Questions From Question bank on Language Lab:-
1. Discuss in brief the history of Language Laboratory.
2. Advantages and challenges in the use of Language laboratory.
3. Write summary of the research on the effectiveness of language
laboratory.
4. Write an essay on ‘the past, present and future of Language
Laboratories’.
5. ‘The Language Laboratories, named widely as Electronic
Classroom or Self-Access Centre or Digital Learning Lab or
Digital Learning Resource Centre, has seen its ups and downs. But
now it has got its pedestal position and to think of language
classroom without laboratory has become obsolete.’ Justify your
answer with reference to the origin and history of Language
Laboratories.
6. Write brief note on the review of Language Lab software in your
lab.
There
is a very long journey of language lab and then to digital language
lab. Language laboratories have become practical use since around
1950. In 1877 Edison invented Tin Foil Photograph, that is the origin
of our delux language laboratories with all their complex equipments.
In 1884, Dr. Zintgraff and Chavanne recorded a language of an unknown
tribe in Congo using this Photograph. It was used to record
languages, songs and folklores. Some kinds of phonographs were
produced besides Edison's in the 1880. in 1887, Emile Berliner made
Gramophone which used a round flat record. This is the ancestor of
the today's record player. In 1889, plastic records were sold. North
American phonograph sold waxed cylinders for phonograpgs and
graphophones since 1890. These records were used with Jukeboxes to
listen to the music and they were not for personal use. J. Walter
Fewkes argued that Edison's phonographs were useful for not only for
Indian languages but also for foreign languages. Edison's phonograph
wsa used in a foreign language class for the first time at college of
Milwaukee in 1891. In 1894, flat round records were sold as well as
cylinders with wax. In 1900, it became easy to record directly flat
round record with wax and this became the origin of today's records.
In the same year Dr. John E. Gardner of University of California
taught Chinese in san Francisco and at the University of pennsylvania
and he used a wax cylinder in the latter class and there was no
problem with pronunciation or pitch. English was used untill around
1920, but only the target language was used with the influence of the
direct method. The origin us eof language laboratories was
established by the end of the 19th century or at the beginning of the
20th century. Machines and equipments was also gratly developed after
1920. Such a equipments in language laboratories like tape recorders
movies and television were developed in 1920. Language laboratories
were established in 1924 or 1925 and used for language classes,
phonetics, educational principles and public speaking.
There is a many types of language laboratories like, Conversational Laboratory, Lingua phone Laboratory Computer Assisted Language Laboratory, Mobile Lab, wireless Lab, Portal Lab etc. and all the Laboratories have their different types of uses. We know that there is a many advantages of use of language laboratories, but we know that every coin has its two sides. It means use of language lab has its advantages and challenges also.
Advantages in the use of Language Laboratory:-
Acoustics
Privacy
Developing Listening Skill
Self-Pacing
Native Speaker/Different Voices
Excitement for Learning
Record compare
Immediate Feedback
Error Analysis
Challenges in the use of Language Laboratory
Anonymous Learning
Uninterrupted Power-Supply
Expensive Equipments
Lack of trained Teachers.
The language laboratories named widely as electronic classroom or self-access center or digital learning lab or digital learning resource center, has need seen its ups and downs. But not it has got its pedestal position and to think of language classroom without laboratory has becomes absolute. The principle of a language lab essentially has not changed. They are still a teacher-controlled system connected to a number of student boots, containing a student's control mechanism and a headset with a microphone. Digital language Labs have the same principle. A software-only language lab changes the concept of where and what a language lab is. Software can be installed and accessed on any networked PC anywhere on a school, college or university campus etc.
Today all the major manufactures says they have a 'digital' or 'just software' solution. In many cases they still rely on proprietary networks or expensive sound cards to successfully deliver their media.There are very few truly software only solutions that just rely on installing designated language lab software onto a network and then directing just the original networks to manage the media between teacher and student, student and student back to teacher. In the past the quality of school, or university networks may have meant that the speed that the media could be delivered on 'software only' labs would have meant a 'lag' in the audio feed. These days all professionally run networks are able to work with these 'software only' language lab solutions and deliver media synchronously.
The content that is now used in the new language labs is much richer and self authored or free: now not just audio, but video, flash based games, Internet etc. and the speed and variety of the delivery of media from teacher to student, student to teacher, is much quicker and there for much more engaging for teacher and student. Further developments in language lab are now apparent as access moves from a fixed network and related microsoft operating systems to online and browsers. Students can now access and work from these new 'cloud' labs from their own devices at any time and anywhere. Students can interrogate and record and video files and be markes and accessed by their teachers remotely.
a. Culturally valid real-life situations
b. Normal conversational speed
c. Hearing and speaking with proper pauses provided for maximum practice
d . Structure drills presenting one problem at a time
e. Materials closely integrated with the classroom, if not same course.
We already know that the language laboratory or electronic classroom can be effective; what remains to be seen is how long it will take our school and colleges not only to acquire adequate laboratory facilities but to learn how to use them effectively.
Today, the best estimates have it that there are well over a total of 10,000 units functioning in our borders. The working definitions all the extensions of the lab room proper, such as the electronic classrooms or the dial access study carrels spread about a large area which make up the entire network. With this definition in mind, the electronic classroom is another kind of lab. The optimum arrangement at the present time for high schools and most colleges. Such a hookup is typically an audio-active system of interconnected head phones and microphones, which gives teaching emphasis to classroom activities, since it is installed in the modern foreign language classroom itself. Because these installations have no booths and do not include a recorder for every position, they can often be installed in all of the foreign language classroom for less than the cost of a single large lab. The practical working arrangements should constitute, then, the on-going tools of the teaching profession wherever teaching and not research is the prime objective. These systems must be functional, because inefficient equipment or inefficient use of equipment often the case when the equipment is worse than a good classroom situation with no equipment at all.
It is a really very nice experience of learning language Lab software. This software is a Globarena software. Deal with an technology is quite difficult but an overall experience of learning language lab is very useful.
There is main three level for learning English Language in that software.
Level 1:
Fundamental Language skills
Listening Skills
ESL
Reading Skills
Grammar Skill
This level is very basic and easy level for learners. It is helping in learning reading skill and improve our listening skill.
Level 2:
This level is little difficult than level 1. In this level we find activities about,
Listening Skills
Writing Skills
Phonetics
Reading Skills
Vocabulary
Conversation
In this level we can learn about writing, learn vocabulary, we can learn and improve phonetics and also we can learn and able to make a conversation.
Level 3 is also same as level 2, but in level 3 activities are very high level in comparison to 1 and 2 level. At level 3 we have now all the information about LSRW skills, vocabulary and phonetics.
When we open the activity first of all we find there is a 17 pages for information or introduction about all the tasks in every activities in every level. Each slide has the exit, features, TOC, Home , next and previous button. In every activity there is a lessons and we have to listen and then have to do that activities. There is the different activities on conversation like, fill in the blanks, sentence making, write description on the base of observation of pictures etc. Through Language Lab learners of language can easily learn grammar and vocabulary through different activities.
So, We can say that the overall experience of learning Language lab software is really worthful.
Works Cited
Barrutia, Richard. "The Past, Present, And
Future of Language Laboratories." Jstor Article 50,No. (1967): 12.
Kitao,
Kenji. "The History of Language Laboratories-Origin and
Establishment." Jstor Article (n.d.): 22.
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