The role of WeQuests in learning a foreign/second language

The role of WeQuests in learning a foreign/second language

        WebQuests are activities, using Internet resources, which encourage and improve students to use higher level thinking skills to solve a real problems. Teachers who use the Webquest in their class  pull together the most effective instructional practices into 

one integrated student activity as well as to share it with others.

     Students of all ages and grades can use WebQuests Students it provided with online resources and the student will asked to use this information constructively to solve the presented problem rather than just cutting and pasting material into an assignment or project.

     WebQuests are inquiry-oriented activities designed to make the most of the student's time, and encourage cooperative and collaborative learning. Most schools cannot afford the time or resources required to allow students to search the Internet without a clear purpose in mind, and there is doubtful educational benefit in doing so.

     Using WebQuests in our classrooms can help build a solid foundation that prepares them for the future.

Evaluating Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab Website

Evaluating Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab  Website

          Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab http://www.esl-lab.com/ is an online, multimedia listening website that is designed to assist Second Language (L2) students around the world to practice and enhance their English listening and comprehension skills. This website has been created by Randall Davis who graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with an undergraduate degree in Spanish education and a master's degree in TESL. However, Every Site Has a Reason for Being There and Randall Davis site there to enhance listening comprehension, as well as improving the teachers and students  communication skills with natural and interesting themes.

            On the other hand, the design of the website presents the information on easy way to find and use, it has been organized according to the different levels with supplementary links such as, vocabulary exercise. Also, there is a developed quizzes to test the audience knowledge  based on their levels .Moreover, The page on the websites  load in a reasonable amount of time and it is consistently available and load without problems, but the main problem with the site is its background colors as well as the smallest size of the font; it may cause problem to people who has vision problems.

           The content on the website easy to read and understand by the students and teacher also, it has enough information to make visiting the site worthwhile. Moreover, The title of a site has appropriate to its purpose. The voice in audio records very clear and each lesson have activates pre-listening, listening exercise, vocabulary and post- listening. Also, in each lesson clarify the learners’ level, topic, and type of audio record, speakers, and length. Also, readers can easily download the audio record and it found in website as written form also. There are a lot of links in a website as Randall’s other site. It clear and easy for learner to move from one website to another.

             The information on the site not as good as a book on the same topic. Because it has so many additional features,we can not found them in the book. Such as, worksheets with quizzes on everyday conversations for all levels, short listening exercises and long conversations ,students can submit their answers to correct them and they can see the correct answers. and students can see the script of the conversation and can listen to it as they read it.

              The site grade level is appropriate as an extra activity for the students, and  different students are able to choose listening texts according to their difficulty,  needs and interests. Although the site is not that much interactive and engaging for the student, because the website design does not attract students,it is very formal, but the content attracts students and topics for the real life situation. 

Do teachers need to create web-based language activities for EFL students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Why and why not?

      Yes, think it is good to create web based language activates, it will be useful not just for the student in the class but for all who needs. Online language Explanation, exercises, and tests are available to anyone who has connect to the Web. It makes Web-based language learning activities attractive to both teachers and students. In my viewpoint, the teachers should make their own website because they can catch the student in the way they like, to do homework or revise the lesson. And can be connect to the student throughout the day.

 

How can social bookmarking websites and social media be used with my future Saudi EFL students?

 

         These days we should add some things new to our way in teaching, so we keep up with development of technology in all areas of daily life. Using delicious, twitter, blogs and wikis in many ways in teaching such as, we can use delicious to give students additional links for the development the lessons that they took in the class, and we can improve the student communication skill by make a count in twitter and ask student to talk and communicate with the other and the teacher can follow the useful people who contributes and the development of students' skills. 

Wordle in EDU 401”

Normalisation of Bax in the Saudi Kingdom

Normalisation of Bax in the Saudi Kingdom

The changes which Bax suggested is that no actual change at all, if it is defined as a new hope or ambition for CALL, then there may be some validity in the category and the means proposed of achieving normalizations are the phases represent not clear defined historical periods or even, clarification of whether we are evaluating aims or use of software or software itself, and more support in terms of attitude to language and language teaching it has not been clearly enough distinguished from communicative approaches.

The changes and means could be applied to our Saudi context? Yes, it can be if the Ministry of Education has developed this theme and incorporated into with our education.  

Challenges of creating web-based activates in Sally Morrison

Challenges of creating web-based activates in Sally Morrison

” Interactive language learning on the Web”

         These days students can Training themselves by using online activates, which are easy to get it, and also for the teacher it is helpful for make the idea and study plan in their class, but a language teacher always face many obstacles and difficulties in creating web-based activities. Such as, the teachers do not have experience in the design and the skills to use special software for this purpose, the teachers do not know the type of computer, browser and speed of connection the student will be use, and the different between teachers and students in technical skill level, should be consider the students level.

          My own obstacles are how I match the objects of the lesson with choosing the good context, how I make the exercises suitable to all students in the class and the attractive way to attract the attention of the student.    

CALL and Language Skills

1.     What have teachers/developers done to teach the skill areas using computers?

Teachers/developers need time to acquire technology skills and develop new teaching style at the first time if the teacher does not deal with technology before, for using technology into the classroom. The teachers should done technology training and cover a comprehensive set of skills.

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2.     To what extent does what they've done actually enhance learning?

Using technology in the classroom help student to learn from each other, and “Learning online doesn't mean learning alone” ,having computer at classroom is better than just sitting down with a textbook, the student can see what’s happening and share the information with other.

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3.     And most important, how can you use these resources to support your students' learning objectives?

By choosing the best website for each skills and make sure it is suitable for student.

PRACTICE ACTIVITY

Select one skill area that particularly interests you. After reviewing some of the sources mentioned above, find several other web sources on your own and review them for their potential to integrate into or supplement your class activities.

I select listening skill, I have searched for this web source lingQ for listening classes, it is support the classroom by making meaningful communication in the new language makes it real and real communication helps in learn, This  web designer for from people learning on their own to students in classrooms.

social network

What is your most important reason for using social network sites?

Social network has part of my life and one of my habits, it is impossible that a day goes without using social network. The most important reasons for using social network are to meet up with my friend on the Net, to help with a problem or information on a condition I may have, and share photos, videos, event with the following.

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It is possible for you to use them in teaching EFL/ESL? Concrete examples

Yes, for examples, the teacher tells the student to share their work, activities, and discussion about the course on platforms at Facebook and Twitter. And other example is by requiring students to keep the essays and assignments in a blog to read their friends essays and take advantage of them and to save their material to help them to include in portfolios after graduation.  

      

questions

• What is Technological determinism?

      Refer to the idea that the introduction of new technology automatically brings certain results.

• What are the ten developments in Information and Communication Technology?

          The first change is wireless communication by improved technology, telephone and internet. The second change is move from dial-up internet connections to permanents. The third change is non- use of personal devices such as laptop computer, personal digital assistant and cellular then replace with portable computing and online devices. The fourth change is the speed at which information passes over communication lines, it will change from narrowband to broadband. The fifth change is reduce the price of computer devices to reasonable prices, first in the developed countries and then in the developing countries.

          The sixth development is the internet will become a mass form of communication accessible to most of the planet. The seventh development is using the audiovisual forms to communicate and sharing the information .An eighth change is to use English as the main online language to multilingual internet use. A ninth change is the non-native can be use the computer as the native users of information technology because it does not related to language use, it related to comfort and skill in using computer. A tenth change is computer and other online devices will be found in every classroom in developed countries.

·         What is the expected effect on English teaching of these likely future developments?

        Influence on the context in which English is taught, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies.

•        What is meant by the five areas examined: new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies?

      1- New contexts: because the increased use of English in new globalized media and commerce will have a profound influence on the context, it was very common for teacher involved in CALL to say that “A computer is just a tool it is not an end in itself but a mean for learning English” and EFL teacher say “ English is not an end in itself, it is just a tool for being able to use computer and get information on the internet”

2- New literacies: You may view evidence of the new literacies being developed in schools around the world .You might also use the Internet to visit the many classrooms where profound changes are taking place in the nature of reading and writing. There is a great difference between reading a book in the library and online reading is reading in the online era has become an attempt to interpret information and create knowledge from a variety of sources.

3- New genres: first of all, consider some of the education Web sites being developed student, in this sites, student will improve the electronic communication which may represent the future of writing instruction.

4- New identities: online communication is contributing to new kinds of identities.

5- New pedagogies: the student’s use of English for communication would be incidental to the main task but as a result of carrying out the activity.

•   What are the first three stages of CALL mentioned in the reading?

           The first stage of CALL development was structural CALL, an approach used during the 1950s and 1970s that followed the teaching techniques of structural linguistics.

                    The second stage of CALL development was communicative CALL, an approach used during the 1980s and 1990s that followed the communicate language teaching.

                  The third stage of CALL development was integrative CALL, an approach used in 21^st century the followed content-based ESP/EAP

•  Then, on a separate paragraph, state whether the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed the same ten developments in ICT. Did the five areas emerge in the Kingdom? What is the expected effect on English teaching of these likely future developments?

         Information and Communication technology growth within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the last few years, and the government has acknowledged the importance of the ICT. Technology becomes a normal and expected means of communication and education, and the important change occur in expectation about the abilities students have to acquire to be a successful language user by dealing with the technology on English teaching and learning. The education in Saudi Arabia has been affected with the five areas. And the expected that effect on English teaching are the government will allow using the technology in teaching at school more than now.   

My Reflect about reading 1

My Reflect about reading 1

Research in applied linguistics, change in the status of languages and language learning, and sociological change in school and education these factors depend on the development of CALL.

 Technological Determinism is the idea that technology has important effects on our lives. In the idea that the Internet is wealth economy and society. TD has also had a long history in the social sciences in general and in organization studies in particular.

Developments in information and communication technology

Developments in information and communication technology have many changes. The first change is wireless communication by improved technology, telephone and internet. The second change is move from dial-up internet connections to permanents. The third change is non- use of personal devices such as laptop computer, personal digital assistant and cellular then replace with portable computing and online devices. The fourth change is the speed at which information passes over communication lines, it will change from narrowband to broadband. The fifth change is reduce the price of computer devices to reasonable prices, first in the developed countries and then in the developing countries.

The sixth development is the internet will become a mass form of communication accessible to most of the planet. The seventh development is using the audiovisual forms to communicate and sharing the information .An eighth change is to use English as the main online language to multilingual internet use. A ninth change is the non-native can be use the computer as the native users of information technology because it does not related to language use, it related to comfort and skill in using computer. A tenth change is computer and other online devices will be found in every classroom in developed countries.

Technology and English Teaching

They are five areas will be examined that expected to effect on English teaching:

1-   New contexts :because the increased use of English in new globalized media and commerce will have a profound influence on the context, it was very common for teacher involved in CALL to say that “A computer is just a tool it is not an end in itself but  a mean for learning English” and EFL teacher say “ English is not an end in itself, it is just a tool for being able to use computer and get information on the internet”  

2-   New literacies:  You may view evidence of the new literacies being developed in schools around the world .You might also use the Internet to visit the many classrooms where profound changes are taking place in the nature of reading and writing. There is a great difference between reading a book in the library and online reading is reading in the online era has become an attempt to interpret information and create knowledge from a variety of sources.

3-   New genres: first of all, consider some of the education Web sites being developed student, in this sites, student will improve the electronic communication which may represent the future of writing instruction.

4-   New identities: from Almon story, I discover that student who uses media such as e-mailing and chatting with other around the world can develop a wide range of literacies and identities.

5-   New pedagogies: the student’s use of English for communication would be incidental to the main task but as a result of carrying out the activity.

New terms

New terms

1-    Call: to communicate with by telephone, to speak.

2-    Online learning: A student can access to information from the computer, they don’t allow them to attend classes and they can meet their educational goals.

3-    Blended learning: Integration online with traditional activities at the same time. To improve the learning process.

4-    E-learning: It provides the potential to provide the right information to the right people at the right times and places using the right medium.

5-    Learning management systems (LMS): it is a software application use by administration, documentation, and reporting delivery of e-learning education courses.

6-    Educational technology: it is a computers and network has been part of the learning process.

7-    Differences between online and e-learning:  in online you have to wait for others to arrive, meet in a room; and strong physical context.

But in e-learning no scheduled date and time to meet, Time less important, and No waiting for participants to arrive.