"Absolutely Intercultural" is Absolutely Fantastic

'Absolutely intercultural!' is a podcast that explores various aspects of cross-cultural communication. Since globalization and continuous advances in technology are bringing different cultures closer together, it is important that teachers and students students develop a sense of multicultural awareness for the purpose of becoming a global citizens. Podcasts like 'absolutely intercultural!' also provide ESL students with an abundant amount of opportunities to sharpen their listening skills and digital literacy skills, in addition to learning about cultures that they find interesting. Depending on the ELLs' level of L2 proficiency, ESL teachers can create worksheets that contain written scaffolding to facilitate ELLs' comprehension while listening to the podcast.

Using 'absolutely intercultural!' as a model, ELLs can also create their own podcasts that describe their native culture(s). The ESL classrooms of today are comprised of students from various diverse cultural backgrounds. Other students in the class who may not be familiar with a particular students culture can then listen to the podcast to learn more about their fellow classmate and where they come from. When ELLs become acquainted with their peers, they are able to feel more comfortable in the L2 classroom, which ultimately facilitates authentic intercultural communication and the acquisition of a second language.

ESL teachers can also use these podcasts as assessments to determine the areas of students oral language production that may need more development. Once ESL teachers identify these areas, they can then adjust their instruction in order to help their students improve their speaking skills.

In Episode 104 of 'absolutely intercultural,' Anne Fox discusses a unique method to English language learning. In the UK, Jason West has developed an approach to English language learning, called 'Language Out There,' that requires students to go out in public and communicate with native English speakers. After having practiced a particular language function in the classroom, the teacher then accompanies students on excursions to places where people are socializing, such as cafes and public squares. The students then tell the native English speakers that they are learning English and would like to ask them a few questions. Most of the time,  native English speakers are very willing to participate in these interactions. According to Jason West, this approach helps to make teaching and learning the English language more relevant to a, "local people, area, and culture." In addition, this approach also provides English language learners with an opportunity to improve their speaking skills and overall language proficiency by communicating with native speakers.

Cross-Cultural Understanding Through ePals

If I were teaching English abroad in China, I would use global communication tools, like ePals, to connect my students with Chinese language learners of the same age in English-speaking countries. I like how ePals provides students from different cultures and parts of the word with opportunities to engage in authentic cross-cultural communication and collaborate on discovery-based learning projects. Global communication tools not only facilitate the language development of all of the parties involved, but they also cultivate a sense of cultural awareness and tolerance that, in turn, promotes both academic and personal growth. I like how global communication tools allow students from different cultural backgrounds to relate to one another, as well as develop a sense of empathy for one another during the language-learning process. In a world where globalization and technology are bringing different cultures closer together, it is fundamental that younger generations learn to appreciate the unique cultural differences that make the world such a dynamic place in which to live.

"Show Me The Photos!"

I used Stupeflix to create a photo show about my trip to Egypt. As a future ESL teacher, I would use phto show tools such as Stupeflix to introduce particular content area topics to my students at the beginning of a new unit. Using a photo show for such a purpose is similar to doing a picture walk with students to familiarize them with what they will be learning in a particular lesson, day, or week. Photo shows allow teachers to provide their students with the comprehensible input necessary to develop complex concepts through language. Students can also use photo shows as a medium for creating presentations on particular topics as well. For example, students can use photo shows to create a presentation about an experiment that they conducted in Science class. On each slide, students can add a picture and corresponding text detailing each stage of their experiment according to the Scientific Method. These are just a few ways in which photo shows can be used in the classroom.

It's All Greek To Me!

Photo by: infrogmation
As a future ESL teacher, I would use my story, "It's All Greek to Me," as an example of a time when I had to adjust to living in a new place and culture. My students will most likely be from other places and cultures, and may have gone through similar experiences when they moved to the United States. It would be an opportunity for me, as a teacher, to relate to my students and have them, in turn, relate to me. I would also have them create digital stories of their own, describing the differences between their native country and the United States. I would have my students present their stories to the class. By presenting their experiences of adjusting to a new culture, as well as listening to the experiences of their peers, students will feel a sense of solidarity when confronted with the challenges of learning a new language and living in a new place. My objectives for this lesson would be:
1. Students will use bookr to write digital narratives
2. Students will orally present their digital narratives to the class
3. Students will listen to the presentations of their peers
4. Students will take part in a class discussion on culture shock

Flickr

Photo by: Rosana Prada

The site,  “The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling,” defines digital storytelling as, “the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories.” Through digital storytelling, teachers and students can add images, audio, and video to create a story about virtually everything. L2 Teachers can use digital storytelling to provide their students with the comprehensible input necessary for their students to understand particular concepts in any of the content areas. For example, ESL teachers can create a digital story as part of a social studies content lesson on the Civil War. By adding photographs of the Battle of Gettysburg and audio recordings of former slaves describing their lives, ESL teachers can use digital stories to bring the Civil War to life for their students. Due to the limitless number of possibilities that digital story telling brings to the L2 classroom, it is important that L2 instructors provide their students with specific criteria and explicit instructions regarding the creation of their stories.

Twitter me this...

In the L2 classroom, teachers can utilize the social networking and microblogging service, Twitter, for a variety of purposes in order to enhance both learning and instruction. As a language teacher, I would integrate Twitter into writing assignments as a great way for students to hone their digital writing skills. The articles “28 Ways Teachers Are Using Twitter” and “Twitter for Academia” both mention how the 140-character limit requires students to be both creative and concise when conveying their intended message to an audience. Students can even write short stories or poems over Twitter, which would allow them to receive real-time feedback from their peers and instructors.

Additionally, Twitter is an excellent medium for language teachers to actively engage students in a Word of the Day. (see "28 Ways teachers Are Using Twitter") L2 teachers can tweet the Word of the Day to their students and require them to send a reply in which they use the word in a sentence. Students can also use the Word while interacting with each other over Twitter. In addition to encouraging students to use the Word of the Day outside of class, L2 teachers can also integrate the word of the day into classroom activities and assignments. Using Twitter to promote the use of a Word of the Day is an excellent way for students to incorporate new words into their vocabulary. 

Be sure to check out the two aforementioned articles for more ways to use Twitter to improve instruction both inside and outside of the classroom. 

2 Thumbs Up for Teacher 2.0

Teacher 2.0 is a space where educators from various different backgrounds can come together to share ideas and discuss ways in which they can improve their instruction by utilizing technology in the classroom. The site is easy to navigate and full of relevant information to accommodate the teacher of the 21^st Century. The site provides a list of related social networking sites, as well as book recommendations to further support teacher who desire to implement the use of technology in the classroom. Although this site is not specifically for L2, it contains an abundance of useful information that could benefit teachers of any discipline. It also doesn’t hurt that it is one of the best-designed social networking sites for teachers that I have come across thus far in my web browsing.