Homework in EFL: The Final Frontier?

HOMEWORK… Paul Maglione The Final Fron4er? EFL and Out-‐of-‐the-‐Classroom Learning IATEFL 2011 16 April 2011

EdTech Applied to EFL Ohura The past 10 years or so have seen an explosion of interest in the use of technology in the EFL classroom: from IWB’s to Blogs, TwiEer, Podcast, Moodle, and Mobile. EdTech in the EFL classroom, in short, is sexy.

EdTech Applied EdTech Applied to to EFL EFL Homework Ohura Klingon Sexy Not sexy When it comes to topic of homework in EFL, however, the enthusiasm fades. No one seems interested. It’s just not sexy.

Yet surely there is a disconnect here. We know that learners spend 98% of their Rme outside of the classroom. We also know that learners are integraRng technology into virtually every aspect of their lives, from communicaRon to entertainment, to, yes, educaRon.

In the past 40 years we’ve seen huge, tectonic shiTs in the way we think about EFL: from Grammar TranslaRon all the way to the current thinking about how to best implement the CommunicaRve and Lexical approaches that we’ve adopted more recently.

In terms of classroom approaches, too, we’ve evolved from textbook-‐driven, teacher-‐centric teaching to task-‐based learning, pairs and group work, learning games, physical movement, music, roleplay, and other great techniques.

As soon as learners step outside the classroom, however, they’re mostly on their own. At best, they might get assigned pages in a workbook or a vague suggesRon that they “read an arRcle in English.”

Trying to ﬁnd useful pedagogical theory, academic work, or case studies on the subject of EFL Homework turns up very liEle informaRon.

Speciﬁci4es of Homework •  Tasks assigned to learners for compleRon during non-‐ classroom hours •  Invades the personal, “home” domain of the learner •  The academic task subject to more external inﬂuences than any other •  CORRELATED WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Speciﬁci4es of Homework in ESL/EFL? The few academic papers on the subject of Homework speciﬁcally applied to EFL conclude that it is very useful in reinforcing the following crucial learning skills: •  Learner Autonomy •  Individualized Learning •  Mo4va4on

The Challenge Homework 2.0 So we really should be ﬁguring out how to bring Homework into the fold of useful EFL approaches we now consider as beneﬁcial for language learning.

The Obstacles Let’s start by invesRgaRng the obstacles….WHY homework doesn’t play the role it should in EFL.

First: technology, or the lack of it unRl now. Very diﬃcult to foster autonomy, exploraRon and moRvaRon with linear and mostly uninspiring materials like textbooks and workbooks.

I’m telling you, the No, no, it’s an only purpose can be opportunity for to consolidate what explora4on and is learned in class. self-‐learning! Secondly, there has long been a schism between those who see homework as a “consolidaRng” tacRc for classroom lessons; and those who see homework as “something else,” i.e. complementary to the classroom experience but with its own unique role in the language learning process.

Third, homework is tricky for teachers because it’s unpopular with learners.

By its very nature, assigned homework is at a huge disadvantage compared to what is is compeRng with in the home: relax Rme, television, and, especially for teens and young adults: internet, music and mobile texRng. ,

Fourth, unRl now the creaRon, monitoring and marking of homework has implied signiﬁcantly adding to the teacher’s workload.

The Obstacles Debate re: Role of Homework Unpopularity Workload Technology not ripe yet So how does web 2.0 technology allow us to surmount these hurdles?

Web 2.0 plaeorms allow homework to be presented in a much more dynamic, interacRve, mulRmedia, non-‐linear format.

ConsolidaRon Autonomy Rules! Rocks! The issue of the appropriate role of homework, however, remains.

What is the correct role of EFL homework? Sports InstrucRon analogy: a tennis instructor takes you through the mechanical movements you need to master the backhand stroke.

How to best consolidate that instrucRon? Not by repeaRng the instrucRon steps by yourself.. but by playing tennis for fun and starRng to use your backhand more regularly, even if imperfectly at ﬁrst.

How can technology transform the “Unpopularity” obstacle? Not by retaining the look & feel of classroom instrucRon.

Music Rather, News web 2.0 enables us to make Movies homework look and feel a lot more like things that learners Friends already enjoy Games doing at home.

Learning Chore Challenge

English Intermediate B2 Even compliance monitoring and feedback by the teacher can be transformed by adopRng a points / scores / badges approach rather than grades or marks.

Even beEer, web 2.0 homework allows homework to spill over into the classroom, rather than just the other way around.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Xtranormal Make your own 3D movies with text-‐to-‐voice For example: have learners create a scripted dialogue, like a re-‐creaRon of something funny that happened to them.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Voicethread Show & tell using videos, photos and avatars For example: ask learners to visually document a day in their lives, from morning to evening, and comment on the photos.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Lino It Use online sRckies to make a collaboraRve brainstorming wall For example: use Lino It to generate ideas for a class ouRng.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Glogster Poster-‐making tool For example: have small groups of learners create a poster on an assigned theme, like preserving wildlife habitat.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Zimmer Twins Simple cartoon-‐ making resource For example: use Zimmer Twins to have learners create their own funcRonal language situaRons, like ordering food in a restaurant.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Bubblr Create commented “photo strips” from Flickr content For example: have small groups of learners capRon idenRcal photo strips, and then compare& discuss the strips to illustrate the concept of creaRvity.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: Fotobabble Post a photo and provide audio comment For example: have learners upload their favorite digital snap, and provide commentary as to why it is their preferred photo.

EFL Homework 2.0 Resources: English A^ack! Entertainment-‐ focused exposure & community EFL site for teens and young adults For example: have learners play the Video Booster of the Day and come to class prepared to guess what happened next.

English AEack! -‐ English 2.0 Videors Photo Vocabs The only EFL Booste out-‐of-‐classroom Interac4ve Thema4c video-‐based visual learning plaeorm exercises dic4onaries designed speciﬁcally for teenagers and young adults. Pedagogical principles are explained at Prac4ce Games blog.english-‐aEack.com Global Community Learning & Global social network of drill games learners of English

In conclusion: I Homework is a currently neglected but poten4ally transforma4onal tool in ESL/EFL If ac4ve learning is central to language acquisiRon, then selng eﬀecRve and moRvaRng homework should be a key skill for ESL / EFL teachers

In conclusion: II Homework reinforces precisely those learning skills that are diﬃcult to develop in class: •  Learner Autonomy •  Individualized Learning •  Mo4va4on

In conclusion: III Online technology allows us to blast EFL homework directly from the 19th to the 21st Century. It can now be made appealing for learners as well as pragma4c for teachers

In conclusion: IV EFL Homework can be a “third (communica4ve) place” alongside the classroom and the home. Encourage learners to make links between the classroom and communica4ve opportuni4es outside of it.

For more ideas and informa4on: TeachertrainingVideos.com Nik’s Quick Shout #eﬂ #esl #elt #edtech #iateﬂ #tesol #eltchat

Concluding thought: with technology, Nothing Is Impossible Captain Kirk and Bones demonstrate the iPad 9 they have brought back from Rme travel into the 2020s to teach Klingon teenagers proper Starship Command English.

Homework: the final fron4er? IATEFL Brighton, 2011 Web: www.english-‐aâck.com Blog: h^p://blog.english-‐aâck.com Slideshare: h^p://www.slideshare.net/EnglishAâck E-‐mail: paul.maglione@english-‐aâck.com LinkedIn: Paul Maglione Twiêr: @paulmaglione

Homework in EFL: The Final Frontier?

by English Attack! on Apr 18, 2011

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Homework in EFL: The Final Frontier? — Presentation Transcript