English Attack! is a revolutionary way of improving your students' English; it is the first online platform for learning English specifically designed to the "digital generation". It uses short (1 to 3 minute) clips from movies, TV series, music videos, visual thematic dictionaries, online games and social networking to increase exposure to English.
1. Augusto Rocha Country Manager English Attack and Out-of-the-Classroom Learning The Final Frontier BRAZ TESOL Curitiba 20 June 2011
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4. EdTechApplied to EFL Ohura The past 10 years or so have seen an explosion of interest in the use of technology in the EFL classroom: from Blogs to Twitter, Podcast, Moodle, and Mobile. EdTech in the EFL classroom, in short, is sexy.
5. EdTechApplied to EFL EdTechApplied to EFL Homework Ohura Klingon Sexy Not sexy When it comes to topic of homework in EFL, however, the enthusiasm fades. No one seems interested. It’s just not sexy.
6. Yet surely there is a disconnect here. We know that learners spend 98% of their time outside of the classroom. We also know that learners are integrating technology into virtually every aspect of their lives, from communication to entertainment, to, yes, education.
7. Trying to find useful pedagogical theory, academic work, or case studies on the subject of EFL Homework turns up very little information.
9. The Obstacles Let’s start by investigating the obstacles….WHY homework doesn’t play the role it should in EFL.
10. First: technology, or the lack of it until now. Very difficult to foster autonomy, exploration and motivation with linear and mostly uninspiring materials like textbooks and workbooks.
11. No, no, it’s an opportunity for exploration and self-learning! I’m telling you, the only purpose can be to consolidate what is learned in class. Secondly, there has long been a schism between those who see homework as a “consolidating” tactic for classroom lessons; and those who see homework as “something else,” i.e. complementary to the classroom experience but with its own unique role in the language learning process.
12. Third, homework is tricky for teachers because it’s unpopularwith learners.
13. By its very nature, assigned homework is at a huge disadvantage compared to what is is competing with in the home: relax time, television, and, especially for teens and young adults: internet, music and mobile texting. ,
14. Fourth, until now the creation, monitoring and marking of homework has implied significantly adding to the teacher’s workload.
16. Insufficient Input In most cases, because exposure to English only happens in class, learners are simply not exposed to enough input for effective language learning. Also, unguided input can prove discouraging for learners if it results in a frustrating, partial comprehension experience.
24. Highly structured “course / level” orientations can clash with school’s curriculum and turns off learners looking for more casual exposure
25. Most do not address teen / young adult interests and tastes
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27. Optimal Solution An online, self-study resource complementary to the school curriculum, but sufficiently different to it to avoid feeling like extra coursework.
28. Optimal Solution Created by independent entertainment and pedagogy experts specifically for teens and young adults, incorporating the latest learning concepts from cognitive neuroscience and learning games.
29. Optimal Solution In tune with the interests, learning styles, and motivational requirements of this age demographic
30. Optimal Solution Consistent with the latest EFL pedagogical thinking (Lexical & Communicative approaches; grammaticalized lexis; authentic materials)
31. Introducing Designed specifically for teens and adults, English Attack! uses a wide range of online entertainment formats – from video to games to social networking – to help people improve their English in a fun, friendly and highly accessible Web 2.0 environment. Photo Vocab visual dictionaries Video Booster interactive videos Global community of Learners of English Practice Games
32. Pedagogyinspired by cognitive neuroscience English Attack! Video Boosters based on authentic input All vocabulary & grammar is contextual Learners can choose exercises based on their favorite hobbies, artists, movies, … Community and social networking features play a key role Activity-driven score and continuous rewards Repetition is key, but make it fun: Practice Games NO grammar terminology; show usage logic, inductively Key Brain Behaviors Contextual Meaning is more important than abstract information Emotion is the gatekeeper to learning Intelligence is a function of experience (learn by doing) The brain is Social Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by stress The more stimulation, the more likely long-term memory is created The brain DOES NOT obey rules
33. Motivation through discovery & autonomy “The simplest way to ensure that people value what they are doing is to maximise their free choice and autonomy” - Good & Brophy, 2004
35. Videogame-like ecosystem for enhanced self-motivation Pervasive Motivational Feedback Rewards, not Grades Incentivation of Effort rather than Ability Points scored based on activity, not proficiency level Interstitial feedback Is always positive and encouraging, like in a Casual videogame Badges, levels, and contributions displayed on personal profile page
36. Let’s check more details about how English Attack! Works withourfriend Booster
56. TEFLtube: Teacher Platform TEFLtubeallows teachers to assign specific content units as classwork, homework or group work; to monitor if the work has been done; and to see what the performance was. Select or Create Content & Assign it to a Class Monitor assignment compliance and see class + individual student performance per skill Create and Manage Classes
58. You instantly benefit from the significant difference between the perceived value to the individual learner (the retail price, €10/month) and the lower cost to you of providing that value. Multi-user License Fee Package Includes: Access to TEFLtube teacher platform One free Teacher user account per 20 students signed up For schools with 100+ students, co-branding of site
60. Purpose-specific design English Attack! has been specifically designed to increase EFL input and motivation for teens and young adults
61. A flexible, stand-alone resource No “integration” with school curriculum required. Instead, an autonomous, complementary resource promoting discovery and self-motivation.
70. For more information Augusto Rocha Business Partner - Brazil LinkedIn Profile: Augusto Rocha E-mail: augusto@english-attack.com Phone: +55 11 7889-3624 @englishattack For more on our pedagogical principles: Entertainment English Blog: http://blog.english-attack.com
Notas del editor
The interest and enthusiasm seems to stop, however, as soon as the learner leaves the classroom. I think it’s fair to say that, for some reason, EdTech related to the subject of EFL Homework…. Is NOT sexy. We’re actually sort of afraid of it. We wish it would simply go away.
But ignoring the subject of homework can’t be right. As teaching professionals, we can’t ignore the fact that learners actually spend 98% of their time OUTSIDE the classroom. And we know that DIGITAL NATIVES are increasingly using the web, smartphones and iPads for every aspect of their lives, including education.
To research this talk, I of course started by Googling “EFL Homework” and similar terms; I scoured the few academic papers I could find on the subject; I wrote a blog post asking my PLN for their thoughts and experiences on the subject; and I cruised all the ESL and EFL groups on LinkedIn, asking for the same. All in all, I think I came up with about a dozen useful nuggets of information. Why is there so little material on this topic?
Let’s start by investigating the obstacles….WHY homework doesn’t play the role it should in EFL.
A first obstacle, I believe, has been the fact that until now, the state of technology hasn’t really allowed an evolved approach to homework. If you know autonomy is an objective, and only have linear print materials on hand, you can’t even start to address the opportunity to use homework strategically.
Another obstacle has historically been the fundamental schism between those who see homework as a “consolidating” tactic for what has been previously taught in class; and those who see homework as “something else,” i.e. complementary to the classroom experience but with its own unique role in the language learning process.
Third, homework is tricky for teachers because it’s unpopular, or, as you might hear it more frequently put by younger learners, “because it sucks.”
Also, for teachers wanting to create individualized homework, there has until now been a heavy price to pay: the additional workload,and the labor-intensive follow-up that it requires in terms of monitoring whether it has been done and providing feedback on the completed work.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.
The internet allows us to concentrate the most teacher-intensive time during the classroom hours, and amplify the time dedicated to exposure, input and even repetition by allowing it to happen outside the classoom, on the learner’s home PC or even on their mobile phone. This is something I’ve been working on for the past two years, and I’d like to show you at this point what we have created.
My main point today is that it’s HIGH TIME we put these 4 things together --- (1) an understanding of the teenage brain; (2) advances in Language Pedagogy; (3) a better understanding of Learner Motivation; and (4) the infinite possibilities of the web – TOGETHER to come up with a more effective way of motivating THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH for teens and young adults.