I am currently working on my PhD at OISE Curriculum Teaching and Learning. My thesis investigates language learning that takes place in the presence of computer–enhanced language learning tools – namely e-Lective, a reading facilitating tool. I have considerable ESL teaching experience in Canada and abroad (English as a Foreign Language), successfully managed a couple of K-12 on-line projects and participated in Distance Education collaborative environments.

Although I did most of my schooling in a country (Greece) where terms like “team work, collaborative pedagogies, constructivist teaching paradigms” etc., weren't even included in the academic wish lists -- not to mention discussed and applied in teacher education -- doing my postgraduate studies in North America has constituted kind of a “culture shock” for me. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed my post-graduate studies, and best of all, forged some exciting and long lasting friendships. And writing about friends, I am honoured and excited to be introduced in one of Dr. Karsten’s  courses.

1. e-Lective research
http://www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/elective.html

I have been with the e-Lective development team since its inception – some time in 1997. My involvement in that project as a Research – Assistant at OISE was to help develop bilingual dictionaries for the software. I also coordinated the installation of e-Lective at Public schools in the Toronto District School Board area. Currently I am using e-Lective for my thesis as a research and data gathering tool. Professor Jim Cummins, who is my mentor, would describe the software as “an operationalization" of the research concepts found in his latest framework.

Currently, a licensed version of Wordnet dictionary (http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn) was adapted to be used along with e-Lective, as well as multi-lingual dictionaries offered by Babylon (http://www.babylon.com). The latter, which is offered by an independent vendor, can be optionally installed on a user’s computer; it is used to provide first language supports for foreign – trained / speaking students. e-Lective is free for use as a research tool and at a low price for commercial use (Please see Multi- literacies project below)

There hadn’t been much research on Vocabulary acquisition research until recently; in the past the field regurgitated theories which were popular with teachers and suggested that students were to memorize huge lists of  "target" words. The last decade or so, has seen a resurgence of vocabulary acquisition research; now everybody seems to realize that language can not thrive in the absence of adequate word knowledge. Current research claims that unless readers know 95% and beyond from all the words in a text, they will hardly be able to understand the meaning of it, let alone be motivated to continue reading further. This has been termed "a lexical barrier".

Research also indicates that in order for learners to reach that 95% “threshold” level of word knowledge is not so difficult: Most of the words we encounter in everyday texts fall into a category called “high frequency words” meaning that they are repeated 2 or more times within a text. However, there are some words that are of abstract nature or less frequent among reading texts, i.e. academic disciplines, specialized content for professions etc. These words are considered “low frequency” and “academic vocabulary” and affect students’ academic skills like the ability to use newly acquired language structures and forms into new contexts.

In other words, we can safely and adequately “measure” a students’ language competency by measuring their word knowledge (More on the frequency assessment can be found here http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r21270/cv/Schmitt.htm)

For us teachers, the vocabulary acquisition and academic language frameworks are very important, especially when we decide which texts (textbooks, curriculum -based instructional material, etc) our students will have to study in order to meet course or curriculum requirements; this has also huge implications to the writings we produce for our students to read, due to the fact that most of the  learners in Canada (close to 60%) speak English as their second language.

My involvement with this project is in the capacity of research assistant and IT coordinator. Multi-literacies project is a federally funded research initiative of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto (OISE/UT). We are investigating innovative teaching practices which expand students’ literacy skills in the presence, or not, of technology. e-Lective language learning program has been used for this project as well.

Interested individuals who would like to try out e-Lective themselves, or for their classes, can contact Tassos Theodoridis (ttheodoridis@oise.utoronto.ca) or Dr. Jim Cummins (jcummins@oise.utoronto.ca). The software is also available, as part of the Multi- literacies project at the 10th floor computers, OISE, U of T.

Although Canada has adopted the Official Languages Act and the government has undertaken a specific action plan to implement, according to the 1996 Census, 13 percent of the immigrants to Canada between 1991 and 1996 could speak neither English nor French. This is a problem for the industry in general, since comprehension and effective communication are essential for a healthy economy.
My involvement in this research venue has been to identify the technology, key players, users and related issues that concern the language learning and teaching industry in Canada; in a draft report, which later became a policy paper, I described the industry, outlined the key players and listed suggestions for the course of action that needs to be undertaken.

A classic site for the field is Dr. Saba’s Distance educator (www.distance-educator.com) which is rich in resources and is updated very frequently.

A lot has been going on recently in the field of Distance Education. Governments along with the corporate sector have shown a renewed interest mainly because today’s learning patterns have changed so radically, compared to the past. Technology has boosted the recent advances in Distance Education and my involvement with the field dates back in 2000, when I worked on ESL and LINC programs offered via a distance. (http://www.cltaonline.com). this link no longer active

Things have evolved with partnerships / consortia between governments / higher institutions and the corporate sector. Nowadays, global dominance of the market is the goal of all the above, a rather sad, in my opinion, deviation from the course set by enlightened educators of the past. Fortunately, the industry in Canada has lagged behind in commercialization of teaching and learning, something not necessarily a bad thing; a more - holistic approach with a focus on the process of useful (learner – defined, at least) knowledge building, rather than on the shiny off-the-shelf products (e-courses, e-learning, e-everything) would probably benefit all involved parties, us and them .

I believe that the best step forward has been accomplished with the “tagging” of learning objects (i.e. courses and their modular components) and the meta-tagging “revolution”. Many repositories of “learning objects” are being build now, most of them to be available free of cost. Since the subject is so extended, I'd like to suggest optional reading on the IMS or CANCORE protocols. Don't worry if you miss their rapid developments! You will be reminded of them quite often throughout your careers.

Anastassios -Tassos Theodoridis, M.A., M.Ed, PhD Candidate
Research Assistant, The Multiliteracies Project, OISE/UT

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