Humanising Language Teaching
Year 3; Issue 2; March 2000

Going Off-Line With the Chat Room

By Alice Svendson

At our 2-year women's college in Tokyo we have a room where EFL students can gather to talk in English with a teacher who is free, or with friends who want to practice English. The room has round tables, rolling chairs, comfortable sofas, coffee tables, a rug and many windows to let in the natural light. Students can relax here. There are no reminders of a traditional classroom. The atmosphere is always warm, friendly and open. We call it the "chat room" because computer lingo is hot now. Actually, I should say, our chat room is the hottest thing on campus that is off-line. Very few things are hotter than the internet and mobile (cell) phones, so how do teachers and administrators compete with the excitement of connecting instantly with friends and peers around the world? The answer: "simulate" the virtual conversation lab with a real one.

Sure, cyberspace is fun, but those chat rooms have their drawbacks. The hosted ones (moderated by a teacher) seem intent on language outcomes with each session, and thus may leave the students with something tangible. But the open chat rooms, from my several years of experience with classes using them, seem to be exciting but quite limited in helping to improve students' speaking ability. First of all, students have to write their exchanges using the keyboard. That takes time and cuts down a lot on spontaneity. Also, the members of the chat room are in a state of constant flux, logging off and on every minute. Turn-taking becomes artificial with faceless members and an invisible number of participants. Then we've noticed after a few sessions that repetition of introductory statements and questions seems unavoidable. So students become quite proficient in asking where are you from, and explaining where their school is and what they're doing, but when they want conversation practice beyond the first stage it's difficult since each on-line experience in the chat room is an isolated session. Each time you enter the chat room it's like starting from scratch, so it becomes limited to initial short exchanges.

Now don't get me wrong. There are some wonderful web sites for students with games, interactive news stories and vocabulary activities. There are wonderful audio options for all levels as well at these web sites. However, when we take a look at what our students are actually learning in the chat rooms, I think we'll find that they leave a lot to be desired.

The off-line chat room, on the other hand, provides the informal and spontaneous communication that students may not get in their classes and can't get in cyberspace. In our chat room students are in control of the topic and the depth, be it light or heavy, as well as the maintenance of the conversation. It's warm-blooded and risky, but empowering.

The flip side is that the off-line chat room has two drawbacks that cyberspace doesn't have to contend with – time and space. Connecting both teachers and students who are free in a given space is not as easy as clicking on the mouse. Indeed, finding a space that can be transformed into a relaxing, non-threatening atmosphere takes a bit of patience and luck. Then creating a flexible schedule where free times overlap takes cooperation between teachers and schedule makers alike. We have not solved these problems, nor have we given up. We have found that lunch time works best until we can find other openings in the schedules of both teachers and students.

On the subject of problems I might add that some students who may feel quite comfortable with computers are quite shy and reluctant to meet face to face in the chat room. We have coaxed and encouraged them by giving out colorful lunch invitations to small groups. We lunch and chat and are thrilled when the first-timers return on their own. We have also posted upcoming activities scheduled for the chat room like card games, jigsaw puzzles and decorating the Christmas tree. Gradually, the number of students who use the chat room is increasing.

The off-line chat room is an old concept with a new name. Old ideas need to be dusted off and given a second look lest they get buried under the technological advances all around us.

Alice Svendson
Jumonji Women's College
Tokyo, Japan