Lesson Number: One Lesson Title: Environments Unit Number: Five Unit Title: Environments, tools, Materials and Activities This unit deals with the use of CALL in different dimensions: The use of CALL in different Environments and the availability of materials. The term “CALL” is generally used for the material available on the web. Besides this, there are types of activities available on different sources. Primarily, the unit is written with the intention to explore material through different links. ENVIRONMENTS (Settings) Environment focusses largely on what learners and teachers can or can’t do with the use of technology. There will be different settings to be discussed under Environments for learners and teachers and also the impact of these educational settings on interaction and learning. Institutional Classrooms: The use of technological applications inside the classrooms are constantly in the state of change within institutes. Many of the institutes have different instructional resources within the bodies of the institutes. If one class has the availability of Interactive White-board for teaching then the other will have the use of whiteboard, blackboard or chalk board for teaching. The teachers need to be flexible and adapt to teaching resources for a likely future. Language Labs: Language labs in the past were based on tape-recorder with cassettes. Today, the installations are multimedia computers. The original language labs are now an outdated idea. Computer Centers: Some schools have access to computer clusters for language learning and teaching. One has to contact with IT coordinators in such a set up in order to ensure that the microphones and headphones are included and also see whether language-focused tools like digital recording soft wares and multi lingual word processors are installed. Digital Language Labs: Institutes used to have labs which interacted audio recorders for language learning and teaching. But the instructional setting has been replaced by computer clusters. Teacher has the control of material in the digital language Page 1 of 2 lab. There are now online labs which have abolished the limitation of time and place. One can now use the digital lab anytime from anywhere. Digital labs provide resources and sites for language learning materials. Homes: Homes also play an important role in language learning and teaching. A teacher must think and take care of the availability of technological application when he assigns homework/ home assignments to the students. Internet Cafes and Coffee shops: Some of the places where students have access to the use of technology are internet cafes. But they have certain limitation to their use of technology and it concludes security risk and noise. The other similar places are coffee shops which sometimes offer free of cost Wi-Fi connection. The only thing the students should do is to keep their laptop or smart phone with them to make a good use of technology for enhancing their language learning. Example of such a connection is: http://www.wififreespot.com/ Mobile Environment: Smart phones and tablets are now in vogue all over the world. Most of the student are carrying their iPads, tablets and smart phones which are replacing desktops since last few years or a decade. Such technological devices have their demerits apart from their uses. These devices can cause disturbance inside class if the students use them inside the classrooms. Another important environment is the use of ‘the web’. It’s becoming very common among the users. It has its advantages and disadvantages which will be discussed in the Lesson number two of the unit in details. References and Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075aWDdZUlM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA1Aqp0sPQo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGNOa9fEi8Q Page 2 of 2
