Digital Immersion 2010

Maria do Carmo Ferreira Xavier and Tatiana S. da Costa

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Branch: Vila Valqueire
Age Group: Teenagers
Language level: Intermediate - Plus 1 and 2

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHowVTdFbFcydGJ1TkNiN2dMb1MtdXc6MQ


This project gave us an opportunity to investigate how the use of mobiles would influence students’ motivation to learn. Mobiles seemed to be appropriate tools for they encompass different uses of technology in only one device. Consequently, we regarded them as a good tool for classroom activities as an attempt to provide our students with English speaking opportunities in their everyday lives.

Each of us worked with one group per semester, and both groups took part in the project at the same time. We worked with elementary and intermediate teenage groups. After each stage of the project, we assessed students’ participation, so as to rethink our next moves. Some of the groups were chosen because they were too quiet, while others because they seemed extremely technological. Around 35 students participated throughout 9 months. The project was presented to the students as an invitation, for this reason, participation would not be graded. They all demonstrated interest.

All topics of the project were related to the course syllabus. In 2009, only one lesson was chosen. Students used their mobiles to take photos of their peers in secret places around the school. Next, we displayed the photos on the interactive whiteboard, and speculated about where their peers were. In both groups students got extremely motivated.

In 2010, we realized we would have to share our plans with students beforehand, so that they could be prepared for the tasks (charge their mobiles and bring cables). Therefore, in 2010 a plan was sent to students in advance via e-mail. After each lesson, students would tick the tasks that were successfully accomplished.

Students reacted enthusiastically to all activities, and profited a lot from the opportunity to personalize their own course book. In all activities oral participation was stimulated and enhanced.

All groups enjoyed the experience and the increase on motivation was clear, as well as community building. They not only learned English, but also learned a lot from their own peers. We would do this project again, and maybe invest more on the numerous possibilities for communication with English native speakers.  

This project can be easily adapted, and mobiles can be implemented at once or in a sequence of lessons. Most of the time was spent planning. The implementation was a natural process that occurred within the lessons. This project has taught us not to underestimate students’ potential to interfere in the elaboration of their own lessons. The greatest lesson learned from this experience has to do with the fact that the way students perceive a certain activity will be paramount to their commitment to the task.

(Maria Xavier is a teacher and stand by at Cultura Valqueire. She has been teaching for 10 years, in several language schools in Brazil. Maria holds postgraduate diploma studies in English (PUC/RJ), and University of Cambridge CPE and TKT.
Tatiana Costa is a teacher at Cultura Inglesa Vila Valqueire. She is currently taking her B.A. in Languages at UFRJ and holds University of Cambridge CPE, TKT and CELTA. She has been teaching EFL for over 10 years.)



Simone Eschenazi Nicolas Villas-Bôas

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Branch: Campo Grande
Age Group: Teenagers - Young Express 4
Language level: Elementary

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I42c6RP04xU


I first joined the Digital Immersion Project in 2009 because I am taking a postgraduate course and I am writing my monograph on the use of technology in EFL classrooms. So, when our manager presented the 2010 version of the project I thought it would be nice to relive the experience in order to broaden my horizons, but this time with a different tool, the SMS messages. I chose this tool because I know that almost all my students spend hours chatting online. I have also noticed that most of them send SMS messages during break time and in doing so they use the texting language in Portuguese a lot, so I immediately thought that introducing it in English would be challenging, fun and motivating.

The group I chose this time was a Young Express 4 which had 20 lively, loud and technological students made up of 10 boys and 10 girls between 16 and 19 years old. Although there were no other teachers working with the same tool in Campo Grande branch, I could discuss some major points and share some interesting tips and ideas on the subject with my colleagues, which helped me make some important decisions on how to carry out this project.

In order to present the idea to the group I prepared a flip chart, using texting language, with a teaser for discussion and some instructions on what was going to happen on the following week. It worked wonders as the students got excited deciphering the language in order to understand the task and, in doing so, they realized it was as simple as in Portuguese, which made them highly motivated.

During the following week I sent two SMS messages to the students. The first one on 8th June, telling them to watch Shania Twain singing ‘Ka-ching’ and to find the lyrics. The second SMS was sent on 10th June, asking if they preferred spending money on foolish things or on travelling. On 11th June we started the lesson with a flip chart showing the two messages they received and in small groups they talked about the song, discussing their preferences. This activity was used as a warm-up for the lesson they were going to study involving office language. When the class was over the students were pretty aware of the appropriate use of both office and SMS language.

As the main aim of this project was to enhance communication in English, I must say it was totally achieved for the students used English all the time while discussing the topic, not only during the presentation, but also a week later when we concluded it.

About my experience as a teacher and educator, I found it challenging and fun. I could also understand that motivation involves a lot more than just a great idea. Digital native students have to feel that when bringing their previous knowledge to the classroom they play an important part in the learning process and, when it happens, anything we do works wonders.

(Simone Eschenazi  is an English teacher graduated from FEUC RJ and has taught for over five years at the Cultura Inglesa. She currently teaches undergraduate students at Faculdades Integradas Campograndenses and she also works with children at the Rio Criança Global program at public schools in Rio de Janeiro.)