Dear <<First Name>>,
How are you doing? We've received some lovely messages from you all lately and we want to thank you! Every time you let us know our work is useful for you, it makes our day 💚
And to show that we always listen to you, here's some pretty exciting news: we're working on a new multiple choice quiz database on English and American history and literature - with a pretty special launch promotion! More on this next week 🙌
Back to our new weekly newsletter summarising the topics in the A24, A25 and/or B02 syllabus... This week, we've chosen to take on a biggie: technology and its applications to language teaching.
Based on the latest decree, we can see that the 5 questions in the multiple choice exam won't be on generic IT skills, but on technology applied to language teaching:
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Disclaimer: this is a huge topic that could take many different forms! So, our job here is to answer the question: which sub-topics might come up in the concorso?
Theory: Connectivism
The key theory associated with the spread of technology in education is Connectivism. It highlights the role of technology in creating and mediating knowledge.
Terminology: 3 acronyms
There are 3 key acronyms to remember regarding tech and language teaching:
- CALL: Computer-Assisted Language Learning
- TELL: Technology-Enhanced Language Learning
- MALL: Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (the most recent one)
➡️ Go to Unit 12 in Language Teaching Methodology for a brief history of CALL and the differences between these acronyms.
Tech Tools
Loads of technological tools can be used in education. Some you may want to remember are Interactive Whiteboards (IW), Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), forums, wikis, blogs, chats and online games. How these fit into education may also be important: think about how you would justify their use in a lesson based on learning outcomes.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Another key acronym: OER, for those teaching and learning materials developed via open source licenses, such as Creative Commons. Some people think these are the future of education.
Online teaching
If there is one topic that has become central in the past couple of years, it's online teaching. You may be asked about tools to use for synchronous vs. asynchronous teaching. These may include conferencing software (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet), as well as Virtual Learning Environments such as Moodle, Google Classroom or Edmodo.
These are only some of the sub-topics that might come up: to find out more, head to Unit 12 in Language Teaching Methodology.
Speak again soon with some pretty exciting news on our new literature and history quizzes!
All the best,
Chiara
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