Massive Open Online Courses

• Introduction

There are two types of teaching:

1. Online Teaching

2. Offline Teaching

It was a time when students learnt from books and blackboard but it is a time that students wish to learn from screens. So, nowadays Online Teaching like MOOC, Ted education, Gamification, Blog, etc. are popular among teachers and students. MOOC is one of the most popular among these methods.

• What is MOOC?

Massive: large number of enrollment of learners
Open: open for all (no mandatory qualification)
Online: fully online
Courses: structured course content   

So, MOOC is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web.

• Basic Philosophy of MOOC

Anytime Anywhere Anyone

• Platforms for MOOC

Swayam 

Swayam Prabha 

Edx 

Cousera

• Features of MOOC

1. E tutorials: Video lectures by subject experts
2. E content: Reading material
3. Quiz: Self-assessment and graded quiz
4. Discussion Forum: Students and teacher can interact

• Types of Courses on MOOC

1. Audited Courses: For learning purpose only
2. Certificate Courses: For learning and certificate both purposes
3. Specialised Courses: Specialization on particular subject 

• How to use MOOC?

Step 1 

Select the platform

Step 2 

Create account

Step 3 

Choose course

Step 4 

Enrol or join the course 

Step 5 

Go through the course   

Importance of Communication Competence

In this essay, I will first define what Communicative Competence is and what it includes. Secondly, making reference to the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages, I will synthesize why gaining Communicative Competence in a foreign language is so important and why it should be the main goal in an English Classroom. To finish with, I will summarize the best ways of teaching Communicative Competence.
Task-based language teaching will be the model I will use as an example of how Communicative competence should be taught and the role instruction should pay in the Classroom.

Communicative Competence refers to the ability of understanding, producing, and interpreting the different Communicative events taking into account not only their explicit sense (what it seems to be more immediate for us), but also its implications; that is to say, what the speaker wants to say, what the listener wants to understand, their relationship, the social context, etc. Therefore, Communicative Competence has to do with the social, cultural, and psychological rules that determine the use of a particular language in a particular situation.

This term was introduced by Hymes in language teaching in 1972, to complete Chomsky’s Linguistic Competence term which couldn’t explain all the factors which are important for a communicative purpose or in a communicative situation. According to him, Linguistic Competence only deals with the knowledge of language rules and forms, and Communicative Competence includes as well the knowledge that allows someone to communicate correctly and appropriately. Therefore, Communicative Competence is the only means we use to transform language into Communication instead of Linguistic Competence.

According to the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages Communicative Competence is divided in:

• Linguistic Competence:

It refers to the ability of producing utterances in an efficient way in all its grammatical levels. It is formed by these competences: lexical, grammatical, semantic, phonologic and orthographic competence.

Sociolinguistic Competence:

It is the ability of understanding and producing different utterances in different contexts of use where different factors play an important role, such as the relationship between participants, their situation, etc. Aspects to take into account here are social relationships markers, politeness norms, popular wisdom expressions, register differences, dialect and accent differences, etc.

• Pragmatic Competence:

It makes reference to the ability of acting efficiently in a language taking into account grammatical forms and meaning to complete a text (spoken or written) in different communicative events. It includes student’s mastery of texts, discursive genres, and community speech interpretation. To master this, there are needed rhetorical, cohesive or cohesion devices for conversational organization.

• Strategic Competence:

It has to do with the individual’s effective use of language by means of his capacity for using verbal and non-verbal resources to fix errors that can be produced when communicating due to different events that may limit the communicative process.

Communicative competence is the first of the eight basic competences that a learner has to have acquired by the end of ESO, but not only this, it is in the same way important to have acquired as well a B1 level of Communicative Competence in a Foreign Language to be admitted in University as the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages dictates.

Communicative Competence In Teaching 

Teachers in ESO should develop in students communicative abilities and strategies in order to reach a B1 level in Communicative Competence by the end of this period, this competence should be acquired in all areas: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Therefore, this has to be the main goal in the English Classroom. In order to analyze how Communicative Competence is implemented in school, I’ve chosen the task-based method, which is a continuation of Communicative Language Teaching according to Rod Ellis.

Task-based language teaching is a teaching method based on tasks whose main purpose is to make learners use the foreign language. Tasks are based on authentic events where authentic language is used: visiting a doctor, shopping, calling room service for food, etc. Assessment of errors is not considered as important as in other approaches because accuracy will be gained while practicing the L2 in an incidental way. Besides, Rod Ellis defends that what students really acquire is the implicit knowledge, and this is best facilitated looking at the language as a whole rather than breaking it into pieces in an attempt to teach item by item.

Tasks differ from activities in that they focus on meaning rather than on form, in this sense, learners will be creating their own language instead of reproducing the language given to them. They also have an informational or reasoning gap which will make the conversation interesting and therefore it will make them eager to continue it even outside class. Learners also use their resources instead of reproducing the language given to them. The goal of tasks is not to make learners use a correct language, but to engage them in communication.

What Role Plays Instruction In a Task-based Learning Context?

Instruction plays a different role in Task-Based Teaching:

Instruction is seen in an interpretative rather than in a transmission perspective, so its main goal must be to facilitate student’s processes of learning, which in this case is the acquisition of implicit knowledge.

The goal of language instruction is the development of implicit knowledge. If teachers make their students to focus mainly on language form they won’t never be able to communicate effectively. The only place where learning occurs is inside learner’s minds, so teachers cannot just direct that learning. Therefore attention to form will be paid only when communicating, and not all the time, because excessive corrections may stop the conversation’s rhythm. That doesn’t mean that Task-Based theorists don’t care about grammar, they defend explicit teaching of rules as well, but only when necessary because the main goal is communication.

Instruction has to focus on meaning rather than on form. Rod Ellis thinks that “grammar is not needed for basic communication. Basic survival in language relies on vocabulary and formulaic sequences, not on grammar”. Students will need grammar as they get involved in increasingly complex tasks, that is to say, the need to use a determinate grammatical form will be created in their minds as complexity increases in tasks.

Instruction needs to be motivating, i.e. based on things that learners may find interesting, because it’s very important to call their attention in order to get them involved in the task.

To conclude, I will sum up some characteristics a classroom should have to teach Communicative Competence:

Inductive method

Preventing method rather than corrective

Teach sequences of language, not language in isolation.

Teach through senses.

Promote autonomy.

Give your lesson an authentic and lucid character to make it interesting.

Set learning goals taking into account the developmental cognitive level of the learner.

I have taken this article on Communicative Competence from 

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/communicative-competence-in-the-language-classroom-english-language-essay.php

Writing Practice

• Ancient Indian Education 

• Modern Indian Education 

• Satire on Education System 

Look at the images given here and write NOT MORE THAN three sentences.

Give your answer in the comment box. 

Listening Activity

Introduction :

Language is the primary tool to communicate. There are various languages in the world like English, French, Hindi, and so on. But among thousands of languages in the world, English is more popular and it’s also the Linguia Franca or the International language. So, for a person in any field needs to learn English language.

Any language can be learnt step by step:

1. Listening
2. Speaking
3. Reading
4. Writing

Objectives:

• To improve learners’ listening skill
• To improve learners’ Writing skill
• To develop logical thinking and creativity 

Listening Activity:

• Step 1

Listen this Video Carefully. 

• Step 2 

This video has no dialogues. So, try to write dialogues based on this video in around 150 words.

You can write this answer in the comment box given below.

Conclusion:

Through this activity, one can learn English language with fun and improve Listening and Writing skills. However, this activity is an instance only, learners are advised to go through such activities regularly.

Historical Development of CALL

Technology Assisted Language Learning:

In the present era of Information Communication and Technology, Technology becomes an integral part of human life specially for youngsters. Learners use technology in their day to day life, for communication, learning, getting information, entertainment, and so on. In this condition, if a language teacher will use ICT tools for language teaching, students will enjoy learning. Keeping in mind such ideology of learners, many teachers have started using technology based language teaching methods in their classrooms. Instead of teaching with chalk and board, teachers use new trends of language teaching i.e. Computer Assisted Language Learning.

What is Computer Assisted Language Learning?

Computer Assisted Language Learning is widely known as CALL. It is in simple words, the use of computer for learning any language. CALL can be defined as:

Any process in which a learner uses a computer and, as a result, improves his or her language.

_Beatty

Thus, we can say that, CALL means, any use of computer technology in the domain of language learning. The main aim for using CALL is to make the teaching and learning process easy and convenient to both teacher and learners as well.

History of CALL:

From the beginning of CALL, it has focused on the development of technological tools for language learning and various theories for the implementation of CALL in the classrooms. According to Warschauer, history of CALL can be divided into three parts:

1. Behaviouristic CALL
2. Communicative CALL
3. Integrative CALL

Let us discuss these three parts in detail.

Behaviouristic CALL:

Technological Development

Main Frame and Mini Computer

1965- Basic language was developed.
1972- C language was developed.
1975- Formation of Microsoft by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

Approaches to Language Teaching

Behaviorism
Structural approach
Experimental method
Audio Lingual Method

Principles of language learning

Practice and habit formation
Focus on drill and practice.
Language can be learnt through habit formation

Communicative CALL:

Technological Development

Personal Computers PCs

1980 - Development of MS DOC/ PC DOS began by Microsoft
1982 - Compaq released their IBM PC compatible
1983 - Apple Macintosh was released

Approaches to language teaching

Communicative Language Teaching
Cognitive approach
Psychological approach

Principles of language learning

Focus on the fluency of students
Practice from regular life conversations
Communicative competence is the desired goal
Focus on the use of language

Integrative CALL:

Integrative approaches to CALL are based on two important technological development:

1. Multi media CALL
2. Web based CALL

Multi media CALL:

Technological Development

Multi media CD ROM

1982 - Audio CD was introduced
1993 - a CD ROM was introduced

Approaches to language teaching

Use of authentic, contextualized, and meaningful material
Humanistic approach
Focus on fluency

Principles to language learning

A more authentic language learning environment was created
Focus on LSRW Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Focus on both content and language skills

Web based CALL:

Technological Development

Computer mediated Communication (CMC)

1989 - World Wide Web the integration of hypertext and the internet was invented by Tim Berners Lee
1990 - Internet applications such as email, FTP, etc became popular.

Approaches to language teaching

Communicative Language Teaching
Focus on using internet applications for language teaching
Dynamic curriculum
The role of a teacher is now as a facilitator

Principles to language learning

Effective communication with the use of internet
Learner can interact with learners and teachers as well
Creativity of learners

Future of CALL:

From 1950s CALL has been used by teachers in their language classrooms, from Behavioristic CALL to Integrative CALL, teacher's role has been changed from a teacher to instructor to facilitator. For any language teacher it is must to be familiar with use of technology for language teaching otherwise it's possible that they may be replaced by computers in future.

Technology will never
replace the great teachers,
But technology in the hands
of great teachers is
transformational.

_George Couros

References:

1. http://www.slideshare.net/norielr/computer-assisted-language-learning-call-21549948?from_m_app=android
2. http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CALL/unit1.htm