TES ICT Blog: In the classroom: ICT and modern foreign languages

07 February 2006 at 09.30

In the classroom: ICT and modern foreign languages

Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom – teacher Joe Dale, from Nodehill Middle School on the Isle of Wight, offers hints and tips learned the hard way Blogging is a whole new world to me. PowerPoint, Word, websites, freeware, this is my comfort zone, my bread and butter, but blogging? Well that’s something new to explore. As my first blog contribution I thought I’d start with the familiar and go from there. So where do I start? How can I help? You may be looking for some good ideas on how to use ICT in your teaching. You may be lucky enough to have a departmental interactive whiteboard or even have one all to yourself. You may not really know what an interactive whiteboard is and how it works. You may have access to some networked computers, but they may be block booked when you want to use them. I don’t know. What I thought I’d focus on is some no-nonsense advice on how you can use ICT in the MFL classroom and thereby offer some practical solutions to some practical situations. It’s up to you if you want to take these ideas on board. See what you think. So, first base. What about some free software for creating interactive exercises for practising vocabulary and all for free? Well, Spellmaster games are a good place to begin. They are very easy to master and you can create exercises in a matter of minutes which you can use on an interactive whiteboard or in a computer suite. You'll find all the instructions you need on the Spellmaster website. You can make different types of interactive exercise with or without sound. For the latter, click on the first Download Pack link on the home page and save the spellmaster.zip file to your Desktop. Upon opening it or ‘extracting the files’, look at the Readme file in the main folder where you will find information on how to get started. Easy! Essentially, the words that appear in the words file are those that appear in the exercise. Just set out the file as instructed in the notes and then rename the folder containing all the files the vocab area the exercises are based on. Then, just copy the folder as many times as you wish, changing the words and folder names as appropriate. About four years ago, I spent about a month creating Spellmaster exercises in this way according to the QCA scheme of work which we use. The templates lend themselves well to vocabulary learning. I’ve used it for practising nouns, adjectives and verbs. I made activities for the first twelve units (Year 7-8) including all the structures I felt the pupils would need to practise. I worked through unit by unit, looking at the core phrases for each section and created appropriate files which I saved into their corresponding folders and had them put on our network. Having the original files in their folders was fine to start off with, although I noticed that from time to time files would ‘disappear’ or ‘move by accident’ into the wrong folder. This was quite frustrating and needed quite a lot of maintenance. Last year, our ICT technician was kind enough to create sets of web pages containing links to all the files. This got rid of the problem and made life a lot easier. I have made a few listening exercises as well although this is another thing to add to my ‘things to do’ lists. I used the free sound editing software Audacity to make MP3 files. It was very easy. I just plugged in a microphone and went for it. There is a tutorial on the Audacity site on how to use the software. You'll also find tutorials on the Moodle and BT websites. To get started, just download the spellsounds.zip file from the home page by clicking on the second Download Pack icon. Setting up the words file is very similar to the spellmaster.zip file. As before, you just have to make sure that all the files you need are in the same folder. Go on. Don’t be scared. Give it a go! Let me know if you find this advice useful and any areas you'd like to see covered in future blogs. Just add your comments below

Comments (36)

Well, it's like this you see... Years ago, when all pupils had was a tape recorder and a course book, not forgetting a damn, good teacher unburdened by the ridiculous tossy methodologies we are forced to teach with today, they (the pupils) managed to learn languages rather well. In other words, you don't NEED computers to teach or learn languages. The learning comes from withing the person, and it is not reliant on a machine, or "fun" or edutainment, which are all external frivolities. Computers will change very little because in the end YOU STILL HAVE TO WORK AT THE LANGUAGE TO LEARN IT and computers can't do that for you. You can dress language learning up any way you want - bells, whistles, pretty pictures, those multicoloured animals in a row on a piece of elastic you used to see strung up accross a pram, songs, noises, silly voices and yes, computer software, but none of it will make any difference until you TACKLE THE REAL PROBLEM AT SOURCE instead of trying to hide behind technology. The Emperor's got new clothes on again...

Posted by: Molari on 07 February 2006 at 13.54

I'm sorry Molari, but you really are not correct in your assumptions. I am speaking not just as a teacher, but also as a learner of languages. You are right in saying that learning languages is hard work - I have never told my pupils anything different to that, but ICT can give us distinct advantages. I began to take an interest in ICT when teaching Russian to two groups: one group I gave cassette players and hand-outs (the good 'old fashioned way') and the second group I asked to use computers. They worked with a simple program which flashed up Russian words which were spoken at the same time. The difference in the progress between the groups was marked and this was what started my interest in ICT in learning languages. I am now learning Chinese and have to say that the software I am using it making it a much easier job than it would otherwise be: that doesn't mean to say that I am not working hard - I am doing 30minutes a day, but I KNOW from learning Russian by traditional methods and now learning Chinese with technology, I am experiencing distinct advantages which were not available to me previously. If you deny the role that technology plays, you deny your pupils these advantages. No one is talking about gimmickry and flashy images - we are looking at the genuine advantages which can help pupils to make the most of the time that they do put in to learning languages. Additionally, pupils live in a multimedia world; if pupils use languages, they will use the technology associated with this: machine translators, online or CD ROM dictionaries, websites; persisting with 'old' methods does not prepare students for using language in the real world. Yours, a language learner and teacher, Ros Walker Teaching & Learning Adviser

Posted by: Ros Walker on 07 February 2006 at 18.18

Dear Joe Thanks ever so much for this ... really helpful. Keep up the good work! Helen

Posted by: Helen Myers on 07 February 2006 at 21.01

Well,what a pleasant feeling to 'talk' via these complicated machines ! at least, they're here to help us find one solution for flying over the Channel ... Keep up the good work, Joe Evelyne

Posted by: Evelyne Souillet on 07 February 2006 at 21.20

I’ve found using ICT has opened up a whole new range of possibilities to aid language learning. Be it MS Office, freeware, CDroms, email or the internet. ICT can help all pupils learn in different ways. I’m a big fan of PowerPoint for whole class teaching because of its versatility and ease of use. Being able to create multimedia presentations which include colour, moving images and sound effects can really strengthen your message and make it more memorable. In a computer suite, pupils can work on interactive exercises on their own or in pairs. The software often provides feedback which can motivate them and give them a sense of independence, an essential factor to effective language learning. In a fifty minute lesson, I find it amazing how many different exercises pupils are willing to complete, just because they are on the computer. I can’t imagine the same pupils working with the same rigour doing equivalent exercises on paper or being desperate to tell me that they’ve achieved 100% in such and such an exercise. It is the ICT that is making the difference and motivating pupils to do more. Why not try out a few ideas and see what your pupils think. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Posted by: Joe Dale on 07 February 2006 at 21.39

Ros, I'm also learning Chinese, could you please provide a link to your resources?

Posted by: Stephen on 08 February 2006 at 08.25

Hi, Joe. How computer technology is exploited in the MFL classroom must be just as important as which software titles are used. Which MFL teaching points do you think are particularly well matched with an ICT solution? How do you think ICT can be used to support differentiation with MFL, so that the ablest and the weakest students each learn at an appropriate level and pace? Is there an optimum balance to be maintained between ICT and off-computer work in the MFL classroom? David Wilson Learning Support Teacher

Posted by: David Wilson on 08 February 2006 at 11.14

ICT – or any other technology – CAN make a difference to language learning if used in the right way. But if we think that ICT, like the language lab in the 1960s, can make a sudden dramatic change on its own then we are wrong. It’s what you do with the technology, not the technology itself. See my “Lessons from the past…” article that I wrote for a Council of Europe publication in 1996 (since revised several times): http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/coegdd1.htm There IS evidence that ICT can make a difference to language learning, as documented in the many reports on research published by the professional associations such as EUROCALL, CALICO and IALLT. For further information on using ICT in the languages classroom see the ICT for Language Teachers website, which is the outcome of an international project funded by the European Commission. http://www.ict4lt.org This is probably the largest single site of resources and training materials of this type anywhere on the Web. It is updated every week. Graham Davies Emeritus Professor of Computer Assisted Language Learning

Posted by: Graham Davies on 08 February 2006 at 12.10

Regarding resources for learning Chinese, I've had a go at learning Chinese too. Wenlin 3.0 is the best resource I've seen: http://www.wenlin.com For absolute beginners I'd recommend the EuroTalk series "Talk Now" or the VL Systems Mandarin Chinese software: http://www.eurotalk.com http://www.vl-systems.com There are online learning materials too, but no website I've visited offers the essential listen / respond / playback activities you need to help you master tones in Chinese. The websites are far too passive - all point and click recognition stuff. Graham Davies Emeritus Professor of Computer Assisted Language Learning

Posted by: Graham Davies on 08 February 2006 at 13.14

Dear David et al, Having good software and state of the art ICT equipment is all very well, but of course it is how these resources are used in the classroom that counts. As Ewan McIntosh, Development Officer for the Modern Foreign Languages Environment (MFLE) www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/ says on his personal blog http://edu.blogs.com/ “It's not the Tech, it's all about the Teach” Using ICT to aid learning is the key, not for its own sake or as something bolted on, but as an integral tool to enhance good practice. The point of this blog is to show how ICT can be integrated into the MFL classroom using mostly readily available software which teachers can either easily download or find already on their computer. When I run training sessions, I try and get the message across that so much can be achieved with a little know how. You don’t have to spend hours making resources, unless you want to. It’s a question of finding what works for you and exploring new possibilities. So what to use when? Well, here are some of my favourites: • I use PowerPoint for whole class teaching, for presenting new vocabulary, setting up role-plays or playing games and I find it is very effective. • Word is great for creating digital worksheets which can be used on an interactive whiteboard or printed out as a paper copy. • Self–authoring software for making interactive activities from standard templates can be helpful in providing grammar exercises for pupils to master in a computer suite. Matching, gapfilling, reordering exercises may be mechanical, but they provide the rigour needed to embed new language. It has been argued by Heather Rendall that this type of practice can ‘develop neural pathways’, I for one would have to agree. Read her article at http://www.scilt.stir.ac.uk/SLR/Issue8/Heather.htm As for differentiation, ICT can be very useful. Pupils can work independently through a cycle of exercises at their own pace. More able pupils can stretch themselves by working more quickly and less able pupils can be given more support where necessary. Moreover, the teacher can see how individual pupils are progressing simply by looking at their different computer screens. I have made many interactive exercises using 'Hot Potatoes' http://hotpot.uvic.ca/ which is a piece of software free to use for educational purposes. It allows you to make different exercises (gapfill, crosswords, matching exercises, reordering words, multiple choice etc). I've created gapfill exercises for all the major verbs we study in Years 7 and 8 e.g. avoir, être, faire, aller, er verbs, reflexive verbs, modal verbs, immediate future, perfect tense with avoir and être etc. I sorted out each verb type into ‘lower’ (1st, 2nd and 3rd person singular) and ‘upper’ (whole range) exercises making between ten and fifteen sets of questions for each verb. The idea is that everyone can start with the lower versions and then the more able can progress to the upper ones. I know this sounds very mechanical, but I’ve found that it has really helped the pupils with their understanding of verbs.

Posted by: Joe Dale on 08 February 2006 at 17.33

Joe writes - I use PowerPoint for whole class teaching, for presenting new vocabulary, setting up role-plays or playing games and I find it is very effective. - Word is great for creating digital worksheets which can be used on an interactive whiteboard or printed out as a paper copy. Graham replies: Both the above topics are dealt with in Module 1.3 (Using text tools in the Modern Foreign Languages classroom) at the ICT4LT website: http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod1-3.htm Joe writes: - Self-authoring software for making interactive activities from standard templates can be helpful in providing grammar exercises for pupils to master in a computer suite. Graham replies: The above topic is dealt with in Module 2.5 (Introduction to CALL authoring programs) at the ICT4LT website: http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod2-5.htm Besides Hot Potatoes, which is a good basic authoring package, there are other easy-to-use authoring packages that enable you create interactive routines embodying sound and video, e.g. The Authoring Suite, GapKit, MALTED, MaxAuthor, TaskMagic and Fun with Texts, all of which are mentioned in ICT4LT Module 2.5, including links to sites from which they can be downloaded or purchased. Graham Davies Emeritus Professor of Computer Assisted Language Learning

Posted by: Graham Davies on 08 February 2006 at 18.30

Graham Of course the authoring packages you mention do also exist. The ones Joe uses, however, have the double advantage of allowing the teacher to create extremely atractive language exercises and of being free.

Posted by: MPC on 08 February 2006 at 20.42

I think TaskMagic and Fun with Texts are also very useful for rigorous language practice and are very simple to set up. I use a combination of different pieces of software depending on the learning objective. I tend to use Hot Potatoes for practising verb conjugations, TaskMagic for vocabulary revision and Fun with Texts for text analysis although TaskMagic and Hot Potatoes can be used for this too. These three pieces of software can all be very effective in certain types of practice. I would recommend having a look at each one and deciding for yourself. The advantage of Hot Potatoes is that it is free, but it could be argued that it is more time-consuming for the teacher to create new exercises. Any thoughts?

Posted by: Joe Dale on 09 February 2006 at 06.17

The comments so far have moved from talking about what makes it easier for learners to learn to what makes it easier for teachers to prepare. With ICT there will be a 'lead-time' that the teacher has to spend learning a new skill. But what about transferring the technical knowledge to the students so that THEY can make the next worksheet for the class or write up a summary of each lesson on THEIR own personal blog? Why not have a class wiki webpage (a webpage ANYONE can change) where every day some new piece of knowledge is written up. I believe that this student-led approach to using technology to create learning tools is more beneficial in the long-run than having teachers spoon-feed their students the whole time with gap-fill and drag and drop. It's far more demanding, encourages some degree of original thought and means that students are writing or speaking for a purpose: their audience.

Posted by: Ewan McIntosh on 09 February 2006 at 10.03

MPC writes: Of course the authoring packages you mention do also exist. The ones Joe uses, however, have the double advantage of allowing the teacher to create extremely atractive language exercises and of being free. Graham replies: MALTED and MaxAuthor are also free. Regarding Ewan’s point about involving students in the process of creating materials, I recall a number of teachers doing this way back in the 1980s, namely getting the students to author multiple-choice tests and to create their own texts for insertion into Fun with Texts – after correction of errors by the teacher, of course. It’s a good idea and highly motivating for students to see their work appearing on screen for use by other students. A substantial number of the descriptive texts that appeared in the BBC’s Domesday Videodisc (1986) were produced by children in schools throughout the UK. Coming back to the issue that started this blog, i.e. integrating ICT into the classroom, can anyone explain why the ICT4LT Module 2.1 (CALL methodology: integrating CALL into study programmes), which is all about integration, has consistently been the least popular module at the ICT4LT website? It’s written in a down-to-earth style by an experienced teacher/trainer, Sue Hewer, with lots of practical tips. Maybe it’s the word “methodology” that puts people off. Teachers in the UK don’t seem to like words ending in “-ogy”. See: http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod2-1.htm

Posted by: Graham Davies on 09 February 2006 at 10.35

I forgot to mention that "Integrating CALL into Study Programmes" is the main theme of this year's EUROCALL conference, which will take place in Granada, Spain, 4-7 September 2006. The conference site states: "Language learning looks to be gravitating more and more towards digital technologies, and the challenge for language educators all over the world appears to fall into one of two categories: to update and extend their existing methodologies, or create and introduce new technologies into their language delivery systems very often with little experience and few resources. The challenge, therefore, varies from region to region, but the goal is a common one: to integrate computer technology into the language learning process." It is hoped that the conference will attract teachers from all sectors of education, from primary to higher. See: http://www.eurocall-languages.org

Posted by: Graham Davies on 09 February 2006 at 12.09

Great stuff. I am really pleased to see blogging in action. Merci Joe. ILT is another tool which in my view does not replace anything and I agree the work still has to be done by the learner. But it is a wonderful addition and at a time when we need to meet individual needs and different learning styles, I am pleased to see ILT as an inspirational additional learning tool with fantastic potential. The teacher role is vital, support, advice and management. What happens when many people contribute... how many pages of screen will we need :-) or are there ways to have subjects and threads. Michele

Posted by: Michele on 09 February 2006 at 17.51

"Having good software and state of the art ICT equipment is all very well, but of course it is how these resources are used in the classroom that counts. " ...er... how about giving the poor MFL department access to ICT in the first place? I am sure I am not alone in being in a school where access to ICT for MFL lessons is pretty rare. ICT suites are busy most of the time teaching ICT, and you can only book yourself in if the ICT teacher has a non-teaching lesson, throwing them out of their classroom for the hour. I would love to debate the pros and cons of various software packages, but I rely entirely on flashcards, OHP and my trusty tape recorder.

Posted by: Mme Smith on 09 February 2006 at 20.16

The computer suite has definitely added a new dimension to language lessons and we try to get our classes in to the computer room about once every three weeks. Best resources out there for secondary learners are, in my view, the "video on demand" tasks from Ashgrove School in Surrey (Helen Myers) and the LanguagesOnline exercises from RGS High Wycombe (Andrew Balaam and co.). I like the interactivity and the fact that pupils can go at their own pace. My one (slight) reservation is that Hot Pot activities tend to favour the focus on form rather than meaning for the most part and I wonder if newer versions of the Half Baked Software will be able to address this issue to a greater extent.

Posted by: Steve Smith on 09 February 2006 at 21.16

Steve writes: "My one (slight) reservation is that Hot Pot activities tend to favour the focus on form rather than meaning for the most part and I wonder if newer versions of the Half Baked Software will be able to address this issue to a greater extent." Focusing on form is not a feature of Hot Potatoes itself, rather it's a feature of most of the content that language teachers choose to create with it. Even the most primitive multiple-choice and gap-fill authoring packages can be used to focus on meaning rather than correct morphology. I recall a colleague creating very demanding exercises of this type with a multiple-choice package produced for the BBC Micro way back in the 1980s. The materials used were drawn largely from the MC tests in the demanding Cambridge Proficiency Examinations for EFL students that require students to make fine semantic distinctions - some of which a native speaker would be hard pushed to make. More important, I think, is a package that offers the integration of sound and video as well as text and pictures.

Posted by: Graham Davies on 10 February 2006 at 15.53

I think it is important to let as many people as possible know what is available out there and let them decide whether they have the hardware, time, knowledge and inclination to use it and move forward. On the extremely active mfllanguages site there is a lot of interest at the moment in "Teach and tell cards" (Very LOW tech) There is however a site which deals with about 30 topics, each of which has over 100 flashcards for vocab testing, which also allow the pupil to listen to the word or phrase. This found at: http://www.classzone.com/books/french_3/index.cfm To find simpler topics change the 3 to a 2 or a 1.

Posted by: Eva Forbes on 10 February 2006 at 19.23

Eva writes: "I think it is important to let as many people as possible know what is available out there and let them decide whether they have the hardware, time, knowledge and inclination to use it and move forward." This is the objective of the ICT for Language Teachers website at: http://www.ict4lt.org It contains lots of ideas and over 1000 links to other sites. The ICT4LT was produced with EC funding and it's free. Do have a look at it. I have compiled my own set of useful links at: http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/websites.htm I am also involved in the creation of an e-learning pack targeting teachers of language learners aged 16+. This will be made available free of charge via the DfES Standards Unit to all adult education and FE colleges later this year.

Posted by: Graham Davies on 11 February 2006 at 12.23

We need to be specific about what ICT can achieve. I have an article on the Cricksoft website on its use to overcome the weakness in teaching writing that is inherent in the NC provision for copying. My research on this has been published by Strasbourg University, and I am happy to share it with anyone by email. I see this as a solution to a very big problem. Ths link is http://www.cricksoft.com/uk/ideas/languages.htm

Posted by: John Bald on 11 February 2006 at 18.31

Thanks for this John. Very interesting.

Posted by: Joe Dale on 11 February 2006 at 19.05

Thanks for mentioning your great and very useful website Graham. I had found it previously, have used it and have recommended it to tutors in Adult Education. Have a good week. Michele

Posted by: MIchele on 12 February 2006 at 22.31

Great ideas. Do people know that the Kids iPods can support a lapel mic or a plug in general microphone. This make a really neta tool for recordings and of course you can then edit with Audacity. Recording podcasts for the children to listen to on their long journeys home.

Posted by: john on 13 February 2006 at 08.20

Re: Podcasts Many teachers may not know what podcasts are. Podcasts are Web-delivered radio broadcasts that can be downloaded to your PC or to an iPod or similar device. Partners in Excellence (Scotland) are creating their own series of podasts for languages learners, which they refer to as PiECasts: http://www.pie.org.uk If you are puzzled by new jargon (e.g. podcasts) see the ICT4LT Glossary at: http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_glossary.htm

Posted by: Graham Davies on 13 February 2006 at 09.23

If you want to keep yourself tuned in have a look at the Internet Radio Kit for Schools site from BT Education as mentioned in my original post. The link is: http://www.bteducation.org/img/lib/dialogics/schoolradio/index.htm. It has step-to-step guides for each stage of making a podcast, including text, audio and flash video tutorials. There will also be a guide on podcasting coming soon from Ewan McIntosh in the ‘Creative teaching’ section of the Modern Foreign Languages Environment (MFLE) website: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/creativeteaching/index.asp.

Posted by: Joe Dale on 13 February 2006 at 13.46

I am a performing arts technician in a Liverpool High School and the MFL Dept. asked me to transfer their revision cassettes onto CD as NONE of the students had access to a cassette player! However a week after producing the CD's not one student had requested one. Solution: Upload the files onto the school server as MP3's and voila! Students revising French and German on the bus via their iPods! Trust me. It works.

Posted by: Nigel Paice on 15 February 2006 at 17.37

Regarding the transfer of audio and video files to make them available as podcasts, in what ways does recent EU and UK legislation embodying the originator's "communication to the public" right restrict this kind of activity? See: Oppenheim C. (2004) Recent changes to copyright law and the implications for FE and HE: http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/publications/copyrightcoppenheim.htm

Posted by: Graham Davies on 15 February 2006 at 17.51

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Posted by: R16vLwnNaY on 17 February 2006 at 21.34

Dear R16vLwnNaY, Have you changed your name by Deed Poll to your car registration number? I'm sorry I can't figure out what you're trying to say. You'll have to spell it out more clearly!

Posted by: Joe Dale on 18 February 2006 at 12.25

I find myself somewhere along the spectrum of my love affair with ICT as a teaching tool. Clearly we must move on from the methods of the past, if only to ensure that we retain the attention of the children we teach, and I am absolutely stunned by the plethora of fabulous ICT/web-based material out there for us to use. It has been a huge learning-curve for me to incorporate ICT into my teaching to the extent that I have, but I can certainly see the benefits. I do, however, fear that unless we are careful, we risk allowing ourselves to become lazy and complacent, allowing the fizzy wizzy materials at our fingertips to amuse the children rather than to teach them. I also think that, as in all things, a great deal was achieved through the methods of the past and we should NOT under any circumstances throw these out completely. ICT must become ONE OF the tools available to us. We should all enjoy its benefits whilst remembering its place in the Language-learning Hall of Fame!!

Posted by: Debbie Benjamin on 25 February 2006 at 22.45

Dear Debbie, I think ICT is a powerful and multipurpose tool, but it is not a panacea. It can allow us to combine traditional good practice with the benefits of new technology. Sound, images and text (the staples of MFL classrooms around the country) can be enhanced with animation and use of colour amongst other techniques. It is now possible to make multimedia presentations conveying and reinforcing meaning to cater more easily to pupils’ different learning styles. That said, yes ICT can be very seductive. It shouldn’t be used 100% of the time. I personally believe the time invested to find out how it can improve learning is worth it. We should try and integrate ICT into the classroom, but not at the expense of everything that we’ve known has worked in the past for teaching languages. Traditional methodology should not be ignored, but neither should the potential of ICT. We all need to be reflective practitioners and decide when we feel ICT is appropriate. It’s a journey of discovery. We can go as far along the road as we feel comfortable with.

Posted by: Joe Dale on 26 February 2006 at 16.14

ICT is still a challenge for me but it has allowed me to stir some interest in learning MFL within the least able, the least motivated, the boys, the visual learners ... The list goes on. You cannot avoid technology these days! Thank you Joe and everyone else for the useful tips. It's good to share.

Posted by: Julie T on 26 February 2006 at 21.25

Hi good blog, However, most of our "ICT" teachers don't actually understand ICT.

Posted by: Unity User on 05 March 2006 at 14.28

See Scottish CILT mention here