Exploring the Internet & Bringing it Back Home

Kimberly Jansma, UCLAjansma@humnet.ucla.eduHeinle Cengage Learning's World

Languages ExperienceApril 9, 2010

Introduction: A Brief History of Authentic Materials

Pre-1980s: Books, magazines, newspapers, films

1980s – 90s: train schedules, menus, concert tickets, posters, ads

1990s: World Wide Web 1997: Google search 2005: Youtube

Authentic Content & Content-Based Language Learning Students study academic content in the target

language and acquire the language simultaneously.

Approach typically used at Intermediate and Advanced levels.

With appropriate tasks, beginners can work with T-L Internet content.

Authentic language is more accessible than we thought!

How Does New Media Content Affect Language Teaching? Goal: Global citizens will competently use

Internet FL resources. Instructors: Information organizers,

facilitators, moderators (Not the only knowledge source)

Students: Competent users of new technologies; need cultural and linguistic framework

How Do We Incorporate New Media?

How can Internet resources complement language textbooks?

How much direction should we provide students in selecting new media sites?

What do we want the students to do with these resources?

How do we evaluate students’ work with these materials?

Selecting New Media

Is it motivating, appealing? Would our students visit this site independently?

Is it reliable, stable? Is it easily navigable? Organized for

comprehension Does it relate to current theme? Is the language interesting? Will students learn

useful expressions – see new kinds of language use?

New Media and Millennial Learning Preferences

Experiential learning Guided mentoring Frequent feedback Collective reflection Knowledge distributed across the language

learning community

Dede. (2005) Planning for Neomillennial Learning Styles. Educause Quarterly.

Effective New Media Assignments

1. 3 – 4 information questions for all students

2. 3 – 4 items for students to learn based on individual interests

3. Cultural comparison question

4. Linguistic information: language use, useful vocabulary to keep in ejournal

Submitting Assignments

Paper (no workbooks) Discussion Board (w/ reply): For individual

assignments Wikis: For group projects and

presentations

UCLA’s Experiment with New Media Assignments

One Internet exploration per module related to chapter theme

Discussion board/wikis/paper Follow up class discussion – allow 15 – 30

minutes. Assignments are significant part of HW grade Explorez en ligne question appears on culture

section of exams

Sample Internet Sites

First names : Dis-moi ton prénom Likes and dislikes: Tony Parker –

“J’aime/j’aime pas” Finding a room mate: Appartager.com Cinema: Allôciné Jobs: “Les métiers” L’Étudiant Health/fitness/well-being: Doctissimo

Finding a Roommate with Appartager.com

Accessible, Useful Language

Student Observations: Appartager.com

“I was surprised that the site asked for people’s sexual orientation. I don’t think you’d see that here.”

“I thought the descriptions were kind of cool.”

“There are a lot of foreigners on this site. I might use it if I do study abroad.”

L’Étudiant: Les Métiers

Observation: Les métiers

Student Jobs - They seem identical to the student jobs typically found in America. In particular, the website recommends (shows) restaurant work, baby-sitter, dog-sitter etc. These jobs tend to be part time jobs, which allows one to do both, work and school, and most appear to require little to no past work experience. The website gives a rundown on most anything you would need to know about the job (job tasks, pay, how to apply, etc.).

Les Métiers – Useful Language4 Jobs that interest me, but which are not found in Motifs- Journaliste- Attaché parlementaire- Chef de produit tourisme

3 french phrases- en free-lance- un statut précaire- être disponible les vendredis et samedis

“Je ne sais pas d’où vient précisément mon inspiration” – “I do not know where my inspiration comes specifically.”

Allô Ciné

Translate the Resume of the French Film (look up 5 words)

Liberté by Tony Gatlif is a movie about France in 1943. During this time of war, the French president declared that gypsies are not permitted to go on with their nomadic ways and continue their travels during wartime. Many gypsies were imprisonment. Throughout Europe, the gypsies have had negative stereotypes of being thieves and other harsh criticisms. At one point in the trailer, someone asks a prison guard why they are doing this to the gypsies, and he replies “to rid France of her vermin.”

Observations onAllô Ciné

Despite the fact that "France has fought for what it calls the exception culturelle, meaning the right to subsidize or treat favorably domestic cultural production and to limit or control foreign cultural products (as seen in public funding for French cinema) " , still less than 50% of top ten movies are French!

Doctissimo

Current Events : Election

Assignment : Barack Obama post election: Using a French Web search engine e.g. google.fr Type Barack Obama and find out what the French press is saying about him. Report several interesting things that you learn.Transcribe a sentence or two that you could understand.

Obama Assignment – Student Response The French press view Barack Obama in a similar light

as Americians. The press says that Barack is change for the betterment of the USA as well as the world. They talk about his political platform as well as how he will change foreign policy as well. Positively affecting aspects in th world like the economy and the various wars throughtiout are also referenced. I believe that the French fell that Obama is many different things and many of them are positive. They feel that the change Obama will initiate within the US will also affect France in many positive ways. They feel that he has ambition, talen and drive that will make him and the USA a force to be reckoned with.

Useful Language – Obama Site

“Il veut succéder à un des presidents les plus impopulaire de l’histoire de son pays, il est jeune, il est métis, la planète entière semble attendre qu’il entre à la Maison Blanche. »

«  Les hiut ans d’embargo de la présidence Clinton avaient toutefois tué énormément d’irakiens. »

European Current Events

Now I'm giving you a challenge.  Go to the site from the Newspaper "Le monde" below on the very controversial law just passed by the Swiss banning Muslim Minarets in Swiitzerland. Write  down in English 3 - 5 facts or issues you learn from the article. You can go on TV 5 (only if you're curious) to see how it's being discussed on the TV news. What do you think? 

Student Exploration

Independent Search – International Content

The article is about Mr. Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister and his troubles with justice. He tried to pass a law to be immune from any kind of process but the constitutional court rejected the bill. Moreover, his company (Mondadori), one of the biggest in Italy, was condemned to pay back another important company and Mr. Berlusconi was accused of corruption. Finally, the article talks about the conflict of interests that Mr. Berlusconi has since the 1990s, when he started to own 3 (out of 6) TV channels and he was, at the same time, a politician.

Language Learning & Social Networking

Explorez en ligne – Questionnaire Results

I found it motivating to interact with Internet material designed for native speakers.

I learned something new and useful. It was helpful for learning new vocabulary I found it too difficult to be useful. (Disagree) Time spent on sites: 30 min. – 1 hour

Conclusion Internet assignments should be integrated with material

in core text. Consistent web-site exploration should start from the

beginning of language study. Instructors should visit sites before assigning them. Assignments should provide useful direction & encourage

independent exploration. (TAs!) Class discussion of findings is essential. Expect students to bring their cultural- knowledge base

to Internet exploration. Internet work should be integral in student evaluation. The instructor helps interpret, makes Internet exploration

& discussion useful and “safe.”