Chui/Savignon Feedback Article

It's tricky to prioritize focus areas when giving feedback to students, because accuracy and meaning are both so important when learning/teaching a language. A couple of interesting points by Zamel were brought up in this article, and the most interesting to me was the idea that many teachers look at a student's essay as complete once it's been edited, while in actually, the writing should be looked at as an ongoing piece of work. When I was an undergrad here at UIC, I had a professor named Tony Grosch, and the phrase he most emphasized with us is the notion that "writing is a process." A piece of writing was never complete, in his opinion, and he always encouraged us to treat our students' essays as an ongoing writing assignment that they always have room to improve.

Because there's so much for ESL students to grasp, I think this theory is an important one to employ. Students should tackle each aspect of the language as it comes, and giving them feedback on their written work will give them a tangible exercise that they can continuously work on.

I found it interesting that some people argue that error correction has no benefits. If students see and understand their errors, and have the chance (if need be ) to speak to the instructor to clarify, I don't see how they wouldn't improve their written language acquisition.

I do like the idea of giving feedback over the internet. I have done this many times with students, granted they weren't ESL students, but I found this a great way to give students extra opportunity to correct their work, and experiment using online resources.

Google Wave for ESL Instructors

Episode 1:

We created a podcast geared towards instructors with the purpose of introducing Google Wave (www.wave.google.com). This episode is the first in a series of instructional videos and ideas concerning Google Wave. This podcast is a general overview, but future episodes will be more specific.

Google Wave is pitched as the new generation of email, and the capabilities of the tool far surpasses basic email. As instructors are listening, they should be clicking and exploring the few features we selected to highlight. We suggested a few hypothetical projects that students may use Google Wave for, and directed instructors towards the specific gadgets that are the framework for these projects. Students can plan trips using the itinerary, pinpoint specific locations on Google Maps, video chat with people from all parts of the world, and do much, much more.

Activities within Google Wave:

Trip Planning
Map Building
Slideshows/Powerpoints
Blogs
Twitter Updates
Concept Maps
Video Chatting

For more information on Google Wave:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_UyVmITiYQ

Our podcast can be found at:
http://ecrofford1.podbean.com/

Voicethread for ESL

I think if monitored effectively, Voicethread has the potential to be beneficial to students. The idea of having a platform that can hold images, documents, and videos, has the potential to allow students to continue learning outside of the classroom. The fact that people from all over the world can participate gives students the opportunity to collaborate with other ESL/EFL students, particularly those at different levels, or with different L1's.

Chapelle and Jamieson mention how research indicates that students should be exposed to different varieties of English, including pronunciation variations, and different dialects. I think Voicethread has potential to introduce students to several different aspects by embedding videos or sound clips into the thread. Since teachers have control over the material selected, they can be sure that students are engaged in authentic materials. If monitored correctly, I think it could be a useful tool.

Language Learning Videos

For the first blog, I assumed the role of a native English speaker attempting to learn Arabic. I found a video clip that instructs you on how to make a popular Arabic appetizer. The speaker of the video spoke rather quickly, especially in the beginning. A student would need a good amount of Arabic to understand what he was saying. What I like about the video is that it has visuals that correspond with the spoken instructions. The ingredients and the amount required are written on the bottom right of the screen, so the learner can read the words and numbers while simultaneously listening to them be read. Overall, I would say the video has potential, but may be too difficult for lower levels.

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/aswaat/video_s.php#/0/baba_ghanouj_elementary/

For the second video, I assumed the role of a teacher teaching an Arabic course. I chose a video with a man giving out his address and phone number. This video is more clear- cut than the first video, partly because students can see the speaker in this video, rather than just hear his voice. He also speaks much slower than the first video's speaker did, so he's easier to understand. I think this is a more valuable resource than the first one, because the instructions and information given by the speaker are simpler and more straightforward than the first. Because he's just giving names and numbers, students will be able to comprehend the information much quicker.

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/aswaat/video_s.php#/0/buswaab_add_and_phone/