I'm writing this blog from my hotel room in Dallas, excited for the TESOL conference to begin! That being said, I'm hoping to attend some CALL sessions over the next few days, which will probably make their way into this blog at one point...
Anyway, last week we talked about using CALL to teach reading and vocabulary. One of the most interesting concepts--which I wholeheartedly agree with--is that the internet especially provides endless opportunities for these language skills. This fact makes learning so much more exciting because learners can easily pick reading material that interests them, which motivates them and promotes extensive reading. There is just so much to read, and so much of it is authentic!
However, this wealth of knowledge, so to speak, can hinder learners because there is no scaffolding. In this way, it's i+a million, not i + 1, as Krashen (1985) suggests. To overcome this obstacle, one thing teachers can do is bring reading materials of interest into the classroom so students are still motivated, but with the teacher scaffolding, the activity will be more beneficial. Moreover, teachers can teach learners strategies for taking on the internet, which helps with learner autonomy.
When it comes to vocabulary, the best way to learn is through exposure, meaning that without reading, students might not be learning the amount of new lexical items that they should be. However, that doesn't mean that they cannot learn vocabulary in isolation (i.e., through drills). For instance, vocabulary games can be fun, which is useful for motivation purposes. Words with Friends is just one that comes to mind.
Overall, I feel the internet alone provides so much opportunities for teaching materials and for student access to reading and vocabulary materials.
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