JALT2011| 37th Annual International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning & Educational Materials Exhibition 18 – 21 November, 2011, National Olympics Memorial Center, Yoyogi, Tokyo.

Media_httpjaltorgfile_hrzbi

 

Jalt CALL Forum at JALT 2011

The forum is titled, "Students utilize technology every day. . .Do your classes?" We will hope to bring the concept of CALL to a wider audience by featuring speakers who understand that students' lives are infused with technology and have decided to leverage that fact to improve their teaching.

TIME: Saturday Nov. 19, 12:40 - 1:40 pm.

PLACE: Main Hall

 

☆Our presentation

Title: Learning and growing with blogs in EFL contexts

Presentation category: Paper Presentation (Short Paper)

Summary (75)
Integrating web-based resources for communication in EFL classes helps provide a communicative environment where students can use English to interact with people beyond the classroom walls. This paper will discuss how language teachers can overcome challenges of students with limited computer experience and lack of motivation for learning by integrating a class blog with Web 2.0 tools (such as Twitter) to promote collaborative activities between classes in Japan and those overseas.

Abstract (150-250)
If teaching, learning, and growing are indeed a single, social process (Pederson, 2011), then integrating web-based resources for communication in EFL classes makes sense. These tools provide a communicative environment where students can use English to interact with people beyond the classroom walls. However, the potential benefits may not be reaped unless due consideration is given to students with limited computer experience (vis-à-vis cellphones), and those with negative feelings toward using or learning English. This paper will discuss how language teachers can overcome these challenges by utilizing a class blog for maximizing the advantages of technology integration. Keys to effective implementation of online activities include ease of accessibility and use, meaningful links between in- and out-of class activities, and face-to-face or online activities for focus-on-form. Two implementations of a class blog will be examined to compare different blogging platforms (Blogger vs. Posterous) and classroom settings (computer lab vs. regular classroom). The presenters will also show how Web 2.0 tools (such as Twitter) were used in combination with a class blog to further promote collaborative activities between classes in Japan and those overseas.

Reference:
Pederson, S. (2011). Scattered leaves. JALT 2011- 37th Annual International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning & Educational Materials. Retrieved from http://jalt.org/conference

M Yam

M Yam


Posterous theme by Cory Watilo