The Internet and Teaching Languages Access, Communication, Interactivity SWCOLT/FLANC 2001 |
ASL | Chinese | French | German | Greek | Italian | Japanese | Pilipino | Russian | Spanish | Multi |
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Access to information, authentic documents, teacher and publisher produced materials, print, sound, video, and much more. Because the these materials are on the WWW, they are cross-platform, and can be accessed from any computer with Internet access 24 hours a day. Some examples include newspapers and magazines, radio, television, literary texts, music, and song lyrics. Weather reports, webcams, supermarket web pages and the like bring the world to our students. Another bonanza is the availability on the web of work by other teachers and institutions; lesson plans, lists of resources, maps, etc.
Communication
with other speakers and learners of the target language. Listening and reading comprehension and acquisition of cultural knowledge can aid students in actual communication with other learners and speakers of the target language. MOOs, chat, email, discussion lists, and electronic bulletin boards facilitate communication between teachers, students, and other speakers of the target language. Students can also place material on the web meant for readers from other cultures.
Interactivity
Students are empowered to take charge of their own learning. Using web-based interactive drills, students can practice or study difficult grammar points as long as is necessary. They can explore web pages in the target language which concern topics of interest to them.
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