Website Evaluation

Software/Website Title: Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Website URL: http://www.esl-lab.com/

Grade/Age Level: all level
Language & Content:

Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab is an on-line, multimedia Website designed to help ESL students improve their listening comprehension in English. The Website can be used for teacher instruction or for self-access learning.

The content of this Website can be divided into several parts: Basic Listening Quizzes, Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes, 20-Minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons, Language Learning and Life Tips, and Long Conversation with RealVideo. Each category provides several topics for learners to practice their listening. Each topic contains text, RealMedia, vocabulary list and quizzes. After listening, learners can check their comprehension by filling the blanks or answer multiple choice questions and follow the text to check the answers.

Besides listening materials, this Website provides some effective documents for users such as First-time Users, Audio Help, Media Players, Self-study Guide, Study Handouts, Terms of Use, and Tips for Teachers. These are all helpful for user to know how to make use of this listening website. This Website really attracts target audience because it is full of various topics for learners to learn. Topics range from everyday conversation to academic purposes such as lectures or job interviews to life-tips. Learners can choose any topic that meets their needs and click the topic and play real media. It is easy to use and the layout is quite clear. Each category stays in one column.

One of the strengths is each category provides different level listening materials. From easy to medium to difficult, learners can practice based on their ability. I think this is a good Website to polish listening skills. However, it doesn’t provide any interaction with learners. To better this Website, I think dynamic pictures, or authentic task for learners to practice can enhance learning motivation and use language in real situation. For example, time table or maps with guidance allows learners to show their comprehension by completing the simple task.

Reflection 1: CALL

Egbert offers different definitions of CALL based on different angles. With the development of technology, CALL is no longer just for learners to use computer to practice unidirectional language skills, but for teaching and learning language in various interactive contexts. It is a tool for teachers to facilitate language learning process. No matter how to define CALL, the following are the basic components of CALL. First, CALL is focused not on technology but on language learning. In other word, computer and computer-based resources act as facilitators for learners to learn language. Second, interactive learning should be provided in CALL such as feedback from the peers or the teacher. Third, learners are involved in authentic tasks and interact with authentic audience. That is, CALL focuses not only on learning language but also on how to use language. Forth, learners dominate more on their learning process which means the time they work and the content they learn will be more flexible.

Egbert points out teachers must put learning goals ahead of technology. I agree with this idea because the usage of technology in the class is for supporting or facilitating language learning. Thus, time should be focused on learning language rather than learning technology skills. If a teacher doesn’t set learning goals before the class, class might become a computer class and students are struggling with how to operate computer skills. This article also refers that instruction should be based on learning theories. This idea is consistent with the idea in the Kern and Warschauer’s article. From Egbert’s article, CALL evolves from drills to authentic tasks. From Kern and Warschauer’s article, language learning starts from structural approach to cognitive approach and then to sociocognitive approach. Nowadays, CALL reflects sociocognitive learning theory. That is, learning requires engaging the learners in social interaction and authentic problems. Thus, learners’ interaction shifts from with computers to with humans via computers. In this way, learners have more opportunities to actively construct and use target language. In addition, I think what CALL is weight over other teaching and learning pedagogy is on its unique feature. Technology is a good tool to present sounds, visual materials, animation, and information in other countries. This is a good niche for teachers to make good use of it. In other word, teaching should meet learners’ learning styles. So, teachers should exercise teaching methods and materials to develop student’s intelligences and enhance students’ learning.