education funding bodies. The team at Hull is responsible for aspects of the Centre’s activities relating to communication and information technologies (C&IT), and consists of June Thompson, Fred Riley and Julie Venner who serves as EUROCALL membership secretary. We were pleased to be joined in May 2000 by Janet Bartle who is the Academic Co-ordinator, C&IT for the Subject Centre.


ReCALL ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN H. GILLESPIE ◽  
J. DAVID BARR

This paper examines staff reaction towards the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Communications and Information Technology (C&IT) in language learning and teaching. It considers the attitudes of colleagues in three different universities, two in the UK and one in Canada. Our findings suggest that staff in these three locations are not resistant to the use of computer technology in learning and teaching but rather that any hesitations they have are due to a range of different factors of a practical kind, ranging from time pressures to course relevance. We found that staff in one institution are clearly more enthusiastic about using CALL and C&IT than colleagues in the other two, but that they were also widely welcomed in the latter. One of the main reasons for this has been the creation of common learning environments on the Web. In addition, findings show that staff already convinced of the benefits that CALL and C&IT bring to the teaching and learning experience (radicals) have a role in encouraging their less enthusiastic colleagues to begin using this form of technology. However, we found that the majority of colleagues are not radicals, but pragmatists, and are willing to make use of CALL and C&IT provided that the benefits are clearly guaranteed. There remains a small minority of conservatives. No suggestions are made as to how to deal with them.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Lili Zhao

<p>This paper aims at exploring the influences that learner’s factors have on second language teaching and learning. Firstly, this paper gives brief definitions of cognitive theory and the theory of behaviorism, which are relevant to learner’s individual factors. And then a learner’s most important factors such as motivation, aptitude and self-confidence are introduced to illustrate the influences these factors have made on second language learning and teaching. Some suggestions are given for English teaching and after a presentation of the taxonomy of language learning strategies, the training of language learning strategies is mentioned so as to throw light on the future work of language teaching and learning.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
Judith Giering ◽  
Hope Fitzgerald

In 2015, language faculty and administrators at a large public university met to evaluate the needs of the more than 20 language programs offered on campus. A priority emerged for language learning space better equipped to facilitate authentic interaction and communication. The committee conceived of an alternative language learning space that would be motivating, collaborative, and inviting, and offer a variety of technologies in support of innovative teaching and learning.  Now in its second year of operation, the Language Commons facilitates formal and informal learning activities for students and faculty that are aligned with current theory and practice of Second Language Acquisition. Language faculty utilize the space for innovative instructional activities that might otherwise be limited by small, inflexible classroom spaces. This article describes the development of the Language Commons from initial conception through design, and the rich array of activities occurring in the space, featuring examples of faculty uses of Commons spaces and technologies. Preliminary outcomes suggest the Commons is valued for its support of student motivation, lowering of anxiety, opportunities for community engagement, and as a place to disrupt classroom hierarchies and routines.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 2040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Özlem Tekin ◽  
Harun Göçerler

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential impact of smartboards on vocabulary learning of foreign language learners.For this, an empirical study was carried out at German preparatory classes of the Institute of German Language and Literature at Namık Kemal University. In this context the students were asked about their vocabulary work in foreign language learning by a questionnaire, which included 20 close-ended statements of a 5-point Likert scale. A pretest was held in the Summer Term 2013-2014 with a total of 78 subjects, whereas a posttest was conducted in the Winter Term 2014-2015 with a total of 86 subjects. The evaluation of the questionnaires was carried out with the statistical program SPSS PASW Statistics 18.0 NETWORK and the data was analyzed by the descriptive survey method.The results of the study show that vocabulary learning is affected by three basic factors: the role of testing, the need and importance of newly learned words in everyday use and the learner motivation. As the results of the study show furthermore, the last central factor, the motivation of the learners, can be supported by training different learning strategies, by providing and using material diversity and visuality, and by making the relationship between language and culture more understandable to the students. These fundamental desiderata can come to meet, by using technological tools such as smartboards, by which learners can be motivated and the vocabulary learning and teaching process can be made more effective. In this regard teachers play an important role, as they have to question themselves, the tools and materials used and the needs of learners in the process of vocabulary teaching, thus to optimize the teaching and learning process as a whole. ÖzetBu araştırmanın amacı, akıllı tahta kullanımının yabancı dil öğrenenlerin kelime bilgilerinin gelişimine olan muhtemel etkilerini incelemektir.Bu amaçla Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Alman Dili ve Edebiyatı Bölümü hazırlık sınıflarını kapsayan deneysel bir çalışma yapılmıştır. Bu bağlamda öğrencilerin yabancı dil öğreniminde yaptıkları kelime çalışmalarına yönelik görüşleri, 20 kapalı ifadeden oluşan 5'li Likert tipi ölçekten meydana gelen bir anket formu kullanılarak alınmış ve değerlendirilmiştir. Anket süreci içerisinde 2013-2014 Öğretim Yılı Bahar Dönemi’nde 78 öğrenciye öntest, 2014-2015 Öğretim Yılı Güz Dönemi’nde ise 86 öğrenciye sontest uygulanmıştır. Anketlerden elde edilen veriler SPSS PASW STATISTICS 18.0 NETWORK istatistik programı kullanılarak betimleyici analiz yöntemi ile değerlendirilmiştir.Araştırmanın sonuçları göz önüne alındığında kelime öğreniminde sınavların rolü, öğrenilen yeni kelimelerin günlük kullanım için gerekliliği ve önemi, ve ayrıca öğrencilerin güdülenmesi gibi üç temel maddenin öne çıktığı görülmüştür. Öğrencilerin güdülenmesine destekleyici nitelikte sayılabilecek kelime öğrenmede strateji bilgisi, materyal çeşitliliği ve görsellik, dil ile kültür arasındaki bağın kavranması gibi unsurların da anket sonuçlarına göre kelime öğreniminde önemli bir yere sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu temel ihtiyaçları giderebilmek için akıllı tahtalar gibi teknolojik araçlar kullanılarak öğrencilerin güdülenmesi sağlanabilir ve bu sayede kelime öğrenimi ve öğretimi daha verimli hale getirilebilir. Bu bağlamda kendilerini, kullanılan araç gereçleri ve öğrencilerinin ihtiyaçlarını sorgulayan öğretmenlerin kelime öğrenim ve öğretim sürecinde etkin bir rolü olduğu da vurgulanmalıdır, zira ancak bu şekilde öğrenim ve öğretim süreci bir bütün olarak daha verimli ve etkili hale getirilebilir.


2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Finkbeiner ◽  
Agnes Madeleine Olson ◽  
Jennifer Friedrich

This article reviews the empirical research literature on foreign language (FL) learning and teaching published between 2005 and 2010 in Germany. It focuses on the empirical studies that have attracted the greatest interest among researchers during this period of time. These include research on educational standards, teacher education, early FL learning, content and language integrated learning, motivation and interest, intercultural learning, literacy, learning strategies and cooperative and computer-assisted language learning. The review reveals rich and diverse research studies in the field of FL teaching and learning. As a relatively young discipline without a longstanding research tradition, this field overlaps in its research interests and methods with other research fields such as educational psychology, linguistics and the educational sciences. The review also shows that the research into FL teaching and learning is to a large degree dominated by small rather than large-scale projects and is characterized by its largely practical relevance. The review ends with recommendations for future research as a conditio sine qua non for further development in the field.


ReCALL ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-152
Author(s):  
JUNE THOMPSON

This issue of ReCALL represents something of a watershed in the journalÕs history, for a number of reasons. First of all I have to report that Professor Graham Chesters has decided that he wishes to step down as co-editor, and I would like to thank him here for all his work for the journal over the years. Back in 1990 when Graham and I were involved with the Computers in Teaching Initiative Centre for Modern Languages (CTICML) at the University of Hull, funded by the UK Higher Education Funding Council, one of the required ‘deliverables’ was a regular Newsletter, designed to inform university language lecturers about developments in the use of new technologies in language learning. It soon became apparent that some of the material that was being submitted for publication was far too substantial for a Newsletter, yet merited dissemination among our readers. It was Graham who saw the potential need for a new academic journal in this field, and thus ReCALL was born. I still blush to see my attempts at desk-top publishing in those early issues!


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