INTEGRATING IT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AT THE UNIVERSITY

А.В. Замятина, Е.П. Нестерова, Т.В. Шуйская

АмГУ, г. Благовещенск

Increasingly, IT is gaining more and more popularity in all fields of our everyday life, including education. According to the research, computerization of the learning process is seen as a key factor in teaching practice, in particular teaching languages [1; 2; 3]. The studies also reflect the fact that students gain linguistically from using IT in classroom [4].

Therefore, a modern foreign language instructor is required to keep up to date with an enormous amount of Internet-resources in order to provide effective teaching within the paradigm of the target culture. Despite the vast experience in teaching foreign languages, a lot of instructors are still apprehensive about using computer technology for educational purposes.

The following paper presents an actual lesson plan, which is used for the 1^st-2^nd year students of the International Relations Department.

The immediate goals include: 1) students’ awareness of the stereotypes and their origin in the following countries: Canada, the USA, China, Russia, the UK, France, Germany; 2) students’ ability to compare stereotypes and habits in a form of spontaneous monologue using advanced vocabulary reflecting cultural issues, idiomatic expressions, as well as cause-effect and comparison linking words.

The long-term goal of the class is to enhance foreign language learning through building cultural awareness, analyzing cultural stereotypes, and fostering respect and tolerance for cultural diversity.

The class allows students to share their own experience. However, they might face some challenges concerning the lack of travel experience and lack of knowledge about different countries. Surfing the Internet will help them overcome this difficulty. For example, via social networks (Facebook, Twitter etc.) students have an excellent opportunity to ask their peers about cultural issues in their countries. Moreover, search engines (Google, Yahoo etc.) can really prove useful.

The plan perfectly fits the Department’s curriculum and students’ major, as it provides students with an excellent opportunity to investigate some cross-cultural issues they are already familiar with through other modules.

Lesson Sequence:

Pre-viewing:

Introduce the topic by having students answer the following questions:

· What would be your two greatest concerns about living abroad?

· What do you think you would enjoy the most about living abroad?

· If you could live in a foreign country, what country would you like to live in? Why?

· What country wouldn’t you like to live in? Why? [5, p. 32]

Introduce topic of cultural stereotypes by discussing people’s stereotypes of Russia. Ask students to put themselves in the shoes of a person who is travelling to Russia for the first time. What stereotypes they are likely to have and what cultural issues and values they will face? This task is aimed at making students evaluate and critically analyze information they have.

As a transfer to the commercial do the Wordle word scrambler (it might contain stereotypes of both Russia and Canada, or only Canada). This task is not a test of students’ background knowledge (though being IR students they are supposed to have that kind of knowledge), but just an introduction to what they are about to see in the commercial. Brainstorm for more ideas from students. Discuss why and how those stereotypes originated. Don’t insist on using cause-effect devices, though emphasize their usage.

While viewing:

Watch a commercial “I am Canadian” [7]. Here is the script:

Hey.

I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader, and I don't live in an igloo or eat blubber, or own a dog sled, and I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada, although I'm certain they're really, really nice. I have a Prime Minister, not a President. I speak English and French, not American, and I pronounce it "about", not "aboot".

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack. I believe in peacekeeping, not policing; diversity, not assimilation; and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.

A tuque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch, and it is pronounced "zed"; not "zee"—"zed"!

Canada is the second largest land mass! The first nation of hockey! And the best part of North America!

My name is Joe! And I am Canadian!

Have students watch the commercial (twice if necessary) and fill up the following table.

Does he mention any of the following things? What does Joe say about them?

This activity is focused on listening for the gist. Also, this task emphasizes new vocabulary. To familiarize students with this vocabulary, we suggest doing some vocabulary exercises, for example, matching the new unknown word with its definition.

Post-viewing:

The commercial serves as an impetus for discussion on firstly stereotypes and then broader topic of cultural values and differences. So, after playing the commercial, have students read the questions and be prepared to discuss it with the class:

1. Why Joe is proud to be Canadian?

2. What are things Joe is proud are not Canadian?

3. Why are you proud to be Russian?

4. What are you not proud of?

	Weather	Food and drinks	Life style	Nature	Clothes	Politics	Language	Music
+/-
Exact words

Students write a short paragraph “I am Russian” based on the language of commercial. Offer students a choice of working either individually or in pairs according to constructivist methodology. Then encourage students post their essays on the forum and comment upon the one they liked best. Also, students might use this forum to ask instructor and peers questions on the lesson. Participation is included in final evaluation.

Hand out the list of customs in Canada. Offer students to discuss the customs that are not the same in your country. Have the students think how these customs would affect visitors to your country?

	Same	Different
1. People are usually punctual for appointments. In fact, most people arrive slightly early.	*	*
Business meeting are friendly, but even so, there isn’t much socializing beforehand.	*	*
3. Lunch is usually a fairy light meal, that doesn’t last long.	*	*
4. Both men and women shake hands when they meet.	*	*
5. It’s common to ask people you meet what kind of work they do.	*	*
6. Many people eat dinner early in the evening, around 6:00 p.m.	*	*
7. People generally talk quite a bit while they are eating dinner.	*	*
8. It’s not uncommon for couples to display affection in public.	*	*
9. When invited to someone’s home, you are not necessary expected to bring a gift. Even so, something small, such as flowers or dessert, is always appreciated.	*	*
10. Most people open gifts as long as they received them.	*	*

[6, p. 96]

Offer students to compare Canadians and Russians and find out similar and different traits using different comparison devices (while, whereas, like, unlike, in contrast to, similar to, similarly, differ in, alike).

Introduce new set of customs in other countries.

Different Customs

Canada	Indonesia	France	South Korea	Egypt	Thailand
If you’re invited for a meal, you should arrive on time – not early or late.	Never point to anything with your foot.	When eating out, keep both hands on or above the table.	Always use both hands to pass something to an older person.	Don’t eat anything with your left hand.	Never touch anyone – especially a child – on the head.

Discuss the following questions.

§ Does your culture follow any of these customs?

§ Do any of these customs seem unusual to you? Why?

§ Why do you think these customs exist? (introduce the cause and effect linking devices and encourage students to use them)

§ What other interesting customs do you know?

§ What customs should a visitor to your country know about? [5, p. 32]

Encourage students to google about customs/habits from other countries (the USA, China, Russia, the UK, France, Germany), share their ideas, and then compare those according to the above template. We suggest the following ideas: greeting, socializing, eating out, giving and receiving compliments, going out, money talk, business etiquette etc. Students have a choice in the way the information will be presented (it can be a PPT, an interview with the representative of a chosen culture or even designing a part of a lesson to teach the chosen culture). Also, they have to draw some conclusions regarding cross-cultural values.

Suggest a quiz on matching countries with the corresponding stereotypes.

In small groups, students film the video on the topic suggested: “I am American”, “I am French”, “I am Chinese”, etc. Have the students incorporate the linking devices and use critical thinking skills. Encourage students to start their video presentation with Wordle scrambler for others to guess what culture is going to be presented. Then ask the students to post it on YouTube and comment. Ask the students to offer a constructive criticism.

The class is coherently planned so it leads the students to the final products which are the video and spontaneous monologue on comparing customs of several countries offered by the instructor.

With technology being a demanding part of a language class, the instructors’ attitude to IT is changing. However, the implementation of technology into the language class cannot be perfected in one day. That is why, it is essential to start by attempting to introduce small pieces of IT into the class curriculum so that later to come to exploit the full potential of IT in a language class.

СПИСОК ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ

1. Gonglewski M., Meloni C., & Brant J. (2001) ‘Using e-mail in foreign language teaching: Rationale and suggestions’, The Internet TESL Journal, 7 (3). Available at: http://iteslj.org/ Techniques/Meloni-Email.html [Accessed 24 January 2013].

2. Hui-Yin H., Shiang-Kwei W., & Comac L. (2008) ‘Using audioblogs to assist English-language learning: An investigation into student perception’, Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21 (2): 181-198.

3. Hussein G. (2010) ‘The Attitudes of Undergraduate Students Towards Motivation and Technology in a Foreign Language Classroom’, International Journal of Learning and Teaching 2 (2): 14-24.

4. Murday K., Ushida E., & Chenoweth N. A. (2008) ‘Learners’ and teachers’ perspectives on language online’, Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21 (2): 125-142.

5. Richards J.C., Hull J., Proctor S. (2007) Interchange-3: Student’s Book. Third edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

6. Richards J.C., Sandy,C. (1998) Passages 1: Student’s Book, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

7. The Molson Canadian commercial “I am Canadian”. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg [Accessed 24 January 2013].