Second Language Learning in Online Environments

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Contents

Overview

Decades of development in cognitive and interactionist second language acquisition theory and empirical research suggest that successful language learning can only occur when four conditions are met: rich input from varied sources and elaborative input via negotiation of meaning; ample opportunities for language use in authentic contexts for real purposes; immediate and quality negative feedback through focus on form; and individualized content that respects learner syllabus and developmental readiness (Egbert, Chao & Hanson-Smith, 1999; Gee, 2003; Pennington, 1996; Zhao, 2003). However, in reality, second language learners are lack of accessible, engaging and comprehensive language input; they don't have as much opportunity to use the target languages; their social interactions in the targetting language are contrived; learners have difficulties in deveoping and sustaining a learning communities.

Online Enviroments has immense capacities in making the learning process engaging, through enhanced social interactions and mediating resources and through intriguing representation of knowledge learning and use opportunities and experience. It also faciliate learners' participation in community-based collaborative learning. This session focus on some of the important development, trends and issues with respect to SLA in Online environments.

Language Learning Websites

English as a Second Language Learning Sites

Contains lessons on news English, business English, English in everyday lives, coming in forms of radio programs, TV series, podcasting, etc.

  • Language Learning Lab

http://www.languagelab.com Students can use all the learning resources of a whole new world using ‘avatar’, that can move around, talk and listen to native speakers, teachers and other learners. Currently focus on English language learning.

Containing information on: General resources; Online courses; Grammar and spelling; Idioms; Vocabulary; Help with specific tasks; Quizzes, tests, software and interactive sites; MUDs, MOOs, email lists, conversations as well as other interesting sites

  • Business English course at the Language Lab site （by Nick Peachey）:

http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2007/08/teaching-english-in-second-life.html

Chinese Language Learning Sites

new Chengo - http://ott.educ.msu.edu/confucius/whatsnew.asp

  • Chinese Pod: Learn Chinese on your terms, with free daily podcasts, lesson review, and guidance from experts.- http://chinesepod.com/

Korean Language Learning Sites

  • These sites don't have any social networking aspects to them, but they are good sites for independent, yet isolated study.
  • Indiana University's online Korean - [1]
  • Sogang University's Korean Language Learning Site - [2]
  • KBS - Let's Learn Korean - [3]
  • Learn Korean Net - [4]
  • Learning Korean (the basic lessons are free) - [5]

Hebrew Language Learning Sites

  • Hebrew language at University of Texas at Austin. This one is said to be typical of sites that provide online resources for exercieses, listening, and drill and practice, and therefore support blended-learning curriculums. The social component happens in the classroom; the online component is individual.- [6]
  • HebrewOnline.com, whose owner, eTeacher, is the exclusive holder of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' franchise to teach Hebrew online, and the holder of Israel's Ministry of Education franchise for online tutoring. It is typical of those that do live language discussion using webcasting.People "meet" through A/V internet hookups, and the instruction proceeds much as it would in a regular classroom setting. - [7]

French Learning

  • LLEARN [8]is a French language program for grades 10, 11, and 12 specifically for Canadian schools. Funded by CANARIE, Canada's advanced research and innovation organization, LLEARN incorporates a pan-Canadian curriculum to meet the needs of teachers and learners.

Spanish Learning

Second Language Learning Using Web 2.0 Technologies

Second Life

Second Life is perhaps the most used technology for second language learning in recent years. Participation in Second Life's virtual world allows students to practice oral and written proficiency while interacting with fellow classmates, instructors and guests.

Abstract: Brief introduction to several approaches to using SL for language education. Several sites were mentioned. This is from someone’s blog. Good for bookmarking.
pooling rich information and sparkles of observation by various wiki contributors on this topic.
Abstract: This is a report. Some interviewees talked about the benefit of SL. The author also mentioned a most recently published book from symposium proceedings, how to solve the voice problem, and an English teaching site in SL named Avatar English.
  • See what practitioners do---Workshop Proceedings

Livingstone, D. & Kemp, J. (2006) presented workshop proceedings, in which you may find what other people have been doing with Second Life.

Podcasting

Podcasting is used in second language learning to provide spoken content to studetns and also to engage students in the act of speaking the second language. Podcasts have been used to communicate instructions to students, provide course materials and by students to provide re-caps of the class activities or to demonstrate proficiency.

Wikis and Blogs

Wikis and blogs are being used in second language learning for students to practice writing in the second language and to give others the opportunity to comment on and add to others writing. These tools provide opportunities for more authentic activities than traditional writing activities in foreign language learning.

  • Jones, Z. and Nuhfer-Halten, B. (2006). Uses of Blogs in L2 Instruction. ---This article offers a brief overview of the literature on blogs in L2 teaching & an outline of how they can be used in class to encourage language production & cultural awareness in learners. Also detailed are conceptual & practical concerns related to these activities. Finally, an overview is presented of what students think of using blogs, & a few topics are proposed for further research. References. Adapted from the source document. (ERIC)

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices such as cell phones, PDA's and iPods are changing the way learning can occur. Studies of students using mobile devices with content designed for those devices have shown large improvement over traditional methods of second language learning.

Discussion about how emerging technologies such as cell phone, PDA, Ipod that can influence and shape second language leanring. Examples of mobile language learning initiatives are provided.
  • Gilgen, R. (2005). Holding the World in Your Hand: Creating a Mobile Language Learning Environment. Educause Quarterly.
Describes an initiative at the university of Wisconsin to adopt mobile language learning.

Games and Interactive Technologies

As with learning any subject, games, simulations and other interactive technologies offer the potential to engage students in content, promote critical thinking and decision making, and allow students to view learning from a different prospective. These environments can allow students opportunities for speaking, writing and reflection.

Research On Online Second Langauge Learning

Environment Design

  • Sawatpanit, M.; Suthers, D.; Fleming, S.(2004).[9]---This paper describes the design and evaluation of BRIX, an environment for online learning of second languages. A needs analysis identified specific requirements of online language learning, specifically language educators’ requirements focusing on reading, writing, and listening activities.
  • Online Task Based Second Language Learning Environment: Design, Implementation, and Validation [10] ---You can only read this article with authorized access. However, according to its abstract, it is worthy of the effort. As the author cited from Clark (1985), it is design principles that underlie successful learning rather than any particular delivery system. Task-based design in online environments is an interesting topic.
  • Rethinking task design for the digital age: A framework for language teaching and learning in a synchronous online environment. Hampel (2006)shows how a theoretical approach based on second language acquisition (SLA) principles, sociocultural and constructivist theories, and concepts taken from research on multimodality and new literacies, can influence the design and implementation of tasks for computer-mediated communication (CMC).

Psychological and Educational Issues

On Learners' Identity

  • Nguyen, H. T. & Kellogg, G. (2005) Emergent identities in on-line discussions for second language learning. In this article, issues of identity in second language (L2) learning are examined by using discourse analysis and ethnographic observations to analyze electronic bulletin board postings by ESOL students in a content-based class as they participated in discussions about gay rights and homosexuality. Drawing on notions of identity construction, community of practice, and participation frameworks, we demonstrate that as the students were engaged in the language and content of the lessons, they also selected multifaceted and complex alignments with their existing values and the values promoted in the course. In turn, their stances in the discussions could either encourage or discourage their participation and opportunities to use the L2. Further, in these on-line discussions, language socialization was uniquely facilitated by the affordances of computer technology.
  • Sterling-Deer (2005) Liberating Silent Voices: Sociolinguistic Expressions of Identity in Dominican Female Second Language Learners' Online Communication, is a sociolinguistic study of the expression of identity of Dominican female second language learners enrolled in a northeastern urban community college. The technology of computer-mediated communication is used in an exploration of identity online.

Challenges of Online Language Learning

  • Schneider,C. (2004). The challenges of online language learning: A German perspective. [11] ---In this article, the author highlights the benefits and constraints of computer mediated language learning. She underlines the potential of new media in an online learning environment and of the necessity for creative online course management.
  • Warschauer, M. (1998). Online learning in sociocultural context. The author concluded that new technologies are not necessarily innovative, but must be set within a context that privileges innovation.

Cooperative Learning

  • Using MMORPGs. Childress, M. & Braswell, R. (2006):This article addresses the use of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game to foster communication and interaction and to facilitate cooperative learning in an online course. The authors delineate the definition and history of MMOGs, and describe current uses of MMORPGs in education, including their experiences with constructing and using Second Life. In addition, the authors detail with practical examples the process of using MMORPGs to support cooperative learning activities, and explore future uses and research questions for using them in education and training.
  • Computer-Mediated Communication Patterns in Online Learning Environments. Roberts (2004) examines the cognitive academic language and social language that occurs in online group collaboration, charts patterns of co-occurrence of language functions, both at specific parts of the collaborative process and between language used for social and cognitive purposes, and investigates how patterns of co-occurrence may indicate larger structures that represent phases of the group collaborative process. Findings of the study indicate that the collaborative process involved 3 distinct phases: sharing information, negotiation of content, and integration. Each phase included specific operations, such as suggestions of content or procedure, with specific language functions consistently occurring within these operations. Another finding indicated that some language used for cognitive and social purposes tended to co-occur in ways that facilitated the collaborative process. These findings help identify the language functions needed for communicative competence in specific online collaborative learning activities.

New Discourse and New Theoretical and Methodological Approaches

  • THE INTERNET AS A GLOCAL DISCOURSE ENVIRONMENT [12], A Commentary on "Second Language Socialization in a Bilingual Chat Room" by Wan Shun Eva Lam and "Second Language Cyberhetoric: A Study of Chinese L2 Writers in an Online Usenet Group" by Joel Bloch. Taking into account that electronic environments are not neutral literacy practice environments but are involved in a complex nexus of power structures and relations that also need to be explored, this paper briefly addresses issues related to theoretical and methodological approaches for the study of language varieties in the Internet.

Cultural Issues

  • Cultural Issues in Online Learning-Is Blended Learning a Possible Solution? Lanham and Zhou (2003)responded to the emergence of cross-cultural classrooms in Australian tertiary institutions, due to the growing population of international students enrolling to complete their degrees. This increase in international students has signified a change in the student demographics, thus recognizing the differences in students' learning styles, & indicating that a more flexible approach is needed for learner content delivery. Research has suggested that students from different cultures have varying compatibility with different learning environments. With tertiary institutions now expanding towards the online forum for delivery of units, these compatibilities of students are even more evident. Hence, in order to ensure that all students are able to participate in this domain, preparations are needed to accommodate all cultural types. Therefore, with the emphasis on creating flexible learning environments for all students, the blended learning approach has been suggested as a solution. (Adapted from ERIC)

Linguistic Aspects of Language Learning with Online Technologies

  • Online Dictionary and Word Retention [13]. ---This study explored the effect of two enhancement techniques on L2 learners' look-up behaviour during a reading task and word retention afterwards amongst Flemish learners of German.
  • Interaction in EFL online classes: How Web-facilitated instruction influences EFL university students' reading and learning. ---Liang (2006) explored how EFL students' interactions with web- facilitated instruction influenced their second language reading and learning.The findings suggest that the online language learning pedagogy should focus on guiding active and mutually beneficial interactions as well as providing appropriate technological environments and instructional activities.(Adapted from ERIC)

Other Online Language Learning

Webheads Online community of practice of teachers and educators practicing professional development through Web 2.0 and computer mediated communication. According to some, the group doing most outstanding work in the ESL/EFL world is Webheads. For more, [14]and [15]

Rosetta Stone They provide individual, asynchronous courses with no social component. But they offer institutional subscriptions & are used in a lot of high schools. - [16]

Translation widgets for websites http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/11/translation-widgets-for-your-site.html

ATALL/Input guide - http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ATALL/Input

Resources

Childress, M. & Braswell, R. (2006). Using massively multiplayer online role-playing games for online learning. Distance Education. Aug 2006, 27, 2. Education Modeule. P. 187

Hampel, R. (2006). Rethinking task design for the digital age: A framework for language teaching and learning in a synchronous online environment. ReCALL, 2006, 18, 1, May, 105-121.

Hockly, N. & Dudeney,G. (2007). How to Teach English with Technology. Longman. - http://www.pearsonlongman.com/methodology/how-to-books/how-to-teach-with-tech.html

Jones, Z. and Nuhfer-Halten, B. (2006). Uses of Blogs in L2 Instruction. Dimension, 2006, 25-35.

Kern, R. (2006). Perspectives on Technology in Learning and Teaching Languages. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1).

Lanham, E. and Zhou, W. (2003). Cultural Issues in Online Learning-Is Blended Learning a Possible Solution? International Journal of Computer Processing of Oriental Languages, 2003, 16, 4, Dec, 275-292

Liang, M. (2006). Interaction in EFL online classes: How Web-facilitated instruction influences EFL university students' reading and learning. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 2006, 67, 04, Oct, 1257.

Livingstone, D. & Kemp, J. (eds.) Proceedings of the Second Life Education Workshop at the Second Life Community Convention. San Francisco, August 20th, 2006.

Nguyen, H. T. & Kellogg, G. (2005) Emergent identities in on-line discussions for second language learning. The Canadian Modern Language Review Volume 62, Number 1, September/septembre 2005, pp. 111-136.

Roberts, R. (2004). Computer-Mediated Communication Patterns in Online Learning Environments. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 2004, 65, 4, Oct, 1287-A

Sawatpanit, M.; Suthers, D.; Fleming, S.(2004).BRIX: meeting the requirements for online second language learning in Proceedings of the 37th Annual Hawaii International Conference on 5(8) Jan. 2004. [17]

Schneider,C. (2004). The challenges of online language learning: A German perspective. [18]

Sterling-Deer, C. (2005). Liberating Silent Voices: Sociolinguistic Expressions of Identity in Dominican Female Second Language Learners' Online Communication. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 2005, 65, 10, Apr, 3784-A.

  • Warschauer, M. (1998). Online learning in sociocultural context. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 1998, 29, 1, Mar, 68-88.
  • Zhao, Y. (ed.). (2005). Research in Technology and Language Education: Findings, Methods, and Principles. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

http://e-language.wikispaces.com/myths Here, you can find detailed dicussions and other resources related to e-learning.

http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod1-5.htm# This site pools a lot of resources and journal article references on second language learning online.

Notes from the Session

This page created by Wei Qiu, Scott Schopieray and Jiawen Wang at the Center for Teaching and Technology. Other contributors include Chun Lai, Dongping Zheng, Ken Dirkin and Cherice Montgomery

Retrieved from "http://oms.educ.msu.edu/ctt/index.php?title=Second_Language_Learning_in_Online_Environments"
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