Materials Development in Three Italian CALL Projects
Seeking an Optimal Mix Between In-Class and Out-Of-Class Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.27.3.529-539Keywords:
Materials Development, Out-Of-Class CALL, Role of the Teacher, ItalianAbstract
This paper considers the design and development of CALL materials with the aim of achieving an optimal mix between in-class and out-of-class learning in the context of teaching Italian at an Australian university. The authors discuss three projects in relation to the following themes: (a) conceptions of the in-class/out-of-class relationship, (b) pedagogical motivations for out-of-class CALL materials development, (c) the nature of the language-learning materials required for different technologies, and (d) the concomitant demands on the language-teacher-developer. The three projects are: (a) Italia oggi, a videodisc-based facility for self-access work with television news; (b) the Italian SMS project, a mobile learning project using bulk text messaging; and (c) La mensa, a class blog designed to support reading and writing practice. The paper concludes that our conceptions of CALL materials development--and the role of the teacher-as-materials-developer--need to be revised and extended in line with the diverse range of technologies currently in use. This has major implications for teacher education and learner training and CALL.
References
Breen, M. P., Candlin, C. N., & Waters, A. (1979). Communicative materials design: Some basic principles. RELC Journal, 10, 1-13.
Ducate L., & Lomicka, L. (2008). Adventures in the blogosphere: From blog readers to blog writers. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21, 9-28.
Fellner, T., & Apple, M. (2006). Developing writing fluency and lexical complexity with blogs. The JALT CALL Journal, 2, 15-26.
Hope, G. R., Taylor, H. F., & Pusack, J. P. (1984). Using computers in teaching foreign languages. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.
Kennedy, C., & Levy, M. (2008). L’italiano al telefonino: Using SMS to support beginners’ language learning. ReCALL, 20, 315-330.
Kennedy, C., Miceli, T., & Visocnik Murray, S. (1995). Italia oggi: A multimedia window on contemporary Italy. On-CALL, 9(2), 2-10.
Levy, M., & Kennedy, C. (2005). Learning Italian via mobile SMS. In A. Kukulska-Hulme & J. Traxler (Eds.), Mobile learning: A handbook for educators and trainers. London: Routledge.
Levy, M., & Stockwell, G. (2006). CALL dimensions: Options and issues in computer assisted language learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum & Associates.
Miceli, T., & Kennedy, C. (2000). CALL in a communicative context: A study of students’ conversation at a multimedia workstation. Babel, 35, 18-23.
Miceli, T., & Visocnik Murray, S. (2008, October). What’s cooking: Language, food and blogs in the foreign language classroom. Paper presented at the conference of the Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Queensland, “Languages Matter,” Gold Coast, Australia.
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pusack, J. P. (1999). The Kontakte multimedia project at the University of Iowa. CALICO Journal, 17, 25-42.
