How to use chat

Chat in language teaching

It is a technology that many learners will often be familiar with and will use in their social lives, so it is worth exploiting in the classroom where possible. Having said that, although the types of cultural exchange described above are hugely motivating to students, they will probably take place no more than a few times a term or semester.


We look at the use of chat in the classroom, where the teacher can link up classes and groups in different locations, as part of collaborative project work or for one-off chat sessions such as those described above. We also look at the most likely application of chat, which is outside the classroom, where learners in the same class chat together(or with the teacher) to improve their English as part of their homework or self-study activities.



Type of chat

• Text chat


• Audio or voice chat


• Public chat


• Private chat


• Free topic chats


• Collaborative, task-oriented chats


• Informative or academic chats


• Practice chats

Chat programs
_ The video function will only display two users at once, so the video conferencing facility is less useful for larger groups of learners, but very well suited for one to one teaching or tutorials. It is also worth bearing in mind that more sophisticated types of software like this require a reliable broadband connection to work well.



Why use chat in language teaching?

• Does using text or voice chat with learners improve their English? _ Studies to date seem to point to text chat providing opportunities for negotiating meaning, seem as key to language acquisition by many linguists, but it has also been noted that online chat, especially text chat, does not follow the same rules of interaction as face to face conversation. Text chat can often appear disjointed: conversation threads get lost or questions are ignored; there are overlapping turns; and conventions for taking the floor are not automatically clear. Voice chat is more likely to make learners produce more fluent language.


• What kind of English should learners use in chat? _ Which abbreviated forms, for example, CU L8r for see you later, are the norm. We would recommend that students generally use standard written English conventions in text chat and email.


• What technical skills do teachers and learners need to be able to use chat?


• What benefits does the use of chat bring to the classroom?


• Is it better to use text or voice chat with learners?

How to start using text or voice chat with learners

_ We would suggest starting out with text chat, and then moving on to voice chat once learners have had a chance to practise with text chat
_ Initially it is a good idea to use chat in class with your learners a couple of times , to help them become comfortable with it, so that they can then go on and use it outside class.

Step 1 - Install and learn to use the software

Step 2 - A practice chat class

1. Allow your learner time to get used to using text chat, then let them experiment with voice chat, in the same chat software.


2. This is the time to teach and practise any netiquette or turn - talking conventions that you would like your learners to use in text or voice.

Step 3 - Contact with another class

1. It is well worth first getting the two classes to email each other to cxchange some personal information, so that learners at least feel they know each other a little before chatting online. You might even want to first set up a collaborative email exchange or a blog or wiki project, and to use chat as part of such a project.


2. Once learners feel that tey know each other a little, and are more comfortable not only with the medium but with chatting to each other, you could introduce a voice chat.

How to structure a text or voice chat lesson

First, ask yourself what learners will get out of your chat. If the chat is to be held, as we suggest, between classes in different countries, there are, as we have said, several benefits for your learners:

• contact with other learners/cultures, and the motivation that this brings.


• 'real' communication with a real purpose.


• use of a new medium in the classroom.


• a chance to practise written and/or spoken English.

There are several possible groupings for running chats between two classes in different geographical locations:

1. If leaerns in both classes have access to individual computers, they can simply be put in pairs, with one learner form Class A being paired with one learner from Class B.


2. If there are enough computers available for learners to work in small groups on a single computer, clear guidelines for turn-taking in each group need to be provided by the teacher.


3. In the single computer classroom, an entire class can use one microphone for a voice chat, with the teacher allocating turns, introducing topics and signalling the various staes of the lesson.

_ For text chat, we would recommend that learners work only in grouping 1 above.

_ For voice chat all three groupings 1,2 and 3, can be used.

_ Whichever of the above groupings most suits your context, it is not good idea to simply put two classes together via chat and leave them get on with it(To make someone to be hurry up). Providing a clear structure for learners to follow will give them a sense of purpose and also provide security, which is especially important if your learners are communicating in a foreign language at a distance with people who they do not know very well, and if they are unfamiliar with the chat medium.

Any chat lesson, whether using text and/ or voice chat, should include the follwing broad stages

• An introductory/warmer phase: This phase may include detailed introductions and an exchange of personal information if learners are chatting together for the first time or it may consisit of a simple exchage of information


• The main content of the chat: This may consist of one main task, or a series of short tasks, which learners eed to complete, and could be based on a worksheet which learners have been given before the chat.


• In this stage learners may summarise what they have covered or achieved in the chat, and say goodbye. The teacher might have set a brief closing task, such as asking learners to tell each other one thing they have enjoyed about the chat.
  

A sample text chat lesson plan

1. Before the class - The teacher needs to first make contact with the teacher of a similar class in terms of level, class size and access to technology.
2. Classroom management issues - Ideally learners are put in pairs for the first chat, with one learner in Class A and the other in Class B, each sitting at an individual computer. For classes with fewer computers than learners, learners can either conduct the chat in pairs or consecutive learners or pairs of learners, each given 5 minutes to chat, and with the chat encounters spread out over several classes.
3. During the chat - First hand out worksheets, which your learners will need to complete during the chat itself. Note that each partner has a slightly different worksheet, with worksheet A for learners in Class A and worksheet B for learners in Class B
4. After the chat - Each learner now has information about an individual in the other class, and can draw up a profile of that individual. This can be in the form of a written text or a grid, and ideally should include a digital photo of the learner. Learners in Class A could be asked to decide whose profile from Class B is closest to their own: in other words, who is most like them.

A summary of issues on using text and/ or voice chat with learners.

• Try the software out in the computer room with the class before setting up the 'real' chat .
• When using chat between your class and a class in another country, allow them to first make contact with the other class, for example via a blogs project or email, before getting them to use chat.
• Set a clear tast, or series of tasks, for the chat, so that learners are not left wondering what to chat about.
• Ensure that it is clear to learners what the purpose of using chat is. As we entioned earlier, there is not much point using chat if the learners involved are perfectly able to talk face to face!
• The ideal group size for a text or voice chat is small. From this study, an ideal group size is about 6 to 8 people for text chat, and 3 to 5 people for voice chat.
• Record the chat. Most text chat programs will allow you to log (record) the text conversation as a transcript, which can then be used for analysis and/ or a also allow recording, with the chat recorded as an audio file.
• Have a contingency plan! If your school's Internet connection is down, or for any reason you are prevented from being able to use the computer equipment, ensure that you have a backup plan to do something else with your learners!