TRIADIC SCAFFOLDS: TOOLS FOR TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS WITH COMPUTERS1

Carla Meskill
State University of New York at Albany
ABSTRACT
Active communication with others is key to human learning. This straightforward premise
currently undergirds much theory and research in student learning in general, and in second
language and literacy learning in particular. Both of these academic areas have long
acknowledged communication's central role in successful learning with the exact intricacies of
instructional conversations and the forms these take having been the focus of close analysis
(Cazden, 1988; Gee, 2001; Nystrand, Gamoran, Kachur, & Prendergast, 1997; Tharp &
Galimore, 1991; van Lier, 2000). In this examination of computer-supported classroom discourse,
specific forms of instructional conversation employed by a veteran elementary teacher of
beginning-level English language learners (ELLs) are examined.

MULTIMEDIA CALL: LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM RESEARCH ON INSTRUCTED SLA

Language Learning & Technology
Vol. 2, No. 1, July 1998, pp. 22-34


MULTIMEDIA CALL: LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
FROM RESEARCH ON INSTRUCTED SLA
PDF version

Carol A. Chapelle
Iowa State University

ABSTRACT

This paper suggests that some design features and evaluation criteria for multimedia CALL might be developed on the basis of hypotheses about ideal conditions for second language acquisition (SLA). It outlines a relevant theory of SLA and enumerates the hypotheses it implies for ideal conditions such as input saliency, opportunities for interaction, and learner focus on communication. Implications of each hypothesis for multimedia CALL design and evaluation are outlined and exemplified.

Using Call-and-Response to Facilitate Language Mastery and Literacy Acquisition Among African American Students MICHÉLE FOSTER

DIGEST EDO-FL-02-04 • JULY 2002
Using Call-and-Response to Facilitate Language Mastery and
Literacy Acquisition Among African American Students
MICHÉLE FOSTER
CENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS • ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE ON LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS • 4646 40TH ST NW • WASHINGTON DC 20016-1859 • 202-362-0700
Despite three decades of research on African American English
(AAE), educational workshops aimed at improving the academic
achievement, particularly the literacy achievement, of African American
students still emphasize differences between Standard English
and African American English. One result is that teachers may overlook
the linguistic resources of their African American students. A
challenge for the research community now is to investigate how features
of African American English might be used instructionally. Several
researchers have noted teachers’ use of call-and-response—rapid
verbal interaction between speaker and listener that has its origins in
religious tradition—in classrooms composed of African American students.
This digest presents a working definition of call-and-response, discusses
relevant research on the use of this interactional strategy for
instructional purposes, and presents examples from an ongoing study
of elementary school classrooms to illustrate some of the fundamental,
explanatory dimensions of this discourse pattern.

An Introduction to Genre Theory

Daniel Chandler

The problem of definition

A number of perennial doubts plague genre theory. Are genres really 'out there' in the world, or are they merely the constructions of analysts? Is there a finite taxonomy of genres or are they in principle infinite? Are genres timeless Platonic essences or ephemeral, time-bound entities? Are genres culture-bound or transcultural?... Should genre analysis be descriptive or proscriptive? (Stam 2000, 14)

The word genre comes from the French (and originally Latin) word for 'kind' or 'class'. The term is widely used in rhetoric, literary theory, media theory, and more recently linguistics, to refer to a distinctive type of 'text'*. Robert Allen notes that 'for most of its 2,000 years,

Students' Preparedness and Training for CALL

Catherine M. Barrette
Wayne State University

Abstract:

Planning for the integration of computers in language classrooms is complex, requiring information from many sources, yet some basic information has been underrepresented in the professional literature. The state of students' computer literacy (CL) and their accompanying training needs, for example, are two aspects that are infrequently investigated. Some studies do discuss these issues, but few report the time allocated to training for computerized tasks or the gains made in CL. While research on the effectiveness of computers for language learning is growing, little of it indicates the practicality of this tool for teachers who need to train their students in CL before the computer can become a tool for them. However, it is exactly this type of practical information that complements effectiveness research for teachers who need to prepare appropriate tasks and determine whether they have the instructional time to offer training to students. The present study provides data on the CL of university-level Spanish students with respect to word processing, CD-ROMs, e-mail, and the World Wide Web. The training method used integrated technical training into activities focused on learning language and culture and resulted in gains in students' CL for a small investment of class time.

Error Diagnosis and Error Correction in CALL

TRUDE HEIFT
Simon Fraser University
MATHIAS SCHULZE
University of Waterloo

This special issue of the CALICO Journal concentrates on an important aspect of learner language—linguistic errors. Recently, issues like error description and classification as well as error correction and feedback have received increased attention in a number of academic disciplines, for example, second language acquisition theories and Corpus Linguistics. Recent conferences in CALL have also seen a number of papers which address these problems. This issue of the CALICO Journal aims to provide an overview of current relevant research. It contains nine articles that deal with a variety of questions focusing on one common theme: learner errors in CALL.

Computer vs. Workbook Instruction in Second Language Acquisition

Noriko Nagata
University of San Francisco

Abstract:
Many studies have failed to demonstrate the effectiveness of CALI (Computer Assisted Language Instruction) as compared to non-CALI instruction, and the pedagogical significance of CALI programs has been questioned. This study employs an intelligent CALI program, called Nihongo-CALI (Japanese Computer Assisted Language Instruction), which uses natural language processing to provide more sophisticated error analysis and feedback than conventional CALI programs. The study compares the effectiveness of Nihongo-CALI with non-CALI workbook instruction, in the form of self-study lessons.

Teaching First-Year Spanish On-Line

Danielle Cahill
Diane Catanzaro
Christopher Newport University

Abstract:
This article provides a framework and outline for teaching a foreign language course entirely on-line to college undergraduates. The course uses a distance learning approach that incorporates an electronic messaging system, multimedia, World Wide Web, and Internet assignments. Course structure, pedagogical issues, and one universitys experience with on-line courses

The Applied Linguist, School Reform, and Technology: Challenges and Opportunities for the Coming Decade

G. Richard Tucker
Carnegie Mellon University

Abstract:
In this presentation, I propose to describe briefly the rapidly changing demography of the U.S. school population and the implications of these changes for pedagogical practice(s). I will then summarize current research priorities for the language education profession that have recently been articulated by several professional associations and task forces. I will conclude by discussing some of the implications