enhancing communication with voice and video chat
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Enhancing Communication with Voice and Video Chat
Susan Mraz & Luis Alonso-Ovalle
Hispanic Studies
University of Massachusetts, Boston
The traditional setting
In the classroom– Teacher / student interaction– Group activities: student / student
interaction
Outside of the classroom– Tutoring– Friends / neighbors / community
Challenges
Outside of the classroom– Tutoring: not real-life context– Friends / neighbors / community: not all
students have access to native speakers.
Synchronous communication
Encourages speakers to develop real-life production / listening strategies
Introduces real-life dynamics (linguistic and cultural)
Introduces spontaneous interaction
Challenges
Limited opportunities to engage in synchronous communication.
Communication is not authentic.– Teacher / student: self-consciousness– Student / student: limited production /
comprehension skills
Technology comes to the rescue
Use of real-time audio/video applications can – Enhance the traditional classroom
synchronous communication – Supplement it
Real time audio/video
Class presentations
Group work / conferencing– Collaborating with “outsiders”– Bringing different backgrounds, linguistic
skills
Interviews
Tutoring
Real time audio/video
Virtual real-time class visits – Native speakers
• Real-life dynamics• Dialectal / sociological variation• Cultural conventions
– Advanced language / linguistics: fieldwork– Experts
Real time audio / video
Virtual study abroad exchange– Inexpensive– Students can take the lead– Broader exposure to different linguistic
varieties
Real time audio / video
Student / student exchange: different institutions– Can bring communities together– Breaking social barriers– Exchanging methodologies
Skype
p2p Internet telephony network
calls regular phone numbers (for a fee)
Freeware
Cross-platform
iChat
AOL IM, ICQ, .Mac, Google Talk and Jabber client
Mac Only
Skype demo
Audio: Several parties
Video: one-to-one– Optional video recorder
Text-messaging: – File sharing (as attachments)– Sharing web links– Can save
iChat demo
Audio: Up to 9 parties– Can record audio tracks with Garage Band
Video: Up to 4 parties– Can record audio tracks with Garage Band
Text-messaging– File sharing– Sharing web links– Real time picture sharing
Asyncronous audio / video
Practice at their own pace
Repeat input as often as they need
Improve pronunciation
Self-consciousness less of a problem: less stress for timid speakers
Asyncronous audio/video: Limitations
Lacking real-life dynamics (linguistic, and cultural)
Limited development of listening, speaking strategies
Non-spontaneous interaction
Some Tools for Asynchronous Communication
Audio– Audacity– Garage Band– Countless other voice recoding
applications
Video: iMovie
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