Blog10-Week15 Comment on group projects

I really like both groups' activities.

Group 1 (Allison, Jacqueline, and Dzulfikri)
Music is often used in language class room, and it is very effective for learners to learn target language. This group used "Jut Like You" as a material, but it is somewhat difficult for me to listen to lyrics and understand the meaning. However, I could hear my friends opinions and experiences related to the song, and I found  that each students has different opinions and feelings about the song eventhough we listened to the same song. Also, as a HW, we have to find and bring a photo and image that represents one of the words discussed in the activity. I thought that HW was nice to keeping use media as students' own study.

Group 2 (Tankia, Wonguk, and Kelly)
I was surprised that there was another online site we could post video, picture and other resouces insted of Facebook!! I'm sure that the site is easier to organize the class and be safe than Facebook. I really want to try it in the future. More surprisingly, they made virtual trip map to France. I think if students also can try making their own maps, it is more effective to learn language because they need to search and understand a site that is wrriten by L2 to complete the map. They can learn a lot of words and culture through the proceess of project.

Blog9-Week14 Discussion Questions about Unintended Outcomes in SL

When I played Quest Atlantis, I learned how I can communicate with other residents rather than how I can use language itself. I tried to participate in some activities such as question, but actually I didn't pay attention to target language much. I enjoyed chatting with other participants, and changing an avatar's clothes, hair, and skin color. However, I chose avatar's appearance defffernted from my appearance in First Life. I didn't have exact reasons, but I chose it just for fun!! Thinking back over my experience of QA, I couldn't enhance intercultural literacy and cultural identities for just an hour.  As the author said, I needed supportive social contex that emphasises cooperation because almost of time I spent by myself except when I have small talk to others. That's why I couldn't consider me as a part of community. Of course, if I continue QA for more long time, I may enhance intercultural literacy, or cultural identities. However, so far, I couldn't learn those abilities from SL. In fact, I don't like playing game like 3D virtual even if it aim to learn language. I think there are preferences of learners, so some can learn a lot of thing including  intercultural literacy and cultural identities from SL, but other like me can't learn anything from it.

Blog8-Week13 Discussion Question about Establishing a theorectical foundation for project-based learning in second and foreign language contexts

Question: your students are learning about restaurants (food, taste, ordering, ect.) during this 3 week unit.  Your PDL guidelines included that your students should create a fictitious restaurant in their target L2’s country.  In what ways could you encourage your students to use social medias for their presentation and/or information gathering?  Given what we have learned about social medias in class, what sites and/or medias would you recommend, and why?

Answer:
     I'll show students a video at first. The video should include a restaurant scene, and characters will have conversation. For example, a customer will order, and ask a waiter which is the chef's recommendation. The waiter ask the order, and tell the check. I think that it is good way to image the situation, and know what the each  character say. After that, I'm going to let students use the Internet to get more information about L2's country restaurants. They may refer to the specific restaurant such as Zippy's, and look for the menu and business hours. Students can get information not only for their fictitious  restaurant but also for their skills such as reading, comprehension, and also computer literacy. If we have more time, I would have students take a movie, and show them what they have just played. They will listen to their own conversation or each pronunciation by watching the video. Thus, they can reconsider their phrase or pronunciation which are used in the play.
     When I took Spanish class, I played a role as I suggested. However, I didn't use media much in Spanish class, so I wanted to take more media. Since we have to do all thing during 3 weeks, it might be difficult, but we are worth our time in the class.