Using Innovations in technology for English language
learners
As an English as a second language instructor, I
desire to use the learning resources that best fit my students’ needs, both now
and in the future. I am obligated as
well by mandate within our college to career readiness component of our program
to include digital literacy in my instruction.
I am excited about technology, and its ability to add an important
modality to English language learning.
I start with my reservations. I know that a majority of my students do not
have a computer at home. They all have
cellular phones, and most have smart phones.
These could be used for language development in texting, and emailing,
but many teachers realize that texting is not a preferred language builder, due
to its intrinsically limiting nature and common incorrect spelling. We purposely spell incorrectly when we text
for expediency. This is an obvious
disadvantage to language learning used in this form. Emailing is also prohibitive on a cell phone
because of the physical difficulty of accessing the email program (gmail), and
having small enough fingers to
efficiently write a letter and respond to one sent. The
need of computer access is an important element in my teaching digital literacy
to international students.
Phil Wilder, ESL instructor from Champaign, IL, and
contributor to the “Read,Write, Think” website from NCTE (National Council of
Teachers of English) and the International Literacy Association, suggests that
teaching in different modalities recognizes that students learn language in
different ways. With different modalities, including digital instruction, the
students can use new media, talk about their learning, create visual
representations, and write in many modes. ( http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/teaching-with-multiple-modalities-30101.html).
My students and
I have visited the public library in the last two years, and we used the Mango language program offered by the
Peoria Public Library. If a student has a current library card, the program can
be accessed at any computer with the login of the library card number. I have
heard positive and negative comments from my students regarding this
program. First, it is highly engaging,
with vivid photographs of the countries for the language being instructed at
the time. The cultural element as well
is effective and motivating (and
necessary as a part of embracing a new language). The movies are excellent in
that they provide subtitles as scripts, a literal mode adding to the visual and
audio modes. The drawback is that the English instruction program requires
choosing a first language to navigate the program. If a student does not speak one of the
languages provided, (and there are many to choose from), the program is not
accessible. My students from Somalia and
Nepal and India would not be able to use this program. The exciting news about the Peoria Public
Library is that they are buying books in other languages and have begun an
initiative to assist Spanish speakers in the area. The director of the library at Illinois
Central College visited my class, and she, too, is attempting to provide books
in other languages. This initiative, coupled with digital language learning
programs, is a great step forward for my students.My hope would be that other
digital programs can be accessed at both ICC and the public library for
language development, and further accessed at a student’s home for added
practice. Digital literacy combined
with first language support is an effective language modality necessary not
only for language development but work skills and life skills enhancement.
Heartland College, through a grant from Dollar
General, purchased Ipads for their ELA
students two years ago. Some of the programs available for Ipads are wonderful
language developers. Itooch, Newsela, and
Actively Learn are three programs highly recommended for English Language
Learners with real news articles, levels of proficiency, and critical thinking assessment appropriate to the language level ability.
At Illinois Central College, we recently changed our
texts as a core for the curriculum to the Cambridge Ventures series. This series incorporates digital learning
that supports the individual units of the textbook, as well as collaborative exercises
and extended learning practice through Ventures
Arcade. We are also using a text called Project Success which incorporates
video instruction and language learning and development as pertains to work and
job skills. In the ESL/GED class I teach, we are using I pathways, a digital preparation program for GED testing, though
its contents is mostly too advanced yet for my ELA’s.
My feelings for using technology in the classroom
center on access to computers and ipads as being paramount for my students. I believe that linguistically and
developmentally, we need digital literacy at all levels and for all
students. My students need careful
instruction, more time, more sensitive program selections, and more support of
their first languages.
I look forward to having them use Voki.
Though my presentation was border- line profiling and never intentional,
I cannot descibe the enlightenment I felt when I completed the presentation!
May my students feel the same.
