TESOL 2008 – New York

Discussion Group: Learner Training, Technically and Strategically Speaking

Friday, April 4, 2008

Organizers

Phil Hubbard, Stanford University, efs@stanford.edu

Howard Pomann, Union County College, p omann@ucc.edu

Basic Premise

Instructional software and other technology applications can be powerful language learning tools that facilitate learner autonomy. However, students need help in understanding how to use them efficiently and effectively in the pursuit of learning objectives. We can provide that help through technical training (how), strategic training (what and when), and pedagogical training (why).

Questions

1. Why are you here?

2. What kind of training are you doing now?

3. What should you tell students to do?

4. How do you know what to tell students to do?

5. How should the training proceed?

6. How do you weigh cost vs. benefit?

7. How do you assess the result?

Resources:

Union County College - CALL Suggested Strategies Website http://staff.ucc.edu/alc-paez/esl/call

CALL Foundations Website - Unit on Learner Training www.stanford.edu/~efs/callcourse/CALL7.htm

The Challenge of Learner Training for CALL. PowerPoint from CALICO 2002 Conference www .stanford.edu/~efs/phil/Hubbard-CALICO02.mht

Hubbard, Philip (2004). Learner training for effective use of CALL. In S. Fotos & C. Brown (eds) New Perspectives on CALL for Second Language Classrooms. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum, 45-67.

Hubbard, Philip & Levy, Mike (2006). Teacher Education in CALL. Amsterdam: John Benjamins

Kolaitis, Marinna, Mahoney, Mary Ann, Pomann, Howard, Hubbard, Philip (2006). Training ourselves to train our students for CALL. In P. Hubbard & M. Levy (eds) Teacher Education in CALL. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 317-335.

Course websites incorporating learner training:

Listening Comprehension: www.stanford.edu/~efs/693a

Listening and Communication: www.stanford.edu/~efs/693b

Learning English on Your Own: www.stanford.edu/~efs/efs689e

Conference handouts and related links can be found at: http://www.stanford.edu/~efs/lt-tesol08

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BELOW ARE SOME SAMPLE MATERIALS FROM THE UNION COUNTY COLLEGE LEARNER TRAINING PROJECT

CALL JOURNAL –Grammar (Levels 1-6)

Date: __________________________________

Name of Program: ______________________ Section: _______________________________

Grammar: Write notes on grammar items that are most difficult or new for you.

NOTES: Think about and Take notes on mistakes you have made. Ask yourself:

Why did I make the mistake?

What is the correct form, and why is it correct?

What points do I need to review?

What questions do I have for my teacher?

Example: (Copy the incorrect sentence. Circle the error and make the correction. Explain why.)

Incorrect:___________________________________________________________________________ Correct:____________________________________________________________________________

Why:_______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Incorrect:___________________________________________________________________________ Correct:____________________________________________________________________________ Why:______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Strategies for Listening Activities

(For use by faculty to train students)

I. Listen

A. Listen to the audio without the transcript as many times as necessary to help you

understand and remember:

1. Listen to the complete story/dialogue, take notes in your CALL Journal, and check

your notes. (Listen 3 or more times.)

2. Use the PAUSE and REWIND buttons (if available) on the audio player to

repeat difficult words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Place the cursor on the

pause button while listening to story.

3. If the listening is difficult or if the subject is new for you, read the transcript. First,

make sure you understand the main ideas before continuing. Then, go back and

listen to the story without looking at the transcript

II. Listen and Read Transcript

A. To help you understand the story and learn new words:

1. Read the story/dialogue without the listening.

2. Use vocabulary help: glossaries, book and on-line dictionaries. Write new and

difficult words in your CALL Journal – Vocabulary Section.

3. Listen and read word(s) or phrases to help you understand.

4. Review your CALL Journal – Listening Section notes.

B. To recognize and practice the pronunciation of new, difficult, or interesting words

and phrases:

1. Listen and read the complete story/dialogue.

2. Listen and/or read specific words and phrases of the story/dialogue, using the

audio controls.

3. Repeat the pronunciation of specific words and phrases.

III. Listening Comprehension Exercises - Multiple Choice (Multiple Choice is used because it is easy for the computer to score it. However, if you really understand and remember the information, you should be able to answer most questions without looking at the choices.)

A Read the question. Cover the answers with a piece of paper, or by scrolling down.

What do you think the answer is? Try to answer the question without looking at the choices.

B. Try looking at each choice one at a time. Decide whether it is the right answer or not before going to the next choice.

C. If you are not sure, listen again. Use the audio controls to listen to a specific part. Look at your notes in your CALL Journal to help you.

D. Look at the choices. Click the best choice.

E. If the answer is correct, can you explain WHY? If the answer is wrong,

WHY IS IT WRONG? Think about the information you heard.

Listen again, using audio controls to find specific information.

IV. Dictation

A. Listen to the complete story or watch the video.

B. Think about your content.

C. Listen to one sentence or phrase at a time. Repeat the sentence/phrase as necessary. (Write groups of words each time.)

D. Use hints to help you. (If it is too difficult for you, listen to and read the transcript.)

E. Read your dictation and check and correct any mistakes when you finish.

F. Check your dictation with the transcript. Circle the incorrect words and phrases, and note any that you left out.

G. Listen again and think about why it was difficult to understand and why you made the mistake