In my forecasting project, I explore how current technology could be utilized, enhanced and adapted to further support EAL learners.
The focus of my concept is to help EAL students access all their knowledge in real-time without the limitations of a developing vocabulary in English. In doing so they can build confidence and engage more fluently with others in classroom and social interactions displaying the full extent of their knowledge.
Please view my project here.
Hello Chris,
I enjoyed your presentation; I thought you addressed the key issues with the current technology available. Because I’ve worked with younger children for so many years, I was wondering how this would work with younger students who might not know what the word is in their native language? WidgitOnline.com allows users to type sentences or words which are then “translated” into pictures. Just imagine the possibilities if there was a translation app that could allow users to read, see and hear words/phrases? Anyway, an app like you’ve proposed in your presentation is exciting and could be a real game changer in the classroom!
Hi Chris,
This translation sounded very interesting and would be immensely beneficial for ELL learners and you have addressed most of draw backs the technology could have. One one more potential drawback I would suggest is for health reasons. As we know, long periods of screen time, or air-pod use could have negative health effects. Therefore, I think that health related factors could be taken into consideration. Also, based on our current technology status, how long would you think it might take for technology like this to be developed? Also, how would this piece of technology change the roles of educators?
Hi Chris, thank you for your presentation. You share your idea of earbuds capable of interpreting different languages in a way that’s digestible and interesting to follow. I’ve taken many foreign language classes in the past, with many of them following a submersion teaching method, where having a technology like this would have helped immensely. I do think a technology like this would be helpful depending on the level of English in the classroom and the proficiency level of the user; for example, if someone with A1 or A2 levels of English were placed in an English class that requires C1 English or above, a tool like this would not be that helpful considering how differing the English levels are. I believe this may be especially helpful if someone is in a classroom that has English only 1 or 2 levels above their own proficiency levels, and anymore than that would probably require additional resources than just an interpretation tool to be able to keep up with the rest of the class. Either way, I would love for this to become a mainstream tool used in classrooms! I really enjoyed this presentation and your extension research. Great job, Chris!
Hi Tasneem,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my project. Yes, I agree with you that this would work most effectively in a mainstream classroom where there are only a few EAL learners that are substantially below the average level of English within the class. If there were several EAL learners who were at the same stage of language learning then there would be a greater opportunity for more groupings that could support their level of learning. The technology I envisioned is one tool to support EAL learners and it should be used in conjunction with other methods (some of which I mentioned in the video). The main idea of this technology is to support language learning not to replace the need to do so.
This is a great idea. This technology also already exists outside the classroom. This is often an option that people are given when I speak internationally in places where English is not the first language. And you’ve presented this beautifully.
Chris,
Found the fundamentals of supporting EAL students (Echavarria et al, 2017) quite impactful, but I recognize the preparation constraints. Your concept sounds like it would be fantastic although I would worry about the implications of having a class full of students interacting with the app and whether or not that would diminish their interaction with peers.
I really like Trista’s suggestion of incorporating an option to switch between the L1 and L2 to empower some more advanced language learners. The use of equipment like the earbud, that are readily available is a strong start. The challenge as you point out if that they are typically omnidirectional and would pick up other sounds and students talking (although they may make cardioid or unidirectional options).
Thanks for sharing your real-time L1 knowledge delivery system.
Hi Sam,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my project. I agree with you that the concern of interacting with an app would be an unwanted distraction. I could have made it clearer that that was the intention as one of the main goals of the technology is to remove the screen barrier. The purpose of the connection to the app is to collect the data and this is meant to be done passively. Doing so would allow for more engaging conversations and would not risk diminishing the students’ interactions.
Hi Chris, thank you for sharing your insight into language learning and I enjoyed your presentation so much. The proposed technology breaks the vocabulary barrier that language learners usually struggle with and allow them to fully understand what is going on in the class or in the corridor when natural conversations happen during recess. The idea of listening to L1 in real-time to improve comprehension is intriguing, and the instant L2 vocabulary filling assistance would be very helpful especially for beginners. I think that adding the option to switch between L1 translation and easier L2 translation/definition would be accommodating for some more advanced language learners who want to expand their L2 vocabulary. As you mentioned, a lot of the real-time language translation apps are not designed for education, so I’m excited to see the technology you described to be used in the educational setting in near future.
Hi Trista,
Thank you for taking the time to review my project. I absolutely agree with you that there should be an option to switch between L1 and L2 as a gradual release as needed when learners become more advanced. As you suggest the idea is that the reliance on the technology would become less as the user becomes more fluent. Who has the control of this gradual release I didn’t really explore but I imagine it to be negotiated by both teacher and student supported by the AI data. I too am excited for this technology to help our EAL students hopefully in the not-so-distant future.