LINGUISTICS 191/291 - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Linguistics and the Teaching of English
as a Second/Foreign Language
LINGUISTICS 191/291 - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Linguistics and the Teaching of English
as a Second/Foreign Language
Home | Announcements | Syllabus | CALL Mini-Course | Linguistics Home Page
Description.
This mini-course is offered as a 5th unit option for
Linguistics 191/291 or a 1-unit directed study for anyone not taking that
course. The goal is to provide you with an introduction to CALL
(Computer-Assisted Language Learning) so that you can make informed judgments
about how to incorporate technology into your language classes to make certain
aspects of student learning more engaging, efficient, and/or effective. This overview will cover elements of development, evaluation, and
implementation of software, along with information for using the World Wide Web as a learning environment and a resource for both you and your
students. Interested auditors are welcome, regardless of whether you are
taking the 191/291 course.
Requirements.
There are three requirements: 1) regular attendance, 2)
completion of weekly preparatory material, and 3) a presentation and short
write-up of an individual project (due at the last class) Note that weekly
preparatory material will usually consist of a reading and exploration of some
web links or other material. Auditors are not required to do (3).
There is flexibility in the final project, but some of the options are evaluating a piece of software, evaluating a language learning website, designing a piece of software or a website (just designing it or also programming it), writing a critical review of a CALL book or article, or writing a CALL lesson plan for existing materials or applications. Anyone interested in more than 1 unit for the course may negotiate a more ambitious project.
Tentative List of Weekly Topics. More information and links are found on the Invitation to CALL website.
| Class | Topics (tentative) | Assignment (assignments are due the week following, but you are encouraged to skim the unit ahead of time) |
| 1 | Introduction to Computer-Assisted Language Learning | Read Unit 1. Bring your completed "can do" statements from the TESOL Technology Standards. |
| 2 | Finding and Evaluating CALL Resources | Read
Unit 2.
Review a review.
Visit the CALICO Journal website
at
http://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/index.php/CALICO.
The reviews can be found by issue in the archives, but many can also be located
using the search term "software review" on the journal site. Find an interesting-looking piece of
software and read the review, noting 1) what you can learn from it and 2) any
questions that arise that might help inform your own evaluation process.
Alternatively, you can take a language app that you are familiar with and review it (very briefly) using elements of the CALICO Journal review form at https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/CALICO_LearningTechnologyReviewGuidelines.pdf. |
| 3 | Computer Mediated Communication | Read Unit 3. Visit a discussion board or chat room at www.englishbaby.com, or http://ell.stackexchange.com or a similar site where language learners congregate. (Alternatively, you can try one for teachers here: https://www.eslbase.com/forum/) Try participating in a chat and/or making a posting to one of the discussion board topics: if you feel uncomfortable doing so, you may also just report on what you noticed there). Examine the language that the learners are producing and reflect on your experience, including an assessment of how you think chat or discussion at such sites could be integrated into a class you were teaching. |
| 4 | CALL and Language Skills; | Read Unit 4. Select one skill area that particularly interests you. After reviewing some of the sources mentioned in the unit, find one or more other web sources on your own and review them for their potential to integrate into or supplement your class activities. Come prepared to talk briefly about your final project plans. |
| 5 | Environments, Materials, and Activities | Read Unit 5. Explore the links and continue working on your projects. |
| 6 | CALL Theory and Research | Read Unit 6. After reviewing the example research paper table, search for a recent paper in a CALL area that interests you. The paper should be from 2015 or later. An excellent source to browse is https://www.lltjournal.org. Following the pattern in the unit, provide the reference, a description, and some results. Email these to me by Tuesday 2/25 at noon, and I'll prepare a handout for the class including all these. |
| 7 | CALL Teacher Education, Professional Development, and Learner Training | Read Unit 7. Prepare your final presentations (if you're doing them). |
| 8 | Current Trends and Future Directions | Read Unit 8. Have a look at your original answers to the TESOL Technology Standards know how/can do statements and see where you've progressed and what gaps remain. We'll follow up with an individual meeting to discuss these and any other questions you have for future professional development in CALL. |
CALL Project Assignment
If you are taking the CALL section for credit, you are required to do a short project and present it in class during the final meeting. You will have 10 minutes for the presentation, so please prepare accordingly. The project should include a writeup, which is a part of your final grade and is due by March 21 (sooner is better)
The project can be of your own choice but should obviously be connected to the theme of the class. Here are some pre-approved options: you may propose others, but if you do, please clear them with me ahead of time.
1) A critical review of a CALL book or article.
2) An evaluation of a piece of software/app or a website. Be sure to follow the general guidelines described in class (Unit 2) (operational description, teacher fit, learner fit)
3) Design of a piece of software/app, a website, or a language learning task that employs computer technology. Include a clear justification of the learning objectives and why you think your proposed software, website or task will help meet them.
4) Design and programming/scripting of a piece of software/app or website. If you actually program create, the design can be simpler than if you're just proposing. Or you can just create some small part of it for demonstration purposes.
I am available by appointment to discuss any and all aspects of your projects. The length of the write-up will vary with the project but should not exceed 8 pages double-space: projects like (3) and (4) involving creative work may have shorter write-ups.