LLL – Laptop Language Learning

Alan Green, UK

Alan Green is a trainer of business executives at Orange Street Canterbury, Pilgrims. After a career in primary education he has been an active member of the orchestrated course for executives being piloted at Orange Street. This involves meeting the individual needs of executives in the context of an orchestrated course with the maximum amount of interaction between the trainees. He has also presented a course that uses the music of the Beatles to advance communication and language skills
E-mail: aldi@tinyworld.co.uk

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Context
Aim
Prerequisites
Rationale
Aims
First steps
Second steps
Development
Considerations
Conclusions

Context

The TEFL trainer is working with an executive trainee of intermediate or intermediate plus level.

Aim

To indicate how by using current technology in a humanistic way a positive two-way flow of communication can occur between a TEFL trainer and business executive.

Prerequisites

1. Strong rapport established between trainer and trainee based on mutual respect of each other’s experiences
2. A comfortable learning environment to be created and maintained
3. A laptop computer each with a reliable internet connection

Rationale

IT is widely established as a powerful learning tool. However there is still a need for learning to be relevant and practical for the individual. If the power and resource capacity of modern day technology can be harnessed with the leaning interests of the individual then an energetic communication flow can occur between trainer and trainee. This can be mutually beneficial and exciting. At its best this “communication flow” can be an ongoing process beyond the time and place of the seminar room or classroom.

Aims

The aim of LLL is to enrich this interchange of ideas so that vocabulary is “scaffolded” by the trainee. It is also beneficial for the trainer who develops a much broader appreciation of business issues.

First steps

Initially the trainer can lead the trainee through the excellent “Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English” as a learning resource. Once this is established as a foundation resource the trainee can be guided through a language based site such as www.better-english.com to meet the particular needs of the trainee. This can be extended by referring to the more topic based learning English site www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish .

Second steps

These mutual experiences then become the launchpad for an exchange of information of direct relevance to the trainer and trainee. Appropriate websites are demonstrated, discussed and saved on the computers for future reference.

Development

Throughout this “communication flow” knowledge and experiences are shared freely because of the strong rapport and relaxed learning environment fostering spontaneity and creativity. The chart shows examples of websites that have proved to be successful to this style of learning exchange. This is a helpful start but there are many more “nuggets of knowledge” waiting to be discovered, discussed and utilised in this way.

Considerations

1. Is this method best suited to higher level ability?
2. Is the personal rapport a pre-requisite for success?
3. Does a similarity of interests/lifestyle help the process?
4. Would this approach be successful with most trainees?
5. Is there any evidence of long term benefits from LLL?
6. Is reliable technology or technical support a controlling factor?
7. Could SKYPE be used to assist future distance learning?

Conclusions

There are many more questions that can be asked about this particular way of humanising technology. Trainer and trainee both need to feel comfortable with this somewhat unpredictable and dynamic way of learning and communication. This is an exciting process that unites the worldwide web, the trainer and the trainee in a mutual learning exchange. Early results and responses indicate that it is worthy of further investigation.

The Creative Methodology for the Classroom course can be viewed here
The Basic IT in the Classroom can be viewed here