Submission Type
20-minute Presentation
Abstract
This presentation explore the development of an asynchronous course component for foreign language education that permits meaningful oral interaction between instructors and students, complementing the classroom.Two specific tools make this possible: VoiceThread and Extempore. These online tools give students the opportunity to intentionally construct both the message they want to convey paying attention to the accuracy of the necessary linguistic structures without pressures and challenges inherent to the class space. Ultimately, this presentation summarizes how blended learning with the correct tools can further and deepen student language acquisition, upending conventional thought.
Start Date
5-23-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-23-2019 2:45 PM
Description
This presentation explore the development of an asynchronous course component for foreign language education that permits meaningful oral interaction between instructors and students, complementing the classroom. Successful language acquisition requires communication-based interaction in the target language, yet for most students in higher education the opportunities for this interaction are limited to three weekly classroom hours. While these contact hours provide a solid baseline for learning, educators have sought to reinforce the communicative nature of class time through supplementary activities. The historical evolution of these supplements dovetails with the evolution of technology: workbooks, taped recordings, online workbooks, and currently, adaptive-learning digital platforms. These approaches do support student-learning outcomes in foundational areas such as vocabulary retention and grammar rules, yet they often fall short of providing contexts for genuine oral interaction—the cornerstone of developing oral proficiency.
Recognizing the gap between standard practice and student need, this talk presents an online, asynchronous course component developed to further support introductory-level student language acquisition and enhance the nature, the frequency and flexibility of communicative interactions. Ultimately, strategies that did not simply reproduce the classroom, but rather complemented it were designed and implemented to align with and realize course goals. Two specific tools make this possible: VoiceThread and Extempore. VoiceThread’s capabilities allow students to listen to and comprehend the input of their peers and respond with an audiovisual recording. Extempore, a digital resource specifically for language acquisition, allows instructors to record questions, control how students access and engage with the recordings, and offer written or audio feedback.
These instruments work in tandem to create an approach to oral production that complements, but is distinct from that of the classroom. During class, students’ capacity to produce output is impacted by factors such as the cognitive load of speaking without notes, nervousness and even difficulties hearing well when seated far from the speaker. Using language in spite of these challenges reflects the realities of speaking in real life contexts. However, these aspects also limit students’ ability to produce language and simultaneously focus on precision in their vocabulary and grammar use. These online tools eliminate the aforementioned variables, giving students the opportunity to intentionally construct both the message they want to convey paying attention to the accuracy of the necessary linguistic structures. Ultimately, this presentation summarizes how blended learning with the correct tools can further and deepen student language acquisition, upending conventional thought.
Complementing the Foreign Language Classroom: Tools for Developing Oral Production
This presentation explore the development of an asynchronous course component for foreign language education that permits meaningful oral interaction between instructors and students, complementing the classroom.Two specific tools make this possible: VoiceThread and Extempore. These online tools give students the opportunity to intentionally construct both the message they want to convey paying attention to the accuracy of the necessary linguistic structures without pressures and challenges inherent to the class space. Ultimately, this presentation summarizes how blended learning with the correct tools can further and deepen student language acquisition, upending conventional thought.