Software Evaluation #1--Rosetta Stone

Producer: Fairfield Language Technologies
Target Students: Teens through Adults Proficiency Level: Advanced Beginner through Intermediate

Description: Rosetta Stone (RS) is a CD providing a multi-media approach to language learning. It uses pictures, sound on demand, and reinforcement of vocabulary learned by matching words with pictures to provide an authentic approach to the language. The program helpfully reviews what is learned, and provides scaffolding from words to conjunctions, such as "and" to the addition of placement of objects using prepositions; all while practicing the basic vocabulary provided.

In phase two of the Beginner's Addition, verbs are added to the nouns already learned. Using the sound print, learners are allowed to speak L2 into a microphone and receive a rating as to how accurate the imitation is.

Language skills targeted: Vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, writing, listening, and word recognition, as well as simple sentence formation.

Evaluation: In order to judge how effective RS would be in teaching beginners, I chose a language where I have limited familiarity--Mandarin. I would assume that Chinese learners would have problems similar to mine in using the English version of RS. Although it was easy to go from introductory to practice language sessions via the buttons, several problems presented themselves at once. There is a choice of pin-yin, which are alphabetic transcriptions of the characters with accents and umlauts. There is no chance to practice each sound individually or even to know what the diacritical marks mean, only the words. This is problematic as much of the difficulty in Mandarin (and Chinese dialect) interlanguage is pronunciation and the tone system. A simple example is the existence of sounds in Chinese, and not in English, such as "r" are very troubling. Sometimes it sounds like "L" or even "H" and sometimes faintly like "R." This pronunciation difficulty occurs in the first basic words presented to the learner.

The first words introduced are written in pin-yin, and there is no explanation why it takes seemingly three words to say "dog" or "cat." In other words the number and object counter are not explained. The same is true of "girl" and "boy," which are even longer. In looking at the Kanji characters, it is clear that number, counter, person, gender and the kanji for small are used for the word. However, you have to already know something about Chinese characters in order to decipher this. There are two sets of kanji available as buttons, and there is no explanation as to what the differences are.

The sound print of the voice tends to both help and frustrate, as even when the small indicator goes into the green, indicating native-like pronunciation, there is no way to know even if a "red" or "yellow" pronunciation is acceptable.

In summary, I feel that Rosetta Stone is a good way to begin and practice a language, but that teaching is necessary before turning someone loose with the program in order to direct efforts and ensure that frustration does not occur. It would be a good supplement to lessons in class, and provide early work with illustrations and vocabulary. A transcription of some of the language could be played in class, and students could work in groups to figure out what is being said, and then compare their anwers. Then they could be asked to say the opposite by replacing words, e.g., "dog" for "cat," and "boy" for "girl." For pronunciation, targetted work with the vocabulary and use of the sound print together could lead to more productive use of this instrument.

Dr. Wright's Prompt for 2/27/07

Reading Prompt #6
EGBERT Ch. 6. Inquiry and Problem Solving RICHARDSON Ch. 8. Podcasting and Screencasting: Multimedia Publishing for the Masses
Describe an inquiry or problem solving activity appropriate for ELLs that you have used, participated in, read about, or just now thought of. Describe which critical thinking skills it requires students to use and develop. Then, describe how this activity supports language and content learning for ELLs. Finally, comment on how podcasting could be used within the inquiry and problem solving process in a manner which supports language and content learning for ELLs.

Learning is facilitated by working on problems which are authentic, that is, that have something to do with the student's life. The chapter in Cummins which describes the teacher, Mr. Green's, approach to history by encouraging the students to perform a historiography of their own families, is a great example. Exercises which are engage active, rather than passive learning, have also been shown to be more effective. Like Mr. Green, development by the teacher of ELL of experiences which involve inquiry stoke the natural curiosity of the students, and in turning over the problem solving steps to the students, depending on their competence in the language, learners are motivated and empowered to learn more at a more accelerated pace, and can have more fun. The teacher then takes on the role of consultant rather than boss.

Multi-media is useful, as many different approaches to the same material facilitate the repetition required for learning a foreign language, without the tedium of outright memorization. An electronic wordless worksheet with pictures and audio descriptions could be presented to the learners. The students should all have had exposure to the words, but briefly, in both written and spoken form. The students would be asked to listen to a story containing the concepts pictured via podcast, using the vocabulary introduced, plus a few carefully chosen new words. They would then match the audio descriptions with the pictures by moving the pictures to the proper photograph. Finally, in class, groups of students could prepare sections of the story in their own words using the pictures, and tell the story in round-robin fashion. Each group would have to answer questions from the others concerning unknown words or something not understood.

The critical thinking skills exercised are:

• the ability to distinguish words and sounds from another, and to work with a small body of unknown sounds


• to query if the pictures match the description, and if the student renditions of the story are accurate


• recognizing connections, or lack of connections, between the segments of the stories


• resolve differences and clarify thoughts using L2

Prompt #5

EGBERT Ch. 5. Creativity and ProductivityRICHARDSON Ch. 4. Wikis: Easy Collaboration for All
Popular second language acquisition theories stress the importance of "comprehensible input." While most agree this is important, many others argue we also need to focus on output as well. What are some ideas you gained from the Egbert chapter about how technology can be used to encourage creativity and production? How does this help promote language learning? Share any experiences you've had with any of these or similiar ideas in language learning classrooms. Finally, comment on the potential of Wikis to allow language learners to collaborate in creative and productive ways.

Although it is useful to divide input from output for analytical purposes, let's not forget how much input is necessary before expecting output in L2. Depending on the desired output, input in a way that is enlivening and interesting (my philosophy of teaching is "edutainment") can be enhanced by technology. However, technology cannot do the job alone, without the guidance of a human brain adapting the media to the needs of the students, if applicable. Egbert also emphasizes that production alone or the availability of tools does not result in language learning. Teachers must adapt activities and tools to meet language learning objectives.

What can happen when students are allowed to work on their own with creative tools? Oftentimes they tend, in social situations, to turn to L1, and the teacher assumes the role of "Sprachpolizist"--the Language Policeman. Thus, motivation to use L2 in group exercises must be part of the kick-off activities. Creativity in L2 production might include charades if a concept in L2 is not recognized, a dictionary search (this is a potential WIKI application), or use of Google/Yahoo images to explain a concept, and role playing of authentic tasks, such as shopping or ordering in restaurants. In my experience, teacher authority and class control is of the essence in keeping the learners in L2 as much as possible.

WIKIs are a great way of documenting new learning. Imagine a homework assignment in which new vocabulary words are listed and defined by different groups in the class, and corrections to spelling or grammar made collaboratively. The teacher can "look in" on the production, and know what needs to be clarified in the next class. The concepts discussed come alive with photos, sounds, and videos. The learners would easily repeat and acquire new vocabulary, and see it in (sometimes unforgettable) context. This multi-media approach stimulates visual and auditory input and output!

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Reading Prompt #4
EGBERT Ch. 4. Communication & CollaborationRICHARDSON Ch. 5. RSS: The New Killer App for Educators
Why is communication and collaboration so important in the language learning classroom? What ideas did you gain from the Egbert chapter about how computers and technology can be used to faciliate greater communication and collaboration for students? Give any personal examples you have had using these or other ideas.

Note the etymology of the word collaboration--working together. This refers to the students and teachers negotiating and clarifying meaning, and working to understand the materials at hand. Rather than passivity and top-down aspects of the "transmission" form of education, 1) learners are active, and 2) listen and respond to material presented, working together or autonomously. When there is an information gap, the teacher is called for assistance, who then is able to clarify and suggest further means of pursuit of information.

Most of my experience comes from teaching adults (executives and professors). Being handed the power tool of an interactive work sheet made a huge difference in the success I achieved in pronunciation work just last week. The objective of the lesson was to help a foreign speaker of English with pronunciation difficulties, which he felt impeded him even after so many years in this country. I created a worksheet with audio versions of a text which was also written, and then asked my learner to make a recording of the same text. As he read, I asked him what was different from the way I had pronounced the sounds. We then circled letters and words on the worksheet, and using the aid of a phonetics website, were able to work specifically on problem areas. He re-recorded his readings until he was satisfied, and then we went on to the next line of text.

The summary and conclusions to this work were very positive. I compared his voice reading the entire text to a recording I had made earlier in the week, and the clarity of our practice text was astounding. Further, I sent him the electronic worksheet, so that he could listen again to any parts he wanted to further practice. He was very motivated and pleased with the methodology, and felt he was making progress.

There is an old saying in the motivational field, "People don't argue with their own data." My client could hear the difference in his pronunciation before and after our practice, and thanks to Dr. Wright, this happened through a tool that was efficient for this purpose and a good example of technology as handmaiden to language confidence enhancement.

Dr. Wright's Prompt #3

CUMMINS Ch. 4. Technology EGBERT Ch. 3. Developing and Practicing Listening and Speaking Skills
Cummins et al. discussed the pedagocial divide that separates instruction for low-income and for more affluent students. Discuss some of the technology-supported strategies from their chapter. Also comment on one of the examples from Egbert's chapter and describe how computers can assist ELLs with learing and practicing listening and speaking in English.

What is interesting about funding of projects deemed "important," whether it be education, foreign aid, or war, a rich country like the US has the capacity to throw money (or technological devices) at a problem. However, without an examination of the problem or challenge, devising of realizable goals, and proper training (behavioral modification), the results are undesirable or null (and we wonder why?).

Cummins points out in Chapter 2 on Pedagogy and in Chapter 4 on technology, that image of the teacher and the student as a successful learner using the technology at hand is critical. He argues that one of the major problems in integrating the multiliteracies (language competence and technology) is the divide between transmission (top down) and social constructivist/transformative (top up) approaches. In lower socio-economic areas, the pressure of the need to prepare students for the NCLB exam overwhelms the curriculum; thus leaving little to no time for other pedigogical focus. This is not true of more affluent schools, where children may be already better prepared the the NCLB exam, and thus have time to delve into techonology-aided learning. This is referred to as the "digital divide" by Wilhelm et al. (2002).

The use of commercial products is discussed, but most of the reviews are by the companies selling these products.
MOTIVATION is the key to learning; thus any measure of initial or continuing success is related to the student's desire to learn. There are several studies which indicate that technology can impact motivation:

• McMillan and Honey (1993) in a one-year study of grade 8 students found that those given laptops showed marked improvement in the ability to communicate effectively.
• Meskill and Mossop (2000) carried out a survey of techology use by over 800 ESL teachers over a two-year period. The children were excited to be able to create products of learning to share with others. Learning with e-texts was observed. They concluded that ELLs were enabled by technology to participate in class activities to the full extent of their intelligence and imagination. This is in contrast to the lag of one to two years that has been observed in young ELLs. The students were able to have control over their environment and learning, and shared their products with pride, becoming experts in the technology in the classroom and in the community.

My methodology for trying out language software is to pick a language in which I have not been schooled. Although I can get by in Italian, I do not know the formalities of the grammar and orthography. I chose Rosetta Stone, mentioned by Egbert, as it promised to not only teach the written and spoken form of the language, but to check pronunciation as well. Unfortunately I did not have a microphone for the demo to see how close the pronunciation has to be to "pass." Checking spoken language is of particular interest to me, as I have been asked to aid foreign-educated executives and professors with pronunciation in order to better their English speaking confidence.

Rosetta stone appears to have potential for English learners or reviewers in general as it is bright, colorful and simple, allowing the learner to proceed through the listening and reading section by matching a written and spoken statement with a picture. The pictures start with people or objects and a verb, and build up slowly in complexity.

Evaluation of speaking is offered, and promises to provide feedback through voice recognition until the speaker "gets it right." Speech can be slowed for better comprehension. Unfortunately, I was unable to use this feature.

The writing portion of the program states that dictation can be taken, and through spell and grammar checker, the typed text corrected! Ummmm, I know how deceiving that can be in English, although at a beginner or intermediate level, that may not be tragic.

In summary, this software appears to offer interactivity and stimulating visuals, along with a step by step approach. I would love to try it in Chinese and then decide if it is appropriate for given ELLs.

What do you think? Does anyone out there have experience with Rosetta Stone?

My First Photostory

Good Morning All,
Thanks to Lazardo, I just completed my first Photostory, and attempted to add it to my blog. The doors of creativity were flung shut as I realize that blogger apparently doesn't "do" videos. Anyone have an idea how to post videos?

Have a great weekend (and stay warm)!
Carol

Dr. Wright's Questions from 1/30/2007

Note: This picture of the Alhambra relates to the story about Spain below.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Reading Prompt #2
Readings: Egbert Ch. 2, Cummins Ch. 2, Richardson Ch. 3
What are "multiliteracies" as described by Cummins et al.? How does this relate to Egbert's assertions about the need for authentic materials to support ELL students' reading and writing? Discuss how blogs and blogging can be a tool for achieving these ideals with ELL students. Finally, describe your own experience creating your blog this week. Was it harder than you thought? What ideas do you have about the kind of stuff you want to blog about (besides what is required for this course)?

Cummins describes "multiliteracies" as the diversity of cultures, including languages, that children bring with them into the classroom. Not once does he mention "tabula rasa"--no Roman children. A bad joke! When the educator recognizes the child as an individual, it validates the person, which is in itself motivating. The culture of the individual can be used as a starting point for education in literacy; e.g., reading about that culture in English, translations, vocabulary, differences in pronunciation and sounds, etc., which provide enlightenment both ways and a positive means of looking at differences as being an aid rather than an encumbrance to education. In Mike's excellent discussion of Egbert's ideas, authenticity is determined by the learner. Thus for the ELL student, materials which are used by native EL speakers are relevant, but only authentic when the ELL can relate to them; in other words, when they contain something of interest (personally relevant). This implies interactivity in that the ELL student can take the opportunity to have feed back from native language speakers who would be familiar with these materials. This provides the opportunity for further English language interactions.

A personal experience is provided from my posting in the early 80's to Spain for Merck, the pharmaceutical company. Although I had studied Spanish in the University, and had read all the great classics, I had never really had the opportunity to speak Spanish. So suddenly I had a responsible marketing position, and the need to produce written and spoken language, and to understand the accent in Castillian! What I learned really fast were un jaleo , torreando con los coches, and selected swear words. Those first few rough months I got people to talk to me by showing my interest in native language Spanish materials--El Pais, the newspaper, quoting poetry that I had memorized, and even trying to get people to teach me songs. It worked! Although the Spanish found my babbling a bit disconcerting at times, some were impressed with my knowledge of Tirso de Molina, La Vida es Sueno, El Cantar de Mio Cid, las Harchas, etc. And I could see the light at the end of the tunnel when I started to gain a sense of humor in Castillian, and also to understand the Andalusian accent--"como eta ute?"

Blogs, and let me hasten to add Internet Telephony, are a great means of getting people talking and trying out what they know in a language. I am telling my friends about the blog, and getting them to respond in English or their native tongue. It is an interesting, friendly means for "trying out" language in a non-threatening atmosphere, and can be even addictive when postings to your blog become more frequent. The only complaint I have had so far is from my French friends who are looking for a French translation.

So far so good this week in developing the blog after the great introduction on Tuesday. There are not too many classes in which the students voluntarily stay late, and the Technology class is one! Thanks for giving us such great tools, Dr. Wright, and also to Lazardo with the wonderful Photostory 3 means of sharing pictures and music. I tried it once, and it didn't work, but will be back to try again. Google went down this morning when I was trying to post a picture, but I was able to add links to the sidebar and also in my text.

BTW, for you language and linguistics fans, here's a great link with postings of words and their etymology sent to your mailbox every morning:
www.yourdictionary.com

Let me know if you like it. Just one last note--I have sent feedback to everyone who posted before me--did you receive it?

Make My Day?

Have you ever thought about what or who makes your day? When you get right down to it, there is only one person who can make, or break your day. . . YOU. Whatever you perceive all has to go through your "filter" in order to interpret whether it is "the good, the bad, or the ugly." Beginning to re-train yourself to interpret people and events with understanding and sympathy, "Learned Optimism," can make a marked difference in your life, and that includes everything and everyone around you. So, Dirty Harry, I can not only make your day, but mine as well!

I thought you might enjoy the picture of Landshut, Germany above. It was taken by my friends Mauricette and Guy, who live near Paris (France, not Texas!) I used to work in this town, and loved the beautifully restored buildings and history on every corner. How lucky I was and am now, to be in another very historic town, San Antonio.