Using On-Line Chat In Language Teaching

Using On-Line Chat in Language Teaching

S. Kathleen Kitao, Doshisha Women's College, Kyoto
Kenji Kitao, Doshisha University, Kyoto

Using On-Line Chat in Language Teaching

S. Kathleen Kitao, Doshisha Women's College, Kyoto
Kenji Kitao, Doshisha University

As the Internet grows, there are more and more opportunities to students to study English using a wide variety of types ofInternet resources. (For a discussion of on-line resources, as well as links to these resources, see Kitao and Kitao [1995].) Especially for English language students in countries where English is a foreign language -- that is, where English is not used in everyday life -- these resources are important, because they greatly increase the opportunities for using English.

One potentially useful Internetactivity for language students is "chatting," that is, communicating in real time by typing a message into a computer, so that it can immediately be read on other computer screens, even computer screens in another part of the world. Some sites on the Internet are specifically intended for non-native English speakers, and they provide opportunities for non- native English speakers to communicatein English. (For the purpose of this paper, I will be discussing mainly with the use of chat to teach English. However, there are chat-related sites for other languages. Some of these are found in the last section.)

In this paper, we will discuss the role that communication in general interaction in particular plays in language learning will introduce two specific Internet sites, SchMOOzeUniversity and Dave's ESL Cafe Chat Central. We will also provide a list of sites on the Internet that are useful for teachers and students interested in chat.

The Role of Interaction and Communication in Language Learning

Interaction
While Krashen (1981) asserted that comprehensible input was both a necessary and a sufficient condition for the acquisition of language, Ellis (1985, p.161) conducted an analysis of various studies and theoretical treatments of the subject and concluded that both input and interaction influence second language acquisition. He listed eight characteristics of input and interaction which seem to facilitate rapid acquisition, based on this analysis. They are:

1. A high quantity of input directed at the learner.
2. The learner's perceived need tocommunicate in the L2.
3. Independent control of the propositional content by the learner (e.g., control over the topic choice).
4. Adherence to the "here and now" principle, at least initially.
5. The performance of a range of speech acts by both the native speaker/teacher and the learner (i.e., the learner needs the opportunity to listen to and to produce language used to perform differentlanguage functions).
6. Exposure to a high quantity of directives.
7. Exposure to a high quantity of "extending" utterances, (e.g., requests for clarification and confirmation, paraphrases and expansions).
8. Opportunities for uninhibited "practice" (which may provide opportunities to experiment using "new" forms).

Of these factors in language acquisition, most are either facilitated byinteraction or require interaction, as opposed to input alone. Interaction can be used to elicit input, increasing its quantity. Making friends through interaction is one perceived need for communication. Interaction helps the learner control the propositional content. Interaction can involve a range of speech acts, a high quantity of directives and extending utterances, and opportunities to practice.Using Interaction to Learn Language
As Ellis concluded, the opportunity to use language in interaction plays an important part of language learning. Klein (1986, pp. 146-167) points out that the more the learner interacts, the more language he/she has an opportunity to learn, and the more language he/she learns, the more input he/she can solicit in order to learn more language. At first, the...