--- Forwarded Message from "Waid, Alexander Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Subject: RE: #7821 Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time?
>Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 07:34:44 -0500
>Disposition-Notification-To: "Waid, Alexander Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]>
>Thread-Topic: #7821 Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time?
>Thread-Index: AcUfb7G/MboHsDW8TA+yjp7LRHkoCAAfAsGA
>From: "Waid, Alexander Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum"
<[log in to unmask]>
Actually, in our case (US Coast Guard Academy), there is no lab manual work done
in the language lab: since we're on a closed network, I got permission to put
those materials on the campus intranet for my students, they do that at home.
The lab's more of a resource center. I and other professors can create or
digitize materials, while the students use it with me for classwork where we
want to work on telephony (as CG Officers, they'll be talking to people via
staticky radios a lot!) as a group, or in pairs or small groups. They work on
writing assignments there. There's a small collection of reading materials and
audio/visual materials that are there for perusing, or, sometimes it's assigned
as homework; there are programs such as Rosetta Stone for those who want to do
some learning/refreshing on their own... It's really a Language Library for the
students and materials development center for the faculty (including History
folks, English folks...). Students can also do recordings in there. For
instance, an English instructor had his students record original poetry in there
and then just put all the "submissions" on a CD and gave it out to his class so
they'd have a copy. If you've got internet connectivity, cultural research can
be accomplished in there as part of a day's lesson plan: digital scavenger hunts
done in teams in a competitive setting (first team to find all ten items wins a
candy bar, 1 point on the next quiz, a mystery prize [which all too often ends
up being office supplies!]...). There's tons of stuff that can be done in that
space.
cheers,
alex
Alexander Waid, Ph.D.
Professor of Spanish
Department of Humanities
United States Coast Guard Academy (dh)
Department of Humanities
27 Mohegan Avenue
New London, CT 06320-4195
860-701-6866
-----Original Message-----
From: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of LLTI-Editor
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 4:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: #7821 Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time?
--- Forwarded Message from "David Flores" <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 16:28:47 -0500
>From: "David Flores" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time?
Our principal Spanish textbook is going to its 6th edition this Summer,
and following a trend I've noticed with many FL textbooks lately: the
workbook and much of the audio/video content that was traditionally
housed in Language Learning Centers is being placed on the web.
If this trend continues, much of our raison d'etre simply vanishes into
cyberspace. Sure we still schedule and show foreign language films in
our in-house theatre. Sure we still provide video production and editing
facilities for classes that might have a short film project as an
assignemnt. Sure we are open for instructors to run headset-based,
interactive class sessions. But most of the use our lab sees... let's
face it... is due to students completing their lab manual assignments
and listening to the audio-tracks that are stored locally on our
server.
So how many of you guys are worried about your labs disappearing in 5
or so years? And have you any thoughts on how to keep the lab relevant
even if textbook manufacturers move most of their audio/video content
online?
David Flores
Director: Language Learning Center
Loyola College in Maryland
4501 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
Ph: (410) 617-5230
Fax: (410) 617 2859
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