SLA, New Technologies and EAP (7): Socio-affective factors

Questions for reflection/discussion.

SLA theory is not the only criteria for choosing CALL. What other factors should we take into account when integrating new technologies?

How relevant is SLA theory to CALL?

Does psycholinguistics based on (traditional) classroom research have much to say about human-machine interaction or CMC?

Is the Interactional Model of SLA any more than a set of common sense suggestions which is too vague to be of practical use?

Where else can justifications for NT and CALL be found if not in SLA theory?

Does EAP have addition criteria in terms of evaluation and judgement before CALL and NT can be adopted?


I have provided a large number of articles on SLA and new technologies below.

The aim of the section of the module has been to start thinking about the rather obtuse relationship between SLA and new technologies. Many of the connections are unclear and the teacher has to make the connections.

You should be a position now where you can look at a VLE, website, or CD-Rom and begin to sense what potential this technology/material has for SLA.

You should also be aware of just how complex SLA research is and how difficult it is to apply to concrete examples. The problem is that regardless of whether a website/materials/VLE/CD-Rom has a clear and explicit SLA rationale there are, inevitably, underlying assumptions about how students learn a language. If you have to design e-materials you may be tempted to ignore SLA. You do this at your peril – as your (faulty?) assumptions about languages, language learning and acquisition will emerge through the design and pedagogy of your materials.

Returning to the original problem in this section (one of justifying technology through SLA) it should be clear that any claims of improved language acquisition through technology need to be treated critically. Likewise, the sceptic asking for ‘evidence’ in unlikely to obtain unquestionable evidence that software ‘X’ will lead to greater acquisition. We are, perhaps, asking too much of SLA theory, and certainly too much of technology!

Readings:

Technology and second language acquisition CA Chapelle - Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 2008

Reflecting on the cognitive-social debate in second language acquisition D Larsen-Freeman - The Modern Language Journal, 2007

Three Fundamental Concepts in Second Language Acquisition and Their Relevance in Multilingual Contexts C Kramsch, A Whiteside - The Modern Language Journal, 2007

Second Language Use, Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest
Communities and Online Gaming
Revised version (June 15, 2009) of article (forthcoming) for publication in the Modern
Language Journal, volume 93. SL Thorne, RW Black, JM Sykes

Computer assisted second language vocabulary acquisition PJM Groot - Language Learning & Technology, 2000

Network-based Language Teaching R Kern, P Ware, M Warschauer - Encyclopedia of Language and Education, 2008

Mediating Technologies and Second Language Learning Steven L. Thorne

Also have a look at the archives section of Language Learning and Technology Journal for a list of articles on SLA and technology.