A unique learning experience

Hi everybody,

I am back on my blog to tell you about another interesting activity in which I took part.

Last week during our English lesson me and my classmates participated in a webcast exchange with video camera with our skype partners from Tulane University in New Orleans. It was really exciting.

Thanks to the webcast and the video camera we had the great opportunity to have a visual contact with our friends from Tulane. I was excited as if it was a long time since I hadn’t seen a friend. I spoke a lot with my partner (Sara) by skype-ing but without seeing her in face. I was really enthusiastic to see her and her classmates on a screen! Although it was not a one to one conversation, but a collaborative talk, it was a great fun. Moreover it was spontaneous and interesting conversation!

We introduced ourselves and then started to talk about what happened at Columbine College in Virginia the week before. We went on to speak a little about young people and guns. Me and my classmates were interested in their opinions and reactions about what happened in Virginia. But, after a few questions we changed topic and started to talk about our skype impressions. Basically, the conversation was based on spontaneous questions and answers; everyone took part in the talk.

This was a great opportunity. First of all me and my classmates had the chance to speak English with native speakers; secondly, it was an intercultural exchange (we talked about American culture). Moreover, it was a collaborative talking, everyone participated and asked questions or told his/her opinion about something.

At the beginning we were all a little ashamed (maybe for the presence of the web camera) but once we broke the ice everything went ok. Roberto, an American gay from Tulane, even sang a little song for us. We all enjoyed ourselves in this intercultural activity.

From a learning point of view, this experience represents something unique. Students have the possibility to interact with people from the other side of the world, to practice a foreign language and test their abilities to participate in a spontaneous talk in English. This represents an innovative teaching method which stimulates students to improve their foreign language skills as well as enlarge their intercultural knowledge.

Finally, this experience made me reflect on how important technologies are in order to enhance teaching purposes; in particular, in the process of collaborative acquisitions and sharing of knowledge.

See you soon,

Take care

Francesca