EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Language in Action: From Webquests to Virtual Realities

Robert Godwin-Jones

Virginia Comonwealth University

This text is about how to use technology in a good way to explote efficiently the resources of internet in language learning. The technologies that are used are webquest, MOOs, chatterbots snd mobile technology.

Webquests is defined as an inquiry oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing. Usually Webquests are group activities with an end goal of creating a document that collects, summarizes, and synthesizes the information gathered. They are dedicated to students, so that they can work in groups.

MOOs are chat rooms in which students can interact with other people in real time, users can talk about different topics and also use some avatars to make coneversations entertaining, also the use of chatterbots is a good tool to make that shy students can interact and talk the L2.

Mobile Technology now can conect people around the world, nowadays is easy to obtain some of this product, and schools are incentivated students to use them in school activities and they also provider their students with this technology to obtain good results in language learning.

Nowadays technology is facilitating our lives and teachers are using it in a good way, the technology that is decribed in the article is very useful, first of all, webquests allow to do classes interesting for students, classes are students center and they can also play with it, to make competition with the rest of the class.

MOOs I think are very useful, students love chatting on internet, making new friends and creating avatars, I also love this way of teaching, I believe that it is a perfect way to motivate students and to do something different for them, Chatterbots also can help, but sometimes this programs talk non-senses, so I prefer chatting with real people.

The last one is Mobile Technology, the use of mobile phones, laptops, cameras, with these devices you can make that your students create videos, get in contact with their partners and to make activities like the one that is described in the article, give some instructions to the students and they have to look for a specific site if they are on a trip, and of course they have to share this information with the group that is in the classroom.

Defitnitely, classes are changing and is our responsability to use the technology in a good way to improve our classes and to make it entertaining for children.