A YouTube video created by Graham Stanley, a teacher of English and based in Spain, introducing Web 2.0 and SecondLife and how they are being used in language learning.
This clip among other video and audio clips can also be accessed here. Although most of the material is from 2006, there are some interesting and useful introductions to the type of web-based technology being used in education today.
summer is here and hopefully we’ll all have a little bit more time on our hands.
Well, if you do why not spend a few minutes checking out the BBC’s languages’ website. There are endless resources available on the website, such as online courses, learning games, dictionaries, audio and video, worksheet, and the list goes on…
The subjects available are Spanish, German, French, and Italian. There are also some resources for Portuguese, Greek and Chinese.
Looking for some fresh ideas for your language classes?
The AFA proposes an interactive workshop with
Celine Healy on Friday 23rd May from 9.30 to 2.30
in the Alliance Française, Dublin, Kildare St.
This workshop is suitable for teachers of all languages and all levels. It will lead participants to discover how the techniques and conventions of drama in education* can be used to teach and learn languages in an enjoyable collaborative manner.
(*Drama in education or ‘Process Drama’, as its name suggests it, focuses on using drama as a method rather than producing an end product (a play for instance)).
If you are interested, check www.afa-irlande.ie or contact nathalie.cazaux@itb.ie (cost of workshop is € 20 for non-members).
SLanguages 2008 is a 24-hour multilingual conference to celebrate and investigate the use of 3D virtual worlds for language education. The event will be held in Second Life on 23-24 May 2008…
SLanguages 2008 is a 24 hour multilingual conference to celebrate and investigate the use of 3D virtual worlds for language education. The conference will be held within Second Life allowing the participants to exchange ideas and share experiences simultaneously around the world. The online conference is free to attend and includes talks, workshops, discussions and posters on language education using virtual worlds such as Second Life. The events will cover methodologies, teaching tools and experiences.
The event is an opportunity for those new to virtual language teaching to learn about the opportunities virtual worlds offer. The conference also allows experienced language educators to share experiences and ideas. “3D virtual worlds such as Second Life offer a unique form of immersive learning not found elsewhere. The SLanguages 2008 conference is the perfect opportunity to see the recent developments in this area and to meet those involved in truly innovative educational projects” says Graham Stanley, who has established the British Council’s ‘Learn English Second Life for Teens’.
SLanguages 2008 will be hosted within Second Life on the tropical “EduNation” islands owned by The Consultants-E. The conference starts 10am (PST) Friday 23 May and ends 10am (PST) Saturday 24 May. The seminars will continue to also reach a much wider audience through archives of the event on the www.slanguages.net website.
To register for the conference or for further information, please contact Gavin Dudeney of The Consultants-E or visit the website www.slanguages.net.
The Department of Education and Science have recently published the Language Education Policy Profile.
The report outlines the Irish priorities and issues in language teaching, an analysis of the current education situation, and suggestions for future developments. While the report focuses on language education at primary and post-primary levels, the document does highlight topics that should be of interest to those involved in languages at third level also.
The report can be accessed here.
If you have any comments on this article, please post them below, by (clicking on the comments link and then) typing them into the Comments text box.
The National Digital Learning Repository (NDLR) is now completing its initial phases of work, and as part of the project evaluation, we would really value your feedback!
We are particularly interested to hear of your experiences as users of the repository, and as members of the Communities of Practice through which collaborative development of learning resources has been taking place.
We invite you to complete an online survey which will provide us with invaluable data on how best to develop the NDLR as it moves forward.
The survey can be found here.
It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and all data will be stored securely and confidentially. The survey will be open until Friday 23rd May.
We would really appreciate your comments and responses, and thank you for your help.
It is with some sadness that we say a fond farewell to our guest editors Kristin Brogan and Riana Walsh, who so kindly and I must say expertly undertook the role of guest editorship for the months of March and April.
Kristin and Riana did a brilliant job and contributed a lot to the community website.
We do however have good news! The baton has been passed to Odette Gabaudan, acting Head of the Department of Applied Languages in DIT, and the President of the AFA. We are delighted to welcome Odette and look forward to working with her over the coming weeks.
Check out Odette’s profile here, and the profiles of our previous guest editors here.
An interesting essay and discussion featured in the online news source Inside Higher Ed a few days ago. H. Stephen Straight penned an essay in answer to a question about the decline in French class enrollment in American schools.
The author cites some recent surveys showing that while enrollment is down in the areas of French, German and Spanish, there are sizeable increases in the numbers of students studying other languages such as Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, among others.
These trends will potentially impact language studies at all levels of education – primary, secondary and tertiary. Have a look at the article to see the authors viewpoints on the changes neccessary to facilitate this emerging diversity and the discussion that follows.
This symposium will bring together key commentators on higher education in order to pose a fundamental question: What is the purpose of the University in the 21st Century? The symposium will include keynote speakers and a series of workshops led by facilitators who are experts in the field. Participants will also be able to engage in discussions in the workshops on specific themes, including civic engagement, globalisation, and the links between research and teaching.
Pre-symposium discussion can be accessed here.
Click here for further informaion and registration.
Pilar is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Spanish at the National University of Ireland Galway.
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