Skills required in teacher to teach English as second langauge with the help of Language Laboratories

[Dilip Barad]

I am working on one research paper in which I want to identify technical skills required in the teachers to teach English as Second Language in Language Labs. The language lab i am talking about is not traditional one, it is operated on LAN connected Multimedia computers with internet connections. Can any one on Virtual Round Table help me in identifying skills required in the teachers for this specific purpose?

[Heike Philp]

Hi Dilip,

Great to hear that you are working on this research paper and it is a great
question to ask indeed.

Since you mention Multimedia computers with Internet connection, may I aks: What will
be the given task at hand for the learners?

Are they asked to interact with CONTENT such as learn with multi-media software (multiple choice, listening activities, drag and drop and gap fill exercises)?
or
Are they asked to interact with PEOPLE asynchronously (forum, blogs, discussion boards, moodle)?
or
Are they asked to interact with PEOPLE in real-time (virtual classroom, instant messaging, livemocha, second life etc.)?

Rgds Heike

[Dilip Barad]

Hi heike Philp,
Wonderful questions! Your questions have widened my horizons of thinking. Well, at primary level, learners are asked to interact with CONTENT such as learn with multi-media software (multiple choice, listening activities, drag and drop and gap fill exercises). So the question is 'what skills should teacher learn to operate such software/hardware?

Heike Philp said:

Hi Dilip,
Great to hear that you are working on this research paper and it is a great question to ask indeed.

Since you mention Multimedia computers with Internet connection, may I aks: What will
be the given task at hand for the learners?

Are they asked to interact with CONTENT such as learn with multi-media software (multiple choice, listening activities, drag and drop and gap fill exercises)?
or
Are they asked to interact with PEOPLE asynchronously (forum, blogs, discussion boards, moodle)?
or
Are they asked to interact with PEOPLE in real-time (virtual classroom, instant messaging, livemocha, second life etc.)?

Rgds Heike

[Graham Davies]

The University of Ulster's CEMLL pages and Module 3.1 at the ICT4LT site are quite useful for advice on using multimedia labs:

http://cemll.ulster.ac.uk (Centre for Excellence in Multimedia Language Learning)
ICT4LT: http://www.ict4lt.org

This document, which I edited, may also be useful. It covers training in Section 8.

2005 (revised 2009): (with Bangs P., Frisby R. & Walton E.) Setting up effective digital language laboratories and multimedia ICT suites for Modern Foreign Languages, London: CILT: http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/docs/CILT_Digital_Labs.doc

Graham

[Vance Stevens]

Hi, nice question, and one which I have addressed in a recent paper:

The article was written in response (I was asked to respond) to a colleague who had written that teachers were under pressure because they had to have "a working familiarity with the following kinds of software: CALL, Office applications, accessibility tools for special needs students, Internet resources, data storage, virtual learning environments, media editors and image manipulation tools, learning management systems, security systems, and a range of administrative software including gradebooks, virtual private networks (VPNs), and software for human resources. Plus they need to be able to use and troubleshoot AV equipment ranging from cd/dvd burners to interactive whiteboards, as well as mobile and other communications devices." (My recap)

I went on to say ...

"In truth, these are competencies required to do the job as it existed at the turn of the century, though the need for these skills maintains today. However in order to do the job even better, to utilize the latest in online technologies, and perhaps even to get a next job in the near future, teachers would need also to be familiar with this baker’s dozen of technology skills and concepts (adapted from Stevens, 2008); that is have some working knowledge of:

1. Web 2.0 and social networking
2. RSS and feed readers
3. Podcasts (harvesting them; also producing them)
4. Blogging
5. Microblogging (e.g. Twitter)
6. Distributed learning networks and PLN’s (personal learning networks)
7. Aggregation and tagging: folksonomic classification systems as opposed to taxonomic ones (see Figure 1)
8. Digital storytelling and applications of multimedia to new literacies
9. Communities (of practice) and connectivism
10. Informal / just-in-time learning
11. Synchronous communications: instant messaging, online presentation venues incorporating interactive whiteboard, voice, and video
12. Asynchronous collaborations tools: blogs, wikis, Voicethread, Slideshare, Google docs, etc.

You can read the article online here: http://tinyurl.com/vance2009perspectives

Glad you enjoyed the conference,

Vance


Graham Davies said:

The University of Ulster's CEMLL pages and Module 3.1 at the ICT4LT site are quite useful for advice on using multimedia labs:

http://cemll.ulster.ac.uk (Centre for Excellence in Multimedia Language Learning)
ICT4LT: http://www.ict4lt.org

This document, which I edited, may also be useful. It covers training in Section 8.

2005 (revised 2009): (with Bangs P., Frisby R. & Walton E.) Setting up effective digital language laboratories and multimedia ICT suites for Modern Foreign Languages, London: CILT: http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/docs/CILT_Digital_Labs.doc

Graham