Week 2: Awareness of students to learn another language

Effectiveness of the integration of ICT tools and activities to foster awareness as the first stage to    reach learning autonomy.

The article talks about a method of teaching that mention the importance of allow students to make their own decisions for their learning. The article focus in two surveys that were administered to a group of students. One survey requires students to report the things they find useful, things they like the best and suggestions they have for the instructor. The second survey followed a semi structured format designed to specifically address the multidisiplinary experience. At the end students were asked to write a reflection to sum up about what the Project meant to them. Also, in the surveys they made, students considered some activities useful for their learning.

This article mentions about students that learn by making invetigations and also decisions by their own; I think that the learning process that they have is more meaningful for students. If they are responsables in what they are doing to learn a language, in this way they will find the knowledge that they are acquiring more fun or interesting because they have the opportunity to get information using technological tools.

furthermore, when the students have the opportunity to use technology for information to learn a new language they are more aware of the process of the learning they are having because they can see the progress in the knowledge they are having.

Also, the experiences they have to learn a language are differents because they can enjoy the learning when they make it dynamic. As we know the process that a teacher use is most of the time to receive information and sometimes students do not have the chance to look of use other materials to be better in their skills.

Moreover, it is important to know that teachers play an important role when students use this methodology. Teachers are the guide for students to provide information to use this method to have a better learning.

To sum up, students need to have the opportunity to make independent practice to develop the metacognitive process to learn a language using ICT tools. Using this tools or methodology students are going to have a positive effect on their performance.

Week 1: Computer-Assited Language Learning.

The article mention that Computer-Assisted language Learning have been working seen 1960. This process or method has helped a lot to students who need to learn or practice a language.

 As in  the article says, now teachers are only facilitors to students. Teachers are not going to be replaced for a technological tool; now the function of a teacher is to facilitate students with the things that they need to clarify doubts. Another thing that it is mentioned is that CALL allow learners to work on their own using the materials they present. Moreover, CALL is essentially a tool that helps teachers to facilitate the language learning process. It can be used to reinforce what has already been learned in the classroom or as a remedial tool to help learners who require additional support.

Nowadays, most of the people have the opportunity to use the computer and access to the internet to search for something they need to learn. I think that the purpose of the article is that the things have to change in terms of the ways students learn a language. Now they have the chance to use different programs to learn and they can also practice because the programs give them the opportunity to interact with the computer or the system they are using. It is important to know that not only technological tools can help students to learn a language; students can also have the opportunity to change opinions with classmates or teacher when they are in classes. Teacher have some benefits using this method with the students; some of them are the following:

• Multi-modal practice with feedback: using a program in the computer can help students because they can have the opportunity to have feedback in the exercise they are practicing. In some cases teacher cannot have the chance to help each student. Using the computer allow them to access any time they need to have feedback.
  
  
• Individualization in large classes: When a student use a computer they can learn better because they focus more in the things they are learning because teacher cannot help when there is a big number of students in a classroom.
  
  
• Pair and small group work on projects, either collaboratively or competitively.
  
  
• The fun factor: Students who takes classes on computers can have fun, but at the same time the process of learning is going to be more meaningful if they use this tool in a good way in order to help them.
  
  
• Variety in the resources available and learning styles used: Students can take advantage of the resources they have available in the programs they have in the computer.
  
  
• Exploratory learning with large amounts of language data
  
  
• Real-life skill-building in computer use: They can have the opportunity to develop some of the skills in which they have problems by using a computer.
  
  

In conclusión, the use of technological tools nowadays is very important for students becasuse they have the opportunity to learn more by themselves. Most of the time, as I said before teachers do not have much time to help everybody in the class. I think that now we do not have excuses to say that we cannot use a computer and access to internet to learn something new. Most of the people have the chance to use this tool, but sometimes they do not use it in a correct way.

Take advantage of the opportunity we have nowadays!