Shifting Gears

2022 ◽  
pp. 66-87
Author(s):  
Kathleen D. Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
World Languages ◽  
School Year ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Virtual Support

In March 2020, all Ohio school buildings were closed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, leaving districts in crisis mode to complete the school year. This chapter per the authors details how the specialists in world languages and cultures at the Ohio Department of Education, in collaboration with the Ohio Foreign Language Association, were able to quickly and efficiently initiate virtual support for Ohio language teachers during the Spring 2020 school year, lead a summer professional learning series to prepare teachers for remote and blended learning the following school year, and continue virtually supporting teachers throughout the disruptions of the 2020-2021 school year. Priorities focused on teachers' and learners' social-emotional needs, high-quality and practical instructional resources that made language learning accessible for all, and a professional learning framework that modeled strategies for reimagining language instruction in an in-person, remote, or blended environment.

scholarly journals Confronting the Challenges of MALL: Distraction, Cheating, and Teacher Readiness

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Rastislav Metruk
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Teacher Perception ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Academic Environments ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Feasible Solutions

Mobile technologies appear to be gaining in popularity regarding foreign language instruction they have recently proliferated in academic environments. M-learning opens up new possibilities and opportunities for both teachers and students, and it is inevitable that methodological approaches to pedagogy and ways of teaching foreign languages are accordingly adjusted and reevaluated. Despite the numerous significant advantages mobile technologies offer, scholars and educators have to take into consideration some barriers and limitations in this respect, and respond to both existing and future challenges. Moreover, the studies on MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) seem to be predominantly focused on benefits of specific technological advances when the advantages of MALL are discussed. This article attempts to present a critical review of the literature which deals with MALL as further research and exploration in this area is necessary, especially with regard to challenges and barriers language teachers face when m-technologies are employed. Three major drawbacks related to using mobile technologies in teaching are predominantly discussed, namely learner distraction, cheating, and teacher perception and readiness. Moreover, proposing feasible solutions to the challenges and barriers is also discussed in the article.

scholarly journals Technology-assisted foreign language learning (TALL) in the digital age

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 02005
Author(s):  
Anna Melkonyan ◽  
Armine Matevosyan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Learning Software ◽  
The Way

The article goes along the lines of language learning in the digital age. Technology and the advancement of digital media not only have the potential to change the way we learn languages, but also the way foreign language teachers learn to teach. Managing learning platforms, using learning software and educational apps effectively, designing complex web–based tasks are just a few examples of digital media use in the foreign language instruction of today’s schools. The article aims at showing of what types of skills and knowledge language teachers need to become digitally literate. Also we will focus on some challenges that an educator faces while teaching foreign language in the digital age.

scholarly journals The first five days

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-104
Author(s):  
Amanda Romjue
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning Framework ◽  
Educational Culture ◽  
Motivation For Learning ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Successes And Challenges

Facilitating lifelong language learning amongst students is a frequently mentioned goal of many language teachers. Teachers want their students to fall in love with the cultures and languages they have dedicated their lives to studying. However, igniting the spark for learning beyond the classroom can be a real challenge. In the current educational culture where motivation for learning is too often focused on extrinsic motivations like passing tests and making good grades, how do teachers redirect students toward intrinsic motivations like a love for learning? Research into various fields of study have provided evidence that it typically takes at least ten years of concerted effort to master most skills. From this premise it stands to reason that in order for language learners to reach higher levels of language proficiency, there is a need to promote learner autonomy that extends learning beyond the language classes students take in schools. Facilitating learner autonomy requires a reconceptualization of the way language classes are structured. Building upon goal theories, task-based language learning, and deep reflection within a transparent learning framework can help to provide students with the skills to continue learning beyond the classroom. This framework can set students on a more self-directed path toward language learning that is both intrinsically motivating and engaging. Throughout my own research and practice I have begun to develop a process to facilitate this type of learning environment for my students. In this paper, I share my own successes and challenges as I spent the first five days of a semester establishing expectations for facilitating learner autonomy.

scholarly journals Mobile-Assisted Language Learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Lindaman ◽  
Dan Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Mobile Assisted Language Learning ◽  
App Development

To many, developing language-learning tools for mobile platformsseems out of reach. Mobile app development projects require a widearray of specialized skills that many language teachers do not possess.This article reports on a set of mobile language learning applicationdevelopment projects initiated by language teachers. By settingattainable goals and focusing on collaboration, faculty in theseprojects have been able to take advantage of the new possibilitiesmobile devices offer for language instruction. Faculty adopted Design-Based Research methodologies in an Ecological Constructivistframework in order to design, implement, and test their apps incollaboration with students and faculty from across the campus. Theresults suggest that app development projects are feasible for languageteachers, and that pedagogically sound apps can reduce some of theanxiety associated with learning a foreign language.

scholarly journals Japanese Language Teaching at Tertiary Level in Slovenia: Past Experiences, Future Perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64
Author(s):  
Kristina HMELJAK SANGAWA
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Further Development

Japanese language teaching does not have a very long tradition in Slovenia, yet the teaching of Japanese has significantly developed both in qualitative and in quantitative terms in the past 20 years. This paper presents an overview of past Japanese language courses and of the development of Japanese language instruction in Slovenia at various levels of instruction and in different institutional settings, pointing out changes in learner motivation, increasing accessibility of language learning resources, and the growth and diversification of (present and potential) Japanese language teachers. The paper concludes with some suggestions for further development and for an increased networking among Japanese language teachers and learners.

scholarly journals To Speak or not to Speak? Theoretical Framework of Willingness to Communicate

2021 ◽  
pp. 37-47
Author(s):  
Emina Kahrimanović
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
Private Lives ◽  
World Languages ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Right

The decision of a speaker whether to communicate in a specific situation or not, assuming they have the right to choose, has been identified in the current literature as the speaker's willingness to communicate (WTC). In recent times, with the communication becoming the backbone of successful professional and private lives and the role of world languages ever increasing, the importance of willingness to communicate in one of the world languages (English, French, German, etc.) comes to the fore. Therefore, many authors have embarked on a journey to prove why willingness to communicate shall be put under the spotlight and why should language instructors set the engendering of WTC as one of the main aims of language instruction. Among the abundance of reasons, it is often argued that willingness to communicate may facilitate language learning itself. This paper represents a theoretical framework of research conducted on the subject of willingness to communicate over the past several decades, with emphasis on WTC in language learning.

Podcasts in Four Categories

2011 ◽  
pp. 176-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov ◽  
Randall Sadler
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
General Audience ◽  
Discrete Category ◽  
Language Instructors

Language instructors often struggle to find useful and learner-friendly podcasts to supplement their language instruction. In an attempt to address this issue, we examined a number of podcasts for their applicability for use in teaching vocabulary and language. Based on this analysis, we identified four categories of podcasts that are useful for the learning process: 1) Discrete Category, 2) ESL-Focused, 3) General Audience, and 4) Superpodcasts. In this chapter, we discuss each category of podcast, providing several examples, and then we explore the strengths and weaknesses of each variety. Finally, we offer pedagogical suggestions to demonstrate ways in which language teachers can effectively use the podcasts to organize both in- and out-of-class language learning activities. As a supplement to the chapter, a wiki is also available that includes a number of podcasts covering a variety of languages: http://languagepodcasts.pbworks.com/

scholarly journals Learner Motivation and Teaching Aims of Japanese Language Instruction in Slovenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Nagisa MORITOKI ŠKOF
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Central Eastern Europe ◽  
Teacher Training Programs ◽  
Linguistic Proficiency

The purpose of this paper is to describe Japanese language teaching and the role of language teachers in Slovenia. Firstly, this paper shows the development and current situation of Japanese language teaching in Slovenia and Central Eastern Europe based on the statistics by the Japan Foundation survey from 2015 and preceding years. Next, the paper discusses the background and tendencies of the internal perspective with regards to the motivation for language learning, sustained by autonomous learning, and pluralism of languages and cultures in CE Europe Lastly, the importance of pre-service and in-service teacher training programs is emphasized, with the conclusion that the role of Japanese language teaching in Slovenia is not only to support the development of learners’ linguistic proficiency, but also to offer learners and the educational institutions opportunities to act as social citizens, and organizations with a perspective that is wider than the European horizon of thought. 

scholarly journals Changing teachers’ attitudes towards ICT-based language learning tasks: the ETALAGE Comenius project (the Portuguese case)

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
António Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
National Level ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Second Language Teachers ◽  
Traditional Language ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

Many foreign and second language teachers are reluctant about shifting from traditional language instruction to TBLT. Another challenge has been the use of ICT in the classroom, a problem addressed in previous Comenius projects. The ETALAGE project aimed to build on the achievements of such projects and to address these challenges, by collecting, re-designing, adapting and disseminating samples of good practice of ICT-based language learning tasks (A1-B2 CEF levels) in primary and secondary education. Partners produced in-service teacher training courses adjusted to local needs. Independent experts in language teaching monitored the quality of the products at a national level. This paper explains the project setup and its implementation in Portugal, describing a) the specific challenges and constraints that the local reality poses to an international project like this and; b) the perceptions of the Portuguese trainees in pre- and post-course surveys concerning the use of ICT in TBLT.

Audio Stories as Incidental Language Teachers

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Ritterfeld ◽  
Timo Lüke
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Migrant Families ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Grammatical Skills ◽  
Entertainment Value

Abstract. Audio stories offer a unique blend of narrative entertainment with language learning opportunities as a user’s enjoyment is dependent on their processing of the linguistic content. A total of 138 third- and fourth-graders from low socioeconomic status and migrant families recruited from a metropolitan area in Germany participated in a randomized pre–post follow-up intervention study with a control group. Children listened to a tailored crime story of approximately 90 min over a period of 3 days within the classroom setting. Entertainment value for the age group was established in a pilot study. Outcome variables included semantic and grammatical skills in German and were administered before (pretest), shortly after intervention (posttest), and 2 weeks later (follow-up). We used nonverbal intelligence, reading, comprehension skills, age and sex as control variables. Results indicate a strong positive effect of media reception on language skills. The effectiveness of the intervention is discussed with reference to different linguistic domains, entertainment value, and compensatory effects in populations at risk of language learning deficits.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document