1. Integrating Chat into the EFL Classroom
Vindicating Chat
Integrating Chat into the EFL Classroom
Rita Zeinstejer

2. Almeida de Eca: “a two way synchronous form of CMC, a dialogue in real time as we keyboard or speak our words...”
Vance Stevens:
“using chat in a learning environment is a meaningful and constructivist experience”
“....it´s communication with real people in real time which enhances LL, since it’s human interaction, discussion and collaboration leading to new knowledge..”
Allen & Guy called Chat “ interactive written discourse”
Dafne Gonzalez:
“chats can also be used to improve different aspects of our teaching practice....”

3. Synchronous CMC Tools: Chat Rooms and how to use them for Language Learning
1-pedagogical rationale for using chat rooms as a language learning tool
2-reasons for using chat/ difficulties for students
3-modes and types
4-chatiquette
5-Taxonomy of Educational Chats for ESL/EFL
5-possible projects and activities
6-resources
7-conclusions/ suggestions
8-where to find chat rooms.
(show transp Sow Train Coming)

4. Pedagogical Rationale
allows learners to interact in authentic contexts with native speakers
allows students to use language learnt, with a real purpose
allows communication to take place in real time
favours joint products
chat activities promote active involvement
teacher role minimized: promotes learner autonomy
transcripts generated: useful for studying language used
studies suggest chatting improves interactive competence: helps bring stds closer together
students can notice language used by native speakers
opportunities for skills development & practice
provides natural space for negotiation of meaning, due to immediacy of feedback
brings up issues of turn-taking and classroom management
involves special language features (RUOK) & “emoticons”

5. Reasons for using Chatrooms with Students
Motivation: genuine audience, sense of purpose
Synchronous communication
Authenticity
Alternative
Extra-curricular practice
Exploitation
Native speakers
Culture
Vocabulary
Anonymity
Translation
Responsibility
Flexibility
Keyboard skills/ learning technology
Social skills
Feedback: support and confidence

6. more reasons... text chat: practise writing and reading skills
voice chat: practise pronunciation
audio chat: practise listening comprehension
(See Tr Chatlog)

7. Three modes:
Text
Audio (voice)
Video (image)

8. Types of Chat Rooms:
text based : AOL IM, WM, Net Meeting, MSN Messenger, YM .
avatar based
audio: YM, Paltalk, iVisit, MSN Messenger.
Wimba:
iVisit:
Paltalk:
• video : YM, WM (1 to 1), iVisit (Multiparty)
• Moos, Muds, Mushes

9. Three Communication Environments
Instant messaging
Conferences (Baltimore)
Chat groups

10. Types:
Pre-established
User-created
public
private

11. Difficulties: types Technical Session management
Students´ participation
Language

12. technical incompatibilities between operating systems
YM: dial up connections in “3 in 1” mode
server error messages
slow response/ download/ temporary hang-ups/ disconnection
BUT: attempt: a lesson in itself!

13. Session management Time: pre-program session
Number of participants in different chatrooms
Check students get passwords and usernames
Rehearsal session advisable

14. Students´participation
slow keyboard skills
culture specific
topics: inappropriate/ unfamiliar/ offensive: misunderstandings
quick text reading ability

15. Language level
use of slang, abbreviations, oversimplified, instant-messaging type, “block language”
exposure to badly constructed English
poor structure: informal
no capital letters
cybershock: raise awareness

16. Caveats to joining public chatrooms:
Many are pornographic
It is time-consuming

17. Chatiquette Don’t talk in capital letters Never scroll the screen
Don’t join a chatroom/ leave without saying sth
Don’t idle or lurk in a chatroom (brb)
Be patient
Don’t use excessive colours
Avoid sarcasm, ambiguous humour and expressions; no flaming
Ask if you are welcome
Be friendly. Be polite. Be considerate

18. To consider: Teacher or teacher free? Moderator? Corrections?
Group or P2P?
Level
Usernames
Time zones
Transcripts

19. Rules Participating Rules Moderating Rules
Responsibilities: knowledgeable, reliable, helpful, supportive, extra sensitive
Time: shift focus/ fire subtopics
Motivation: keep ball rolling
Error correction
Assessment of performance
Participating Rules
Behaviour
Multitasking
Language used
Turn-taking

20. Ways to use educational Chats
Office/school hours
Groups discussion outside the classroom
Students: synchronous communication with other EFL students around the world.
Teachers: synchronous communication with other language teachers (Daf’s DB/ recorded tape from Damian)

21. Pre-Chat Activities
1- learning how chat rooms work, how to post a message, benefits of chat rooms, some useful chat room vocab
2- using chat rooms to ask and answer questions among classmates, printing transcript and improving questioning
3- interviewing the teacher to improve language, using transcript
4- playing “guess who” among classmates
5- series of regular practice sessions: in advance mail topics/ questions, to prepare, gather ideas, vocab.

22. Practice sessions aim to
get familiar with chat room vocabulary, and use all relevant functions
gain confidence in asking/ answering questions
use tools and dictionaries
use chat transcripts to identify language problems and improve their English: edit, analyse, rewrite, report.
draw a line between different registers

23. Possible projects (classroom preparation) “educational chatting should have clearly defined product-oriented goals...” (Westhoff)
Surveys
Tests, Questionnaires, Quizzes, Puzzles
Role-plays (“The Personal Interview”: form with blanks)
Topic Discussions ( topics in advance: Taiwanese)
Info gap activities ( Festivals – Celebrations)
Describe/Draw a Picture (Groupboard)
As practice tool (stds start a room: interplay of linguistic competence)
As an interview medium
Mixed, combined tasks (Daf’s chat with video)

24. more tasks Mixed task 4 groups to 4 chatrooms
Same topic – controversial
Precise instructions
Appoint summarizer
Post summaries in D. Board
Allow for open discussion
Role-play
With/ without f2f preparation
*Problem at school
*Accident scene

25. Follow-up tasks Grammar: errors
Vocabulary: idioms, synonyms, M. Matching
Functional Language
Writing: reports, editing, letter-writing, project work

26. Participation Assessment. Educational Chat Classification
Participation Assessment? Educational Chat Classification *Dafne Gonzalez

27. Correction......,useful...?
Syntactical, lexical errors? “embedding” correction/ repair
Participation: interactive competence, empathy, attention in role of listeners, strategic competence for self-repair, circumlocution
Staying on topic
Collaborative tasks: one-at-a-time correction strategy, polishing printed interview.

28. Chats in Teacher Development
Sharing work done
Exploring web tools
Practising e-moderation with students
Participating in online conferences as audience/ participants ( NETWorking 2002)
Planning events/ joint projects

29. Conclusions- suggestions: for you, the teacher
Become experienced: join a chat room yourself
Choose a user-friendly virtual place
Decide on common interests, topics and distribution of tasks.
Assign a clear, precise activity.
Be clear about due dates and times
Ensure stds have the necessary computer skills
Have a virtual class rehearsal before “chat day” with foreign groups
Keep ongoing communication

30. Resources enough computers fast Internet connection networked printer
projection device (preferably)
make sure you are familiar with chat room you will use. Try <

31. Where to find chat rooms
most search engines: YM, Net Meeting, MSN Messenger
EFL/ESL stds chatroom:
to find other teachers to set up exchange chats:
tandem learning:

32. “Language is communication
“Language is communication. The purpose of learning a language is, for most people, to use it to communicate. And why communicate?
Most immediately, you have something you want to say or you meet someone you want to understand.
The language you want and need to learn the most is that part of the language that helps you to meet your immediate needs.”
Vance Stevens

33. Bibliography
-         “Internet Audio Communication for Second Langauge Learning: a Comparative Review of Six Programs” , Gary A. Cziko and Sujunk Park
-         “How can Instructors and Administrators Fill the Missing Link in Online Instruction?”, Thelma J. Roberson and Jack Klotz.
-         “Educational Chat Classification”, Dafne Gonzalez
-         “To Chat or not to Chat in the EFL Classroom, that is the Question!”, Teresa Almeida d'Eça
-         “A Taxonomy of Educational Chats for EFL/ESL”, Dafne Gonzalez
“Webheads in the Action”, Dafne Gonzalez,
-         “Educational Chat: Chat and the ESL Class (presentation) - John H. Steele (2001)
-         “Rubric for Group Chat Meeting”, Dafne Gonzalez
-         Introducing EFL Students to Chat Rooms - Jo Mynard (2002)
-         “ Some CMC clients promoting language learning through chatting online”, Vance Stevens
-         Giving Exams in an Online Chat Room - Janet K. M. Marta (Jan. 2002)
-         “Chat and the Language Learning Process”, Teresa Almeida d´Eca
-         “Constructing Knowledge with Technology”, Martha Boethel and K. Victoria Dimock.
-         “A day in the life of an online language educator,” Stevens, V
-         “Writing for Webheads: An online writing course utilizing synchronous chat and student web pages,” Stevens, Vance, 1999.
-         Webheads Communities: Writing Tasks Interleaved with Synchronous Online
Communication and Web Page Development”, Stevens, V.