Enhancing Communication with Voice and Video Chat

Susan Mraz & Luis Alonso-Ovalle

Hispanic Studies

University of Massachusetts, Boston

The traditional setting

In the classroom– Teacher / student interaction– Group activities: student / student

interaction

Outside of the classroom– Tutoring– Friends / neighbors / community

Challenges

Outside of the classroom– Tutoring: not real-life context– Friends / neighbors / community: not all

students have access to native speakers.

Synchronous communication

Encourages speakers to develop real-life production / listening strategies

Introduces real-life dynamics (linguistic and cultural)

Introduces spontaneous interaction

Challenges

Limited opportunities to engage in synchronous communication.

Communication is not authentic.– Teacher / student: self-consciousness– Student / student: limited production /

comprehension skills

Technology comes to the rescue

Use of real-time audio/video applications can – Enhance the traditional classroom

synchronous communication – Supplement it

Real time audio/video

Class presentations

Group work / conferencing– Collaborating with “outsiders”– Bringing different backgrounds, linguistic

skills

Interviews

Tutoring

Real time audio/video

Virtual real-time class visits – Native speakers

• Real-life dynamics• Dialectal / sociological variation• Cultural conventions

– Advanced language / linguistics: fieldwork– Experts

Real time audio / video

Virtual study abroad exchange– Inexpensive– Students can take the lead– Broader exposure to different linguistic

varieties

Real time audio / video

Student / student exchange: different institutions– Can bring communities together– Breaking social barriers– Exchanging methodologies

Skype

p2p Internet telephony network

calls regular phone numbers (for a fee)

Freeware

Cross-platform

iChat

AOL IM, ICQ, .Mac, Google Talk and Jabber client

Mac Only

Skype demo

Audio: Several parties

Video: one-to-one– Optional video recorder

Text-messaging: – File sharing (as attachments)– Sharing web links– Can save

iChat demo

Audio: Up to 9 parties– Can record audio tracks with Garage Band

Video: Up to 4 parties– Can record audio tracks with Garage Band

Text-messaging– File sharing– Sharing web links– Real time picture sharing

Asyncronous audio / video

Practice at their own pace

Repeat input as often as they need

Improve pronunciation

Self-consciousness less of a problem: less stress for timid speakers

Asyncronous audio/video: Limitations

Lacking real-life dynamics (linguistic, and cultural)

Limited development of listening, speaking strategies

Non-spontaneous interaction

Some Tools for Asynchronous Communication

Audio– Audacity– Garage Band– Countless other voice recoding

applications

Video: iMovie