Additional Info

• Course Title: Tasks for TBLT and ICT-integrated Foreign Language Learning
• Rationale and justification for the course: In German schools the introduction of ICT in FL teaching seems to be a problem as not sufficient computer labs and pcs are available when needed. That is why teachers tend to shy away from using ICT in the classroom. The students on the other hand are quite experienced with computer technology and seem to be far ahead of the teachers when considering this aspect. To encourage teachers to integrate ICT in their FL classrooms this course wants to show how to use the Internet and ICT generally in the language classroom. As for TBLT the German KMK has stated so called “Operatoren” for every subject, which the teachers are to use and to teach, especially as all written tests and papers have to consider these. As PETALL proposes various tasks which focus on TBLT and ICT the course will focus on 8 of the tasks (Alpha- and Betaversions of the 4 German tasks and 4 tasks from the partner teams of Hungary and the Netherlands) and also show the teachers how to cope with the challenges of teaching those in the target language of the FL classrooms. Thus means of scaffolding will be presented and discussed. To also give teachers access to Dropbox for exchanging material they will be invited to join it.
• Investigation of the field (state of the art) and innovative character: The “communicative classroom” (see Nunan, 1989) has been a main topic of pedagogy as it leads away from the traditional teaching where the teacher stands in front of the classroom and tends to put wh-questions to the students. It turned out that students actually lacked skills to become independent learners and to work in teams. Trying to find a way to support the students and to find a common basis for task settings the KMK decided on the so called “Operatoren” , which define how a task is to be done. Also the CEFR was designed to help teachers to estimate the linguistic skills of their students and act accordingly. Besides Nunan and others proposed ways and means of how to create a communicative classroom. Especially for the effectiveness of working in teams Ruth Cohn developed strategies of how to interact in the classroom and in groups (2007). Based on her ideas flash cards and task cards for e.g. group members were developed, such as watchdog, timekeeper, minutes writer, director, etc.. Scaffolding also became an important tool to support the students in getting along with the foreign language more easily. Thus speechfans have been developed that offer sentence starters on a voluntary basis to the students in case they need this support. Considering ICT a previous project funded by the European Commission focused on creating a European Curriculum for New Technologies and Language Teaching, which was also presented at a conference at the International University of Bremen in 2006 (Doil-Hartmann, Buehs, 2007). Now, the PETALL project aims at integrating TBLT and ICT in the foreign language classroom and collaborative work between teachers in a transnational context. For achieving this aim evaluation tools for improving the quality of teaching in these fields are of great importance.
• Target groups: Teachers and trainees at schools in the FRG
• Outcomes: changes in practices, procedures or didactic materials: Introduce TBLT and ICT tasks created for PETALL. Endow trainees with information on scaffolding /speechfans, group cards, flash cards, evaluation criteria (as offered by PETALL), collaborative work. Discuss the effects of the various methods. Encourage the trainees to try out one of the 8 tasks. Discuss the results of the try-out.
• Contents: Introduction to the workshop Presenting each other in the target language Operatoren and the CEFR Scaffolding Cooperative Language Learning TZI (Ruth Cohn) PETALL
• Methodologies: Discussion on previously given tasks (Operatoren, CEFR, TZI) or additional information concerning these topics. If necessary: Introduction to using the Internet as a tool for e.g. a websearch, programmes needed for doing one of the 8 tasks Discussion of how to help students to get along linguistically with the challenges of searching for material from the Internet in a foreign language. Presentation of one example of Scaffolding to support students for searching for foreign language material. Presentation of the function of e.g. websearches Powerpoint presentation of the PETALL project If necessary, participants get instructions for using the Internet and the software that is needed for doing the chosen task. Analysis and critical review of one of the chosen tasks
• Evaluation procedures: Participants • have access to a Dropbox folder and the material implemented during the workshop. • present their task, what they have done so far and formulate pros and cons of chosen tasks. • if possible they already give a critical comment on the task, propose alterations and tell what they might have liked. • write a critical comment on the chosen task and on the course and upload it onTO Dropbox
• Follow-up strategy: Trainees • introduce at least one of the tasks into the language classroom • will be invited to join the PETALL platform • disseminate the tasks in among their school members or in their institutions • are asked to develop their own tasks and upload them and an account of the experience they have gained into the Dropbox folder to be later on disseminated on the Internet
• Schedule: Timeframe 210 minutes Number of sessions 1 Total number of hours for each type of session 2
• Approval by the national body: Name of national body: Landesinstitut für Schule Date of approval: n/a Ref. No.: n/a
• Scientific advisor: n/a
• Bibliography and other resources: 1) Bland, Janice (2007 Lang). Literary Texts and Literacy skills for the Youngest Language Learners. In: Elsner et al. KFU, 31. 2) Chomsky, N. (1992) Explaining Language Use, In: Philosophical Topics 20. 3) Cohn, Ruth et al. Lebendiges Lernen und Lehren. TZI macht Schule. Gebundene Ausgabe 1. Januar 2007 4) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 5) Doil‐Hartmann, C. and Buehs R. (2007 Lang). European Curriculum for New Technologies and Language Teaching, In: Elsner et al., KFU, 31 6) Donnerstag, J. (2007 Lang). From Print Literacy to Electracy: Incorporating the Internet in Creative Composition. In: Elsner et al., KFU, 31. 7) Krashen, S.D. (2003), Explorations in Language Acquisition and Use, Portsmouth: NH: Heinemann. (2007)" 8) Nunan, D. (1989). Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.