Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Warschauer (2010): New Paradigms in Technology
If there is one lesson we have learnt about the 21st century, it's that our tangible world has turned into an virtual world through the global network. Whether it concerns working remotely, educating through the Webcam or learning online, we have utilized the global network to interact and exchange information through a virtual context. Network-based Language Teaching (NBLT) is the new-age medium of interactive learning for Language Learners, "where human-to-human communication is the focus" (Warschauer, 2010, p.28). Warschauer (2010) has introduced the importance of communication, whereby LLs can communicate one-on-one or with many people through the network either locally or globally, 24 hours a day, through computer-mediated communication. Whether the CALL approach is structural (computer-as-tutor model), cognitive (learner centered) or sociocognitive (interactive human communication via computer), it is necessary to include each approach during the language learning process/instruction through the medium of tools, such as computer-mediated conversation, multimodal communication, blogs, wikis, and various hardware and software. Communication is the key to learning, especially for language learners developing their academic skills. CALL has elevated language learning to a new dimension, whereby the 21st century student can utilize technology to enhance and enrich their learning experience.
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I agree with the significance of communication in language learning. The Internet enabled small devices such as smartphones or ipod touches can make the network easier. The traditional concept of CMC has somewhat limited accessibility among users. Recently another emerging thread of CALL applications is called MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning).
ReplyDeletehttp://llt.msu.edu/vol10num1/emerging/default.html
http://www.edvista.com/claire/pres/iphoneapps/
I think you have drawn out some of the key elements of the new approaches to CALL that are making it actually usable in today's world. That is to say, they would have made it usable in yesterday's world too, but these emerging approaches are finally being realized both in the technology available and the teaching styles used by many instructors now.
ReplyDeleteMy Japanese classes up until this year have been very textbook-lecture-drill oriented, but this year we don't even HAVE a textbook, it's all authentic materials. The teacher said she's not focused on grammatical structures or vocabulary lists, but is primarily focused on comprehension (via authentic texts) and ability to communicate. I'm excited because I feel like I will get more out of this class than any of my previous classes, and I think that's what Warschauer and you are hinting at--the fact that this new approach to CALL and to language instruction in general is a much more effective way to produce language learners who are actually able to communicate in the real world, even if not always in a grammatically perfect way.