Back to/from the Future:

Reflections of Selected English Learners and Teachers in Canada

Joseph Ng and Hala Bastawros

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Random facts before the ramble begins:

Welcome to Canada,

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● Umbrella body: TESL Canada● Largest conference: TESL Ontario

Conference, 1,500 of 4,600 members● Pop. + immigration: 35 million +

250,000 p.a., by year 2025 approaching 40 million

● PRs born: China 12.8%,Philippines 12.7%, India 11.2%, Pakistan 3.9%, USA 3.7%, France 3.2%, Iran 2.5%

● <20 immig: Am. Samoa, Marshall Is, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, San Marino

● Internet users per 100: Canada 18th, behind Iceland, Bermuda, Japan, etc.

The Future? Tell Us!

tinyurl.com/year2025

2025: What’s the Way to the Future?

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Agenda1. Dreaming the Future

1. What the Presenters Think Administrators, Teachers, TESL Trainees, and Learners Might Think About the Future

2. What the Above Really Think2. Digging the Past

1. Classical and Communicative towards the Integrative2. CALL and MALL

3. Directing the Present 1. Classroom Management: Blogger--PC and Mobile; Skype2. Lesson Delivery: Google Forms, Dictation Triptychs, Flipped Classrooms3. Assessment: e-Portfolios, Task-based4. Alumni Community: FB and LinkedIn

4. AUDIENCE INPUT 1. Survey Review2. Rotten Tomatoes

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1. Dreaming the Future

What we presenters dream for the future of ESL:● Physical classrooms with

adequate technology● More secured jobs● Better fundings● Tighter discipline and policies in

the classroom● Unionization for ESL teachers

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What they actually thought

A total of 41 respondents from a variety of federally funded LINC programs (SURVEY LINK)● 1 administrator, 3 trainee

teachers, 10 classroom and distance-learning teachers, and 27 students on a freezing February week

● Gracious assistance of UofT’s Prof. Soo Min Toh

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What some Canadians think

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What some Canadians think

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What some Canadians think

Mostly teachers and trainees against paper handouts, learners the opposite

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6- Do you think that most teachers will be from different

international backgrounds? Why?

Yes, because it can teach student better.For beginner it is easy to study,

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I don't believe that background should have anything to do with whether or not someone is hired as a language teacher, as for any job. It should be based on skills, requirements of the job, and organizational fit.

7- Are teachers important or can they be substituted by

robots or computers? Why and why not?

Teachers have more skills and they can discuss with you otherwise robots or computers are only machines they can't reach to my learning skills goals. 11

A teacher in person will always be important as part of the class. … Conversation must be practiced in a group of living beings, a real social environment.

8- How do you see technology advance 10 years from now?

What do you think its impact is on classrooms?

Technology is a tool.It can help people but can not substituent people.

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Technology ... would make classrooms more environmental friendly (and cost effective) and … accessible after school hours.

9- Do we still need to offer ESL classes? Give 2 reasons for

your answer.

yes because, 1.- In any time there are many persons wanting learn english ... especially here in Canadá 2. - ... the most important language in business 13

The need is driven by immigration policy. If we continue to welcome 250,000+ newcomers a year, then the need will be there ...

10- What do you see different in classrooms 10 years from

now? List 3 differences.

1.More teach active through internet. 2.Every student use smartphone. 3.The schedule of study can change by student request.

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1. International teachers replaced by Canada-born. 2. Technology to play a significant role in ESL classroom. 3. ESL classes minimized due to funding cuts.

11- What could make it easier for someone to learn

English as a second language in Canada in the coming 10

years?Maybe a rule should be made that a teacher have to teach a limit students. I believe that less students, more easer for someone to ESL.

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More field trips or communication with native speakers of English outside and during the hours of the classroom. Having native speaker ''pen pals'' ...

What some Canadians think

7 votes, all learners

17 votes, mostly teachers/trainees

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What some Canadians thinkMore Jobs!

3x

Teacher Benefits!

3x

ESL PR, Recruitment

3x

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Any patterns?

Further analysis of data (along lines of residence in Canada, sex, age, etc.) hesitated at due to paucity of samples, so lack of statistical significance

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But two concerns seem to have emerged:1. Technology2. Pedagogy

Not overly earthshaking?

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Not entirely unexpected:“Teachers’ IT use seems to be motivated largely by utilitarian reasons, followed by a variety of pedagogical benefits.” (Arnold 2007)Nike Arnold. 2007. Technology-Mediated Learning 10 Years Later: Emphasizing Pedagogical or Utilitarian Applications? Foreign Language Annals. VOL. 40, NO. 1 p. 161

2. Digging the Past

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George Santayana

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The Typical 3 Phases

History of ESL Pedagogy/Androgogy1. Grammar Translation Method2. Direct Method3. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

Multiple accounts of history

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Technology as Driver

History of CALL1. Mainframes, Univ of Illinois’ PLATO: Drills

1960s - 1980s2. PCs, CD-ROMs: Games 1980s - ???3. Web 2.0, MALL: Tasks, role plays 2000s???

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Technology as DriverHistory of MALL (Mobile-Assisted LL)1. Ohio State profs’ teacher hotline 1980s2. BYU’s Hawaii - Tonga on tel/comp 1990s3. “First mobile phone language-learning

service” (http://www.language2yourphone.com/) (Wiki) already defunct?

4. Yet “Transforming Your Classroom With Mobile Learning” by Susan Blanco - next!

“MALL remains marginal … [but] the necessary technological base and pedagogical expertise are in place”

Jack Burston. 2014. The Reality of MALL: Still on the Fringes. CALICO Journal, 31(1), p-p 103-125. doi: 10.11139/cj.31.1.103-125

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The Canadian Experience

1. Must surely include the controversial residential schools, late 1800s - 1900s

2. Succeeding waves of immigrants and students3. Language Instruction for Newcomers to

Canada (LINC) program since 19924. CLB2012 - Benchmarked,task-based language

instruction5. PBLA2014 - Portfolio-Based Language

Assessment 24

3. Directing the Present

Some attempts in the hood to follow the compass, both technologically and pedagogically

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Within and Beyond the 4 Walls

1. Classroom Management: Blogger--PC and Mobile; Skype

Using Blogger.com for Classroom Management:● Teacher creates a Class Blog, assigns daily tasks to the students on it, and then teaches the

students to create their own blogs to be linked to the class blog for teacher/peer editing and evaluation.

● Students in multiple campuses can check it asynchronously from their phones using the free Blogger app.

● Distance-learning students Ontario- and Canada-wide already learn in the convenience of their homes through screen sharing with their teachers via Skype.

● Can leverage “the reciprocal relationship between technology and TBLT” (Lai and Li 2011:512)http://425window.blogspot.ca/http://welinc.blogspot.ca/

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Language and Work- Related Resources

Students’ Blogs/ E-portolios

Task-based, Benchmarked

Assessment for Student E-portfolio

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Ski outing

Remembrance Day shot by a student

Class policies, language-learning resources, alumni network, etc.

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Multicampus assignment

QR code

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Field Trip Management Tool

Students’ Blogs

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Pedagogical Excursus

Lesson Delivery: Google Forms, Dictation Triptychs, Flipped Classrooms

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Google Forms:

As assessment in the classroom is divided into formative (ongoing throughout the term) and summative (end of term), a great tool for the latter offering cloud-based storage convenience, cost savings, easy modification, and efficiency is Google forms, Once captured on spreadsheet by Google Forms, the data is graded for achievement level and exported for institutional archival purposes on an Excel worksheet and secured. 32

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Dictation Triptychs:

Beyond mere jigsaw activities of yesteryear, how’bout round triptych it for ya? To manage the classroom in a more innovative manner and teach vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar using an interesting and creative method, here’s our very own Canadian dictation triptych, combining something old (e.g. dictation, spelling) with something “new” (highly CLT).

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Besides other skills, students learn to say anything they learn in at least 3 different ways.

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Flipped Classrooms:

Students are given tasks and time to ''teach themselves'' new skills/info/tasks in the morning before going back to class for interactive T-guided practice, production, and role plays of what they have learned.

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It Takes a Global Village

Alumni Community: FB and LinkedBeyond Tasks❖ Field trip management❖ Alumni association❖ Resource centre for after-hours self-help❖ Class policies❖ Beyond Blogs: in-class bonding, LinkedIn,❖ Facebook!

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CONCLUSION

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So What Are Some Lessons?

1. Applying Santayana’s dictum to TESOL and other disciplines:

Kelly’s history led back to the earliest known records of language teaching to a time when it was viewed as integral with the study of science, philosophy, art and literature. I take this inspiration from the past and hope I have illustrated that innovation in English language teaching will come when it reconnects with its history and with other fields of knowledge. (Riches 82)

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So What Are Some Lessons?

2. Based on the results of our tiny poll, Canadian teachers themselves, “after you,” have a limited role in pointing out the future.a. Technophobia? Teachers don’t seem to have too much

knowledge and imagination, esp. in tech areas; students far less.

b. Here’s a SHOUT OUT: Universities (or their famous dropouts) and angels/VCs may be better placed to take the lead, nurture, or partner. 42

So What Are Some Lessons?

3. What will it be like in 2025?a. Funded by Blackberry-Back-to-Life, eh?b. Holographic “exolingual” (Zheng et al. 2009) class

attendance, role plays, etc.?c. TESOL wearables? “Help, honey! I’m hearing things!”d. Blended, customized semi-robotic teachers?

Composite profile built from intake assessment--e.g. a Russian accent-reducing, non-Canadian-raising, homemaker/ECE-content-able, MALL-ready, 15,000- rated self-randomizing quizmaking instructor

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Audience Feedback

1. So, join us, eh? How did the live vote go?a. Clicked to submit yet?b. View Analyticsc. Original SURVEY LINK (Analytics)

2. Q&A / H2S Time!

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Merci! Gracias!

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