Technology, Mediation, and Second Language Acquisition: Research and Praxis

CMLIT/FR/GER/SPAN 589

Steve Thorne (sthorne@psu.edu) , Office: 304A Sparks Bldg, University Park, PA

Linguistics and Applied Language Studies; The Pennsylvania State University

Spring Term, 2005, Thursday, 4:40- 7:20pm.

Class meetings: 01 Sparks

Course Links for [TIFLE] APLNG/CMLIT/FR/GER/SPAN 589, Spring 2005

Syllabus | Technology-related Topics | Tools and Resources | 589 Technology Café | TechiWiki homepage

CMLIT/FR/GER/SPAN 589: This graduate level survey course explores the theoretical and pedagogical implications of Internet-based communication and multimedia in a wide array of language education contexts. Course activities include experimentation with established and emerging Internet communication and composition tools (e.g., wikis, weblogs (blogs), forums, and chat) and readings of relevant research drawing from second language acquisition, communication theory, descriptive linguistics, cultural studies, poststructuralism, and educational theories of development (the latter primarily in the form of sociocultural and activity theoretical research). Participants will be expected to exit this course with a broad knowledge of educational uses of technology and will have the opportunity, through a variety of course activities, to focus on specific empirical, theoretical, and/or pedagogical contexts that relate to their academic and professional specializations. Students are encouraged to carry out research relevant to their interests and professional goals.

Purpose: To competently and with insight enter the discourse community concerned with technology use in language education. To this end, we will address related research and pedagogical issues from a variety of perspectives, including, but not limited to, second language acquisition, communication theory, linguistics, cultural studies, poststructuralism, and educational theories of development (the latter primarily in the form of sociocultural and activity theoretical research).

Course Objectives:

Class meetings will include:

Your obligations and responsibilities:

  1. To participate in on-line and class discussions (invaluable, but marked at 10%): These will include whole-class interaction (email and web-based threaded discussion) and periodic uses of synchronous CMC and other new/emerging technologies.
  2. To produce a reaction journal to the readings (10%): Write a short summary or outline of 15 articles over the length of the course (roughly one per week) and include 3 (or more) critical questions or issues that you could raise in class discussion. You will develop and keep these reactions on a BLOG (web-log).
  3. To act as a discussion catalyst (10%): In teams of 2-3, groups will take responsibility for initiating in-class discussion by presenting a brief overview of the day's readings and critical questions.
  4. Philosophy of Teaching essay (5%). Many job postings require a Philosophy of Teaching statement. Prepare a short Philosophy of Teaching statement (1-3 pages) that includes your views about innovation, pedagogy, and the (in)appropriate uses of technology in foreign/second language education. [due mid April]
  5. Internet Use Project (10%): Participants will produce a 3 day log of internet use: What modalities do you use (web, chat, email, other)? How many messages do you send? How many do you receive? What is your relationship to the people you are in contact with? More details on this project forthcoming [due late January]
  6. Do one of the following:
  7. Final project and presentation (40%): Examples are term paper, original research paper, review of the literature paper, other written genres (proposal for research, MA thesis, PhD proposal or chapter, etc). The goal of the Final Project should be relevant to your interest and academic/professional development. For all large projects, an outline, key questions, and literature review/bibliography will be due in late March (2004). Oral presentations of Final Projects will occur during the mini-conference we will convene over the 2 class sessions. Final paper due on the last class day in April, 2005.

Evaluation and Grading: You will be responsible for putting together the assignments that include the above items. At the end of the term, please provide a cover letter that explains where your work is (e.g., on a blog, wiki, website, attached document).

Ethical Code: The internet (and world, for that matter) is full of information that you will want to utilize in your written work. Please do so as freely as you like, but do use proper citation protocols (otherwise, one falls into plagiarism, which will result in a failing grade). Collaborative work in encouraged -- If you would like to co-develop a project with a classmate, please do so. For your amusement, since most of you teach or will teach courses where plagerism may be a problem, visit the Slate article, Adventures in Cheating A guide to buying term papers online, by Seth Stevenson.

Texts and Study Materials: We will utilize both a traditional reading packet (to be available at the UPS Store., 208 W. Hamilton Shopping Center off South Atherton, Phone: 237-2552), and readings that are available on the web (linked directly off the 589 on-line syllabus).

Technology resources you will need: The ability to access readings via the Internet (web), and potentially somewhere to print them out.

Course Links for TIFLE 589, Spring 2005

Syllabus | Technology-related Topics | Tools and Resources | 589 Technology Café

Comments or Questions? Contact Steve Thorne, The Pennsylvania State University