Authentic Audience EFL 537 Submitted by: Sura Al-Tall Susan Hansen January 19,2006

Overview Audience, language use, and language learning (Sura). Classroom Practice: An introduction to and WWW projects (Sura). Classroom Practice: Authentic audience on the Internet (Susan). The challenge and opportunity of technology: An interview with Mark Warschauer (Susan).

Audience, Language Use, and Language Learning.

Audience and Language Use Language scholars consider the notion of audience in language use as a central construct. The speaker ’ s relation to the hearer determine the form of language used to convey the message. Some of the theories in which the role of audience is central are:  Bell (1984): Concept of Audience design.  Giles ’ speech accommodation theory (Giles & Smith 1979).

Audience and language learning The role of audience is also an important factor in language learning. Availability of an authentic audience is important for second language learning. (Ellis, 1994; Lightbown & Spada, 1994), believe that interaction is a prerequisite to language acquisition.

Audience in language teaching The concept of audience has found its way into many approaches in language teaching, such as:  Whole Language.  Process Writing.  English for Special Purposes (ESP).

An authentic audience is an audience that is concerned exclusively with the meaning of the speaker ’ s language. What is the meaning of authentic audience in language learning?

Authentic Audience and computer- Mediated communication in ESL The size of the audience available to learners has increased dramatically. The nature of the new audience is hard to judge. Electronic audiences are authentic audiences. Written and spoken forms of language are converging. Computer-Mediated Interaction is Intensely language based. New Conventions are emerging.

An Introduction to and World Wide Web Projects

Internet and the WWW Internet is a network of computers. World Wide Web is the multimedia version of the Internet. Hard to navigate the Internet without software tools (e.g. tools and Web Browsing tools). Web Browsing There are many ways to connect to the Internet (e.g. ISP, University, Public Library).

Why should students use the Internet  Increases self-esteem by empowering both the teacher and the student.  Accommodates different learning styles and empowers learners regardless of physical challenges or social and cultural differences (Berge & Collins, 1995).  Encourages and motivates students to become involved in authentic projects and to write for a real audience of their peers instead of merely composing for the teacher (Berg & Collins, 1995).

Why should students use the Internet continued …  Promotes critical thinking because students move from being passive learners to participants in the exchange of knowledge and meaning.  Allows learners to participate cooperatively in the educational process.  Gives learners enough time and feedback.  Help learners work in an atmosphere with an ideal level of stress and anxiety.

Electronic Discussion Lists Valuable lists for discussing issues, asking questions, and giving and receiving information. And that is by sending a message to a certain address via , and then everyone on the list receives the message (similar to mass mailing) to read and respond to (e.g. TESL-L).TESL-L

Keypals Keypalling is a way of authentic communication between groups of different cultures. To find keypals: join a discussion list, connect to other classes or school sites that are willing to be keypals. is used to exchange messages between keypals. The SL-Lists is an example on a student list that specializes in cross-cultural discussion.SL-Lists

On-Line Projects Assign projects to students to complete through on-line collaboration with other students. Completed projects are placed on the WWW for display. An example on Online projects Projects Home Page. Projects Home Page

Authentic Audience on the Internet

The Learner ’ s Role  Passive  Receptive  Active  Interactive

The Teacher ’ s Role  Assess the students ’ level and needs  Assess the student ’ s access to technology  Determine language and course goals

Mark Warschauer ’ s View on Technology Personal Background Electronic literacies Uses of Internet Future Uses

Passive Learner Language learners are not engaged; they are not involved in any language-based, cultural, or technological communication (e.g. sleeping)

Receptive Learner Language learners function as an authentic audience, that is, as receivers (e.g., reading a newsgroup posting) or by lurking, that is, reading messages but not actively posting on an electronic list

Active Learner Language learners address an authentic audience (e.g., writing a poem for publication in an electronic magazine [e- zine])

Interactive Learner Language learners communicate both as and to an audience, in whole or in part by means of technology (e.g., exchanging with a keypal or taking part in a real-time electronic discussion

Teacher ’ s Role: Assessing the students ’ level and needs Set expectations relative to students ’ language, cultural, and technological experience

Assess the students ’ access to technology Be realistic but creative, and find support

Determine language and course goals Plan how technology will enhance or improve what can already be done; integrate CALL purposefully and meaningfully

Receptive Activities Reading electronic documents online Listening online Using search engines Downloading files Lurking on a list or a MOO

Receptive Examples: Electronic Books & CD ROMs Computer Software & Computer Hardware - BMSoftware Reading Software tenberg.net/ Interent E-Zines, Web Site Sound and Video Clips o.uk/worldservice / Real-Time Sound mlab.ox.ac.uk/ archive/audio. html IPTV Real- Time TV or Video n.com/video/ Newsgroups ocities.com/fin dnewsgroup/

Receptive Examples: Electronic Discussion Lists ft.com/catalist. html Push Technology o.com/ Search Engine or Gopher Search hoo.com/ File Transfer Protocol mbo.com/ MOOs and MUDs e.hunter.cuny.e du/

Active Activities Producing short writings Short answers on electronic quizzes Commenting on other students ’ writing Playing simulation games on-line Telephoning into satellite broadcasts Creating a web page

Active Examples Website activities: Software: m LAN simulations & Online games: com Synchronous Communicatio n: real-time television Web page Creation: Frontpage

Interactive Activities Holding asynchronous text-based conversations Holding synchronous text-based conversations Participating in audio exchanges Videoconferencing Taking distance-learning courses

Interactive Examples Asynchronous Communicatio n: Text Synchronous Communicatio n: Text /chat/chatpro.cgi Audio Exchanges Software: CU- SeeMe Video conferencing: Need video camera & high speed modem Distance Learning oolzone.com

Mark Warschauer Vice Chair of Dept. Of Education at UC- Irvine Previously taught at: UC-Berkley University of Hawaii Moscow Linguistics University Charles University Researches role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in L2 learning and ICT ’ s relationship with institutional reform, democracy & social development

Electronic Literacies The reading, writing, knowledge, skills, & practices that take place electronically

Electronic Literacies Information Literacy – being able to navigate the Internet and analyze the information Computer-Mediated Communication Literacy – using the Internet as a information too, e.g., sending a proper Multimedia Literacy – knowing how to create texts on the Internet through media and can also interpret the media to create a message

Uses of Internet in the Classroom at the very least Use it for active & constructive use, so students learn the technology, not just using it passively Identify problems with false research info on Internet Use different registers for different uses Translators can be a learning tool! Give students structure & support, but leave open ended for their own creativity & motivation

Future Uses Copra – use of concordancer to search texts & speech for grammar, provides real-life examples It will be a normal part of life the “ pens & paper of tomorrow ”

Questions: Do you feel that interactionism is important for SLA? Can you think of other examples on projects? Is one of these audiences more valuable than another? (Passive, Receptive, Active, Interactive) With interaction over the Internet, a teacher cannot always be monitoring each student, for example, when making audio exchanges, how can the teacher evaluate the student? What do you think will be the future of the Internet and CALL?

Sources: CE Text, Part II, pp The Internet, an Audience, Language Use, and Language Learning Ackers, W. P. (2002). The challenge and opportunity of technology: An interview with Mark Warschauer. English Teaching Forum, 40(4),1-8The challenge and opportunity of technology: An interview with Mark Warschauer