About the Website:
The respective website which I reviewed is the ManyThings.org
In order to augment your language skills, it depends on how well you inspire and motivate yourself to seek for the knowledge. One very good way to start is to engage you in ESL websites like ManyThings.org. ManyThings.org is a website which is concocted for people who are studying English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language(EFL). Although the main idea of designing the website is for ESL learners, the native speakers may also hit upon this website which puts forward interesting things about English language learning.
Like others, I have come across and searched many different kinds of websites before I came onto this divine site. The reason why I chose this website instead of any other websites on the internet, due to the simplicity(not the beauty product) and the topic range that the website is covering.
Here are videos that I found on Youtube that constraint on the website and provide explicit "explanation" about ManyThings.org
Question No. 1: What does the application attempt to “teach”?
When we talk about the word ‘teach’, we would think about a classroom filled with students and a person standing in front of the room with a chalk or a marker pen along a board pasted on the wall which we called Teacher. However, in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), the situation has changed to people at any places around the world occupied with a computer as the ‘machine’ does the part as the Teacher. On the Internet, there are sites which emphasize reading when it comes to learn a foreign language, others try speaking it. Some focus on the language grammar while others do not. Some entail a very precise comprehension of words, and others consent rather free translation from the mother tongue language to the concerned language. However, there are students get very unenthusiastic in learning English as a second or a foreign language and would say they have no aptitude or ability for it. To say something like that, of course the aptitudes to study a certain language like English differ from individual to individual and also for the other subjects in school and probably is due to life habits, techniques of study, and background information.
The website focuses or tries to “teach” all the language skills (reading skill, listening skill and speaking skill), the English vocabulary, the grammar rules and also the other parts which concern with English. The website offers a spacious scope of English language begins with the simplest knowledge till the complex English structures to improve their English language skills and knowledge with an assortment of tasks and activities such as quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, scrambled sentences and other computer assisted language learning activities. The learners are also exposed with native-formed of learning in order to expose them with the authenticity of the English language. Before a learner explores the website, it serves with the introductory column (First Time Visitors column) which the learner will eventually ‘play and learn’ with much multifaceted games according to the level of the learner.
The range of topics and skills of the website covers many and various kind of aspects, topics and skills of a language from the very basic subject matters of life such as animals and health to intricate topics such as science, reading skills, listening and speaking skills and also writing skills. For the vocabulary section, it focuses on ‘Vocabulary Lists with Games and Puzzles’, ‘Crossword Puzzles’, ‘Matching Quizzes’, ‘Games with Pictures’, and ‘Word Based Games’. For speaking section, it covers on Pronunciation, Listen & Repeat, and Daily Listen & Repeat which is updated every day in order to improve the learners’ intonation, rhythm and pronunciation with the current topics. In the grammar and vocabulary section, it presents Quizzes Based on VOA's (Voice of America) Special English Programs where the learners quiz themselves on English grammar and vocabulary while reading scripts from VOA Special English materials, Flash Quizzes and Super Quiz Machine in a form of MCQ questions with immediate respond of answers and responses.
The listening and reading section lists Listen & Read Along, American Stories, About Places, Stories about People (Biographies), American History, Words and Their Stories, Studying in the USA and more VOA Special English and ESL Videos which are updated every day.
Here are examples of screenshots of each section from the website
The materials used by the website are audio files in mp3 format and also videos that have been uploaded on YouTube site. The audio materials come in song forms which are melodious, interactive, authentic and easy to comprehend. The materials teach the learners on the reading skills which the speakers of the audios speak with appropriate intonation and easy to understand. For the videos materials, they are interesting and fun to watch. Although some of them focus on jokes and funny subject matters, they do apply on teaching the learners and not just for pleasure activities.
The activities of the website begin with easy stage, and continue with medium stage till difficult stage. However, not all activities have that kind of arrangements but as learners go further accordingly through the site, it does start with the easily topics to the difficult ones according to the proficiency levels of the learners: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Most of the games on the site are provided with brief instructions that instruct the users how to play the games the proper ways for better understanding and results and also to meet the objectives of the games.
Question No. 2: What sorts of things is the application users expected to do with regards learning the content?
There are few things that the learners are expected to do before engaging with the activities regarding to the content. There is a section concocted solely for the first time visitors. The learners can start connecting with the website by clicking on “Easy Things for Beginners” and also read the website description for better views on what the site offers to its visitors. The description of the website is made with a simple brief explanation that the users will get a crystal clear view about the site. Moreover, this website can be assessed freely without any registration required and payment of fees. So, all people despite the gender, age, race, background etc can be participated with all the fun games, materials and activities without worrying they have to long in or could be charged for entering the site. Moreover, the website is a simple designed site for the users to participate with the applications. It does not apply any kind of fanciness on its exterior design so that the users could explore without getting confused with the complicated appearance.
There is also a textbook which is provided not only for the learners but also the teachers. However, the textbook is just made for the Japanese learners who learn English and only provided and sold in Japan. I could not find any reason why it’s only available only for the Japanese learners but I think the Japanese people take a responsibility to come out with a textbook contained with mp3 files and also supplementary materials for lessons. Therefore, for the other learners, it is not compulsory to having the textbook in order to ‘play and learn’ on the website.
To be participated in any kind of computer assisted learning, the learners themselves should know their interest and ability. The website presents with lots of options on the topics which could broaden the learners learning skills for utmost results. Moreover, the learners could ‘try and error’ and determine their own proficiency level for each task the want to participate with. So, the learners will not be stuck with in one particular level like in the classroom with mix abilities students. They could just skip at any level they think is not appropriate for them anymore and just proceed with more challenging exercises. The learners can also demote themselves at any skills that think they are competent enough and just focus on that particular ability. Consequently, with the authority that they have with self-learning, self-reliance and autonomy, the learners will have options and be more productive and critical in ‘trial and error’ learning. Moreover, with the immediate response of each activity the learners have engaged, they get to keep records with self-actualization on the progress in the skill area that they are focused onto. They would see with a clearer judgment on their improvement and also their strengths and weaknesses for the self-reflection.
Question No. 3: What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?
Based on the definition on the computer skills, it refers to one's ability to utilize the applications or the software of a computer programme. It also includes knowing how to switch on the computer, being able to use a mouse to interact with elements on the screen, being able to use the computer keyboard, and being able to close down the computer after use (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_skills). Therefore, for the website, in order to operate/access/use the application, the learners are expected to have those abilities and basic computer skills at least. The website has provided with simple and apparent steps and instructions for better exploration and learning from the site. The learners or users are also expected to know how to download the materials for example the mp3 files. There are cases where the files might be corrupted or could be opened on the site, so by downloading the files, it would be safer and much more convenience if something erroneous happened. However, the learners’ computers should also be upgraded with the compatible players that suit to the files that they have downloaded so that there will be no cases where the downloaded files could not be opened due the unsupported players. There are a lot of media players on the markets that are actually free and the learners should be more updated with the latest software.
Furthermore, the learners should have the knowledge of surfing/browsing skills. It is not just dragging the mouse and clicking on the sections or aspects on the website. The learners are expected to choose the activities wisely with step by step usage of the applications based on the learners’ level of proficiency and also the topic offered. However, as I have mentioned before, the exterior design of the website is not so fancy and complex which could lead to confusion of the users. The website has a simple outlook and clear instructions. The activities or tasks on the website require idleness of the users. Most of the games are required the learners to click and type the answers which they have to do many clicking and typing. So, typing skill is also required for the learners to have while using the website.
Question No. 4: While you are “playing”/”accessing”/’assessing’ the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?
This website offers different sorts of games and materials which actually quite similar with what teachers provide in classrooms. Crossword puzzles, quizzes and listening and speaking activities are parts of activities that teachers plan when they enter a classroom. However, there are also materials that teachers could not provide, for example, videos, generic computer games and also songs! Not all schools can supply laptops and even radios for the teachers to use in the classrooms. Therefore, I think the website has come up with ample and interesting materials for the learners to ‘play and learn’.
To answer the question above, the website does remind me with activities while I was in a classroom with my teachers and fellow classmates and also during my self-study. As I have said in my previous paragraph, the games and also the activities are quite similar with what I had done previously in the school life where my English teachers provided us with quizzes, puzzles and also the language skills activities where reading, listening, speaking and writing were involved. I still can remember where my teachers read to us with few English sentences and we had to reread according to or teachers’ enunciations. Same goes with the website activities where the founder of the site recorded words or sentences and expects the learners to reread the words over and over again till they think they could pronounce those words correctly. However, the best part of this website is, the recordings are made in songs form! I was amazed with the effort that the founders have put in order to make the learning process be more attractive, motivating and fun! Plus, the songs are still playing in my mind with their catchy melody. How cool is that? For the games and quizzes provided on the site, it does ring a bell when I had to finish my homework in that kind of forms. I had to complete puzzles, quizzes etc and we discussed the answers when we finished with the activities and same goes with this website. However, the puzzles and quizzes on this website are more interesting with the sound effects when you answer wrongly or correctly. When I played the games, I hated the “Tttttttteeeeeeeeeettttttttt!” sound every time it came out. This means my answer is wrong and I need to be more critical for the next questions.
This website has also provided with videos for interactive learning which I could connect with my experience when I learn English while I watched English programmes on the TV. Let me be blunt, almost 80 % of my English learning are based on what I have watch from the TV programmes. While I am watching the programmes, I use almost all my language skills which are reading (the subtitle), listening (to what the characters are saying), speaking (repeating the words) and also writing (for the pompous words and then I search for the meaning). Therefore, when this website does an approach by learning through videos, I think the founders have given a thought very thoroughly and taken many things in consideration to come out with such a thoughtful site.
Question No. 5: Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?
Look at the history of CALL itself, computers have been used and applied in language teaching ever since the 1960's according to Warschauer & Healey (1998). Along this period of using computers as part of teaching and learning process, CALL can be divided into three main stages: behaviourist CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL where every stage has their own relation to a certain level of technology and pedagogical theories.
For the first stage, let us look at the Behaviourist CALL. Behaviourism theory articulates language learning as repetitive drills which can be called as drill-and-practice method. The website puts forward many drills and practices that the learners have to complete start from the easy level of tasks to the difficult ones. Form the vocabulary exercises till the language skills activities which require the learners to participate and engage with the games with explicit instructions and explanation on the topics covered. Moreover, for the speaking skills approach form the website, the learners have to try to imitate and repeat the language they hear form the audio files and are positively reinforced for doing so. Moreover, based on the Krashen’s ‘monitor model’ with language teaching methods based on behaviourism, the first hypothesis; ‘acquisition-learning hypothesis’ the learners are exposed to samples of the second language that acquire the same way that the learners pick up their first language through conscious attention to form and rule learning a language.
The second stage, based on the Communicative CALL or the Communicative language Teaching itself, the games and activities are designed to engine the learners in the pragmatic, authentic, functional use language for meaningful purposes. The website focuses on the aspects of language that enable the learners to accomplish those purposes and not just the organization language forms. The learners of the site will eventually and gradually have to use the language productively and receptively with the skills necessary for communication in those contexts. Moreover, based on the theory, it says that learners are given opportunities to focus on their own learning process through understanding of their own style of learning and through the development of appropriate strategies for autonomous learning.
The last stage which is the Integrative CALL, the website is integrated and designed with a whole language approach whereby reading is treated as one of the two or more interrelated skills. For example, based on the site, a task that deals with reading skills, hen will also deal with related listening, speaking and writing skills. The lessons of the website has also included the paradigm that consists of discussion of the topic to activate schemata, focus on reading skills and also writing strategies for enhanced wholly integrated learning.
Besides from all the theories above, the Lerner-Centred Instruction is one of the theories that can be found applied in the website. This theory is contrasted with teacher-centred. The learners have the power to choose the tasks based on their needs, styles of learning with different choices of activities and also goals of the activities. It also focuses on the enhancement of the learners’ sense of competence and self-worth. It gives a sense of “ownership” of their language learning and thereby adds to their intrinsic motivation.
Question No. 6: How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?
Let us start with the definition of the Constructivist Theory. The theoretical framework of this theory that had been suggested by Burner (1966) is that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge. The learner selects and transforms information, constructs hypotheses, and makes decisions, relying on a cognitive structure to do so. When the learners ‘play’ with the activities on the website, they are exposed with games which are fun and may look wretched on language learning, however, indirectly the learners will experience knowledge beyond the information given from the site. The website also encourages learners to discover and expose with the principles of learning on their own as far as the instruction is concerned.
Nevertheless, the computer and learners are not engage in an active dialogue like the traditional approach between teacher and students in a classroom. The computer takes role as the teacher and translates information to be learned in a format with appropriate outcome in order for the learners to learn with better comprehension and to the learners’ current state of understanding. The curriculum of the website is organized in a spiral manner so that the learner will continually build upon what they have already learned.
Question No. 7: In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation – was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
This is one difficult question to actually come up with an answer. Even the first time I come across with this subject, the thought of computers might replace teachers some how has pooped out into my mind. We can not deny the fact that technology is getting grater and more powerful each day to ease humans in any possible ways. Some ways and some how, we might be able to develop artificial intelligence which one of the examples is a robot teacher or a machine that can provide us with knowledge from home without going to school. So, do you think children would benefit more compare to school? It is really helpful for teachers and also students to have the use of computers in the classroom. However, I really believe that teachers play major role in the teaching and learning process compare to an unemotional machine with less guidance and more self- learning. Students are also should not too rely on computers for the growth and human development. We are living as a society with other people. If they too highly rely on the computer to learn, they would end up as machines without feelings and less human-like behaviour and more machine-like deeds. Although it is a good thing for students to learn by experiences and self-centred, but there are things that a teacher can do and a computer cannot.
A teacher can guide and instruct students in terms of non-verbal gestures, decision making and also teaches them with technical objects like a computer itself. A computer cannot teach others how to operate itself without guidance from other human beings. Plus, I could not agree more with the reality that the modern generation is now studying mainly with the use of computer, but here is a question that we should take into account when it come to this matter: Is there any interpersonal communication involved between a person and a computer? Computer help us make our life easier; from the basic thing such as save our important files or documents, speed up our work till provide us with information that we are looking for. But can we have the same relationship like we have with other humans too and connect with us like other persons do? Therefore, I think computers will not take the role on being the next teachers or replacing them but maybe we could say as assistances to assist teachers and help them on the things that are appropriate for the computers to operate in the classroom.
Question No. 8: Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
There is no doubt that I will use all the applications on the website because I think it covers most of the activities, materials and skills in learning the language. Plus, I would recommend this website to my future colleagues and students and also to the administration of other schools. I may sound so 'pro' about this site but I can say that I had fallen in love with this site when I tried the quizzes and the tasks. I was like a 13 year-old boy who so eager to know the English language better by playing with the games. It is an excellent preference not only for the learners to learn but also for teachers as an alternative rather than the traditional ‘chalk and talk’ approach. Other than the amusing games and quizzes, the learners are exposed with several of topics and formality of learning a language categorized by the level of proficiency and difficultness. The authenticity of the subject matters of the contents are also been taken as serious consideration for the learners to expose with the real situations. The language usage of the website is also easy to comprehend with simple and clear instructions without sounding so bogus.
To look deep into the website, I could say that the Language Learning Potential of the site is at the appropriate terms. It does present with equal opportunities for the three levels of learners’ proficiency. The site has considered and come up with activities that serve all learners to participate with the topics and the focused skills of English language. The site tries so hard for the learners to understand the language with a better comprehension with the interactive activities and not just focus on the completion of the tasks and end up learning nothing from the activities. Moreover, the authenticity of the website does develop learners’ willingness to engage with language skills tasks as they require speaking and reading with the right enunciation, writing with the right choice of words and grammar, and being able to listen carefully to the words and sentences provided. The practicality of the website is adequate and relevant for the learners/users. It is easy for teachers and also students to implement the tasks and activities in a classrooms activities and programmes. I am not ashamed to say that the easiness and the clearness of the website could make the website as one of the core of English language learning.
Suggestions and Recommendations
I think I have been called to talked more about computers as the replacement of teachers in language teaching and learning for this ‘Suggestions and Recommendations’ section. I will definitely suggest and recommend this website to the educators and for those who want to learn English with interactive and fun activities. It offers a lot of interesting topics and wide range of games for the users. With the self-learning, self-evaluated and self-actualization of the tasks given, it is one of the tools that can helps the ESL learners to learn English better with the integrated focused on the all skills and aspects of the language. However, like I said from the first in-class task, computers should be used as a language learning tool just like any other piece of equipment on the market. There are lots of language learning kits that can help learners to learn English, so do you think they could replace the role of teachers? Moreover, it is crucially important that computer NOT become the centre of attention of the lesson of language learning. Students can be too exited with the use of computer till they put aside other meaningful things that should be covered in a classroom and also the teacher. It would lead to the failure of the lesson due to the lack of concentration from the students. Therefore, these situations should be avoided and left to teachers to decide when, and if, they want to utilize such activities.
For the website itself, I would suggest to the creators to utilize the website with more creative outlook with pictures and colors so that the young users would be more interested with the site. Although the content comes with a high-quality aspects and subject matters, people will be always gullible for the fist impression and fall into the decoy of it. Once people have come across with any particular website, they will be fascinated and ensnared with the lively design and fall in love with it. Though, it should consist with ample and appropriate with not too complex and complicated design till people get confused with the applications provided. Therefore, I think the website should be more interesting in terms of the outlook and appearance so that it will catch people to participate with the website.
References:
Brown, H. Douglas 2001. (Second Edition): Teaching by Principles; An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy.
Lightbown, M. Pastsy & Spada, Nina 2006. (Third Edition, First Published): How Languages are Learned (Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers)
http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.html
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Lee-CALLbarriers.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_skills
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2080178.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaokWDqBo74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR85THAEhrI
