Morrison’s Interactive Language Learning on the Web

“Do teachers need to create web-based language activities for EFL students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Why and why not? 

      Teachers in the Saudi context need to create web-based activities. The Saudi students have become good users of the interent and technological applications. The development or educational trends had made the Internet an integral part of the current lanaguage classroom.

     Web-based applications and resources have enriched the teaching domain with many rich insights. Internet has introduced many applications whether face to face or online that can be used in the classroom. Educators can benefit from Internet in many ways whether through translation, searching, internet documents, internet groups, internet news, etc.

    Internet provides the facility of custom search. It is tailored to get the specific websites that one needs. Students can work cooperatively to write a document. Internet groups online service allows group members to have a shared discussion and interact together. It can be used in online courses. students can exchange ideas and debates. Teachers can make online materials available to students.

      It is clear that Internet is a comprehensive tool in language teaching. It offers all the services that teachers and students need in terms of the material, the means of communication, the required resources, the proper learning setting, and the relevant classroom activities.

       Web-based activities in EFL domain have always been a reliable source of authentic language learning. With internet-based applications, students, for example, can practice writing whether synchronously (e.g. chatting, instant messaging, and, live discussion boards) or asynchronously (e.g. emails and blogs). In pedagogical environments, using Internet applications effectively helps in sharing knowledge beyond the classroom setting.

    However, the most important point in using technology in EFL classes is the ability of the teacher to integrate the applications into the class and how he can engage students to benefit from this technology. Teachers should be aware to how to make this integration and how to motivate students to be active users of technology.

       On the other hand,  there are many challenges in the Saudi context that mat prevent the teachers from using web-based activities and quizzes.  Students are still regarding technology as a matter of luxuary and not as something integral to the course. Technology should be used as part of the course and students should be evaluated as per their technological knowledge.

Reflect on the live session we had with Peggy

        The presentation is about how Arabic language affects pronunciation of English. English and Arabic have different phonological systems. Also, English and Arabic have different sytems of consonants and vowels. Furthermore, English and Arabic are different in terms of the stress patterns.

     On the other hand, the presentation shows that Arabic speakers usually face the problem of phonological interference as their L1 affects their pronunciation of L2 sounds. For example,  L1 speakers do not differentiate between /p/ and /b/ in L2 as this distinction is not available in their L1. This difference makes students have problems in L2 sounds pronunciation.

      The presentation was introduced on 24 February 2014 by Peggy Tharpe, M.A. TESOL, Monterey Institute of International Studies in the attendence of  Professor Hala Fawzi's CALL class at Yanbu University College, Saudi Arabia.

Advantages of Virtual Classes

1)    Students can develop their langauge and enhance their thinking skills

2)    The teacher is available when help is needed like the classroom.

3)    Virtual classes can be reached anytime of the day by the student.

4)    The teacher can create his own virual classroom

5)    Students can learn and communicate through the internet

6)    Students need to move to the real class to learn

Disadvantages of Virtual Classrooms

1)    Resources must be availabe in order to have virtual classrooms

2)    Lack of motivation to use such type of learning by the students

3)    Not all students have a computer at home.

4)    Some teachers do not have the technical skills to implement the virtual classrooms.

      I will use virtual classrooms in my context. virtual classrooms have been used extensively in many EFL context. Students have become more oriented towards the internet and mobile applications than before. I have made many activities through Skype with my students in the class. We had a conversion about a topic in their course. All other were motivated and enthusiastic to participate. However, there many things that may hinder me from using virtual classes. In my school, I do not have a computerized lab and I do not have a technology department to help me design the virual classes. Also, the design of virtual classes needs much time and I have a busy teaching schedule. Furthermore, there are some parents who think that this is a matter of luxury and play and evaluate this negatively. Overall, I can use it in some cases when possible.

Wordle in EDU 401

Normalization of Bax in the Saudi Kingdom

1)

In this article, Bax presents the historical development of CALL and how can developed from a technology to be an essential part of the current practice in the educational process. The development of CALL from the frames to multimedia and internet has been accompanied with a development in language teaching practices from focus on grammar and drills to authentic discourses.

Bax is right in his claim that We should just know about CALL but CALL should be a common practice in classroom. The writer assumes that technology is no longer regarded as the book or the pen in the classroom. The process of making CALL an integral part of the classroom is claimed by the writer to be called normalization. Bax sees that CALL should be designed to meet the learners’ needs and should be secondary to the learning itself.

The author is correct in his claim that the two fallacies that prevent benefit from CALL in the class are the teacher’s attitude towards CALL and the successful implementation of CALL in the class.

A)

Bax argues that normalization can take place in stages : adaption to technology, knowing the existence of technology, trying technology, not fearing to use technology, and normalization (to be normal in our lives).

Bax has suggested some changes for achieving normalizations:

1-
There must be an interest in the teacher’s attitude towards CALL. The teachers should have a positive attitude towards CALL. Teachers should be convinced that CALL will be beneficial in instruction and that CALL is better than the traditional methods of teaching.
 

2- It is not only enough to have technology, but the most important thing is the usage and the actual implementation of technology in the class. The school directors should encourage teachers to use technology and provide them with training on the usage of CALL in the class.

3- The administrative procedures should allow students to use CALL in the class. The teaching load prevents teachers from using technology.

B)

The changes suggested by Bax can be available in the Saudi context if the context, teachers’ attitudes, students’ attitudes, and the educational authority are modified in the manner that allows space and resources for the usage of technology in the class.

Studnets should be made aware that technology will help them to learn better and that technology should be respected and not used for luxury in the class. Also, studnets should be trained on how to benefit from technology and they should be good researchers for web-based resources.

Also, teachers should be trained on the usage of technology and the technical skills required for using CALL in the class. There is already  a number of teachers today who have adopted new teaching methods that are student-centered and that promote active learning. Some of these teachers have computers in their classrooms and some do not. There are also teachers who choose not to use the computers because they computers do not suit their teaching styles. This variety of teaching methods does not necessarily suggest that teachers are not willing to keep up with the new circumstances, but using technology in the learning process depends on the subject matter and the context.

     Moreover, the educational authorities must monitor the teachers’ usage of technology and ensure that the infrastructure and resources are available in the schools.  Without such controls, technology will not be used in the class.

Challenges of creating web-based activites in Sally Morrison” Interactive lanaguge Learning on the Web”

According to Sally Morrison, there are five challenges of creating web-based activates:

1)   teachers do not have the knowledge and  technical skills to create web-based activities.

2)   Many teachers lack the basic tools to create web-based activities.

3)   Teachers do not have time to learn the skills of creating web-based activities.

4)   The students are variable in their access to computers and the type of browser and the connection speed they use should be determined beforehand.

5) There is a need not to ignore the students with disabilities or special needs. There must be web pages that meet their needs.

    

         As a Saudi teacher, I agree with the above mentioned obstacles for creating web-based activities in addition to some local obstacles. I agree with the writer that change is an evitable thing and the surrounding world is changing as an accomplished fact. But, there are students who have not exposed to technology and the internet due to demographic and economic reasons. These students still need the traditional means of instruction and address their traditional learning style.

  Also, most of the students here lack the technological resources that help the teachers to design their own web-based activities or to seek the help of a supervisor to assist them in the designing of web-based activities. In addition, most studnets still look at the technology as a matter of luxury in the class and do not dedicate sufficient attention to it in the class.

     Moreover, many teachers are reluctant to use technology in their teaching as they were taught according to the traditional methods of instruction and they need to teach their studnets in the same way. Teachers also are overloaded with their teaching classes and they have no time to design or even to learn how to design such tools. Teachers also assume some administrative tasks in addition to their teaching tasks and they will be forced to be away from innovation in their teaching.

     Contextually, the local curriculum is still lacking the integration of the technology in the instructional material. Teachers do not know how to design their classes using the technology. Furthermore, school directors are not encouraging and monitoring their teachers in the best manner in order to integrate technology in the class.