Reading Prompt VIII

What are some of the technologies used for CMC? What are some of the promising features of CMC for language learning. Comment on any of your uses of these technologies, in particular if you have used any of them for language learning or practice purposes. Finally, comment on the findings of Dr. Sauro's research, and what the implications may be for future practice.

Some of the technologies used for CMC include chat rooms, emails, mailing list, MOOs, message boards, and live conferencing. I have done quite a bit of emailing in my time as an informal way of practicing an L2. When I think about it, emailing has been one of the big reasons I have been able to have some success learning L2s. All of my emailing was done infomally, but it ended up being a big help to me. I am one of those kind of language learners that needs to see the language and think about for hours and days before it sinks in. I like having the time to look things up in a dictionary or check a grammar point to make sure it is right. Emailing was the best way for me to practice an L2, and in the end I found it allowed me to advance to actual conversation in an L2.

Dr. Sauro's research has implications for feedback and utilizing it using SCMC. It really seems to have a lot to do what I mentioned above about how language learners (like myself) benefit from feedback. Dr. Sauros's research focused on chat and compared types of feedback used in that setting. It showed that we haven't figured out the best way to do handle feedback there, but it does provide a direction to go with future research (finding the best way to do it). For now, as language teachers we must continue to keep in mind learners level, how feedback is structured, and how it effects learners over a period of time. It has big implications on us as educators, because I believe we will be "CALL"ed upon to do this type of thing more and more.