Keynote Session at the Asian EFL Journal Virtual Conference 2020

1. 21st century English
learning:
Blending Content, Tasks,
and Technology
Robert J. Dickey
Keimyung University
S. Korea

2. Blending …
•Content
•Tasks
•Technology

3. Blending…

4. Blending…
“Puree”

5. Blending…
“Puree” / “Folding-in” /

6. Blending…
“Puree” / “Folding-in” / “Weaving”

7. Or maybe “bundling” …
or “arranging”
or “weaving strands”

8. 1. Technology
2. Tasks
3. Content
4. Blending these
Order of Discussion

9. Technology

10. Technology
•The promise of Technology

11. Technology
•The promise of Technology

12. Technology
•The promise of Technology

13. Adoption of Technology

14. Adoption of Technology

15. Adoption of Technology

16. Adoption of Technology

17. Adoption of Technology

18. “Technocentric trap” (Papert, 1987)

19. “Technocentric trap” (Papert, 1987)
•Too often use of technology
because
“students want it”

20. “Technocentric trap” (Papert, 1987)
•Too often use of technology
because
“students want it”
entertainment value
(to students and/or the instructor)

21. “Technocentric trap” (Papert, 1987)
•Too often use of technology
because
“students want it”
entertainment value
(to students and/or the instructor)
OR – We paid for this,
let’s use it.

22. “Technocentric trap” (Papert, 1987)
•Too often use of technology
because
“students want it”
entertainment value
(to students and/or the instructor)
OR – We paid for this,
let’s use it.
… are we
“Chained to tech”?

23. Tech as Tool, not Toy
•Too many conference presentations
touting the next great thing

24. Tech as Tool, not Toy
•Look at the “Why?” instead of just
the “What?

25. The Social Aspects of Tech

26. What is a “task”?

27. What is a “task”?

28. What is a “task”?
•Doing for a purpose

29. What is a “task”?
•Doing for a purpose
“learning English”

30. What is a “task”?
•Doing for a purpose
“learning English”

31. What is a “task”?
•Doing for a purpose
“learning English”
(“exercise” / “activity”)

32. What is a “task”?
•Doing for a purpose
“learning English”
As part of a
(language)
learning
process…

33. TBLT= Too Many Prescriptions

34. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1.
2.
3.
4.

35. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Or, what is it not?

36. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1. Not just an activity or exercise
2.
3.
4.

37. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1. Not just an activity or exercise
2. Not just language practice
3.
4.

38. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1. Not just an activity or exercise
2. Not just language practice
3. Not “teaching time”
4.

39. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1. Not just an activity or exercise
2. Not just language practice
3. Not “teaching time”
4. Intimately connected to current
learning objectives (i.e., this is a
content/language learning classroom)

40. What is a “task”?
(descriptively)
1. Not just an activity or exercise
2. Not just language practice
3. Not “teaching time”
4. Intimately connected to current
learning objectives (i.e., this is a
content/language learning classroom)
• Technology-based tasks?

41. “Content”

42. “Content”
Content + Language

43. Content + Language
Using content to learn English (CBLT)
(CBLL?)

45. Content + Language
Using content to learn English (CBLT)
•“content-driven” (hard, strong content)
•“language-driven” (soft, weak content)

46. Content + Language
Using content to learn English (CBLT)
• “content-driven” -- content pre-selected
 content determines language points
 Course title may indicate “content” selection?

47. Content + Language
Using content to learn English (CBLT)
• “content-driven” -- content pre-selected
 content determines language points
 Course title may indicate “content” selection?
• “language-driven” -- content selected by
language instructor (& students?)
 language aims determine content selection?
 language aims determine content use?

48. Content + Language
Using content to learn English (CBLT)
•“content-driven” -- content pre-selected
 content determines language points
 Course title may indicate “content” selection?
•“language-driven” -- content (pre)selected
by language instructor (& students?)
 language aims determine content selection?
 language aims determine content use?
•“sustained content” -- common “content-
field” for all content materials in the course?

53. Best practice lessons include

54. CBLT Framework
•Constructing a content-
enriched (content-enhanced)
lesson plan
from the paper at
http://www.content-
english.org/data/dickey-ei.pdf

55. CBLT Framework
1. Identify the specific course & group of students to teach.
2. Identify the content to be utilized.
3. Identify why the students should care.
4. Identify the specific “teaching point(s).”
5. Develop/locate an exemplar text.
6. Design student responses to the text. (TASKs?)
7. Students check their own work, and that of their peers?
8. Students create new stories, new endings, and tell the
stories to groupmates?
9. Groupwork?
10. Testing (Assessment).

56. Blending

57. Blending
•“weaving” content, tasks, &
technology

58. Blending
•“weaving” content, tasks, &
technology
•CAUTIONS:
Flow & Cognitive Load
(presumed) student interest
teacher workload
concerns from the “content
specialist” (colleagues?)
technology…

59. Flow…

61. Topics of Interest?
•Never satisfy everyone
•Duration?
Topical / thematic
Task-driven?

62. Workload

63. Colleagues???
•Specialists
•Turf-wars
•Team-teaching, or adjuncts?

64. Technology
•Not always our “friend”
•Plan “B”

65. Conclusion(s)???
•Learner Interest is paramount
•Technology is a tool, like a
chalkboard
•Language Learning is more
than language teaching

66. Hope this is
helpful…
https://www.slideshare.net/RobertDickey
Rob Dickey
Keimyung University
(S. Korea)
robertjdickey@yahoo.com