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During the chat

First hand out worksheets, which your learners will need to complete during the chat itself. Note that each partner has a slightly different worksheet, with Worksheet A for learners in Class A and Worksheet B for learners in Class B (see opposite).

Note that these sample worksheets can easily be changed to reflect adult interests for low language level adult classes, and questions can be added (or removed), or more open questions set for higher levels. Learners text chat to their partner in the other class, and make notes on their worksheets. Writing notes and text chatting at the same time can be distracting, so an option here is to allow learners to simply chat, asking the questions on their worksheet, then ensure that their chat scripts are saved. Each learner can then print out their chat script and complete the worksheet from that, once the chat is finished.

After the chat

Each learner now has information about an individual in the other class, and can draw up a profile of that individual. This can be in the form of a written text or a grid, and ideally should include a digital photo of the learner. These profiles can then be displayed in the classroom separately or on a large poster, and digital photos of the profiles can be taken and emailed to the other class. Or the information collated could even be used to create a learner profile in an inter-class blog (see Chapter 7). Learners in Class A could be asked to decide whose profile from Class B is closest to their own: in other words, who is most like them.

A summary of issues on using text and/or voice chat with learners

• Try the software out in the computer room with the class before setting up the 'real' chat. This enables learners to become familiar with the chat program, with using chat itself, and for any technical limitations - such as bandwidth being too narrow to effectively use voice chat - to become apparent in advance. This is also a chance to introduce and practise any netiquette conventions and communication skills.

When using chat between your class and a class in another country, allow them to first make contact with the other class, for example via a blogs project or email, before getting them to use chat. Making contact can include exchanging basic personal information and digital photos in advance. This way learners will have fewer insecurities about talking to 'total strangers' online, a challenge even in one's native language.

• Set a clear task, or series of tasks, for the chat, so that learners are not left wondering what to chat about.

• Ensure that it is clear to learners what the purpose of using chat is. As we mentioned earlier, there is not much point using chat if the learners involved are perfectly able to talk face-to-face! Using text or voice chat with the same class all together in the computer room is fine for trying out the software and becoming familiar with chat, but the use of chat will be far more effective if it mimics real life and is used to connect people who are geographically far apart. Most effective of all is integrating chat into a wider project between classes or countries, which also uses other ICT tools such as blogs, wikis or podcasting.



• The ideal group size for a text or voice chat is small! The bigger the group the harder it is for participants to contribute, and for the moderator to keep things on track - and this is especially true of text chat. For us, an ideal group size is about 6 to 8 people for text chat, and 3 to 5 people for voice chat. Some chat software, such as the chat functions found in certain Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), have break-out rooms for text chat. This means that a large group of users in a text chat can be put into smaller groups, and each group sent to a separate chat room. The moderator/teacher is then free to move between the rooms and monitor the chats.

• Record the chat. Most text chat programs will allow you to log (record) the text conversation as a transcript, which can then be used for analysis and/or a reminder of the content/topics covered in the chat. Some voice chat programs also allow recording, with the chat recorded as an audio file. Recording chats, whether text or voice, is useful for learners who are not able to attend a chat, as they can read or listen to the chat later in their own time. Recording chats also makes the whole experience less ephemeral, and provides a basis via the transcript or audio recording for later language analysis.

• Have a contingency plan! If your school's Internet connection is down, or for any reason you are prevented from being able to use the computer equipment, ensure that you have a backup plan to do something else with your learners!

 

Lecture#7


Date: 2014-12-22; view: 1144


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