In response to Glenda's comments about corpus-based dialogues -
I like that materials writers have moved to corpus-based dialogs, 
including the "uh, uhm, uh-huh" and so-on.  Based on comprehensible input 
theory, it is reasonable to ontrol the dialogue to some degree so that we 
can teach students how to focus on those content words and the clues that 
the word may be more important without their feeling overwhelmed.

My students have told me that generally they find corpus-based dialogues 
and grammar activities more interesting than those that are created for 
textbooks. I think it's helpful to work with students using the imperfect 
speech from the corpus, because this is what they hear when they leave the 
classroom.

There are a lot of good, free resources for creating corpus-based 
activities. 
A good corpus online is the Corpus of Contemporary American English at 
http://www.americancorpus.org/ . It's pretty easy to copy the lines of 
corpus and create gap-fill activities with the langauge feature you're 
studying in class.
You can also copy and paste any text into AntConc, a free online 
concordancer, that will locate and highlight specific strings of words in 
whichever texts you put into the concordancer. It is available online at 
http://www.antlab.sci.waseda.ac.jp/antconc_index.html  for both PCs and 
Macs.

Hope this is useful!

Kate



********************************************************* 
Kate Daly
Instructional Specialist
Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center 
Virginia Commonwealth University 
3600 W. Broad Street, Suite 669 
Richmond, VA 23230-4930 
kedaly at vcu.edu 
http://www.valrc.org 
Direct phone: 804- 827-1946
Fax: 804-828-7539
1-800-237-0178 




Glenda Lynn Rose <glyndalin at yahoo.com> 
Sent by: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
06/08/2009 02:19 PM
Please respond to
The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>


To
The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
cc

Subject
[EnglishLanguage 4423]  Contrived vs. authentic audio







A lot of "authentic" audio is just as contrived as the audio portions of 
some texts.  Television, movies, radio, books on CD and the like are not 
the same as spontaneous conversation. 
 
As far as using AL goes, I liken it to doing drills before playing a game. 
 They are useful in their place, but playing the actual game is a lot more 
dynamic and interesting.  No athelete focuses on the drills while trying 
to win the match, but the drills did help prepare him or her for that 
match.   The biggest complaint I have against AL is that you cannot 
control your conversation partner's response.  When I tried to speak for 
the first few times it was chaos.  My conversation partner didn't use the 
same script I learned in class!  However, once I was in a class where I 
was encouraged to communicate, all those drills did help out - especially 
the horribly boring conjugating verb ones.
 
I like that materials writers have moved to corpus-based dialogs, 
including the "uh, uhm, uh-huh" and so-on.  Based on comprehensible input 
theory, it is reasonable to ontrol the dialogue to some degree so that we 
can teach students how to focus on those content words and the clues that 
the word may be more important without their feeling overwhelmed. 
 
IMHO.

Grace and Peace!
Glenda Lynn Rose, PhD
ESL Instructor
Austin Learning Academy
841-4777
 


--- On Mon, 6/8/09, Waconda Clayworth <wclayworth at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Waconda Clayworth <wclayworth at yahoo.com>
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4421] Re: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as 
language learners
To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List" 
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Date: Monday, June 8, 2009, 12:38 PM

Hi and have sometimes been called Wanda the fish, but it is Waconda,
a variation found in Praire Erth..
 
Hmmm- this idea interests me...and will try it, but with students who
have trouble concentrating....I am not against listen and repeat...
if they are doing most of the talking..I would wonder at the level of
students who could then discuss...as students have often said they
do not have the vocabulary or the cultural expectations of being
spontaneous in class...
but will try it...just guessing this works best with advanced students
...true???
the kudos belong to some of my collegues from Oxford and Cambridge
who actually taught and taught well in Japan...and were not there
for their degrees to enhance whatever programs they were placed at..
 
Do you record???I would think a very good way to convince others
or validate with admin. people would be a tape recording...
 
LOUD puts me in mind of fabulous pool parties with perfect
attendees and generally tecnically proficient but creatively forgettable 
music..
 
hasta la vista,
Waconda
 
Peace in 2009 


From: Eugenia Fitzgerald <eugenia.fitzgerald at gmail.com>
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Monday, June 8, 2009 11:49:53 AM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4418] Re: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as 
language learners

To my knowledge, the term "audio-lingualism" has only ever been used among 
linguists.  Yes, it is based on behaviorist theory, in keeping with the 
thought of the day.  We now recognize that language learning is not so 
simple as memorizing the right phrases.  In addition, the dialogs used in 
such listening activities are contrived by linguists, not by people in 
real time, and they have very few of the features of real conversation. 
This has all been documented in the literature.

Yet, the method still persists.  Many language learning materials are 
behavioristic in nature.  Many computer language programs are 
stimulus-response, form driven, right/wrong.  How many times do you ask 
students to "listen and repeat?"  Substitution drills, etc.  Do these not 
have the same things in common: a focus on form, decontextualization, and 
just plain phoniness? (Who talks that way anyway?)

I prefer instead to teach students the skill of focused listening - 
listening for the LOUD words - the information words - and THEN

Have the students talk to each other - solve a problem together - using 
the information from the listening.

As for what they produce linguistically, if they solved the problem 
together in English, then as far as I am concerned, their communication is 
fine.

Kudos to you, Wanda, for using authentic listening materials!!

Eugenia

On Sat, Jun 6, 2009 at 3:31 PM, Waconda Clayworth <wclayworth at yahoo.com> 
wrote:
I am a boomer senior who started to learn a second language in the
60s..at school..Spanish....and at that time audio lingualism was a 
refreshing
way to not have the grammar translation that had been the only way, 
especially
for students in Catholic schools- when I was a kid in New Mexico-at my
secondary schools in Taos- about 85-90 percent of the population was 
Hispanic,
5-10% were native Americans from the Taos pueblo and others were anglos..
I missed the period when Spanish was not allowed on school grounds, but 
heard
of that time, so a-l became the new way to use technology in the new 
age...
but as machines can be very overused, it was....and I think that in 
various other
places as in Asia, it was used to program people...but mostly I am 
refering to
the fact that it was supposed to make language automatic and instead was
used autocratically...I saw over and over...in Japan, starting with the 
military
and especially with the YMCA the misuse of tapes....(not to mention the
not so illegal, but very acceptable Asian way of copying them)..as a way 
to
use a-l for nonthinking or nondoing...My first Y Japanese boss, Mr. 
Shimade
made reference to this as I was just starting out teaching....and I took 
it to heart..
if I used a tape, I made sure it meant something to students..and it wasnt 
a way
to fill in time, or to be the teacher directed center of attention which I 
think
traditional teaching often is (and again, a disclaimer..there are good and 
wonderful
ways to use lecturing and teacher centerness...think of kids who don't 
have any
direction at home or worse neglect or abuse and come into a strong day 
care
or head start situation and need a strong bossie to help them get through 
life..).
BUT!!!how many times did I get polite groans from students about overuse 
of
the tape..when I got more confident, I started teaching and really I 
should say
faciliating without tapes...now ,,,if you are on about pronunciation ...a 
tape or
tapes at home that have several native speakers on them and can be 
listened
to again and again, they are great...I went to my Spanish and French 
language
labs at UNM many times a week and really found them useful...So to 
summarize:
 
If audio materials are forced on students in any way, they can be 
oppressive..
If they are used to help students learn, focus, re-remember what they 
forgot,
they are good..
 
I don't even know, except in linguistic histories if the term 
audio-lingualism is
still used today..Is it??
waconda
 

 
Peace in 2009 


From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <
englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2009 12:12:18 PM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4390] Re: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as 
language learners

I do not understand the term "deadly oppression of audio lingualism." 
Waconda could you please explain what this means. Thank you.

Steve

On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 8:25 AM, Waconda Clayworth <wclayworth at yahoo.com> 
wrote:
Hi and I am not sure why this appeared on my e-mail, but certainly
interesting....many teachers were star students which makes them
interested and to use this decades current buzz- passionate about
what they are doing-and informed...but many students are not
quick studies and even if it seems tedious need to acquire and
get language repeatedly without the deadly oppression of audio
lingualism....and 100 per cent agree that learning a second
language even if one is a quick learner really helps a teacher
to be emphathetic, to really understand that languge learning
is more than a task to be checked off on a to-do list...
I have managed 2 Roman languages and struggled with
an Asiatic one...and not any of that was easy, but think
that patience besides being virtuous can also be a learned
asset....
wec
 
Peace in 2009 


From: Michael A. Gyori <mgyori at mauilanguage.com>
To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov>
Cc: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <
englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 7:29:29 PM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4384] Re: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as 
language learners

I'm also posting this interaction to the Adult ELL list, as it primarily
belongs there, I believe...

Hello Gail,

I believe that ESL teachers should have experience learning a second
language at least as a foreign language, and ideally as a second language
(by having had to live for some time in a non-English speaking country). 
My
sense if that at least many ESL teachers would further enhance their
teaching abilities by having themselves experienced what they teach.  The
challenges presented by learning how to play the piano or soccer are of a
different kind and may not directly inform issues related to L2 
acquisition.


Thanks,

Michael
www.mauilanguage.com 


-----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Troy, Gail 
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 9:40 AM
To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as language learners

Learning other languages (bilingualism) is good; but, teachers need to
learn something out of their comfort zone. That may be another language,
playing an instrument, learning a sports skill, higher math etc; then
the teacher will experience the frustrations that the student
experiences.

Gail Troy, M.Ed
Nelson County Adult GED



-----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Paul Rogers
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 2:15 PM
To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Technology 2049] teachers as language learners


Steve Kaufmann raises a very important point: teachers need to learn
other languages.
I refer to it as "putting the shoe on the other foot". 
Paul Rogers
805-258-3310
pumarosa21 at yahoo.com
PUMAROSA.COM


--- On Tue, 6/2/09, Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com> wrote:


> From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>

> Subject: [Technology 2039] Re: Day 2 question to the list

> To: "The Technology and Literacy Discussion List"

<technology at nifl.gov>

> Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 9:20 AM

> 

> I would also suggest that language teachers be asked to

> spend a little time learning another language using

> technology.

> On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 7:12 AM, 

> <adam.kieffer at spps.org>

> wrote:

> 

> 

> 

> "What will it take to help our colleagues (teachers

> and administrators) try

> 

> technology infused teaching and learning, too?"

> 

> 

> 

> I've had the role of technology coordinator for

> about a year now at my

> 

> school, which is the center of a larger, urban ABE program

> and I'm a

> 

> teacher by training. It's been one of my primary roles

> to do just what the

> 

> above question poses. During my experience the past year, I

> noticed that

> 

> several things are needed to help colleagues infuse

> technology into both

> 

> their teaching and learning:

> 

> 

> 

> 1. a desire to learn

> 

> 2. a positive culture of learning in the school/site

> 

> 3. an administration that values, and therefore plans and

> budgets for,

> 

> hardware, tech training and development and expects tech

> and computer

> 

> competency from staff and new hires

> 

> 4. time (for change, for training, for practice, for things

> to grow)

> 

> 5. persistance

> 

> 

> 

> -Adam Kieffer

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------

> 

> National Institute for Literacy

> 

> Technology and Literacy mailing list

> 

> Technology at nifl.gov

> 

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please

> go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

> 

> Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com

> 

> 

> 

> 

> -- 

> Steve Kaufmann

> www.thelinguist.blogs.com

> www.kpwood.com

> 604-922-8514

> 

> 

> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please

> go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

> Email delivered to pumarosa21 at yahoo.com



 
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-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.thelinguist.blogs.com
www.kpwood.com
604-922-8514


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