EFL In The Information Age

Guest post by Sofia Rasmussen.

  

Sofia is a graduate student in journalism who writes for blogs and newspapers around the world in her free time. Her primary interests are science and education. When she's not reading or writing, Sofia enjoys traveling, hiking, and cycling.

Classrooms around the world are becoming much more accepting of different types of technologies as the educational potential of different systems improves daily. As educators in English as a Foreign Language, or EFL, classes are discovering how technology can be used to disseminate information more quickly, expedite the process of gaining fluency, and even improve a student’s desire to study independently.

Industry organizations for EFL and related disciplines are working hard to spread the word about technology use and increase access to those tools. The global education association TESOL, or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, reports that there will be at least five EFL, TESOL or ESL conferences during 2012 that focus mainly on the use of technology in EFL classrooms. Accreditation programs around the world, including traditional master's and online doctoral programs in ESL/EFL, are re-molding their curricula in order to ensure that new teachers are teaching students how to harness the power of chat programs like Skype and online vocabulary flashcard sites.

Workshops & Seminars

Some organizations use communicative technologies, such as the Internet, to increase access to workshops, seminars and other educational opportunities regarding EFL. For instance, TEFL Tech, a Britain-based company, develops workshops for EFL educators that inform teachers about new technology advances in EFL and ESL teaching. TEFL Tech also offers consultancy services to educators who are interested in purchasing computers, software or other technical equipment for EFL classes.

E-books

Teachers of English as a foreign language also benefit from the use of ebooks in the classroom. An article published by Language Magazine reports that EFL students introduced to a wide selection of ebook material are more likely to engage in independent reading, reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom. Rich text applications that feature illustrations and additional content about authors can also encourage independent reading among EFL students with access to ebooks. eBook content currently available on the market runs the gamut from classic literature to basic instructional communication. The variety of content and the ease of downloading new materials make ebooks a valuable addition to the EFL curriculum.

Devices

Hardware devices are becoming smaller, encouraging hand-held use as well as the ability to keep technology with the student instead of tying the student to a computer station. The use of handheld tablets and technological devices among students is becoming more acceptable in educational settings. An April 2012 story published by The Greenville News talks about the use of smart tablets and related devices by elementary school students near Greenville, S.C., for English language instruction and other subjects.

The use of educational technologies like tablets and other smart devices can be enhanced through learning management systems, also known as LMS. An LMS can be used to store lesson plans and group activities online for access by students while away from the classroom. EFL classrooms utilizing an LMS can store English educational videos and other types of English language learning content for students.

Blogging

Writing in the English language helps to cement the lessons learned in class by English as a foreign language students. Many blogging services offer free blogs that EFL students can publish their work to. This also allows for teacher feedback as EFL educators can read these blogs and offer constructive criticism on the student’s use of the English language.

 

Creating Presentations on Digital Devices

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yggg/2141154996/

This is a guest post by Marina Salsbury who has written articles for my blog before here and here.

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Presentations play a big role in the business world today. Effective presentations are able to convey a rich amount of information to a large audience in a cohesive manner. In order to be able to put together a proper presentation, designers need to be able to utilize strong applications that cater towards specifically creating organized and professional presentations that can be relied on to convey information properly and effectively. According to MBA Online, branding is a highly psychological and literary arena. Presentations are great ways to use images and animations to appeal to an audience's emotions. Applications provided on different platforms allow for the most astute and professional presentations to be put together and organized for a professional setting and thus serve as an integral job in their position within the business world and other settings requiring presentations.

Some of the most new and innovative applications can be found on tablet devices (specifically the iPad). One of the most useful and most popular applications that is used on a regular basis to prepare presentations for projects is Keynote. Keynote is a presentation program that can be found on Apple computers and has been thoroughly reworked to operate on the Apple iPad. Keynote is a wonderful program for creating slide based presentations that can be presented to an audience in a stylish and engaging manner. One of its biggest advantages is that it seamlessly syncs between all of your iOS devices. You can develop a presentation on your MacBook, make quick edits right before your presentation on your iPad, and simply plug your iPhone in to give the presentation. It provides a very visual an engaging approach towards presenting and is a great way for engaging audience on a much more visual stimulating level.

Much like the previously mentioned Keynote, Powerpoint is a great visual presentation program that allows people to organize visually stimulating presentations. Powerpoint allows for presentations to be created that are infused with graphs and photos that support whatever idea or information is being demonstrated. Powerpoint is part of Microsoft Office and is infused with a great amount of features such as animation and the ability to import spreadsheet files to represent data in the form of a graph. Powerpoint is perhaps one of the most user friendly presentation programs and is widely accepted as the norm in professional and educational environments. Regardless of the product integration of Keynote, Powerpoint remains the most used presentation program in the world.

Flipping Book is an alternative presentation program that can be used on a plethora of devices. Not only does Flipping book allow you to import industry-standard formats into presentations (PDF and MS Office files), it's truly a cross-platform app by allowing you to use it on your computer, iOS, and Android devices. Flipping book simulates the literal flipping of pages in a book to allow for a more exciting presentation of material and information. Created to help fulfill marketing ideas, flipping book allows presenters to show data in a fresh and fervent manner. Flipping Book creates a more user friendly system created by engineers who were looking to find a professional and fun way to prevent material.

It is important when putting together a presentation to try and look as professional as possible. Fortunately these applications allow users to create innovative and engaging pieces of material that will engage an audience and convey material and statistics to a high degree. It is essential to be able to organize information in such a way that is conducive to a setting in which it can be properly presented. Presentations are a way in which presenters are able to convince and win over audiences, by displaying a wide range of information. It is important that only the best technology is used when conveying ideas to an audience so as to leave the best impression possible.

What is your favourite presentation tool?

Google+ Hangouts to Teach EFL

This is a Christmas gift for me and you - a guest post by Marina Salsbury who has already been my guest before.
Thank you Marina!







Google+ has formally been around for less than a year, but it's already turning into the online social network of choice for educators. For language teachers, especially those who teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Google+ can be used as a tool to augment learning and as a virtual classroom. As a learning subject, EFL demands a lot of teacher-student engagement and interaction, something that Google+ excels at. In higher learning environments such as masters or PhD programs, habitual conversation is one of the best ways to retain a language, so having an online avenue to converse will be highly beneficial for language learners.

Hangouts are essentially videoconferencing sessions on Google+ which can accommodate up to 10 people. Hangouts With Extras are enhanced online meetings that incorporate text chat, a sketchpad and other collaborative tools. Google has added many features to Hangouts, one of the most innovative being a smart video switching system, which automatically switches the onscreen camera view to the parties that are talking at the moment.

One-on-one EFL teaching or tutoring is the first function that comes to mind when considering Google+ hangouts for education. Skype has already been extensively used for this purpose for a few years. While Hangouts may be effective for traditional one-on-one EFL instruction, they truly shine for group sessions and have already being used by casual English conversation clubs.

When it comes to language instruction, EFL teachers tend to enjoy full attention from their students. This same level of concentration translates well to a Hangout session. In traditional classroom sessions, EFL students must listen and wait for their turn to verbalize the skills they have acquired. This allows students to learn from each other as well. EFL teachers should remind their students that on Hangout sessions they must wait for their peers to finish speaking; otherwise the video auto-switching feature will be enabled and become disruptive.

EFL study groups are already making Google+ their home, and thanks to the ability to integrate a video that's posted on YouTube, they are conducting Hangout sessions in which they watch, learn and discuss video material. English teachers are increasingly alerting their peers to the features that make Google+ a great educational tool, and others are discussing how the integration of Google Docs can augment EFL teaching.

Challenges of Adult Language Learning

My guest today is Marina Salsbury who planned on becoming a teacher since high school, but found her way instead into online writing after college. She writes around the Web about everything from education to exercise.

Marina's article focuses on the problems and challenges in language learning which college students and adults face if English is not their native language.

image by urbanphotographer on flickr

 The concept of a “critical period” for language learning has been of much debate historically. However, linguists' as well as language teachers' current thoughts reflect acceptance that college-age and adult learners can become quite fluent. Despite this possibility, adult language learners face unique challenges in college ESL classes online or on campus. Understanding these challenges and how to face them may help both teachers and learners attain greater success in learning English.

Some challenges adult English learners face are common among any adult language learners. Learning languages may be more difficult as one grows older, and adult learners may not be willing to speak and practice language because they feel silly or embarrassed. Learning may go quickly at first, when a lot of new vocabulary is introduced, and then may seem to slow to a crawl as grammar and other concepts become more complicated.

These problems with acquiring grammar and structure as an adult seem to be true regardless of the language being learned. Facing these challenges takes time and patience, but can be aided by being willing to use English frequently, even if it’s not perfect. Finding opportunities to use English and practice what's being learned in the classroom will help students begin to overcome the problems they face. By gaining more input and interaction, English learning will be better facilitated, and classroom lessons will become relevant and meaningful.

Learning English, though, presents some problems for beginning learners that adult learners of other languages don’t necessarily face. The major issue is simply accessibility. Most English language programs in the US teach their classes completely in English. Students with no previous knowledge of English may have a difficult time understanding and keeping up. Textbooks are written almost exclusively in English, making independent study quite difficult for students who don't already know how to read English. Even seeking individual help from instructors may be difficult because they may not be able to offer explanations in a language other than English. Students in these programs with no background in English may need to find additional tutors, lower-level courses, or online programs that can help with translation. Another option is to take a few English classes in their home countries so they have at least a basic knowledge of English and can access the information in subsequent classes.

Of course, for EFL learners who may not have ready access to English within their local communities, finding ways to practice English outside of the classroom can be challenging. One of the best ways to get more English input is through entertainment media. TV shows, movies, and music in English can provide interesting and accessible English to study or at least be exposed to. For more interactive practice, students should encourage themselves to only speak English with classmates. They can also find online conversation partners, or check out the expat community where native speakers may be willing to exchange conversation practice in the local language.

Adult learners who don’t begin their English study until college are likely to encounter difficulties, even if fluency is attainable. Not only are they faced with typical language learning challenges, but they may find English inaccessible, either through program design or location. By finding ways to make English accessible, these students will find a greater degree of success as they work toward becoming fluent speakers of English.

Back to School Ice Breakers

This is a great moment in the life of my blog because I am having my first guest writer!

Natalie Hunter grew up wanting to be a teacher, and is addicted to learning and research. As a result she is grateful for the invention of the internet because it allows her to spend some time outside, rather than just poring through books in a library. She is fascinated by the different methodologies for education at large today, and particularly by the advent of online education. She also loves to travel and learn via interaction with other people and cultures.

September has started, and if the school year hasn't begun already for you it soon will. Teachers and students everywhere can dread coming into a new class and meeting new people, whether they are in a real classroom or in online school. Some worry that they don't have the kind of skills they need to stay on par with the class, which can be quite daunting. Acclimating to new surroundings can be difficult for everyone, but with the right kind of introductory exercises, it can be easy to relax students and teachers alike and get the school year off to a good start.

Ice breakers can be as simple as the teacher wants them to be. Almost everyone has experienced the one where everyone introduces themselves by telling everyone their names, where they are from, and an interesting fact about themselves. If the class is large or if you think it may be easier on some students to not speak in front of everyone, the class can be broken up into small groups. The important thing about ice breakers is to not only situate students in a class but also help them to relax so that the class might be fun for everyone.

A more elaborate ice breaker that can be used for any age group would be to have each student write down a given number of questions. They should be questions that anyone can answer, and that can't be answered with a yes or a no. Students learning English should be monitored during this process to see how their formation is doing, and students at higher levels can be asked to form more complex questions. When everyone is done, introduce the activity by asking the students to put enough blank spaces to fill in with every other student's name. Then everyone could stand up and wander around the room, making sure to ask everyone one question, writing down their names as well as their answers. At the end, hand out sheets of paper for everyone in the classroom with one student's name on it to pass around, and the class can collectively fill out little biographies about each student that can be shared or posted on the wall. You can also ask students to volunteer what interesting things they learned about one another, and talk about some fun questions that may have been asked.

Another fun ice breaker is to hand out notecards to everyone and ask them to write a few things about themselves, like what they hope to learn over the school year, their favorite ice cream flavor is, or what is the one thing that everyone should know about them. Put them in a hat and then shake them around, and then draw them out to read to the class one by one. Have everyone guess who the person is if they can, explain why they guessed so, and when the name is found write that name on the back of the card and save it. At the end of the year, you can pass the cards out to each student and they may be excited to see what has changed in the intervening year.

These are just a couple of examples of what can be done to help students get to know each other and to start verbalizing during the first few days of school, and to help the teacher begin to get used to their new students and their needs. Just remember, it's a new experience for everyone, and in the end the object is to help everyone feel at ease and comfortable with one another as learning begins.

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We both would appreciate a comment or a question from the readers of this blog.