Activity based on GPS use in French language courses

1. A Fresh Approach for Engaging Students
Rosa Hong
Language Studies
University of Toronto Mississauga
WEFLA 2014
APRIL, 23-25/2014
HOLGUÍN-CUBA

2. 1. Background, pedagogies and constraints
2. Activity : preparation and process
3. Outcomes – mine and theirs
4. After 2 years

3. Google Earth as Language Learning Tool
Untoursblog.com

4. Constraints
1. Communicative approach - Transmission to
Transformation – evolution in second/foreign
language teaching and learning
2. Expectations – academic skills and transferable
skills - students’ competencies levels
3. Real classroom – size, frequency, academic and
economic status related to students engagement and
motivation
4. FSL205 – heterogene nature, 1st
or 2nd
years,
experience in French learning, discrepency in needs
and goals

5. UTM Library Staff
“Boundless GPS”
Orienteering
Event

6. Pedagogies
Communicative Language Teaching ¹
- activities that involve real communication are essential for
language learning
- activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful
tasks promote learning
- language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning
process
Task-Based Language Learning
D. Nunan defines task as <a piece of classroom work which
involves learner in comprehending, manipulating, producing or
interacting in the target language while their attention is
principally focused on meaning rather than form.>²
1. Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, New York, Cambridge University
Press, 2001, p. 223
2. David Nunan, Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 10

7. Activité de l’orientation
My Learning Outcomes (prior to the task)
1. Language learning
 4 fundamentals: listening, speaking, reading and writing
 Practicing French in an authentic conversational contexts
2. Geo-literacy
 Use of geographical references (i.e. map reading and making)
3. Library Use
 Knowledge and skills on Library use (basic research skills)
 Bringing skills on Library use into language learning courses
4. Transferable skills
 Collaboration
 Problem-solving skills
 Time management
 Learning about UTM campus plan
 First-year students intergration - identity and sense of belonging (ribbon)

8. Preparation
 Team discussion
 Translation of GPS guides
 Creation of Youtube videos on Library use : how to find a
book by its title, etc.
 Activity instruction
 Passport
- Reflection
- Author list
 Pre-test on
- library information
- geo-literacy
- French language proficiency : former FSL 105-106 students,
new students, etc.
Activité de l’orientation

9. Activité de l’orientation

10. Preparation
 scripts, translation, and video creation for book searching
Activité de l’orientation

11. Activity - Visit to FSL205 class – playing with device
Let the race begin!
Activité de l’orientation

12. Activity process
Mark the posts
Go to the Library
Search for an author
Activité de l’orientation

13. Borrow a book from the Library
Win the game
Reflection on learning outcomes – in French
Activité de l’orientation

14. Activité de l’orientation
--Feedback (Students)
1) In your opinion, what would be learning
outcomes of this task?
Library use (16/21)
Language practice (14)
Collaboration (13)
Use of GPS and GE (9)
Familiarization with campus plan (5)
Following instruction (2)
Communication skills (1)
Benefiting a creative activity (1)

15. 3) Which part of the task did you appreciate the most?
 1. GPS and GE use (7)
 2. Library use (7)
 3. Collaboration (3)
 4. Finding posts to mark (2)
 5. Leaning French (2)
 6. Being outside (1)
4) Which part of the task did you appreciate the least?
 1. Being outside, having to run (8)
 2. finding books (hard work) (3)
 3. losing competition (2)
 4. ribbon color (2)
 5. collaboration (members who don’t follow instructions -1)
 6. carrying bag (1)
 7. nothing (1)
 8. reading (1)
Activité de l’orientation
--Feedback (Students)

16. 7) You took part in a pedagogical task based on naturalistc and task-
based language learning. While focusing on a task to do in French,
the activity allows you to learn and practice French in more
naturalistic and intuitive way. In your opinion, did the activity
achieve that goal?
Yes (20 – interactive, vocabulary in context, different context, fun)
No (1 – members communicated in English – same group where
following instructions became an issue – one particular student who
doesn’t listen. )
Irrelevant answer (1)
8) Other than language practice, what did you learn – on a personal
level – from the participation?
1. students appreciate collaboration and interaction (8)
2. realized that they manage the language better than they thought (5)
3. learned to better communicate in French (4)
4. that the collaboration is difficult (2)
5. became aware of their own language level (2)
6. learned to borrow books using library catalogue (2)
7. liked to learn to use Google Earth (1)
Activité de l’orientation
--Feedback (Students)

17. 2) What did you learn the most in this task? Circle all
appropriate answers.
Library use (15),
Collaboration (13),
Technology use (13),
French (10)
Others – vocabulary and knowledge on campus plan
6) In your personal opinion, learning to use GPS and Google
Earth was it interesting or even useful? Why or why not?
Yes (21)
Very interesting and useful (8)
First time user – new experience (5)
Will not use it again (4)
Geographic reference`s visualization (1)
Activité de l’orientation
--Feedback (Students)

18. Comparaison of Two Learning Outcomes
Presenter’ learning outcomes Students’ proposition (21)
Language Learning:
1. 4 fundamental skills*
2. Language practice
Library use (16)
Geo-literarcy
1.Use of geographical references (i.e.
map reading and making
2.Use of GPS device and Google Earth
Language practice (14)
Library Use
1.Knowledge and skills on Library use
2.Basic research skills
Collaboration (13)
Transferable skills
1.Collaboration
2.Problem-solving skills
3.Time management
4.Learning about UTM campus plan
5.First-year students intergration
Use of GPS and GE (9)
Familiarization with campus plan (5)
Following instruction (2)
*Communication skills (1)
Benefiting a creative activity (1)

19.
Activité de l’orientation
1. Evaluation issues : how to evaluate such tasks or activities?
2. How to measure success?
3. citating Kohonen (1992), Nunan sums that “[experiential learning]
facilitates personal growth, that it helps learners adapt to social
change, that it takes into account differences in learning ability, and
that it is responsive both to learner needs and practical pedagogical
considerations *
2 years after
 Same group of students in FSL466 Advanced Writing course –
language of business
 Work habit patterns emerged from the activity resurfaced when given
a group project
• David Nunan, Second Language Teaching & Learning, Boston, Heinle $ Heinle, p.6

20. Comments and suggestions/what will we do next time
j.hong@utoronto.ca
Thank you
Merci
Gracias