Teaching for Globalization: How Web Can Help? Dr. Tim Xie California State University, Long Beach October 2008 Washington and Lee University

Globalization  Globalization – a process by which the people of the world are unified into a single society and functioning together (Chomsky, 2006).

Globalized and Localized McDonald

The need of language learning is greater than ever!

How Internet Impacts Language Education? World Internet Users (as of December 2007): 1,319,872,109

Singhal (1997) discussed the potential benefits of the Internet and how it can be used in the second or foreign language classroom. She indicates that Internet is not only a new tool of communication, but also a teaching and learning tool.

What is used for language teaching and learning?  LeLoup and Ponterio (2001) listed a number of Internet applications that can be used to enrich the foreign language classroom.  These applications include: , mailing list, e- journals, World Wide Web, streaming audio and video, search engines, remote access to libraries and database, chat, audio and video conferencing and messaging, web course management, etc.

Categorization of applications:  Information resources - Web directories, searchable database (general - Eric, Google, Informaworld. Language education specific - Merlot), online textbooks and learning materials (including audio and video – Podcasting, YouTube)Podcasting YouTube  Communication – asynchronous , discussion forum and blog (including voice like Wimba and YackPack); synchronous instant messengers (MSN, Yahoo) Internet telephony programs (Skype)WimbaYackPackSkype

 Collaborative learning – Document sharing, editing and publishing (writeboard.com, docs.google.com)writeboard.com docs.google.com  Learning tools - online dictionary, glossing engine, character animation, text-to-speech, concordancer, etctools  Virtual classroom and office for online learning and long distance education (Elluminate, WizIq, webex, etc)ElluminateWizIq

Why using web pages?  Why do I use them web pages - CCN  C uriosity – interested to know if Internet really helps teaching and learning  C onvenience – anytime and anywhere, easy to edit, update  N ormalization – indispensable tool for teaching and learning

1997- my first web page Learning Chinese Online  Created for collecting web resources for teaching Chinese  At first, everything was manual  Now it is dynamic – pages are created automatically by a program. Once the database is updated, the pages are updated automatically  Current URL:

Five types of web pages/links  Virtual classroom and office: for students and for myself – easy access to web pages and programsstudentsmyself  Courses: Course pages – an example Course pages an example  Learning resources – an example an example  Textbook based: – e-textbook example and textbook supporting pagee-textbookexample textbook supporting page  Learning tools: tools for learning page tools for learning page

What changes are taking place?  The way of class preparation and presentation changed (including testing) – from pen and paper (textbook, handouts, tests) to keyboard and screen (media) PPT, ePlan, eText, AP Chinese

 The way of teaching and learning changed from one way delivery to two way interaction/communication (transnational).  Interaction among teachers and students (Blogs, discussions, ).  Interaction between the students and native speakers of the target languages or learners elsewhere  (Laowai Blog) - a blog by a Frenchhttp://blog.sina.com.cn/u/

Benefits and problems  Easy access to teaching materials – anytime and anywhere  Convenience in teaching – it is no longer pen and paper and chalk and blackboard, but keyboard and screen.  Strengthening interaction with students – , discussion, virtual classroom

Benefits and problems  Much more time spent than pen and paper teaching  There are always new things to learn. Information explosion – The increasing amount of information generally makes learners confused while they try to reach specific information (Chafe, 1999).  Ephemeral nature of the Internet data

Skills needed  Basic html knowledge  Using web creating software (frontpage, dreamweaver)  Sound and image file processing  Text scanning and converting (OCR)  FTP knowledge and skill (to post and maintain web)

Suggestions for novice people  Create a site for yourself, e.g. for your course  Make some web pages for this course  Upload and upgrade them  Maintain this course web site  Web supporting course or blended/hybrid course is suggested

What will be in the future?  Technological development – unpredictable  Normalization – Bax (2003) proposed three stages of CALL: restricted, open and integrated CALL. At the final stage everything in “normalized”.  The technology is invisible, hardly even recognized as a technology, taken for granted in everyday life.

Thanks! 谢谢！ Teach for Globalization: think globally and act locally! Thanks! 谢谢！ Tim Xie CSULB