CALL as a resource for learners.- week 2

All human are constantly in learner, since we born until dead; that is something nature. However, everybody have a different process of learner, and different abilities and weakness. As learners we had to known ourselves. The article explained metacognition as flexible self-control of the knowledge. That’s mean engaging students in self-monitoring and helping them increase their knowledge; this process takes place along with thinking process, that’s means that the mind becomes aware of itself. In others words, the learner evaluates himself and recognizes where he has problems.

In addition, the article defines learner autonomy as the capacity that students have critical reflection to take an independent action of his learning process. That’s mean that the learner analyzes their own progress, to takes actions that could reach his knowledge, that’s why he becomes autonomous. At this point, the learner looks for ways to improve his learning by creating his own methods or techniques of learning. Computers-assisted language learning (CALL) takes place in that, due to, allows students to explore the plethora of resources available on the internet, and that give to them web tools with which they could improve their skills.

Something that I like from this article is that invite teacher to use technology in the classroom, not for the benefit of the teacher, but to contribute to the growth in learners, motivation, autonomy and thinking skills. In my opinion, I could evaluete the article with 4 because I feel identified. As a language student I look for resources that could help me and in many times I used websites and online programs to improve my foreign language, even thought,  I’m not so good with computers, I could said that they are a great help for me!                    

Computers, the best teacher support.- Week 1

Through the years, technology has been changing; and increasingly, it’s much easier to have access to a computer. This because of the fact that computers had changed our life in a extraordinary way; like the way in which we get information, the way in which we communicate or we have contact with others. Long time ago, computers had a limited used, but now are a big source of help.

Something that I liked from this article was, the little history of how computers changes the process of language learning since 1960, giving to teachers tools to change the traditional way in which, students were sitting in a classroom copy from the board what teacher was writing. The article describes three stages of Computers and Language Learning (CALL). The first one, describe the start in which computers were seen as tutor, with which students could learn at their own pace, using translations test and grammatical explanations.

 The second one, describe a way in which students had interaction with others, to arrange words and texts to extend their knowledge. In the last one, was a process which integrate a group of full skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading) with the use of technology that was born from the thought of looking for a way in which students could learn at an authentic environment, using task-based and project-based.

On the other hand, something that calls me attention was the changes in the role of teachers due to the fact, that teachers aren’t the only help o service to acquire a language anymore, because of the influence that computers have been taking every day; a question that I still have is if it is possible that this profession disappear in the future? Because technology had given us many grammar and vocabulary drill programs available also, given to students, additional time to performer their language learning outside the classroom, those advantages could change the system of learning that we know. However, we cannot deny that technology has facilitated the language learning process, therefore, computers are the best teacher support today.