LINGUISTICS 191/291 - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Linguistics and the Teaching of English
as a Second/Foreign Language
LINGUISTICS 191/291 - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Linguistics and the Teaching of English
as a Second/Foreign Language
Home | Announcements | Syllabus | CALL Mini-Course | Linguistics Home Page
Description.
This mini-course is offered as a 5th unit option for
Linguistics 191/291 or a 1-unit directed study for anyone not taking that
course. The goal is to provide you with an introduction to CALL
(Computer-Assisted Language Learning) so that you can make informed judgments
about how to incorporate technology into your language classes to make certain
aspects of student learning more engaging, efficient, and/or effective. This overview will cover elements of development, evaluation, and
implementation of software, along with information for using the World Wide Web as a learning environment and a resource for both you and your
students. Interested auditors are welcome, regardless of whether you are
taking the 191/291 course.
Requirements.
There are three requirements: 1) regular attendance, 2)
completion of weekly preparatory material, and 3) a presentation and short
writeup of an individual project (due at the last class) Note that weekly
preparatory material will usually consist of a reading and exploration of some
web links or other material. Auditors are not required to do (3).
There is flexibility in the final project, but some of the options are evaluating a piece of software, evaluating a language learning website, designing a piece of software or a website (just designing it or also programming it), writing a critical review of a CALL book or article, or writing a CALL lesson plan for existing materials or applications. Anyone interested in more than 1 unit for the course may negotiate a more ambitious project.
Tentative List of Weekly Topics. More information and links are found on the Invitation to CALL website.
| Class | Topics (tentative) | Assignment (assignments are due the week following, but you are encouraged to skim the unit ahead of time) |
| 1 | Introduction to Computer-Assisted Language Learning | Read
Unit 1.
Homework -- Do one or both of the following, using the materials at
least twice (15+ minutes each time) & come prepared to discuss your
experience. In particular, think about what you could learn that would
be useful using these materials and how they differ from non- compute
alternatives. 1) Try using software for a language you don't know at all--CD-ROMs were passed out in class or you can pick one up from Phil. Note that these are for Windows and will probably not work on a Mac. 2) To get some idea of what it's like to learn a language online, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/, pick a language you don't know well, and try out some of their materials. |
| 2 | Finding and Evaluating CALL Resources | Read Unit 2. Homework -- Visit the CALICO Review site at https://www.calico.org/page.php?id=523. Select a review that is relevant to your current or future teaching and read it critically. Think about 1) what useful information is provided, 2) what support the reviewer offered for the judgments made, and 3) what information was not provided that you would have found helpful. |
| 3 | Computer Mediated Communication | Read Unit 3. Homework -- Visit a discussion board or chat room at www.eslcafe.com or www.englishbaby.com, or a similar site where language learners congregate. Try participating in a chat and/or making a posting to one of the discussion board topics. Examine the language the learners are producing and reflect on your experience, including an assessment of how you think chat or discussion at these sites could be integrated into a class you were teaching. |
| 4 | CALL and Language Skills | Read Unit 4. Homework -- Select one skill area that particularly interests you. After reviewing some or all of the sources mentioned on the course site, find at least two other web sources on your own and come ready to share them with the class next week. Also, if you are taking the course for credit, you should start working on your final project soon--see below for details. |
| 5 | Environments, Materials, and Activities | Read Unit 5. |
| 6 | CALL Theory and Research | Read Unit 6. |
| 7 | CALL Teacher Education, Learner Training, and Professional Development | Read Unit 7. |
| 8 | Current Trends and Future Directions | Read Unit 8. |
CALL Project Assignment
If you are taking the CALL section for credit, you are required to do a short project and present it in class during the final meeting. You will have 10 minutes for the presentation, so please prepare accordingly. The project should include a writeup, which is a part of your final grade and is due by March 16 (sooner is better)
The project can be of your own choice but should obviously be connected to the theme of the class. Here are some pre-approved options: you may propose others, but if you do, please clear them with me ahead of time.
1) A critical review of a CALL book or article.
2) An evaluation of a piece of software or a website. Be sure to follow the general guidelines described in class (Unit 2) (operational description, teacher fit, learner fit)
3) Design of a piece of software, a website, or a language learning task that employs computer technology. Include a clear justification of the learning objectives and why you think your proposed software, website or task will help meet them.
4) Design and programming/scripting of a piece of software or website. If you actually program create, the design can be simpler than if you're just proposing. Or you can just create some small part of it for demonstration purposes.
I am available by appointment to discuss any and all aspects of your projects. The length of the writeup will vary with the project but should not exceed 8 pages double-space: projects like (3) and (4) involving creative work may have shorter writeups.