tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.comments2023-06-05T10:17:40.900+00:00ICT for Language TeachersGraham Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-62233840377829185452012-06-08T07:56:08.268+00:002012-06-08T07:56:08.268+00:00If you want to catch your students red-handed on u...If you want to catch your students red-handed on using Google translate, just run a test of wrongly translated phrases and let them catch the bite. Even if they use GT but corrected machine mistakes - it's still OK, isn't it?Polish translator Warsawhttp://www.linguisticatelier.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-45309015587444678512012-05-14T22:28:56.824+00:002012-05-14T22:28:56.824+00:00Hi Graham,
Thanks for an interesting post. Yes, ...Hi Graham,<br /><br />Thanks for an interesting post. Yes, people with many 'friends' face the challenge of keeping up with large numbers but, more importantly, also that of nurturing and enriching central relationships in their lives. For example, many people spend hours on their computers "socializing" at the expense of sharing quality time with their immediate families. Interestingly, the same social media which bring us closer to distant 'friends' also have the potential of distancing us from our closest relationships!Mariam Attiahttp://www.mariamattia.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-59807404852214734002012-04-29T00:12:36.981+00:002012-04-29T00:12:36.981+00:00I agree, José, that "friend" means somet...I agree, José, that "friend" means something different in the context of social networks. Nevertheless I still find it difficult to keep track of more than 250 "connections" or "contacts" at one time.<br /><br />I perceive Twitter more as a broadcasting medium rather than a social network, although I accept the fact that sub-groups such as #mfltwitterati are quite close-knit.Graham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-69263707590243896162012-04-28T18:01:56.398+00:002012-04-28T18:01:56.398+00:00Hi Graham,
I think we must accept the word friend...Hi Graham,<br /><br />I think we must accept the word <i>friend</i> in the context of social network carries different semantic implications: Is a Facebook friend really a friend in the traditional sense? Clearly not. <br /><br />Even the word <i>relationship</i> carries connotations of kinship, consanguinity or even emotional association, which are, again, not necessarily applicable to the virtual context.<br /><br />People can call them what they like, but I view most of those to whom I am connected as just that, <i>connections</i>, especially on Twitter. That's it.<br /><br />In my view, the definition of <i>friend</i> has simply acquired another sense, that's all.José Picardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02442807277296659277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-60108471012652903932012-03-12T18:39:55.204+00:002012-03-12T18:39:55.204+00:00Mr. Davies it is really amazing to see your typica...Mr. Davies it is really amazing to see your typical day. And also I think you are the Grand Daddy of all web users. My God I cant believe that you use to send e-mails in 1985! You are a legend Mr. Davies.<br /><br />And also I can say that you are a Gadget and technology friendly guy just like any 18 year-old. <br /><br />Nice to read about your journey.Imran Soudagarhttp://sysmatters.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-58284348656996337602012-03-12T16:43:36.257+00:002012-03-12T16:43:36.257+00:00Wow Taks based Learning and the French Kitchen its...Wow Taks based Learning and the French Kitchen its awesome way to learn a new language. <br /><br />Thanks again Mr. Davies for sharing this article. I am learning so much here.Imran Soudagarhttp://sysmatters.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-37805204467463223592012-03-12T16:40:18.429+00:002012-03-12T16:40:18.429+00:00Checking out the Scoopit tool. Thanks for sharing ...Checking out the Scoopit tool. Thanks for sharing it Mr. Davies.Imran Soudagarhttp://sysmatters.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-72964790775746292382012-03-12T16:34:11.834+00:002012-03-12T16:34:11.834+00:00I can just say wow at the way we use technology. I...I can just say wow at the way we use technology. I never knew that bar codes can also be used to skip the frames in a video. <br />And yes these days QC codes are getting famous and finding its way to Kitchen. <br /><br />Loved reading this post Mr. Davies.Imran Soudagarhttp://sysmatters.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-28679570651119408832012-03-09T00:35:12.422+00:002012-03-09T00:35:12.422+00:00Great article - I actually noticed last year that ...Great article - I actually noticed last year that my beginners students had used Google because their writing was TOO good...Matthewjabsalom@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09248251326061803208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-40190053267800353802012-01-15T20:13:34.880+00:002012-01-15T20:13:34.880+00:00I am not a teacher of any foreign language. But I ...I am not a teacher of any foreign language. But I am a student who sometimes finds some websites with important and useful content. Some times the information is in a language that I don't understand. And I have to use the Google translate tool. I have observed that it does not translate the language correctly and also using this tool has in fact made me dumb. Earlier I use to pickup different words from different languages. Now it is nearly impossible to do so as the tool automatically translates other language. And I really liked the useful information. Will be visiting this site frequently.<br />Regards,<br />Imran Soudagar (India)Imran Soudagarhttp://sysmatters.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-46671556693939948272012-01-10T15:05:28.987+00:002012-01-10T15:05:28.987+00:00Hi, Jane! I'm not sure what you mean by a &quo...Hi, Jane! I'm not sure what you mean by a "method". There are numerous varieties of CALL, varying from behaviouristic drill-and-practice to cognitive/constructivist approaches. It's a question of horses for courses. You could have a look at the links to online EFL courses on my Favourite Websites page at http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/websites.htmGraham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-18630295060625210092012-01-10T14:30:19.062+00:002012-01-10T14:30:19.062+00:00Hello. This is not directly linked with your comme...Hello. This is not directly linked with your comments on translating (which I found very interesting). i'm currently looking into using a CALL method with some of the companies I work with as a freelance English teacher. Could you please tell me of any 'off the shelf' methods that you could recommend ? Many thanks.Jane Bonnin-Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17535029453492801230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-20569328997372412962012-01-04T12:15:12.923+00:002012-01-04T12:15:12.923+00:00Hi! I'm a teacher of English in Spain and have...Hi! I'm a teacher of English in Spain and have found this really interesting. <br />I have also had this kind of problem with my students, I can say each time more and more. So what I decided specially in a class where they wouldn't stop translating their compositions was that they would do their writing compositions in class with a dictionary,and would hand it to me that very same day.<br />However, it is true that we don't have that much time in class to do the work that students should be doing in class...<br />I have found really interesting and encouraging the idea you have proposed of working with these google translations in the classroom, so students can see how stupid their writings can sound if they do so.. Nonetheless, I think all this will only focus them more on copying from the internet or using translating tools for their homework... the only possible tool we have for them to try and do things on their own is the evaluation... not only it is easy to see that what they have written comes right out from a translator, but it is easy to see in an exam, in class, with no computers whatsoever, that what they have been writing is totally different from that in the exam...laualsohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07749339575773586683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-75173601547587587472011-12-22T10:53:45.945+00:002011-12-22T10:53:45.945+00:00Video recordings of the main presentations are ava...Video recordings of the main presentations are available at http://www.livestream.com/letstalkonline/Graham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-81747510088940669962011-12-10T06:16:10.495+00:002011-12-10T06:16:10.495+00:00Hello,
Interesting topic. And what I really share...Hello,<br /><br />Interesting topic. And what I really share with you is the fact that teacher's job is changing a lot. We must work in a way that make our students more cleverer. Using Google doesn't sount heretic to me. But of course we have to work on the results provided by the machine. This can be very fun for the class. Students will learn a lot this way. So maybe one idea of homework is to ask for the google translation and then make propositions to improve this stuff. Don't you think Ragnhild? This is possible at every level, just chose the text to translate cautiously. Thanks a lot. Johanna. Hong Kong. Teaching French and English.Johannanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-45273292578792848002011-11-26T09:43:14.936+00:002011-11-26T09:43:14.936+00:00I'm a foreign language teacher (french and ger...I'm a foreign language teacher (french and german) and read with great interest what you write here. Your last phrase is essential. You use google translate yourself, when you know the actual language reasonably well. But at lower levels (i'm teaching french in upper secondary school)students also use it for their homework and I'm afraid they learn too little. I would like to get in contact with teachers who have good ideas for homework that means lots of learning on an elementary/ intermediate (I had to look up the last word on google translate - from french ;)) level.<br />Regards,<br />Ragnhild Krog (Norway)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-86017050734732092412011-10-11T17:12:54.529+00:002011-10-11T17:12:54.529+00:00Some more ideas on using QR codes from Victoria Je...Some more ideas on using QR codes from Victoria Jefferies:<br /><br />http://musingsonmfl.posterous.com/qr-codes-in-the-mfl-classroomGraham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-77150026864170412152011-10-01T17:28:19.891+00:002011-10-01T17:28:19.891+00:00Thankyou for this post. I feel I have "missed...Thankyou for this post. I feel I have "missed the boat" with QR codes -particularly not being in possessions of the right receiver! Your post has enlightened and reassured me. MartMoodle Fairyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10728538028873560600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-8332474262052832522011-07-28T08:04:22.192+00:002011-07-28T08:04:22.192+00:00Thanks, jmb! I'll have a look at your link. I ...Thanks, jmb! I'll have a look at your link. I don't maintain a large list of links at the ICT4LT site, and the Scoop.It links are just a small sample. I do, however, maintain a large list of links at http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/websites.htmGraham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-67560666697728375042011-07-21T16:14:02.312+00:002011-07-21T16:14:02.312+00:00It now appears that ALL and CILT will attempt to r...It now appears that ALL and CILT will attempt to rescue and archive some of the Languages ICT materials - but it is not yet known where that will be. <br /><br />The Teachers TV videos are now available at:<br />http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/Graham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-64563167559593971112011-07-21T15:32:51.424+00:002011-07-21T15:32:51.424+00:00That's so sad Graham, to find that many great ...That's so sad Graham, to find that many great and innovative projects are halted due to lack of funding. This is a good example of the role of politics in education in general. I was really upset when they ended Teacher TV, such a great resource for teachers.Ammar A. Merhbihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07463792389178761531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-17741326358930326052011-07-15T10:36:51.631+00:002011-07-15T10:36:51.631+00:00If the kids enjoy it then fine, but how much langu...If the kids enjoy it then fine, but how much language are they learning and retaining long-term? And will MYLO really have an impact on improving the uptake of languages beyond KS3?<br /><br />Actually, the journeys through CALL packages prior to the arrival of the Web were not necessarily linear. There was usually a default route for learners who could not be bothered to find their own way around, but the exploratory approach was well established by the mid-1980s, and all the multimedia packages that I worked on from around the mid-1990s offered an exploratory approach. Then there were simulations such as Granville, Manoir des Oiseaux, Schloss Schattenburg and the Oscar Lake series, which wrapped up language learning in adventure games - all of which were essentially exploratory and offered opportunities for competition.Graham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-49831267358647195902011-07-15T08:27:42.350+00:002011-07-15T08:27:42.350+00:00Is it not important to see MYLO from the pupil'...Is it not important to see MYLO from the pupil's perspective? Seen through their eyes MYLO is new as it is written with their values in mind. Feedback we receive reveals the values of the pupils to be cool graphics, no apparent structure and a sense of competition. MYLO is directed mainly at KS3 pupils who do not see languges as cool. MYLO makes them more cool. Value for Money needs therefore to be assessed in terms of how many pupils are motivated to learn languages more following playing on MYLO. My anecdotal experience measured on this criterium is that the Value for Money is higher than viewing MYLO through a teacher perpsective.<br />So for me these critiques are missing the point that the value needs to be judged through the eyes of the users. Structure for them is far more based on how the internet works not on how CALL operated in the era before the Internet where you were taken on linear journeys.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-63485569254497867272011-07-04T08:19:58.252+00:002011-07-04T08:19:58.252+00:00The term PLE appears to have been replaced by Pers...The term PLE appears to have been replaced by Personal Learning Network (PLN) - or maybe there is a difference that I am unaware of. I quite like the idea of an "environment" rather than a "network".<br /><br />The Open School for Languages (OSfL) is now up and running and goes under the name of MYLO (MY Languages Online):<br />http://mylo.dcsf.gov.uk/<br />I am not sure that MYLO is functioning as a PLE. It appears to be a collection of fairly basic vocabulary exercises, but it is possible for schools to sign on and compete with one another. See my later blog posting at<br />http://ictforlanguageteachers.blogspot.com/2010/11/mylo-new-way-to-learn-languages.htmlGraham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309557844334950199.post-14567068984366428732011-06-30T10:36:04.373+00:002011-06-30T10:36:04.373+00:00Hi, Chiao!
The online tools that I use daily are ...Hi, Chiao!<br /><br />The online tools that I use daily are only a fraction of what is available. They are all in popular use. Just try them out!<br /><br />There are many more online tools, which I list in Section 2.1.3 of Module 1.5 at the ICT4LT site:<br />http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod1-5.htm#web2apps<br /><br />I have not tried all these tools. I rely on the recommendations of other teachers.Graham Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15782751150452768910noreply@blogger.com