Chapter 5 Reflection

In chapter five of Robert J. Blake's Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning, the topic of distance learning is discussed, as it relates to foreign language education. This is undoubtedly a very touchy subject because of deeply-held beliefs that a lot of foreign language teachers, both new and old, might have about classes that are taught entirely in an online or distance learning format. The theory goes that student need to have face-to-face, authentic interaction with (native?) speakers of the foreign language in order to achieve adequate proficiency, especially oral proficiency, in the language. Of course, distance learning for foreign language classes has some limitation, but this does not mean that they should be entirely ignored. 


As Blake mentions, distance learning foreign language classes attract a certain type of students. Students who have tight schedules and who need fewer in-class hours might be inclined to take an online Spanish class, for example. The fact of the matter is that due to the fact that the class is online, students will probably have to put even more time and effort into achieving the same proficiency they would achieve in an on-campus class. As a teacher, I would also ask myself what I could do to motivate students knowing that most or at least a large portion of the student population in these distance learning classes might be made up of students who are expecting to do less work and put in less effort than they may in an on-campus class. 


In terms of technology, though, Blake mentions a number of studies (there aren't many, apparently) that serve to evaluate distance learning foreign language classes. In a few studies, the technology used was a little outdated. Personally, I think there is a great amount of technology at our disposal to make these distance learning classes as rich an experience as their on-campus counterparts. Blake mentions synchronous and asynchronous chat sessions that allow teachers and students to communicate, either in real-time or not, as well as flash animation that can make the experience fun and engaging. Video chatting with Skype is something that I would also consider an option because it allows teacher-student and student-student communication to occur in an environment that's as authentic as possible without actually meeting in person. 


I do believe that distance learning can work as a format for foreign language education, but I think it's important to consider the student population and to design the curriculum around their expectations while also making the experience as rich and engaging as possible.

References:

Blake, R.J. (2008). Brave new digital classroom: Technology and foreign language learning. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.