Meaning and Learning

Research suggests that second language learners tend to process meaning over form and that type of input facilitates learning (Marsden, Williams, & Liu, 2013). If this is the case, providing students with meaningful opportunities to notice and process the target language is crucial. This is one of the multiple benefits of implementing technology in the second language classroom. The fact that students in any point of the globe can have access to authentic material in the target language makes second language learning real. In today's world students can use technology to watch videos, listen to people with different accents and cultural backgrounds, interact with native speakers, read and write about things that are important to them. The times when second language classes were about repeating new sounds and conjugating verbs have passed. It does not mean that repetition and grammar are not important. It means that we can do more. We can connect, create, share and grow.

When looking for sources, be smart. Find appropriate and authentic materials, cite them accordingly and always provide your students with ways to categorize important information. Diigo, Pinterest and LiveBinders are great tools to organize your sources.

Help us bring meaning to our lessons, and tell us how do you use technology to make your classroom real.

References:

Marsden, E., Williams, J., & Liu, X. (2013). Learning Novel Morphology: The Role of Meaning and Orientation of Attention at Initial Exposure. Studies in Second Language Acquisition (Vol. 35, pp. 619–654).