Wikipedia for Language Learning Collaborative Learning

Wikipedia and Wikitravel for language learning Read, edit & create content Relevant to students’ lives Focus on accuracy & quality

Read, edit & create content

Relevant to students’ lives

Focus on accuracy & quality

What are Wikipedia and Wikitravel? Collaboratively created information sources Anyone can add or change content Wiki-based technology Wikipedia = encyclopedia Wikitravel = travel guidebook

Collaboratively created information sources

Anyone can add or change content

Wiki-based technology

Wikipedia = encyclopedia

Wikitravel = travel guidebook

Why is Wikipedia interesting? Content relates to students’ lives Students gain an online voice Wikipedia is a household name & familiar to most students Simple to use

Content relates to students’ lives

Students gain an online voice

Wikipedia is a household name & familiar to most students

Simple to use

How can we use it for language learning? Reading Wikipedia Editing Wikipedia Writing new content

Reading Wikipedia

Editing Wikipedia

Writing new content

I. Reading Wikipedia Source of information Discussion ("Talk") pages See debate behind main text Consider editorial processes Language of disagreement and discussion

Source of information

Discussion ("Talk") pages

See debate behind main text

Consider editorial processes

Language of disagreement and discussion

II. Editing Wikipedia Edit content Correct factual errors Correct gramatical / spelling mistakes Discuss how informatin is created Bias in information Reliability of information

Edit content

Correct factual errors

Correct gramatical / spelling mistakes

Discuss how informatin is created

Bias in information

Reliability of information

III. Writing Content Create new articles or paragraphs Topics according to students’ expertise Wikitravel articles about home town Individual or group projects “ Simple English” Wikipedia for English learners

Create new articles or paragraphs

Topics according to students’ expertise

Wikitravel articles about home town

Individual or group projects

“ Simple English” Wikipedia for English learners

Appropriate Pedagogies Task-based learning Reading, writing and researching tasks Dogme language teaching Content generates emergent language Conversations about bias, reliability etc

Task-based learning

Reading, writing and researching tasks

Dogme language teaching

Content generates emergent language

Conversations about bias, reliability etc

Find Out More… Learn more about Wikipedia and Wikitravel in language learning... www.avatarlanguages.com/teaching/wikipedia.php

Learn more about

Wikipedia and Wikitravel

in language learning...

www.avatarlanguages.com/teaching/wikipedia.php

Who Are We? An online language school, offering… … one-to-one language classes English Spanish Other languages www.avatarlanguages.com

An online language school, offering…

… one-to-one language classes

English

Spanish

Other languages

www.avatarlanguages.com