Dr. Karthik Deepa

Language Learning in Virtual worlds Virtual worlds  date back to the adventure games and simulations of the 1970s, for example  Colossal Cave Adventure , a text-only simulation in which the user communicated with the computer by typing commands at the keyboard. Language teachers discovered that it was possible to exploit these text-only programs by using them as the basis for discussion. Jones G. (1986) describes an experiment based on the Kingdom simulation, in which learners played roles as members of a council governing an imaginary kingdom. A single computer in the classroom was used to provide the stimulus for discussion, namely simulating events taking place in the kingdom: crop planting time, harvest time, unforeseen catastrophes, etc. [60] The early adventure games and simulations led on to multi-user variants, which were known as  MUDs  (Multi-user domains). Like their predecessors, MUDs were text-only, with the difference that they were available to a...

Mobile-assisted language learning  ( MALL ) is language learning that is assisted or enhanced through the use of a handheld mobile device. MALL is a subset of both Mobile Learning ( m-learning ) and  computer-assisted language learning  (CALL). MALL has evolved to support students’ language learning with the increased use of mobile technologies such as mobile phones (cellphones),  MP3  and  MP4  players,  PDAs  and devices such as the  iPhone  or  iPad . With MALL, students are able to access language learning materials and to communicate with their teachers and peers at any time, anywhere. History 1980s Twarog and Pereszlenyi Pinter used telephones to provide distant language learners with feedback and assistance. 1990s Instructors at  Brigham Young University -Hawaii taught a  distance education English course from Hawaii to Tonga via telephone and computer (Green, Collier, & Evans, 2001) 2000s...

Human Language Technologies Human Language Technologies (HLT) comprise a number of areas of research and development that focus on the use of technology to facilitate communication in a multilingual information society. Human language technologies are areas of activity in departments of the European Commission that were formerly grouped under the heading  language engineering  (Gupta & Schulze 2011: Section 1.1). [73] The parts of HLT that is of greatest interest to the language teacher is  natural language processing  (NLP), especially  parsing , as well as the areas of  speech synthesis  and  speech recognition . Speech synthesis has improved immeasurably in recent years. It is often used in electronic dictionaries to enable learners to find out how words are pronounced. At word level, speech synthesis is quite effective, the artificial voice often closely resembling a human voice. At phrase level and sentence level, however, there a...

Language teaching methodologies Listed below are brief summaries of some of the more popular second language teaching methods of the last half century. For a more detailed analysis of the different methods, see  Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching  Richards, J. and Rodgers, T (1986) CUP Cambridge. The Direct Method In this method the teaching is done entirely in the target language. The learner is not allowed to use his or her mother tongue. Grammar rules are avoided and there is emphasis on good pronunciation. [ More ] Grammar-translation Learning is largely by translation to and from the target language. Grammar rules are to be memorized and long lists of vocabulary learned by heart. There is little or no emphasis placed on developing oral ability. [ More ] Audio-lingual The theory behind this method is that learning a language means acquiring habits. There is much practice of dialogues of every situations. New language is first heard and extensively ...

In second language acquisition , error analysis studies the types and causes of language errors . Errors are classified according to: modality (i.e., level of proficiency in speaking, writing , reading , listening ) linguistic levels (i.e., pronunciation , grammar , vocabulary , style ) form (e.g., omission, insertion, substitution) type (systematic errors/errors in competence vs. occasional errors/errors in performance) cause (e.g., interference , interlanguage ) norm vs. system Methodology Error analysis in SLA was established in the 1960s by Stephen Pit Corder and colleagues. [2] Error analysis (EA) was an alternative to contrastive analysis , an approach influenced by behaviorism through which applied linguists sought to use the formal distinctions between the learners' first and second languages to predict errors. Error analysis showed that contrastive analysis was unable to predict a great majority of errors, although its more valuable aspects have been in...

The Teaching Portfolio Definition, Purposes, and Form The Teaching Portfolio is best thought of as a documented statement of a faculty member's teaching responsibilities, philosophy, goals and accomplishments as a teacher. It is a flexible document, and can be used in a number of ways, depending upon the needs and interests of the faculty member. It can be an extensive collection of information, or something much more compact and limited. Below, the basic structure of a teaching portfolio, one that can be adjusted to suit the needs of any department or faculty member, is presented. Basic Teaching Portfolio There are three major parts in the basic portfolio:  1. Teaching responsibilities What I did. This section is typically a list with a bri...