INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Why should we use the new audio technology?
by Constanza Tolosa Doctoral student, School of Languages, Literacies and Communication, Faculty of Education, University of Auckland (Adapted from “Nuevas posibilidades con audio” LangSem Auckland 2007)
Let’s face it: our students are way ahead of us in the uses they give to technology. From YouTube to Bebo and from IPods to PDAs, the present teenager generation uses technology with ease and creativity. They are what Mark Prensky calls Digital natives (Prensky, 2005). They have been born in and with the technology. They are native speakers of the digital language(s); this is a generation that brings mobile phones to primary school and learns to read with videogames. In this metaphor -so pertinent to language teaching- most teachers are considered Digital immigrants as they have learned to adopt and adapt to the new environment and retain some ‘accent’ in these new languages. The lesson behind the recognition of this generation divide is that the ‘natives’ learn differently from the ‘immigrants’. Adolescents today are multi-taskers, graphic, and networked. Therefore, they prefer learning in fast, appealing, random and immediate fashions. They privilege information that comes directly to them via their blogs, their in-boxes and their Ipods. Should we be worried? Are we planning our classes with these learning styles in mind? This article presents two uses of audio technologies that may address the challenge posed by the need to “translate” between immigrants and natives in what has been called Mobile learning. Mobile learning deals with the use of portable devices to support teaching and learning (Wagner, 2005). This form of learning implies new relationships and behaviours among learners, teachers and information. Teachers at different levels are taking advantage of these novel ways of learning and are starting to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the new mobile technologies. In mobile learning, the devices are portable, small and light, and learning is flexible, natural, and spontaneous. The pedagogic use of these devices breaks the divide between learning and fun. Both learning and communication in mobile learning are spontaneous, personal, informal and collaborative. According to Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler (2005) mobile learning takes advantage of technology which is ubiquitous, omnipresent and environmental. Technology is ubiquitous as it is available everywhere; it is omnipresent as the new devices are so small and so available, that they become invisible; finally, technology surrounds us in such a way that it becomes part of the natural environment.
Language classes have always welcomed new technologies to enhance learning. The nature of language learning requires the use of multiple ways of presenting information to develop the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Different modalities of texts have been used in language classes to increase the exposure of the students to the language. That is why the inclusion of mobile technologies for audio activities seems like a natural next step. The use of audio in language classes has extensive literature that highlights the importance of the development of adequate listening comprehension in the students. Aural activities have been integral part of the language classes because of the benefits in comprehension of different language features. Since the emergence of Educational Technology in the 1950s, the creation of audios by both teachers and students including recordings of students and teachers voices and creations of radio broadcasts have been popular activities. Today, the same can be achieved with easy-to-use audio recording software and easy-to-carry files. There are several commercial software applications for audio recording and edition. Audacity® (http://audacity.sourceforge.net) is a free, user-friendly software that can be installed in both PC and Macs. Once installed, Audacity allows the user to record live audio, to add sound effects and music and convert tapes and records into digital files. The file created with Audacity can then be exported as a sound file compatible with the students’ MP3 players. And that is its greatest advantage: it is mobile learning. Teachers can record vocabulary lists, conversations, or speeches for their students. Students can record tasks and assignments for the teacher or to share with their classmates. The applications are varied and the benefits for language learning are immense. One step beyond isolated sound files is the creation of Podcasts. A podcast is the recording and publishing of content (usually audio) available for students to download and listen. Podcasts can be prepared by teachers themselves, or in conjunction with the students, on learning material deemed important for all. Podcasts offer an authentic audience for your students’ spoken work and
NZALT Polyglot, No 32, 2007
offer your students a different way to learn, either listening to material created for them or creating their own lessons and resources for the class (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2007). Creators of Podcasts (‘Podcasters’) decide on the content and record the programmes using audio recording software like Audacity®. The standard type of file is MP3 as it provides better quality and it is the most popular among the students. Then, the Podcast is made available through a web server for the students to download or as automatic
feeds that work like subscriptions. After downloading the podcast, students can listen to it on their computer or on an MP3. Podcasts can be used as the central part of the language programme or most frequently, they are one of the many resources that the teachers use for their classes. The pedagogical uses of audio files and podcasts are already extensive (see useful resources). Language teachers are trying to ‘lose the accent’ and connect their students to learning 24/7. Are you ready to try?
References Kukulska-Hulme, A. And Traxler, J. (Eds) 2005. Mobile learning. London: Routledge. Learning and Teaching Scotland. Podcasts in the Modern Foreign Language class. Retrieved from http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/sharingpractice/podcasting/ Prensky, M. 2005. Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership 63(4): 8-13 Wagner, E. 2005. Enabling mobile learning. EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 40, no. 3 Useful resources: http://www.podcastforteachers.org/t style
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NZALT Polyglot, No 32, 2007