It is curious that funding goes into content. There is an explosion of free
content on the Internet, from  podcasts, radio stations, and elsewhere. This
often in downloadable MP3 format with transcript and includes beginner
"learner" content and authentic content. Content is easy to create. Teachers
and students are doing so all over the world. This can all be shared at
little cost. I have always found the production of essentially redundant
language text books to be a tremendous waste of resources. By the same
token, the MP3 player and the Internet make expensive language labs
redundant and obsolete, yet they are still being set up at schools and
colleges.

I think that the role of the teacher needs to change from that of someone
who is explaining the language, to that of someone who is turning students
into independent language learners,and someone teaching the skills of
language exploration and language learning,providing encouragement,
feedback, guidance and support. Technology makes it possible for one teacher
to affect the lives of hundreds of learners at a time, not just the few who
are in his or her classroom.

Undoubtedly the students are not used to student-centered learning, and are
classroom dependent. Most learners expect that the teacher is going to teach
them the language. As a result, most do not do very well. If learners
recognize that it is what is done outside the classroom that matters the
most, and if they are encouraged and shown how to learn, I think that a far
greater number will improve in their language skills.

Steve

On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 6:52 AM, Martin Senger <MSenger at gecac.org> wrote:


>  Pax Steve!

>

>

>

> I agree 100% with you Steve about the content issue. That is why I try to

> get my students to find their own study material. However, the students

> themselves are not used to student-centered education, as opposed to

> teacher-centered. Very few educational systems around the globe stress the

> student's role in their own education, apart from memorization.

>

>

>

> But another problem currently is that most funding for education goes

> toward specific content, and not necessarily learning skills. Alas.

>

>

>

> Ciao!

>

>

>

> Martin E. Senger

>

> Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,

>

> G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center

>

> ESL Co-Director,

>

> PAACE

>

> Erie, Pa

>

>



-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com
1-604-922-8514
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