Author Archive
Educational Technology – Web-Resources: Theory & Tools
THEORY Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching & Technology TOOLS Mootools Javascript Thumbnail Viewer DimDim – A Web-Conferencing Solution More about Moodle http://www.humboldt.edu/~jdv1/moodle/all.htm A code from answers.com which allows you to gloss an entire text. Currently used on the NY Times website, Available at: http://www.answers.com/main/answertips.jsp
In: Course Design, E-Learning Design & Management, Educational Technology, Instructional Design, Web 2.0 Tools, Web Design · Tagged with: links, theory
The 14 Categories of Language Use
RIvers & Temperly (A Practical Guide to the Teaching of English, OUP, 1978, p. 47) list 14 purposes or categories of language use establishing and maintaining social relations expressing one’s reactions hiding one’s intentions talking one’s way out of trouble seeking & giving information learning or teaching others to do or make something conversing over […]
In: Course Design, Learning Language Teaching, Teacher Skills · Tagged with: goals and objectives, lesson planning, methodology, speaking
The 6 Factors that Reduce Cognitive Decline in Old Age and the 4 Factors that Predict Earlier-than-average Decline
Researchers have identified 6 risk factors that everyone should be aware of. The following variables reduce the risk of cognitive decline in old age according to Merriam, Gafarella & Baumgartner (2007, Learning in Adulthood, p. 371) absence of cardiovuscular and other chronic diseases living in favorable environmental circumstances substantial involvement in activities maintenance of high […]
In: Statistics · Tagged with: adult learners, cognition, memory, Statistics
A Multimedia Resource for Language Learning
I have been racking my brains over the past few weeks in vain. I am incapable of thinking of a proper topic myself and that prevents me from starting work on the assignment which reads as follows This assignment consists of two interrelated parts: A multimedia resource for language learning for classroom or self-access use. […]
In: Course Design, Digital Storytelling, Educational Technology, Instructional Design, language learning e-tivities, Teacher Skills, TEYL, Web Design · Tagged with: ideas, methodology, Web Design
Bilingualism: Facts & Stats
Source: The Bilingual Family: A Handbook For Parents by Edith Harding & Philip Riley, 1999, CUP. Over half of the world’s population is bilingual. This fact is usually surprising to many Europeans, who are under the impression that living with two or more languages is exceptional. (p. 27) What matters and what doesn’t in second […]
In: Accents, ESL Facts & Figures, ESL statistics, Learning Language Teaching, Statistics · Tagged with: adult learners, age, bilingualism, motivation, pronunciation
Pair & Groupwork vs Teacher-Student Interaction
According to Mckay & Tom (Teaching Adult Second Language Learners, CUP, 1999, p. 26), working in groups helps students feel they are part of a community. They come to know each other as individuals & friends Pair- and groupwork serves an important pedagogical purpose, because it provides more opportunities for individuals to talk than does […]
In: groupwork, Learning Language Teaching, Teacher Skills · Tagged with: adult learners, groupwork, pairwork
Social Presence
Social presence is the degree to which an individual feels real or is seen as real while studying in an online context. The higher the degree of the learner’s social presence in a VLE, the lower the probability of the learner not finishing his/her studies.
In: E-Learning Design & Management, Educational Technology, Instructional Design, Observations · Tagged with: interaction, social presence
Online Language Lessons – Idea Bank
It looks like more and more language teaching is being done on the web. Let me summarize what online language teachers have on offer, what they do or could do in theory. I will list several examples from Curtis J. Bonk & Ke Zhang’s (2008) Empowering Online Learning, pp. 62-63. Types of resources & activities […]
In: Collaborative Learning, Course Design, Digital Storytelling, E-Learning Design & Management, groupwork, Instructional Design, language learning e-tivities, Learning Language Teaching, Observations, Teacher Skills, Using Blogs in EFL, Using Wikis in EFL · Tagged with: activities, language learning e-tivities, Learning Language Teaching, online lessons, resources
The 4 Types of Multilevel Class Activities
Heather McKay & Abigail Tom (1999, CUP, Teaching Adult Second Language Learners, pp. 21-22) suggest teachers differentiate among four types of mixed-ability activity. Unless the text is in quotation marks, it is my own interpretation. same input, same task What is different in this situation is the level of your students’ language proficiency. What makes […]
In: Collaborative Learning, groupwork, language learning e-tivities, Learning Language Teaching, Teacher Skills · Tagged with: dictations, games, input, level, mazes, mingling, mixed-ability, puzzles, quests, scaffolding, task, trivia quizzes
Is Studying 1-to-1 Pairwork?
Does studying 1-to-1 qualify as pairwork? And is it necessarily teacher-centered and bad? Anyone?
In: Collaborative Learning, E-Learning Design & Management, groupwork, Learning Language Teaching, Observations · Tagged with: 1-to-1, mind-boggling thoughts, pairwork
