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difference. The latter technique gives adult
learners another chance and tells them that
they are capable of self-correction, while the
former technique carries the message “You do
not meet our requirements.” Such a message
can also be communicated when the teacher
answers her own questions before students can
do so they, a very common classroom practice.
It is not surprising that weak students, who
need more positive feedback than their more
proficient classmates, get less time (and
teacher’s patience) to answer than high
achievers in the class. They are just ignored by
the teacher.
Adult learners are also judgmental when
they express their approval or disapproval,
show impatience, or mock one another. The
teacher can control this behavior; as in many
cases, it reveals in a competitive classroom
atmosphere. If the teacher eliminates or mini-
mizes competition for the sake of collabora-
tion, there will be fewer opportunities for
judgmental behavior by classmates. All the
sneers, giggles, and snide remarks manifested
by the show-off and aimed at winning teacher
approval are out of place if the teacher makes
it clear that students are expected to work to-
gether toward a common goal.
Adult learners may feel isolated if they
are made to feel anonymous. Teachers should
use students’ names when eliciting and asking
questions [6]. Every student in the classroom
is a person first, with a family, hobbies, likes,
and dislikes. It is the task of the teacher to
tactfully enquire about those areas of the stu-
dent’s life and to get other students interested
in them.
Feeling isolated may also be caused by
feeling disregarded. Very often teachers tend
to have their favorite students. Their favorit-
ism is manifested in classrooms mainly by
inconsistent error correction and unfair distri-
bution of turns. The best-liked students have
more opportunities to speak and their errors
are often disregarded.
Students may also feel isolated if they
feel deserted by the teacher - left on their own
in a classroom where no assistance is received
from the teacher. Furthermore, adult learners
have every reason to feel isolated if, in addi-
tion, they find that learning a foreign language
is reduced to drills and has no connection to
real life situations.
The feeling of being alone among one’s
adult learners is not uncommon in highly terri-
torial classrooms in which students never want
to change their seats or switch conversation
partners. Thus, peer favoritism, with manifes-
tations similar to teacher favoritism, can con-
tribute to feelings of isolation.
The arrangement of desks can also cre-
ate or contribute to isolation inside the class-
room. If students do not face one another, or if
someone has a place that does not allow eye
contact with the teacher and fellow students,
feelings of not belonging will grow.
The failure to manage classroom dis-
course is the main reason students sometimes
feel they are being deprived of control. When
turn stealing replaces turn taking such feelings
can occur. If a student is always late to answer
a general solicit and personal solicits directed
to him are frequently appropriated by others,
the student will feel he lacks control over his
role in classroom interaction. Similar feelings
may occur if group members are not willing to
listen to one another, openly show lack of in-
terest, or interrupt the speaker. The teacher’s
explanations, if unclear or unsatisfactory, may
lead to comparable frustration, and the learn-
ers feel they have no control over the language
as a system. Finally, the feeling of loss of con-
trol may be caused by a domineering, control-
ling teacher, who leaves students feeling that
they have no influence over what is going on
in the classroom.
A fourth aspect of the inhibiting lan-
guage classroom has to do with feeling unwor-
thy. If a course is held in sub-standard prem-
ises and taught by an unqualified teacher, stu-
dents may subconsciously assume, “I get what
I deserve.” In other words, if students receive
substandard teaching, then they are likely to
believe they are substandard learners.
There is a wrong statement that adult
learners who feel anxious during the process
of learning a foreign language cannot succeed
in mastering languages. However, comparing
such students with more successful learners A.
Turula discovered that it is much harder for
anxious adult learners to achieve success in
this sphere [11].
Thus, a teacher should take into consid-
eration all psychological characteristics of
adults to make the process of learning for an
adult learner much easier. An adult learner
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wants the learning process to meet all his ex-
pectations. Theoretical material should be
given briefly and effectively. The content of
texts and exercises should raise his interest.
The methods, on the one hand, should coin-
cide his ability to perceive the knowledge con-
sciously, and on the other hand, to provide an
active and cheery lesson after an intense work-
ing day.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Вербицкая Н.О. Образование взрослых
на основе их жизненного (витагенного)
опыта. // Педагогика – 2002 - №6 – с.14-
19.
2. Змеев С.И. Основы андрагогики: Учеб-
ное пособие для вузов.: М.: Флинта:
Наука, 1999. – 152 с.
3. Колкер Я.М., Устинова Е.С. Практиче-
ская методика обучения иностранному
языку. М.: Академия, 2000.
4. Кулюткин Ю.Н. Психология обучения
взрослых. М., 1985.
5. Степанова Е.И. Психология взрослых:
экспериментальная акмеология. - СПб.,
2000.
6. Davies P., Rinvolucri M. The confidence
book. Harlow, U.K., 1990.
7. Hadfield J. Classroom dynamics. Oxford,
1992.
8. Hendricson Andrew. Adult Education.
Ohio, 1960.
9. Kamla M. Teaching EFL to adults: Between
must and must not. English teaching forum.
1992.
10. Lorge I. Adult Learning // Adult Educa-
tion. N.Y., 1952.
11. Turula, A. 2004. ‘Language Anxiety and
Classroom Dynamics: A study of Adult
Learners’. English Teaching Forum, vol.
40, no 4.
12. Smith R.M. Learning How to Learn. Ap-
plied Theory for Adults. – Milton Keynes,
1983.
УДК 004.9+372: 811.111.1
EXPLORING POSSIBILITIES OF USING INTERACTIVE BOARD
SOFTWARE IN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Krylova Y.
In the last few years, the number of
teachers using computers has increased. Com-
puters and language teaching have walked
hand to hand for a long time and contributed
as teaching tools in the second language class-
room. A lot of books and articles have been
written about the role of computers in educa-
tion in the 21st century. There are many ad-
vantages and disadvantages of these technolo-
gies and the authors’ options are very incon-
sistent.
The large amount of articles is devoted
to global changing of an education system.
Some changes that occur in the world of edu-
cation are the result of a reflection on the in-
evitable development of pedagogical and di-
dactic theories. Others are due to requests by
society about new generations’ education. In
the current landscape, there is an indisputable
need for new generations to master different
communication channels. The school, as the
main educational institution, cannot be imper-
vious to changes, but should try to work best
to adapt to them. Therefore, the school system
is called to suggest how to use and integrate
new technologies in its daily actions, consider-
ing them as potential new strategies and teach-
ing methodologies. Teaching with technology
means to support the use of technological
equipment to encourage learning. The new
technical tools can be a great way to character-
ize the learning proposal in an innovative edu-
cation system as it makes a significant contri-
bution to the effectiveness of the teaching and
learning process. They should be introduced
through a valid educational mediation, so it
becomes necessary that the use of new infor-
mation technologies is well planned. As
Schwartz [1] stated: "A pedagogy, that uses
multimedia, is formed by the scientifically
organized combination of materials and me-
dia, in which the teacher becomes an element
of mediation between students, understanding,
skills and media".
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In many articles authors discuss some of
the ways that computers can be used in Eng-
lish language teaching, with a view to helping
teachers make the most of the opportunities
they offer to students. It is helpful to think of
the computer as having the following main
roles in the language classroom:
teacher - the computer teaches students
new language
tester- the computer tests students on
language already learned
tool - the computer assists students to
do certain tasks
data source - the computer provides
students with the information they need to per-
form a particular task
communication facilitator - the com-
puter allows students to communicate with
others in different locations
Computer as a teacher. In the early
days of computers and programmed learning,
some students sat at a terminal for extended
periods following different learning programs.
In such programs, students can listen to dia-
logues or watch video clips. They can click on
pictures to call up the names of the objects
they see. They can speak into the microphone
and immediately hear a recording of what they
have said. The program can keep a record of
their progress, e.g. the vocabulary learned, and
offer remedial help if necessary. Many of
these CD ROM programs are offered as com-
plete language courses. They require students
to spend hours in front of the computer screen,
usually attached to a microphone headset. An-
other of their serious drawbacks is the fact that
in many cases the course content and sequence
is fixed. The teacher has no chance to include
materials that are of interest and importance to
the particular students in his or her class.
Computer as a tester. The computer is
very good at what is known as drill and prac-
tice; it will present the learner with questions
and announce if the answer is right or wrong.
In its primitive manifestations in this particu-
lar role in language teaching, it has been
rightly criticized. The main reason for the
criticism is simple: many early drill and prac-
tice programs were too easy; either multiple-
choice or demanding a single word answer.
They were not programmed to accept varying
input and the only feedback they gave was
Right or Wrong. So for example, if the com-
puter expected the answer "does not" and the
student typed, "doesn't", it would have been
told she was wrong without any further com-
ment. It is not surprising that such programs
gave computers a bad name with many lan-
guage teachers. Unfortunately, there are now
very many of these primitive drill and kill
programs flooding the Internet.
Despite their disadvantages, such pro-
grams are popular with many students. This is
probably because the student is in full control;
the computer is extremely patient and gives
private, unthreatening feedback. Most pro-
grams also keep the score and have animations
and sounds, which many students like. There
are some programs which do offer more useful
feedback than right or wrong, or that can ac-
cept varying input. Such programs
can be rec-
ommended to students who enjoy learning
grammar or vocabulary in this way. If two or
more students sit at the same computer, then
they can generate a fair amount of authentic
communication while discussing the answers
together.
Computer as a tool. It is in this area
that the authors think the computer has been a
great success in language teaching. Spread-
sheets, presentation slide generators, concor-
dances and web page producers all have their
place in the language classroom, particularly
in one where the main curricular focus is task-
based or project-work. The most important
role of the computer in the language classroom
is its use as a writing tool. It has played a sig-
nificant part in the introduction of the writing
process, by allowing students easily to pro-
duce multiple drafts of the same piece of
work. Students with a bad handwriting can
now do a piece of work to be proud of, and
those with poor spelling skills can, after suffi-
cient training in using the spell check, produce
a piece of writing largely free of spelling mis-
takes.
Computer as a data source. I'm sure
we don't need to say much about the Internet
as a provider of information. Anyone who has
done a search on the World Wide Web will
know that there is already more information
out there than an individual could process in
hundred lifetimes, and the amount is growing
by the second. This huge source of informa-
tion is an indispensable resource for much pro-
ject work, but there are serious negative impli-
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cations. We shudder to think of how much
time has been wasted and will continue to be
wasted by students who aimlessly wander the
Web with no particular aim in mind and with
little or no guidance.
Computer as a communication facili-
tator. The Internet is the principal medium by
which students can communicate with others
at a distance, (e.g. by e-mail or by participat-
ing in discussion forums). Some teachers have
set up joint projects with a school in another
location and others encourage students to take
part in discussion groups. There is no doubt
that such activities are motivating for students
and allow them to participate in many authen-
tic language tasks. However, teachers may
wish to closely supervise their students' mes-
sages. Recent research has shown up the ex-
tremely primitive quality of much of the lan-
guage used in electronic exchanges! [2]
Nowadays
many
classrooms
are
equipped by the computer with an interactive
board and we can find a lot of articles devoted
to using of this equipment and the software to
it.
Language learning depends very much
on emotion and attention. Therefore, it is im-
portant that the mode of communication of
contents creates genuine interest, as in the case
of multimedia. The adoption of multimedia
directly affects cognitive processes and thus
also teaching and learning. On a practical
level, in a multimedia environment, the lan-
guage input (words and structure) can be made
substantial being contextualized by images
and sounds, in order to be recognized and eas-
ily understood. The fact that the input is pre-
sented in different ways seems to facilitate
learning, not only because it helps the infer-
ence and the ability to infer meaning using the
context, but also due to the memorization of
the input language and its reproduction. Me-
diation input through graphics and sound re-
quires less energy at the level of cognitive lin-
guistic decoding, allowing time to spend those
energies on the input elaboration. With the
development of new technologies, there has
been a steady increase of possibilities of action
and interaction thanks to the transition from a
"received" multimedia to an "interacted" mul-
timedia (video games, simulation, virtual real-
ity) up to a "constructed" multimedia (creating
environments of personal expression, multi-
media desks).
An example of new media technology,
recently introduced in the classroom is the
Interactive Board (IB). Interactivity is the cen-
tral innovation for this board, as the contents
that are displayed can be dragged, clicked,
edited and processed directly on its surface, as
it is normally done on a computer. Every ob-
ject on the IB can also be “catches”, or photo-
graphed using software supplied with the
board and every action can be recorded in
video format. The IB is a multimedia tool, be-
cause it allows the simultaneous use of differ-
ent channels. According to Beeland [3] with
the IB it is possible to integrate three different
types of access to knowledge: visual, auditory
and tactile. Bonaiuti [4] stated that "is the co-
existence within the same tool of a plurality of
communication channels to make a difference:
they are made available, within the same in-
teractive work environment, different contents
(text, audio and visual), and also different
modes of manipulation and control". In the
international scene for several years, research
is under way aimed at identifying its potential
and specific characteristics. Here are some of
the highlighted potentials discovered so far
[5]:
- allows the visualization of concepts
through pictures, maps, photos, movies, etc.;
- allows an integrated use of ICT in
teaching and different teaching methods;
- the materials produced can be stored,
allowing a reflection on the metacognitive
process and product carried out;
- leads to a development of digital com-
petences;
- helps students to practice their cogni-
tive skills, promoting learning;
- improves the focus and motivation be-
cause it increases the pace of lessons;
- helps teachers to structure and plan
their lessons in advance;
- increases student participation.
The IB provides the opportunity to be-
gin to experience directly in the classroom a
continuum of languages and signs. Maragliano
[6] states that “the effort of educators and de-
signers of training should be geared to making
the school one of the privileged field where is
processed an «interpretation of signs»”.
With Activstudio (software to IB) we
can make our Activboard speak any language.
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For this reason, the ability to use sounds in
Activstudio makes it an excellent, flexible tool
for teachers of modern foreign languages.
What’s more, teachers no longer have to
worry about getting their tape recorder or CD
stuck in the wrong place. Now, sound clips
can easily be placed in a flipchart and can be
activated at the click of an Activpen. This
flexibility means that various people can be
used saying the same phrases. As well as play-
ing sounds, Activstudio offers us the ability to
record them. If we have a microphone con-
nected to our computer, we can record our
students’ speaking exercises and then play
them back. Our students could take charge of
the process of recording and listening to their
own sentences.
If our students groan at the thought of
grammar, Activstudio offers a huge range of
techniques to make grammar as serious or as
simple as we want. Using a simple drag and
drop techniques, get our students up to the
board to drag answers to questions. Using the
Pen tool, alternatively, we could get students
to draw lines connecting questions to answers.
Matching, sorting and ordering exercises can
quickly be created on the board to help back
up students’ language skills and to get them
involved in the lesson. Another simple advan-
tage of Activstudio is that mistakes can
quickly be deleted. Using the Restart button
we can reset the whole exercise if we need to
start again.
A number of special interactive tools
are available in Activstudio to help vary the
way in which lessons are taught. The Spotlight
tool is useful for ‘odd one out’ exercises,
while the Reveal tool is a perfect way of pre-
senting a list of bullet points to a class. Other
presentation tools can add pace and an element
of chance to lessons. With the Clock tool we
can put a time limit on an activity. The Dice
tool can, of course, be used for a huge range of
grammar games. It can also be used at any
time to add an element of chance to a task–
who goes next? Who replies to the question?
Activstudio gives foreign language
teachers the chance to focus precisely on the
vocabulary that is being learned. Text can be
copied between a number of pages. We can
play with those words; put them in different
contexts, make students work with them in
different ways. To make the most of Ac-
tivboards we can use colors to highlight verbs
and nouns, or the masculine or feminine parts
of a word. The pace of the class can be varied
thanks to the ability to have as many pages as
you want in a flipchart.
Class preparation is easier and more
productive with Activstudio. All our prepara-
tion can be tied together in one flipchart. Ex-
ercises can be printed out so that what our stu-
dents see on the board is tied in with the pages
they use at their desks.
It is worth finding that
fantastic image or honing an excellent exercise
because none of your ideas are ever wasted.
Flipcharts can be saved, copied and reused.
You can share them with colleagues and col-
leagues can share their/flipcharts with you.
Images can also play an important part
in helping students to remember what they are
learning. With the help of the internet, you
have a bottomless pit of information and im-
ages - in the target language - at your disposal.
Gone are the days when we had to bring suit-
cases full of magazines, newspapers and other
products back from vacation to help with our
teaching. It is all available on the internet.
Text and images can be dragged straight from
Activstudio’s web browser onto the flipchart
page. Clips from today’s news can be shown
to students in the target language. Language
students often respond to a language when it is
placed in context. With your Activboard there
are more opportunities to do this than ever.
Finally, once we’ve created a perfect
flipchart, with a variety of interactive exer-
cises - including sounds, video, color and a
range of presentation techniques – we have the
ability to create links to other websites for fur-
ther ideas and materials. Links are another
important tool in Activstudio. You can create
menu pages within a flipchart, letting your
students choose from a selection of topics, or
you can link to other resources you have
available on your computer.
With the vast range of resources and the
variety of interaction techniques available in
Activstudio, the teaching of foreign languages
has moved up a gear. Now languages can be
brought to life in the classroom with the help
of your Activboard and Activstudio [7].
Many articles represent results of re-
searches in revealing of advantages and disad-
vantages of using computers in language
teaching. The authors describe projects that
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