Web+2.0+&+Language+Learning

Anchalee Ngampornchai
 * Web 2.0 and Language Learning **

** Introduction **

Web 2.0 has offered an exciting learning environment for language learners. Currently, more programs in school, universities, and private institutions dealing with teaching languages have integrated Web 2.0 technologies to improve language learning. Beyond classrooms, several companies are keen to utilize Web 2.0 to connect language learners with native speakers of the target language.

In order to better understand the connection between language learning and Web 2.0, and to move forward more effectively, we need to first understand (1) how Web 2.0 support language learning, (2) how we are currently using Web 2.0 for language learning, and (3) what are key issues we face using Web 2.0 for language learning. These three basic, yet important, questions are explored in this chapter.

** 1. How does Web 2.0 support language learning? **

Many of us learned a second language in school by studying from textbooks of grammar and vocabulary words. We were quizzed by teachers. We worked hard to memorize as many new words as possible. And we read literature in that language so that we mastered reading and comprehension skills. This method of learning is based on the traditional transmission model of learning where teachers provide students with knowledge. As our experiences may tell and as evident in many research studies, this traditional method is not effective as it provides little opportunity for the learners to //socialize// into acquiring the language (Motteram & Sharma, 2009; Rüschoff & Ritter, 2001).

Grounded upon social constructivism that suggests that language is created through social interaction, the new approach to language learning shifts the focus from one-way rote learning to an active and socially-interactive process of learning. This approach places interaction at the core of language acquisition. Therefore, language is learned not through reciting vocabulary or memorizing grammar. It is more effectively learned through interaction and active participation situated in an authentic social and cultural context (Newstead, 2007; Rüschoff & Ritter, 2001).

The social constructivist approach to language learning can be supported by Web 2.0-based learning. Web 2.0 emphasizes the active participation of the virtual community. Knowledge through Web 2.0 is co-created and results from collaboration. Motteram and Sharma (2009) state that Web 2.0 benefits language learning mainly because it allows learners to connect and interact with others. The connections and interactions can be between teacher and students; students and students; and students and native speakers. Accordingly, Web 2.0 creates a better opportunity for freer interaction and socialization—a much-needed activity for language learners.

In addition, the virtual space promotes learning autonomy and provides endless authentic situations for language learners (Rüschoff & Ritter, 2001). The students are given opportunities to explore resources and aids that help them improve their language skills beyond what teachers provide. When they interact in their virtual learning community, they engage in an environment that offers more authentic cultural artifacts, which help them better acquire vocabulary and language structure (Lee, 2009). Based on social constructivist perspective, these characteristics of Web 2.0, therefore, offer the learning opportunities that will help learners better acquire a foreign language.

** 2. How are we currently using Web 2.0 for language learning? **

This section provides a review of current uses of Web 2.0 tools in language learning communities. Basically, schools or colleges often incorporate blogs, wikis, and podcasts in the language classrooms. In a more informal learning setting, Social Networking Sites (SNS) for language learners have become more popular as they connect learners with native speakers.

Blog is a Web 2.0 tool that has been popularized for learning purposes in many subjects. It is considered to be a great tool for students’ reflection (Lee, 2009). For language learning, blog promotes not only reflection, but also reading and writing skills (Almeida Soares, 2008; Petersen, Divitini, & Chabert, 2008).
 * Blog**

Language learning utilizes all three types of blog categorized by Campbell (2003). //The tutor blog// or instructor blog is used to provide learners with information and resources. //The learner blog// encourage each student to have their own space to write their inquiries, experiences, and reflections related to the language they learn. Because they own their blog space, the students are more motivated to write and read more (Pinkman, 2005). The students can also share resources they found with other classmates on their own blogs. Moreover, the use of blog cultivates the idea that the learners have real audience that may read their stories or journal. With this awareness, the learners are motivated to be aware of their language use and to improve their writing skill (Almeida Soares, 2008).

Lastly, //the class blog// is a blog that give permission to all students in the class to add or edit the blog content. Campbell (2003) suggests that the class blog can serve as bulletin board posted by any students to share resources related to the lesson. It can be used to allow discussions of a certain topic. With a more advanced language class, the class blog can be used for collaborative writing assignment. When the students view their classmates’ writing and play the role of editor, they learn and improve their reading and writing skills.

Wiki is often used in the classrooms to encourage students’ creative collaboration because the students have autonomy to create, add, and improve content with their classmates. In language classes, wikis are used for students to share their glossaries of vocabularies and to practice reading and writing skills ( Matthew, Felvegi, and Callaway, 2009; van Dixhoorn, Loiseau, Mangenot, Potolia, and Zourou, 2010).
 * Wiki**

As reported by Matthew et al. (2009), wiki exercise makes students read and reread their classmates’ writing thoroughly in order for them to contribute meaningful, and not redundant, additions. Moreover, the students are required to write and improve or add on to other classmates’ writing. This editing process allows students to view how others write, to reflect on their own writing ability, and to master their writing skills. Collaborative writing project in wiki, then, should improve language learners’ skills of reading comprehension as well as writing.

In addition, wiki exercise encourages students to do research and make meaningful connections between class content and other classes’ subjects. Matthew et al. (2009) reported that more than 50% of students’ contributions on wiki came from sources outside textbook. When students do further research, they read more and develop their critical thinking. When they connect the class’s content to outside class experiences, the students situated learning in the physical and social context. This situated cognition helps students to remember and learn the content better.

Podcast refers to a portable audio (and sometimes with video) file that is easy to download and to create. Podcast is used to improve language learners’ skills of listening and speaking. It has become a convenient and effective learning tool because podcasts can be easily downloaded into portable media players such as iPods, and therefore, students can listen to them anytime and anywhere (Lee, 2009). In Japan, for example, podcasts become popular among English language learners to practice listening through downloaded newscasts on iPods or mobile phones. In Spanish language class at Duke University, students are provided with iPods so that they can access audio Spanish lessons, songs, glossaries, and narratives recorded by native Spanish speakers (Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008).
 * Podcast**

Podcast can be easily created using free audio editing tools such as Audacity and GarageBand. As reported by Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008), podcast is used in a language class for students to record their oral assignments. Once recorded, students upload the audio file to learning management system for teachers to assess and provide feedback.

Smythe and Neufeld (2010) further demonstrated that podcasts produced by students are a powerful language learning tool. She observed and interviewed students in an English-language learners (ELL) class. The students had to write stories, create illustrations, and audio-record their narrations of the story to be put up on a designated Web site. The authors discovered that the process of making podcast – which includes writing narrative, selecting or drawing images, selecting sound effects and music, and narrating the story—encourages the ELL students to read more and write more. This multimodality of podcast production allows students to “select from their environments resources that are socially, culturally, and materially available” (p. 491) instead of passively receiving knowledge from their teacher.

Moreover, collaboration among students is evident. The ELL students helped each other when using recording software. They debated about best sound effects. They provided each other suggestions and criticisms on their texts, rhythms of voice, and so on. The podcast time created community of learning that is very much driven by play. Smythe and Neufeld (2010) illustrated as follows:

Through the language play of teasing, Halima and Maya were able to provide Majeed with direct and incisive feedback on fluency, style, and performance in discourse not available to, nor generally considered appropriate for, their teacher. Majeed may not have found this collaborative work particularly playful, even if it did seem to strengthen his resolve to persevere and, in the end, perform a fluent reading of which he was quite proud. (p. 494)

Podcast, therefore, promotes active language learning, not only by helping students with their reading, writing, and speaking, but also by engaging them in authentic tasks and situations that requires the application of language skills they have learned.

Social Networking Sites or SNS, such as Facebook and Twitter, is used in language learning to connect the learners with teachers or native speakers. van Dixhoorn et al (2010) acknowledge that many language learners are connected via social networking platforms created by existing media broadcasters such as Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale (RFI) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). These broadcasters realize that many of their audiences are teachers and students who learn a second language through their news articles. By creating a language community in SNS like Facebook or Twitter, the companies help language learners to connect and interact more conveniently; at the same time, the companies increase their visibility and traffic to their sites.
 * Social Networking Sites (SNS)**

With SNS, there is an increase of mutual learning, where, for instance, an English speaker teaches English to a Spanish-speaking individual in exchange for learning Spanish from him/her. Currently, there are many companies using this model to attract students worldwide. Examples include Babbel, Palabea, Polygot Club, Lingofriends, Busuu, and [|Livemocha]. These sites usually serve to connect the learners and tutors along with offering courses or lessons with fees. Once connected, students can choose to keep in touch through several methods of communication and tools including chat room, skype, email, telephone, or face-to-face communication (van Dixhoorn et al., 2010).

Livemocha is one of the newest SNSs that specifically aim to encourage collaboration among language learners (Harrison & Thomas, 2009). Livemocha was founded in February 2007. The community grows rapidly with approximately 2.5 million registered users thus far (McClure, 2009). Once signed up, a member will be linked to native speakers of the language of choice. The members learn the language by calling upon the native speaker members through voice or text chat. Livemocha also provides lessons of more than 12 languages. The content of these lessons is open for native speakers to add and improve. The native speaking members contribute to grammar tips, vocabulary, slang, and colloquialisms. Harrison and Thomas provided a review of Livemocha’s features as follows (p. 117):


 * 1) Audio comments: members can record voice messages and practice pronunciation;
 * 2) Peer review: users can choose to allow other members to read, review and leave comments for other learners;
 * 3) Group chat sessions: weekly meetings with tutors from Livemocha to ask questions about language learning;
 * 4) Audio podcasts: members receive audio lessons related to the language they are studying
 * 5) Leaderboard feature: members of the SNS can see their position vis-à-vis other students based on their performance on test scores, thus adding an increased motivational and competitive factor to the online community.

SNS then helps connect the language learners with native speakers or tutors. When they are connected, they seek help or tutoring through many available methods of communication and tools suitable to their needs.

** 4. What are key issues we face using Web 2.0 ** ** for language learning? **

While the use of Web 2.0 is hoped to help the acquisition of language through active interaction, research has reported that the rate of interaction and participation is still low. For example, Petersen, Divitini, and Chabert (2008) created a class blog for French language students in Norway before they departed to France. The goal is to maintain the class community and encourage students to share their experience using French in the native location. They reported that only a few students engaged in the class blog, and that the blog failed to build a sense of community. Almeida Soares (2008) also reported similar results from English class in Brazil. Students provided comments on the class blog; but very few have started new topics.
 * Low participation**

Time limitation is found to be a challenge for assignments that require collaboration and peer feedback. In Lee’s (2009) study, for example, American and Spanish-speaking partners have limited interactions and did not actively engage in helping each other as planned. This is due to unmatched time availability between partners. The students also felt that they had no time to provide feedback to their partners because they were too occupied by many other assignments.
 * Time**

While Web 2.0, especially social networking sites, increases the language learners’ socialization, its lack of structure, trained teachers, and reliable content appears to be a great limitation for serious learners. In SNS such as Facebook or Livemocha, students learn many useful aspects about the language through their matched partners or random native speakers. However, those individuals are not trained as language teachers. They may not clarify grammatical rules or explain the use of certain vocabulary words as effectively as professionally-trained teachers (van Dixhoorn et al., 2010). Trying to acquire a second language through Web 2.0 alone then may not be efficient in many respects.
 * Amateur teachers**

** Conclusion **

Because we have just started to utilize Web 2.0 in language learning, there are still many questions and concerns yet to be explored, especially regarding the effectiveness of informal structure and amateur teachers on the web. Nevertheless, Web 2.0 has a lot of potentials to support language learning based upon the philosophy of social constructivism. One major reason is that Web 2.0 tools allow access to world-wide audience. The language learners feel that they have real audience to interact with. They are aware that their blog entries or podcast stories might be read or listened to by audience beyond their teachers and classmates. The effect of real audience motivates the language learners to put more effort into writing and producing their works that in turn helps them to better acquire the language. Moreover, Web 2.0, especially SNSs, allows the language learners to connect to native speakers more easily. When the learners are able to interact with native speakers and have access to authentic linguistic resources, they should be able to better process the information and improve their language proficiency more effectively.

** References **

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Harrison, R., & Thomas, M. (2009). Identity in Online Communities: Social Networking Sites and Language Learning. //International Journal of Emerging Technologies & Society, 7//(2), 109-124. Retrieved July 22, 2011, from EBSCOhost.

Kukulska-Hulme, A., & Shield, L. (2008). An overview of mobile assisted language learning: From content delivery to supported collaboration and insteraction. //ReCALL//, //20//(3), 271-289. Retrieved July 23, 2011 from []

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Matthew, K. I., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. A. (2009). Wiki as a collaborative learning tool in a language arts methods class. //Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42//(1), 51-72.

McClure, M. (2009). Livemocha Creates an Online Language Learning Platform. //Information Today, 26//(8), 10. Retrieved July 22, 2011, from EBSCOhost.

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Smythe, S., & Neufeld, P. (2010). “Podcast time”: Negotiating digital literacies and communities of learning in a middle years ELL classroom. //Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53//(6), 488-496.

van Dixhoorn, L., Loiseau, M., Mangenot, F., Potolia, A., & Zourou, K. (2010). //Language learning: resources and networks//. Study operated by the network - Language learning and social media: 6 key dialogues. Retrieved July 27, 2011 from [].