Graham Davies

I absolutely agree! I have often quoted Web guru Jakob Nielsen, who points to research indicating that we read 25%-30% more slowly from the computer screen than from the printed page - and this figure of 25%-30% is confirmed by a number of independent studies. While it is a good idea to present Web material in small chunks, with more white space than on the printed page, it very annoying having to skip from page to page in order to read a whole document. The sensible thing to do is to produce two versions, one to be read online and a downloadable version in Word DOC or PDF format that can be printed and read offline. When we started designing the ICT4LT website we aimed to do something like this, but we did not have the resources to produce two versions - and updating them. So we have settled on an online version that is annoying insofar as you have to keep scrolling up and down in order to read it but, as we say on our homepage, it's not a good idea to read large chunks of text from the screen and we advise people to print out anything that they wish to read in comfort. Consequently, all the ICT4LT pages can be printed as they are.

We don't do badly, however. I have worked in most countries in Western Europe at some time. The UK comes very high on my personal list, but Finland is extraordinarily well connected in the education world. A colleague of mine at a university in Finland tells me that it is normal for her university to pay for staff's home broadband connections so that they can work from home and save on travelling time when they are not actually required to be in the classroom. It's no coincidence that Finns are also the heaviest mobile phone users in Europe. I have had a couple of bad experiences running workshops in schools in the UK. One workshop was a complete failure. It was supposed to focus on using the Internet in language learning and teaching, but it never got off the ground as the ISP (NTL) went down at 10.30 am and did not spring back to life until 3.30 pm! A colleague of mine in Pittsburgh tells me that, contrary to popular opinion worldwide, many secondary schools in the USA are not at all well equipped and many are incapable of exploiting e-learning.

A recent report, produced jointly by the Center for International Development at Harvard University and the World Economic Forum, attempts to assess the challenges and realities of the networked world: Kirkman et al. (2002) Global information technology report 2001-2002: readiness for the networked world, Oxford, Oxford University Press: http://www.oup-usa.org/reports Substantial sections of the report are available in PDF format at: http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cr/gitrr_030202.html An important chapter in the report is entitled "The Networked Readiness Index (NRI): measuring the preparedness of nations for the networked world". The NRI ranks 75 countries according to their capacity to take advantage of ICT networks, bearing in mind key enabling factors as well as technological factors, e.g. business and economic environment, social policy, educational system, etc. Higher ranked countries have more highly developed ICT networks and greater potential to exploit the capacity of those networks. The USA occupies the No. 1 position on the NRI, followed by Iceland at No. 2. The member states of the European Union are ranked as follows: 3. Finland 4. Sweden 6. Netherlands 7. Denmark 9. Austria 10. United Kingdom 17. Germany 18. Belgium 19. Ireland 24. France 25. Italy 26. Spain 27. Portugal 31. Greece (Luxembourg is not included in the NRI.) There are no major surprises in the above list, apart from the low position of France, which one would have expected to be much higher in view of its relatively strong economy and highly developed educational system. Norway is ranked at No. 5, and Switzerland at No. 16. Estonia leads the Central/East European field at No. 23, followed by the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary at positions No. 28, No. 29 and No. 30. I have been to Finland many times - most recently in 2002 to attend the EUROCALL 2002 conference. They appear to be well connected!

How about these? I've seen most of them. Caddyshack (Golf) Slap Shot (Ice Hockey) The "Rocky" series (Boxing) The Hustler (Pool) Chariots of Fire (Athletics) National Velvet (Horse Racing) Rollerball (Fictitious Futuristic Sport) The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Seabiscuit (Horse Racing) Downhill Racer (Skiing) Cool Runnings (Bobsleigh Racing) Back in the 1950s I remember seeing a movie about the history of the Harlem Globe Trotters, but I can't remember its title.

A "googol" is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. Maybe this is this origin of the name. Google is a great search engine. I have rarely failed to find what I want with Google. Most of the spam hitting my mailboxes comes from Yahoo and Hotmail addresses. I had to block incoming mail from Yahoo and Hotmail late last year as it was getting totally out of hand. I have a more efficient filter now: MailWasher Pro.

BECTA's ICT Advice site is quite useful. Do a search under "broadband" at: http://www.ictadvice.org.uk To quote from one of the documents at the above site: "Increased bandwidth offers the potential to use more data-intensive applications such as audio and video, however, these can take up a large amount of bandwidth per individual. For instance, a basic video stream can take 30Kbps or more. This indicates that a 2Mbps connection may still not support large numbers of users accessing video simultaneously. Therefore, 2Mbps is likely to be the first step for schools, with even higher speed connectivity needed if, for example, 50 pupils wish to access different video content at the same time." I have a 512kbps connection at home. It's adequate for accessing most websites. Audio comes down the line satifactorily, but streaming video, e.g. from BBCi, hiccups at peak times - although this is probably due to pressure on the server as well as the connection itself. I am therefore unconvinced about the advantages of video delivered via the Web. I still prefer to watch live TV or DVDs on a wide screen in my lounge, sitting in a comfortable chair with my dog resting his head on my lap. I pay 19.99 pounds (including VAT) per month for broadband, with unlimited access time and including space for my own website, email, etc. I use Force9: http://www.f9.co.uk

I have also been involved in delivering ICT training to teachers since the 1980s. Buying new equipment without backing it up with appropriate funding and time for training is the commonest mistake made by school managers. This is one of the reasons why the language lab failed. But important questions should be asked before the equipment is purchased, e.g. Do we really need it? What are we going to do with it? Unfortunately, I see many schools buying interactive whiteboards simply because the senior managers think that it is a "good idea". If ICT is the answer, what is the question?

The REVIEW Project, University of Hull, has recently released a CD-ROM entitled "The Good Guide to Interactive Whiteboards". The materials on the CD-ROM focus on the effective use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom and are based on over 200 observations and interviews with students and teachers. http://www.thereviewproject.org info@www.thereviewproject.org

There's a large bank of ICT training materials for language teachers at the ICT4LT site: http://www.ict4lt.org The REVIEW Project, University of Hull, has recently released a CD-ROM entitled "The Good Guide to Interactive Whiteboards". The materials on the CD-ROM focus on the effective use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom and are based on over 200 observations and interviews with students and teachers. http://www.thereviewproject.org info@www.thereviewproject.org

I have broadband access too and I have experienced the same problems. Government sites and government agency sites in the UK are the worst offenders for constantly reorganising the structure of their sites and failing to indicate where important documents have moved to. BECTA, the TTA, the DfES, the NGfL and Curriculum Online wesites are labyrinthine. I manage two websites that contain many links to pages at all these sites - some useful stuff there - but when I do my monthly link check I keep getting "page not found" and "time out" errors when trying to access them. Government and government agency sites often go down at weekends - I guess this may be due to site maintenance. Whoever is responsible for managing these sites does not appear to realise how frustrating this is and that it is a guaranteed way of convincing novices that the Web is an inconvenience rather than a blessing. Imagine what would happen if a library were organised in this way, with librarians constantly creating new reference numbers and reshelving the books!

Does anyone have any experience of using Moodle, a new Open Source Virtual Learning Environment? Moodle appears to be in the process of becoming a serious competitor to WebCT and Blackboard. The Moodle community is growing, in particular the Moodle language learning and teaching community. Moodle can be downloaded free of charge from http://moodle.org

Does anyone have any experience of using Moodle, a new Open Source Virtual Learning Environment? Moodle appears to be in the process of becoming a serious competitor to WebCT and Blackboard. The Moodle community is growing, in particular the Moodle language learning and teaching community. Moodle can be downloaded free of charge from http://moodle.org

Does anyone have any experience of using Moodle, a new Open Source Virtual Learning Environment? Moodle appears to be in the process of becoming a serious competitor to WebCT and Blackboard. The Moodle community is growing, in particular the Moodle language learning and teaching community. Moodle can be downloaded free of charge from http://moodle.org

Does anyone have any experience of using Moodle, a new Open Source Virtual Learning Environment? Moodle appears to be in the process of becoming a serious competitor to WebCT and Blackboard. The Moodle community is growing, in particular the Moodle language learning and teaching community. Moodle can be downloaded free of charge from http://moodle.org

Dear Colleagues Just got back from six glorious days skiing in Austria. I posted the following message to the Linguanet Forum: Re: BBC Languages I have heard murmurings about the BBC's plans from various sources. The key issue that concerns me, however, is the headlong rush into putting everything on the Web at the expense of other media - and it's not only the BBC that is guilty of this. There seem to be two reasons for this: (i) Web mania, (ii) the high costs of producing high-quality video-based courses. Once you have a Web template in place you can whack out a string of language courses quickly and cheaply, e.g. the various courses targeting the adult learner that appear at the BBC languages website - but is this what we really want? The BBC has produced some excellent video materials. There is no question in my mind that TV series of yesteryear were far, far superior to anything that has appeared in the meantime at the BBC languages website - and I write as one of the consultants employed by the BBC in the development of German Steps. I've raised this issue before: you can pick up the thread from my earlier email (4 April 2003): http://www.mailbase.org.uk/lists/linguanet...03-04/0067.html where I wrote: "There were three great series around at the time: - Buongiorno Italia - Deutsch Direct - A Vous la France All three were very popular with students when I was a university language centre director. The videos were well-produced and interesting, consisting to a large extent of authentic conversations and documentary materials, and there was a high-quality coursebook and audiocassettes. Why is this kind of material not being produced any longer? It seems that the BBC is putting all its efforts into BBCi. The BBCi language materials are OK as far as they go, but where are the high-quality video materials - which is what the BBC is particularly good at producing? Furthermore, the BBCi materials - along with most Web-based learning materials - lack the kind of interactivity that was already at an advanced stage around the same time as the above packages were being produced, i.e. in the 1980s. I am thinking in particular of the Expodisc and the Vektor interactive videodiscs - and the excellent A la rencontre de Philippe that appeared in the USA. We've moved on in terms of the delivery medium, i.e. the Web, but moved backwards in terms of interaction, including the the possibility of recording one's own voice and hearing it played back, slotted into the correct place in a role-play, as in the TELL Encounters series of CD-ROMs (which date back to the mid-1990s). More technology, less pedagogy... " David Wilson (of the BBC) replied at: http://www.mailbase.org.uk/lists/linguanet...03-04/0118.html As an MFL/ICT enthusiast, with a track record dating back to 1976, I feel that we are losing sight of the benefits of media other than ICT, especially Web-based ICT. Unfortunately the current trend is to "do it on the Web", regardless of whether the Web is the best medium for "doing it". See my article "Doing it on the Web", (2001) Language Learning Journal (ALL) 24: 34-35 http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/DoingIt.htm I have already detected a growing feeling of ennui among language teachers regarding the Web. My enthusiasm has certainly faded. The Web is always my first point of call when seeking information, but it comes rather low on my list as a delivery medium for high-quality language learning materials. Give me a good quality audio CD or videocassette and a book anytime in preference to the Web. If you require an interactive medium, then CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs are superior to the Web.

One of the issues at stake is that of control against a background of technological change. While I accept the view that a university has to be wary of the content of materials that appear on its websites, especially in view of possible breaches of copyright and ensuing legal action, this could be the thin end of the wedge. The headlong rush into setting up VLEs in educational institutions is creating a situation where the academic staff are increasngly emasculated. I believe this was one of the issues that led to the dispute at York University Toronto. See the references that I have cited in my earlier posting, especially the series of articles by David Noble.

I agree! Why don't they just say "grammar" when they mean "grammar"? The term "National Literacy Strategy" is misleading.

I like Trudgill's stuff. OK, let me do some navel-gazing too. Paul Coggle and I have worked together - and had a few beers together. I was external examiner for the MA course in "Advanced Language Studies: Computing" at the University of Kent when Paul was there. He introduced me to the concept of "Estuary English". And, of course, he was one of the authors of the best-selling Ealing Course in German. I taught German at Ealing College (later to become part of Thames Valley University), 1971-1993. Enough from me for 10 days! I'm heading for Austria tomorrow to do some serious skiing and après-ski...

Until there is more concrete evidence, this is a time for expressions of sympathy and solidarity rather than blame. We have suffered from the same kind of ruthless terrorism in the UK and Ireland for a very long time, and there are many families here who know exactly how the relatives of the victims in Spain feel right now. Let us hope and pray that whoever is to blame is brought swiftly to justice.

This is scary, isn’t it? The comment that struck me most forcibly is on the following page: http://web.bham.ac.uk/web_campaign/flaws.html which reads as follows: I would certainly refuse to relinquish control over teaching materials that I have created. Has Birmingham not learned anything from our North American cousins? York University Toronto comes to mind as a university that bungled technological change. It turned into a bitter dispute: http://www.caut.ca/english/bulletin/97_dec/it-nego.htm http://www.nyupress.org/professor/webintea...apt6_main.shtml See also David Noble’s series of articles: Noble D. (1997-2001) "Distance Education on the Web", a series of five articles: http://communication.ucsd.edu/dl Try searching under Google using "David Noble" "York University"...

I was in London last week. You can't find a litter bin at any station...

Flattery will get you everywhere, John! I shall quieten down a bit for a while. I'm off to Vienna tomorrow, 12 March, to attend a planning meeting for the EUROCALL 2004 conference in September, followed by another week's skiing in the Tyrol.

Yes, you may get bombarded with pop-ups after viewing these pages. I usually block cookies, adverts and pop-ups with my firewall, ZoneAlarm Pro, but some websites that I need to consult, e.g. those belonging to airlines with which I want to spend my airmiles, lock me out unless I activate cookies and allow adverts and pop-ups through. It's easy enough to change the settings in ZoneAlarm Pro, allow cookies and pop-ups temporarily, and then get rid of the rubbish later. I use Window Washer to clean up clutter left after browsing the Web and SpyBot to watch out for adware and spyware. I've written a page that includes advice on this topic at: http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/bugs.htm I use the above page in my ICT training sessions for teachers.

I agree that something important is lost when you remove literature from the languages curriculum. I enjoyed reading some of the prescribed A-Level texts, but some were dreadful, e.g. Kleist's Michael Kohlhaas, and even now, with years of experience of reading German behind me, I would never read such a text for pleasure. Literature was an option on the Applied Language Studies degree course at Ealing, and it held its own against the other options, e.g. Politics, Economics, Law, ICT. Those who took the literature option still had to attend the same practical classes as the other students, e.g. in translation, interpreting, summarising, etc. One of the differences was that they were presented with literary texts in the specialist translation classes rather than texts centring on politics, economics, etc. I enjoyed teaching translation with the literature students. Literary texts present much more of a translation challenge than journalistic or factual texts.

Have you seen the website at UCL devoted to Estuary English? It's at http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ I have spoken a variety of Estuary all my life - although people tell me I tend to sound "posher" when I am giving a lecture.