Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 1

Say what? Chatting live online to open the mind

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 2

Say what? Live chat as linguistic hermaphrodite

Speech-like: casual, quick, elliptical, dialectal Language-like: careful, edited, complete, linguistic Communicatively consequential: practical, cognitive

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 3

Say what? ELC’s cross-curricular consequences

Medium expedites the message Message embeds a cultural substratum Message carries a topical superstratum ELC promotes la transdisciplinarité

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 4

Say what? ELC as a technical tool

Disadvantages– Obvious (e.g., it’s not face-to-face)– Non-obvious (e.g., it permits distractions)

Advantages – Obvious (e.g., it enhances self-expression)– Non-obvious (e.g., it promotes vermicular

thinking/reasoning)

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 5

Say what? ELC and assessment Assessment within ELC : holistic analysis Assessment of ELC : effectiveness, and…?

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 6

Say what? ELC beyond the web of discourse

ELC & functions of discourse in L1>L2 ELC & alternative reasoning ELC: Interactional linguistics Social semiotics online

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 7

Say what?

Beyond and as well as ELC….Blogs/ blogues & micro-blogsCollaborative mind mapsWikis/ collaborationPodcastsSocial networksSecond Life

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 8

Say what? Blogs & micro-blogs --asynchronous

--Web logs, usually structured around a topic --Time-, date-stamped --journal-like in form, content

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 9

Say what? Collaborative “mind maps”/cartes heuristiques -- may be synchronous or asynchronous -- may use templates or not -- encourage non-linear thinking -- stimulate connectivity, transdisciplinarité

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 10

Say what? Wikis & collaboration -- asynchronous -- shared repositories of knowledge, data, links -- exemplars: Wikipedia, Wiktionnaire -- freely creatable: Wikispaces

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 11

Say what?

Podcasts

-- asynchronous -- audio or video

-- intended for playback on portable devices -- may be used with MP3, mobile telephone, PC

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 12

Say what? Social networks– MySpace, Facebook à l’internationale– Skype-based (e.g., xlingo)– Education-oriented (e.g., MyLanguageExchange)– Multiple-topic, and –language (e.g., Ning)

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 13

Say what? Second Life and other virtual worlds

-- Synchronous -- 3-D, offering alternative realities -- Examples:

* Second Life (online 3-D world) * MOOs

Watson, Coastline Distance Learning 14

Say what? Web 3.0? Beyond? Opposing forces: insular v. accommodating