Computers as expensive electronic workbooks

[Mia Kalish]

There are number learning games on my site, too. There is a crossword puzzle
one in about 6 languages. 

 

:-) 

 

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Susan Penfield
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 6:41 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Computers as expensive electronic workbooks

 

All,
I certainly agree with Rudy's comments that the best way learn a language
(especially because all the culture is also encoded) is through
grandpartents, when available. Short of that though, and for the languages
I'm working with which are down to just a few speakers, technology does at
least offer an attempt to teach (I'll also agree with Mia and Rudy -- we
really don't know how much is being learned) the language.  AND, for kids
who may be spending lots of time with other learning games, why not have one
in the native language?  I'll invite you to check out the Learning Games
Initiative site a the  U of A at http://www.mesmernet.org/lgi/
 
I am reminded by this discussion just how new our field of Indigenous
Languages and Technology ( ILAT !!) still is and how much we all need to
keep exploring the potential. My guess is that people will show a preference
and response to learning much like with other learning styles -- tecnology
will be a great path to learning for some; not so good for others. But, as
noted, the data is still sparse. 

Best,
Susan

On 3/11/06, Rudy Troike <rtroike at email.arizona.edu> wrote:

Re Mia's comments, it has been my experience that most of the highly touted
work in "CALL" (Computer-Assisted/Aided Language Learning: a misnomer, since
we don't know how much learning occurs -- it should be Teaching, "CALT", but

it doesn't make as cute an acronym) is really the old paper workbook trans-
ferred to a computer costing a thousand dollars, and the software costing
several hundreds. I once challenged the editor of a CALL newsletter to give 
me an example of a program that was not like this, and out of scores or
even hundreds of programs, she could cite only a few. Things have improved
lately, and the military are using virtual reality software to teach
language, 
but this software is not publicly available, or even viewable. Some of it
is outstandingly sophisticated, and is based in part on computer games
technology, which Susan Penfield is also working on with a faculty member in

the English Dept. here at the University of Arizona. I saw a bit of a report
on CBS the other night that said a national study was questioning how much
computer programs were in fact improving students' learning. Computer
programs 
are not panaceas, and for child language learning, will never replace the
personal interaction with grandparents in the Native language. The most
effective -- and least expensive -- way to preserve a language is to have 
children spend time living with grandparents who are fluent in the language.

      I've recently begun experimenting with using Power Point to illustrate
stages in linguistic change, and I think that it will be effective. I'm 
trying to show how the famous "Great Vowel Shift" in English operated
(where-
by words such as "ride", originally with the vowel /iy/ [the vowel of
present
day "he"] came to be pronounced as /ay/, as it is now. If this works all 
right, I'll try it to illustrate a shift in language usage spreading
geograhically and between age groups. In any event, PowerPoint offers
quite a bit of flexibility that can be exploited.

      Rudy




-- 
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Department of English
Affiliate faculty: Department of Linguistics 
and the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program
American Indian Language Development Institute 
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836 

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