CALL classroom atmosphere

1. CALL classroom atmosphere Leon Piasetski Matsuyama University

2. CALL classroom atmosphere • “Using computers well is not merely a matter of finding good software, but of designing asocial and instructional system that maximizes the benefits that computers might bring to different types of students facing different educational challenges” (Becker, cited in Esling, 1991, p. 112).

3. Evolution of CALL • Tutor • Stimulus • Tool • New paradigm of social constructivism (Vigotsky) • Shifting attention from product to process, from learning skills to a focus on learner interaction with the environment

4. Cooperation

5. Individualized instruction

6. (1) physical and cyberspace environments (2) individualized learning (3) group learning (4) organized structure of appropriate tasks (5) locus of control (6) collaborative community-building (7) authentic communication with the outside world (8) appropriate stress (9) respect for individual identity Factors that have a positive influence on classroom atmosphere

7. Physical environments Large classes in sterile environments

8. Modern university class Lack of individualized instruction

9. Ideal environment ? • Students and teacher can move around easily • Students can work in teams • The room design is attractive to the eye and encourages visual interaction

10. Cyberspace environments • Use software with design features that stimulate visual interest and provide key information that is easily accessible

11. Individualized Learning • Program for Individualized Learning • It’s as unique as you! • Create an individualized degree based on your experiences, interests, and goals. The Program for Individualized Learning (PIL) degree combines a strong liberal arts component with an interdisciplinary or specialized academic concentration. Personal and professional experience can be used as the basis for project learning that will complement traditional course work. University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education http://www.cce.umn.edu/degrees/pil/

12. Advantages of Individualized Learning

13. Students get extra time for review after class to catch up to peers

14. Reduces embarrassment for students who lag behind

15. Lessons delivered using multimedia resources increase motivation

16. Individual control of material leads to an increase in students’ potential recall of informationbecause it makes learning fun and memorable!

17. Group Learning

18. Encourages students to discuss target language while solving problems from diverse content areas

19. Increases autonomy - learners can work individually but consult with partners about difficulties or accomplishments

20. Allows low-proficiency students to raise their self-esteem while increasing their ability in a highly valued domain

21. Raises the status of individuals as they share their knowledge and skills

22. Develops learner responsibility and cooperation

23. Prepares students for real world collaboration

24. Organized structure of appropriate tasks • Participation structure influences student achievement • Students need to share information and ideas about how to solve tasks to make language use relevant

25. Inappropriate“computer activities can isolate students, stifle their creativity, and focus their attention on unimportant bits of language out of context” (Johnson, 1991, p. 78)

26. A good example ? • Socially mediated forms of instructional tasks,such as process writing and response-based reading through email dialogue with native speakers

27. Locus of control • Learning improves when students are given more choice and control over CALL software, especially with tools that enable students to browse and manipulate data • Learning how to learn is more important than being ‘taught’ something

28. Learners exaggerate negative feedback • Computers may instill a sense of learned helplessness in students • Learners need to develop internal control to resist their negative impressions

29. Collaborative community-building • Brainstorming and exploration stimulate interaction to discuss discoveries or resolve difficulties • Developing a cyber community • Self-reflective online journals

30. Authentic communication with the outside world • Easy to publish material on the web • Focus on meaning rather than form • Creates context for cross-cultural communication • Integrates language accuracy and content

31. Appropriate stress • Optimal stress level between anxiety and boredom that facilitates learning • FLOW - a model learning environment (Csikszentmihalyi) characterized by • Learner control over actions • Effortless involvement • Lack of awareness of the passage of time

32. Respect for individual identity • Individual differences (i.e.personality and intelligence styles as well as learning and communication strategies) are a significant factor in developing target language proficiency • Computer as an ally

33. Language ego (Guiora) in CMC Shy students • Can express themselves anonymously and at their own pace • Suffer less embarrassment from making mistakes • Are more willing to take risks to communicate • Can transfer their newly acquired confidence to normal conversation CMC = computer mediated communication

34. (1) physical and cyberspace environments (2) individualized learning (3) group learning (4) organized structure of appropriate tasks (5) locus of control (6) collaborative community-building (7) authentic communication with the outside world (8) appropriate stress (9) respect for individual identity Factors that have a positive influence on classroom atmosphere

35. Conclusion • Avoid grammar-related drill and practice exercises • Integrate multimedia and the internet and a variety of SLA communicative approaches into an authentic social context for interaction with a real discourse community