Thinking about the Experience
Let us review some observations on the lesson and see what principles underlie them.
Observations Principles
1 As the class begins, there is lively
chatter about the assignments that the
students have been working on.Students find online tasks to be
motivating.2 The teacher asks the students to form a
circle where they can see each other
face to face.Language learning takes place through
social interaction.3 Students choose comments from their
blogs to share.Students are autonomous in what they
share about themselves.4 The language that they work on comes
from comments that language learners
in other parts of the world have made
on their blogs.Students work on authentic language,
which comes from interactions with
others through online or virtual
communities.5 The teacher works with the students,
and the students work together to
understand a confusing message and to
determine how to respond to it.Learning to negotiate meaning is
important.6 Students use their native language to
discuss a response.Use of students’ native language can aid
comprehension.7 The teacher is not focused on specific
language items, but rather responds to
what language emerges as a result of
the students’ online work.There is less interest in linguistic
structure and more interest in helping
students deal with specific
communicative situations using the
language resources that are available to
them.
8 Students have created a Facebook page
with their profile.Students construct their online identities
in a way that is comfortable for them.9 Students read their Facebook pages in
pairs.Language is learned by using it.10 Sunni says ‘Let’s drink coffee.’ While
this is grammatically accurate, it is notNative speaker usage is not necessarily
what the aim is.