Reading Response Eight

Reading Prompt #8
*Levy – Ch. 4 Computer Mediated Communication

*BLACKBOARD – Sauro, S. (2009). Computer-Mediated Corrective Feedback and the Development of L2 Grammar. Language Learning & Technology, 13(1), 96-120.

What are some of the technologies used for CMC? What are some of the promising features of CMC for language learning. Comment on any of your uses of these technologies, in particular if you have used any of them for language learning or practice purposes. Finally, comment on the findings of Dr. Sauro's research, and what the implications may be for future practice.

Email, chat, Moo's, conferencing,and mailing lists are examples of CMC or Computer Mediated Communication. My favorite of these are email and chat. Emailing someone who is a native speaker of your target language is a good way of practicing literacy. The book states that, "perhaps the most commonly cited advantages of e-mail as a learning tool are taht it provides access to authentic langauge and serves as a means of learning more about the target culture." (Levy p.86) All this in your own time without the worries of meeting for class.
Chat is done in real time. It is probably a more difficult medium to deal with, but has many advantages. "Because of the real-time interaction of chat in which participants negotiate meaning by modifying the input and output and responding to feedback, meaning by modifying the input and output and responding to feedback." (Levy p.89)
Both mediums are great tools for second language learning.