In recent times and because of the rapid development, easy access and application of ICT in language education it is said that it can be well integrated with several approaches, especially with collaborative language teaching and learning. It would be important for a foreign language situation to have an understanding of the shared features that these two domains have for language teaching and learning.
For a long time, I have been teaching Mass Communication students that the best way to think about the Internet is in terms of relationships. This matches well with the Web 2.0 idea about the web being interactive. The hardware is only a tool for the interaction and relationships.
I think that this affordance for interaction and relationships with other learners can be very beneficial in motivating language learners and producing a positive affective state.
Dear Jorge,
As all my colleagues have already stated, one of the most important learning outcomes we pursue is the development of professional skills. Working collaboratively is one way to achieve it and using ICT to facilitate interaction is a very wise option.
see one of my papers on it.
Best,
Laura
Article Qualitative Research on Simulation and Collaborative Learning
As with other disciplines, ICT brings in the element of engagement, facilitates participation and promotes autonomous learning if planned for and properly utilised. For me however, it is it's potential to provide access to authentic language that is most important.
Having read Laura's fine article I concur with the results of her study (and others equally informative found on her profile page), her response to this question, and Gordon's observations, particularly on "authentic language." Exposure to authentic language made possible, not to mention easy and free (!), by ICT is significant. Since most of my FL teaching (Spanish & ESL) was during the years BI (before the internet), the only way I could effectively expose my students to authentic language and culture was through study abroad. On the negative side, only those who could afford the trip were served. But on the positive side, those who went were immersed in the culture (by the assignments I had them do) and returned to the US enthused about further studies (most of our majors came from my study abroad groups).
Pardon the personal note digression, I just wanted to point out how fortunate teachers and students are now in this age of ICT. Briefly stated, ICT greatly enhances the "collaborative" in collaborative foreign language learning.
Best regards,
John
Excellent point John. Just to reiterate the point you raised: access for most if not all. As John observed, collaboration in learning is further promoted by the elimination of the cost of foreign study visits. Foreign culture and scenarios are made available readily and learners can collaborate in the class to interpret and analyse these scenarios. Thanks to ICT
Jorge:
I have found that one collaborative approach that is effective in developing students' English communication and critical thinking skills in the use of the Asynchronous Team Debate as shown in our recent paper presented at the 16th Annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning conference held in Indiana U.S.A in April 2015:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274720155_Debating_A_Dynamic_Teaching_Strategy_for_Motivating_Students_and_Teachers
Best regards,
Debra
Conference Paper Debating: A Dynamic Teaching Strategy for Motivating Student...
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