View Content #6635
| Contentid | 6635 |
|---|---|
| Content Type | 1 |
| Title | Article: Using Skype for Language Learning |
| Body | From http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0816/p13s02-legn.htm Learn a foreign language – over the Web: Internet phone programs and webcams give students daily practice with native speakers. By Matthew Rusling August 16, 2007 Observers have criticized college language curriculums in the United States for incorporating little – if any – of the conversation time so crucial to learning. But now, some colleges are making broader use of the Web to engage students in global language practice sessions. Instructors tout the technology as a "limitless" teaching tool that fast-tracks foreign language competency. "This is revolutionizing our language teaching," says Colleen Coffey, a Spanish instructor at Marquette. Making international calls via the Internet has yet to catch on with the 70 percent of Americans who use the Internet. But as more college campuses see the advantages of using Skype as an inexpensive teaching tool, that percentage is likely to go up. Although observers say the technology's potential has been stifled by its image as a program for techies, it is catching on with language teachers in pockets across the nation. Dickinson College in Carlisle, Penn., plans to add a Skype component to its Japanese, German, and Spanish classes this fall. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is using it now for French and German classes but plans to expand its use "as instructors hear about how easy it is," says Douglas Canfield, coordinator at the school's language-resource center. Read the entire article at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0816/p13s02-legn.htm . |
| Source | Christian Science Monitor |
| Inputdate | 2007-08-26 10:55:20 |
| Lastmodifieddate | 2007-08-26 10:55:20 |
| Expdate | Not set |
| Publishdate | 2007-08-27 00:00:00 |
| Displaydate | Not set |
| Active | 1 |
| Emailed | 1 |
| Isarchived | 1 |
