New World, New Media

1. New World, New Media Paul Woods Regional English Language Advisor, The British Council, Argentina

2. Digital media Based in Argentina, supporting British Council ELT initiatives in the “southern cone” of Latin America, and promoting the use of British Council’s digital and non-digital products for learners and teachers. 3 areas: Rapid spread of new technologies Research into the use of LearnEnglish and Teaching English websites in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia Initiatives in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay to supply primary school children with laptops

3. Technological advances have led to a communications revolution • Traditional forms of media are giving way to content consumed through personal internet devices, like computers, smartphones, tablets, I-pads. • 15 years ago the idea of a resource centre without walls was revolutionary! • We are not dealing with a new trend, but a totally new reality 1. The Rapid Rise of Digital 195

4. The shoal effect “The shoal effect comes from observing nature: the path of each fish is tied to the movement of the next fish, they all move at the same time and in the same direction. Just like social networks. Communication takes place between friends” Juan Carlos Ortiz, President of DDB Latina

5. The shoal effect Juan Carlos Ortiz, President of DDB Latina: Consumers analyse the experiences and opinions of others and obtain information through their digital social networks; in other words consumers are deciding as a group to go toward or move away from specific content. Consumers analyse the experiences and opinions of others and obtain information through their digital social networks; in other words consumers are deciding as a group to go toward or move away from specific content.

6. Six degrees of separation Frigyes Karinthy (1930) “Chains”. It’s a small world. Every human is connected to every other through a chain of six or fewer known elements. Adrian Underhill’s opening plenary - connectedness as a way to make sense of “mess” In a world with 7 billion inhabitants, all the signs seem to indicate that we are all still connected at only 6 degrees of separation. This means creating content for language teaching and learning over which individuals can take ownership, making them participants in their own learning and sharing information and learning activities with others in their networks.

7. A much improvedGoogle Translate? Communicator™ combines SpeechGear’sInterpreter software with aruggedized handheld computer to provide instant spokentranslation in a pocketsize system. Simply speak, type, write or use Communicator’s touchscreen to select the words or phrases you want to translate. WithCommunicator you both see and hear the translation. It’s that simple, instant spoken translation. The Universal Translator The Not-So-Distant Future Speechtrans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4-rr9L85xc&feature=player_embedded#!

8. At the cutting edge of innovation Using tele-presence technology to enable remote teaching Using handheld devices to enable learners to learn anytime, anywhere Integrating language learning with social networking

9. Apps and TV Android Apps Big City Small World LE Podcasts Word on the Street Games

10. 2 The LearnEnglish Website

11. Research – Jan/Feb 2012 Datos Claros organised 18focus groups with website users and non-users in Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela. All groups were coordinated by specialists in motivational techniques and recorded for subsequent analysis. Users Non-Users Mixed Kids Youth Teachers Kids Youth Teachers Kids Youth Teachers -- 1 1 1 -- -- 1 Argentina 1 1 -- -- 1 1 1 -- -- 1 1 Mexico -- 1 1 2 1 -- -- Venezuela 1 1 Total number of groups: 18

12. Teaching Methodologies Based on the structuralist theory (repetition exercises) and on constructivism (learning through error) are predominant in the educational process of all three countries. Techniques have become more flexible with the addition of fun learning spaces and technology “I am all about structure. I am one of those people who write the basic formulas for verb tenses on the blackboard.” Online “I teach in a constructivist style. It’s all about discovery and problem-solving so students can discover both new vocabulary and structures.” Fun Traditional “For me, grammar is essential… I teach grammar. Without grammar, we can’t phrase the question right and students can’t answer correctly.” “I use the Fun activities a lot, because I am interested in having my students smile.” “Thank God we have that website (BC). We never had a tool as powerful as Internet in the past.” “That ‘click’ that the song provides is fantastic… The way it gets students involved and the way it lasts over time.” “I love technology so that’s where I got pulled in… I take my laptop. We start a blog at the beginning of the year… to find out how students want to work.” “We work with a book and follow the program… we do a lot of work in books, using audio and workbooks.” “I use stories. I get into the story and then do a listening exercise. A game.” “Playing with the computer.” “Text books, reading books.” “Songs, videos”

13. Tools for Teachers All use books, workbooks and CDs Some use public and institutional websites “I work mainly with AGENDAWEB, and TOLEARNENGLISH, with the BRITISH COUNCIL website and the ESL website.” “The books that we use have the option to enter a website.”  “I use Internet to search for readings, games, grammar practice."  “I put together educational Facebook visits. If they write things, they can ask questions and respond to them. The selection of how to display materials depends on the technology teachers have available for use in the classroom “We use interactive presentations. We have projectors in the classrooms and interactive blackboards.” “Multimedia and books, and some already have their materials online.” “We have an advantage: the BC had interactive blackboards”

14. Doubts: What Teachers Recommend “We try to be in touch with students and make ourselves available via mail or phone so they can get in touch with us and resolve their doubts.” Teachers want to play a starring role in language instruction. There is a certain reluctance to recommend spaces where students can learn on their own. “We give them a reference, an online dictionary: www.wordreference.com” “I always assign activities for homework.”  “I do a lot on the computer. I open a website and I put that class on a note card and I put everything we did in that class and send it to the students.”  “An English language dictionary is essential so they see how to write the work. The internet has become the alternative for resolving doubts, thus replacing (to some extent) book and workbooks. “They have to sit down at the computer the way we used to sit down with a dictionary.” “They have the books. We go over questions from the homework during the first few minutes of class. I also recommend using the BC website.” “They all have the student’s book and the workbook, which provides supplementary exercises. These are really important tools: if they don’t understand something, they can go back. The BC has a plethora of pages open to everyone, with exercises and applications for practicing on the IPod or phone.”

15. Satisfaction with the Available Tools Teachers believe that they have more than enough tools available to meet their demands. Plenty of technology is involved, making the teaching process easier. “Teaching is now closely related to technology..” “Nowadays there is a lot of bibliography adapted to new technologies.” “There is a book with an interactive program, which is excellent because it gets students involved.” “…Now the computer works like a book. You have a grammar exercise with examples and the actual exercises can be printed. There is a lot of multiple choice as well. There are titles with suggestions on how to write a story.” Teachers would like to see… A greater selection of interactive materials. Audio tools to help students in oral production. “More comprehensive, interactive books” “…Listening exercises… Putting on the CD from a certain book but instead of reading, they listen.” “Websites with dialogue and recordings… because the secret is training your ear. In other words, it’s all about understanding what someone is saying.”

16. Study Methodology: What Young People Think Online Fun Textbooks provide a theoretical framework along with an audio CD, in work guided by a teacher. Activities that go beyond formal learning methods. Songs, movies and TV series. . A learning space that often replaces face-to-face encounters. Some students participate in blogs for practice. Traditional “At Wall Street, almost everything is online. You have a user name and password and you connect to class with earphones and a mike.” “I have a teaching book called Total English” “…I try to practice by watching movies with subtitles in English.” “My teachers recommend books.” “I like watching movies, first without the subtitles and then with.” “We have a book with different lessons.” “On the BRITISH COUNCIL website, you can download all the podcasts and print out the lessons.” “I take classes… twice a week and the teacher gives the actual class.” “The music… I hear them in English and try to understand them and then I search for the lyrics.” “Through repetition. I have been assigned tongue twisters in English.” “We have a blog and all the posts have to be in English.” “I use the game section of LEARN ENGLISH when they ask use to do writing.

17. Tools for Young People All use books, workbooks, CDs, PCs to study Websites, online materials, radio and e-books are replacing traditional printed textbooks. “I use Internet more than I did five years ago, when I used books.” “I connect to Internet… to the BBC, radio 2… and the truth is, that’s how to train your ear. “I always go to the BRITISH LEARN ENGLISH website or the BBC.” “If I’m busy, I choose music on Channel 3”

18. Doubts: Where Young People Get Answers All use Internet for content and grammar, and to look up words they don’t know. Some use Google translate but have doubts about its accuracy. “Yo le pregunto a mi abuela.” (V M) “When I don’t understand something… I visit the websites of the BRITISH COUNCIL, CAMBRIDGE, BBC… A few good ones are WORDREFERENCE, YAHOO ANSWERS” “I use the Google translator… It’s bad, really bad.” “”We do a page in the group and we fill in all our questions and everyone provides the answers… It’s a facebook page where you ask a questions and people answer it and correct you” ”If I’m at home, I get out the dictionary but I prefer Internet. I don’t have a specific website, I use the Google translator” Teachers are often consulted as well. “Le pregunto al profesor on line” (M V U) The selection of tools is sufficient to respond to their questions. They combine traditional instruction with technologies and spaces where they can meet to practice

19. Study Methodology – Young People Online Fun Activities used to supplement traditional tools Songs, movies and series. Memory exercises. An additional space for learning among older children. They use Internet to find answers and for fun. Focussed on the use of books, workbooks and CDs that go with the texts. Traditional “Doing exercisesin the books” “The books are fun. They have funny comics and a lot of colours.” “Always Internet. I look for games and sometimes I look up words I don’t know.” “Sometimes we work at the blackboard” “We have to draw in my book.” “Websites with games. The British Council website has games and songs… puzzles. I always use Internet as a translator, the Google Chrome translator.” “Using photocopies, reading” “It has word searches.” “We have a practice book for reading and another book for exercises” “They put on music in English.” “Movies.” “The dictionary. To learn new words” “Memory games, number and letter games. It was a lot of fun because we would compete against one another.” “Sometime they tell me what website to visit… I don’t remember the name of the site, but all the words are there… It’s like a dictionary.” “There are exercises where you have to listen and answer” “I watch the series.”

20. How young people like to study Expectations related to the studying process are covered and students find answers in both traditional and fun spaces. The Internet is not generally considered an option for studying. “I would like to study with games, songs and comics.” “Playing, word searches, crosswords.” “Dancing.” “Games.” “Writing, reading.” “With my English book. It has exercises and I like to do them.” “I like listening… Because it’s easy to learn… It’s easier to imitate the pronunciation… Develop my ear.” “Reading, because I like to read.” “I like books”

21. Evaluation of the Teaching Englishsite

22. What teachers said High level of brand recall Main use: To find material to give to students They recommend using it daily “I use it for exercises for all grammar topics. It depends on the level, I choose according to the difficulty I need.” “I try to give them the most up-to-date contents from the month or week.” Those who use Google as their main search engine get exercises and dictations (the minority) “BRITISH COUNCIL” “BRITISH – everyday.” “MAC MILLAN” “We recommend 20 or 30 minutes every day." “LA MANSION DEL INGLES” “BBC” “…I tell parents that their children should play on the Interchange or Cambridge website. Thirty minutes every day.” “TOLEARNENGLISH” “ ELS “UK” “SPELLING CITY” “SHERTON ENGLISH” “TELL ME MORE” “Once a week for sure. Either for games or for reading.” “ENGLISH WE SPEAK” They question the accuracy of the material and the way students make use of Internet due to their language limitations “Internet is a double-edged sword. You see all sorts of stuff, but there is a lot of junk out there.” “…I don’t usually recommend it… For example, I never recommend online translators…”

23. Where students go to find out “The computer because it’s smart even though it doesn’t have a brain.” Most common doubt: meaning of a word. Google Translate is the biggest helper, the place where most students find answers. “Yo le pregunto a mi abuela.” (V M) “When I don’t know what a word means, I use the Google translator. I write the word and it tells me what it means in Spanish.” “Sometime I use the computer… I search for a word… I almost always use Google because there’s this thing that translates from Spanish to English.” “I prefer the Google translator” The family provides answers when studying at home. “My mum is an English teacher.” “Sometimes I do homework with my mum and sometimes with my dad.” “My mum knows a lot of English.” Once they leave the classroom, students generally do not consult their class teachers when they have questions. “I ask my private teacher.” “When I have questions, I ask my private teacher.”

24. The Ideal Website for Teachers They focus their needs around the contents. Design: they describe these contents in very basic ways, with phrases like “plenty of icons” and “attractive.” Free Short and concise Provides offline continuity Trustworthy Fun Up-to-date Videos Contents Separated by levels Songs Separated by subject Interactive material Clear enough to allow the student to use it on his/her own Corrections in English and in Spanish Continuity of material