The significance of online English
teaching and learning
 Online task development
 Online technology
 Pedagogical strategies
 Reflection
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http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19
/study-finds-that-online-education-beatsthe-classroom/
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The number of distance courses is
growing and an increasing number of
institutions are introducing online courses
or blending more conventional courses
with online elements. (Hampel, 2010, p.
150)
Language as a subject to be talked about?
 Active, productive use of the new
language
 Language learning as dialogic with
authentic language in use as the primary
mediating tool for learning
 Directly comprehending and responding
appropriately to language – conversation –
is central to all developmental processes.
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When ELLs have access to online tools,
they are motivated to practice English
outside the classroom (Aydin, 2007;
Colombo & Colombo, 2007; Son, 2007).
 The online tools improve the listening and
speaking skills of young learners.
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Convenience
 Connectivity
 Membership
 Authentic audience
 Tailored audiences
 Strategies to compensate for lack of
non-verbal info

Richness of information (links, multimedia)
 Time to focus and review
 Time to compose, resources to compose
 Time and opportunity to reflect
 Opportunity to witness and track
learning
 Opportunity to demonstrate learning
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Providing sufficient comprehensible input
to “trigger” acquisitional processes
 Involved in real communication
 Paying attention to linguistic form
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Approach:
› theories about the nature of language
learning
› the possibilities that the technology affords
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Design
› Syllabus
› Types of tasks
› Learner and teacher roles

Procedure: the actual implementation of
the tasks
Cognitive SLA: input, interaction, and
output
 Sociocultural theories

› Mediation: through interaction, language,
tasks, or technology
› scaffolding
Goal: e.g. developing writing skills with
Forums
 Task type: Individual tasks (e.g.
information gathering online) feed into
interactive tasks (e.g. discussion of
information in a forum)
 Input: verbal and visual modalities
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› Links to websites
› Preset discussion questions in forums
› Student contribution
http://www.voxopop.com/
 A voice-based e-learning tool
 E.g., What’s your favorite …?
(http://www.voxopop.com/topic/baf4d
a6d-ff57-4c40-9550-0386d216a841)

http://voicethread.com/
 E.g., Our Alphabet Book
(http://voicethread.com/?#q+children+
english.b856240.i4560642)
 E.g. reader’s theater
(http://youtu.be/5dTZI1MEH3I)
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http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/
Calling attention to forms
 Calling attention to lexis
 Corralling
 Saturating
 Using linguistic traps
 Modeling
 Providing explicit feedback
 Providing implicit feedback
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Task-level attention to form
› a role paly activity in which students are
asked to practice, then record and post a
conversation.
› The teacher can review the recordings, insert
audio comments and corrections, and leave
written comments and questions.

Incidental attention to forms
› addressing meaning, pronunciation, or
intonation
› Technology: Voxopop
› E.g. What is your favorite car? Why?

Come up with an example that supports
“calling attention to forms.”
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Task-level attention to lexis
› Using intonation to draw learners’ attention
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to a new lexical item
T: It’s too chilly to go swimming.
Using both visual and voice emphases
Technology: Voicethread
Visual and voice: SUNNY and IT’S SUNNY.
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Incidental attention to lexis
› Repeating the word five or ten times, use it in
a sentence, then use it in a question.
› Focusing on lexical items with the help of
both voice and text.
› E.g. playing a question and answer game on
Voxopop

Come up with an example that supports
“calling attention to lexis.”
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Task-level corralling
› Using an audio dubbing assignment to
corrall learners into using a focal form or
lexical item
› Posting audio post assignment of a direction
asking and giving role paly
› Tell the story about this picture using your
own voice (Voicethread)
Incidental corralling
 The use of voice and intonation
 E.g. T: You turn right at ? / So, you turn
right at mmmm Street?
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Come up with an example that supports
“corralling.”
Oral repetition
 E.g. Yes, you can’t depend on a bus
schedule, Bus schedules are almost
always wrong. I have a bus schedule
that I can’t depend on to come to class.
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Come up with an example that supports
“saturating.”
T: What is the girl doing?
 The girl is skiing.
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Come up with an example that supports
“using linguistic trap.”
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Visual modeling
› Video 1: My apologies.
› Video 2: I am very sorry.
› Video 3: Pardon me.
› Video 4: Please forgive me.
› E.g. It’s time for the bus.
(http://api.vizlingo.com:8080/vizings/17/7b/e
d/177bed13d094e0517c3c8b446d5ced67.m
p4)

Come up with an example that supports
“modeling.”
Provided silently via visual markings and
cues
 Select to attend to the kinds of explicit
feedback (aural, visual, textual, rules, or
examples)
 E.g. adding a link to a grammar web site,
reference to video materials on the
Internet, reference to online exercises

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Come up with an example that supports
“providing explicit feedback.”
S: I drinked tea yesterday.
 T: I drank coffee. I don’t like tea at all.
Did you drink coffee, too?
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Come up with an example that supports
“providing implicit feedback.”
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Topic:
Duration:
Skill focus:
Overall instructional aims:
Task structure:
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Task toolkit
Roles for learners
Setting the scene
Action expectations
Action monitoring instructional conversation
(feedback)
Expected outcomes
Not only for making resources available
to learners but also for offering students
and teachers a choice of online
communication tools.
 Video-based know-how tutorials
(http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/
moodle1/index.html)

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Instructions/guidelines/time
management
› Rules for synchronous participation
› Specify timescale for activities
› Signposts to key aspects of reading materials
› Clearly signalled closing stage
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Forums and other tools
› Clear guidance on expected frequency of
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participation
Separate forums for each task
Opportunities for individuals to individual
communication
Easy access to instructions for use of less
familiar tools
Opportunity to experiment with new tools
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Collaboration and sense of community
› Self-introduction
› Group formation
› Common goals
› A sense of community

http://ellloblog.blogspot.com/
What have you learned?
 Are you inspired?
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