The subject of Homework and Out-of-Classroom learning in EFL/ESL has long been neglected. Web 2.0 platforms, however, allow us to transform a chore into a learning challenge, in a way that is both more strategic as well as more stimulating and productive for learners and teachers alike.

1. HOMEWORK…
Paul
Maglione
The
Final
Fron4er?
EFL
and
Out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐Classroom
Learning
IATEFL
2011
16
April
2011

2. EdTech
Applied
to
EFL
Ohura
The
past
10
years
or
so
have
seen
an
explosion
of
interest
in
the
use
of
technology
in
the
EFL
classroom:
from
IWB’s
to
Blogs,
TwiEer,
Podcast,
Moodle,
and
Mobile.
EdTech
in
the
EFL
classroom,
in
short,
is
sexy.

3. EdTech
Applied
EdTech
Applied
to
to
EFL
EFL
Homework
Ohura
Klingon
Sexy
Not
sexy
When
it
comes
to
topic
of
homework
in
EFL,
however,
the
enthusiasm
fades.
No
one
seems
interested.
It’s
just
not
sexy.

4. Yet
surely
there
is
a
disconnect
here.
We
know
that
learners
spend
98%
of
their
Rme
outside
of
the
classroom.
We
also
know
that
learners
are
integraRng
technology
into
virtually
every
aspect
of
their
lives,
from
communicaRon
to
entertainment,
to,
yes,
educaRon.

5. In
the
past
40
years
we’ve
seen
huge,
tectonic
shiTs
in
the
way
we
think
about
EFL:
from
Grammar
TranslaRon
all
the
way
to
the
current
thinking
about
how
to
best
implement
the
CommunicaRve
and
Lexical
approaches
that
we’ve
adopted
more
recently.

6. In
terms
of
classroom
approaches,
too,
we’ve
evolved
from
textbook-­‐driven,
teacher-­‐centric
teaching
to
task-­‐based
learning,
pairs
and
group
work,
learning
games,
physical
movement,
music,
roleplay,
and
other
great
techniques.

7. As
soon
as
learners
step
outside
the
classroom,
however,
they’re
mostly
on
their
own.
At
best,
they
might
get
assigned
pages
in
a
workbook
or
a
vague
suggesRon
that
they
“read
an
arRcle
in
English.”

8. Trying
to
find
useful
pedagogical
theory,
academic
work,
or
case
studies
on
the
subject
of
EFL
Homework
turns
up
very
liEle
informaRon.

9. Specifici4es
of
Homework
• Tasks
assigned
to
learners
for
compleRon
during
non-­‐
classroom
hours
• Invades
the
personal,
“home”
domain
of
the
learner
• The
academic
task
subject
to
more
external
influences
than
any
other
• CORRELATED
WITH
ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT

10. Specifici4es
of
Homework
in
ESL/EFL?
The
few
academic
papers
on
the
subject
of
Homework
specifically
applied
to
EFL
conclude
that
it
is
very
useful
in
reinforcing
the
following
crucial
learning
skills:
• Learner
Autonomy
• Individualized
Learning
• Mo4va4on

11. The
Challenge
Homework
2.0
So
we
really
should
be
figuring
out
how
to
bring
Homework
into
the
fold
of
useful
EFL
approaches
we
now
consider
as
beneficial
for
language
learning.

12. The
Obstacles
Let’s
start
by
invesRgaRng
the
obstacles….WHY
homework
doesn’t
play
the
role
it
should
in
EFL.

13. First:
technology,
or
the
lack
of
it
unRl
now.
Very
difficult
to
foster
autonomy,
exploraRon
and
moRvaRon
with
linear
and
mostly
uninspiring
materials
like
textbooks
and
workbooks.

14. I’m
telling
you,
the
No,
no,
it’s
an
only
purpose
can
be
opportunity
for
to
consolidate
what
explora4on
and
is
learned
in
class.
self-­‐learning!
Secondly,
there
has
long
been
a
schism
between
those
who
see
homework
as
a
“consolidaRng”
tacRc
for
classroom
lessons;
and
those
who
see
homework
as
“something
else,”
i.e.
complementary
to
the
classroom
experience
but
with
its
own
unique
role
in
the
language
learning
process.

15. Third,
homework
is
tricky
for
teachers
because
it’s
unpopular
with
learners.

16. By
its
very
nature,
assigned
homework
is
at
a
huge
disadvantage
compared
to
what
is
is
compeRng
with
in
the
home:
relax
Rme,
television,
and,
especially
for
teens
and
young
adults:
internet,
music
and
mobile
texRng.
,

17. Fourth,
unRl
now
the
creaRon,
monitoring
and
marking
of
homework
has
implied
significantly
adding
to
the
teacher’s
workload.

18. The
Obstacles
Debate
re:
Role
of
Homework
Unpopularity
Workload
Technology
not
ripe
yet
So
how
does
web
2.0
technology
allow
us
to
surmount
these
hurdles?

19. Web
2.0
plaeorms
allow
homework
to
be
presented
in
a
much
more
dynamic,
interacRve,
mulRmedia,
non-­‐linear
format.

20. ConsolidaRon
Autonomy
Rules!
Rocks!
The
issue
of
the
appropriate
role
of
homework,
however,
remains.

21. What
is
the
correct
role
of
EFL
homework?
Sports
InstrucRon
analogy:
a
tennis
instructor
takes
you
through
the
mechanical
movements
you
need
to
master
the
backhand
stroke.

22. How
to
best
consolidate
that
instrucRon?
Not
by
repeaRng
the
instrucRon
steps
by
yourself..
but
by
playing
tennis
for
fun
and
starRng
to
use
your
backhand
more
regularly,
even
if
imperfectly
at
first.

23. How
can
technology
transform
the
“Unpopularity”
obstacle?
Not
by
retaining
the
look
&
feel
of
classroom
instrucRon.

24. Music
Rather,
News
web
2.0
enables
us
to
make
Movies
homework
look
and
feel
a
lot
more
like
things
that
learners
Friends
already
enjoy
Games
doing
at
home.

25. Learning
Chore
Challenge

26. English
Intermediate
B2
Even
compliance
monitoring
and
feedback
by
the
teacher
can
be
transformed
by
adopRng
a
points
/
scores
/
badges
approach
rather
than
grades
or
marks.

27. Even
beEer,
web
2.0
homework
allows
homework
to
spill
over
into
the
classroom,
rather
than
just
the
other
way
around.

28. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Xtranormal
Make
your
own
3D
movies
with
text-­‐to-­‐voice
For
example:
have
learners
create
a
scripted
dialogue,
like
a
re-­‐creaRon
of
something
funny
that
happened
to
them.

29. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Voicethread
Show
&
tell
using
videos,
photos
and
avatars
For
example:
ask
learners
to
visually
document
a
day
in
their
lives,
from
morning
to
evening,
and
comment
on
the
photos.

30. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Lino
It
Use
online
sRckies
to
make
a
collaboraRve
brainstorming
wall
For
example:
use
Lino
It
to
generate
ideas
for
a
class
ouRng.

31. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Glogster
Poster-­‐making
tool
For
example:
have
small
groups
of
learners
create
a
poster
on
an
assigned
theme,
like
preserving
wildlife
habitat.

32. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Zimmer
Twins
Simple
cartoon-­‐
making
resource
For
example:
use
Zimmer
Twins
to
have
learners
create
their
own
funcRonal
language
situaRons,
like
ordering
food
in
a
restaurant.

33. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Bubblr
Create
commented
“photo
strips”
from
Flickr
content
For
example:
have
small
groups
of
learners
capRon
idenRcal
photo
strips,
and
then
compare&
discuss
the
strips
to
illustrate
the
concept
of
creaRvity.

34. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
Fotobabble
Post
a
photo
and
provide
audio
comment
For
example:
have
learners
upload
their
favorite
digital
snap,
and
provide
commentary
as
to
why
it
is
their
preferred
photo.

35. EFL
Homework
2.0
Resources:
English
A^ack!
Entertainment-­‐
focused
exposure
&
community
EFL
site
for
teens
and
young
adults
For
example:
have
learners
play
the
Video
Booster
of
the
Day
and
come
to
class
prepared
to
guess
what
happened
next.

36. English
AEack!
-­‐
English
2.0
Videors
Photo
Vocabs
The
only
EFL
Booste
out-­‐of-­‐classroom
Interac4ve
Thema4c
video-­‐based
visual
learning
plaeorm
exercises
dic4onaries
designed
specifically
for
teenagers
and
young
adults.
Pedagogical
principles
are
explained
at
Prac4ce
Games
blog.english-­‐aEack.com
Global
Community
Learning
&
Global
social
network
of
drill
games
learners
of
English

37. In
conclusion:
I
Homework
is
a
currently
neglected
but
poten4ally
transforma4onal
tool
in
ESL/EFL
If
ac4ve
learning
is
central
to
language
acquisiRon,
then
selng
effecRve
and
moRvaRng
homework
should
be
a
key
skill
for
ESL
/
EFL
teachers

38. In
conclusion:
II
Homework
reinforces
precisely
those
learning
skills
that
are
difficult
to
develop
in
class:
• Learner
Autonomy
• Individualized
Learning
• Mo4va4on

39. In
conclusion:
III
Online
technology
allows
us
to
blast
EFL
homework
directly
from
the
19th
to
the
21st
Century.
It
can
now
be
made
appealing
for
learners
as
well
as
pragma4c
for
teachers

40. In
conclusion:
IV
EFL
Homework
can
be
a
“third
(communica4ve)
place”
alongside
the
classroom
and
the
home.
Encourage
learners
to
make
links
between
the
classroom
and
communica4ve
opportuni4es
outside
of
it.

41. For
more
ideas
and
informa4on:
TeachertrainingVideos.com
Nik’s
Quick
Shout
#efl
#esl
#elt
#edtech
#iatefl
#tesol
#eltchat

42. Concluding
thought:
with
technology,
Nothing
Is
Impossible
Captain
Kirk
and
Bones
demonstrate
the
iPad
9
they
have
brought
back
from
Rme
travel
into
the
2020s
to
teach
Klingon
teenagers
proper
Starship
Command
English.

43. Homework:
the
final
fron4er?
IATEFL
Brighton,
2011
Web:
www.english-­‐a^ack.com
Blog:
h^p://blog.english-­‐a^ack.com
Slideshare:
h^p://www.slideshare.net/EnglishA^ack
E-­‐mail:
paul.maglione@english-­‐a^ack.com
LinkedIn:
Paul
Maglione
Twi^er:
@paulmaglione