6.2.6 Teaching

In the area of second-language education specifically, Stern (1992) explains that "one of the main features of the development of language pedagogy has been "the continuous attempt to renew language teaching through changes in teaching methods" (p. 6). Earlier sections of this chapter have shown that, often, although teachers were often aware of the changes in second-language philosophy and methods, practices remained unaffected because of a lack of tools and resources to effectively ensure the transition from theory to practice. Communicative Language Teaching, for example, with its emphasis on authentic materials, meaningful and purposeful use of language in real-world contexts, became a feasible approach to language teaching given the availability of sophisticated electronic tools which form part of OLEs.

An important way in which OLEs appear to be affecting teachers’ beliefs is through the provision of electronic tools that encourage teacher discussion, collaboration and reflection. Beliefs that describe OLEs as a means to promote contact and sharing among teachers and to access trends, ideas and philosophies suggest that OLEs serve as valuable assistants that provide services and opportunities otherwise not available to teachers. Other beliefs described the practical value of OLEs to provide teachers with opportunities to keep up with their French and to develop friendships and solve problems. Such beliefs underlie a willingness to change as well as an openness to new ideas and practices. Furthermore, these beliefs recognize the importance of collaboration between teachers as a means of improving teaching. Most importantly, they suggest that teachers see OLEs as providing them with opportunities to learn. Finally, these beliefs suggest that these teachers are using OLEs not just as a tool but as a place or environment where they can meet other teachers, discuss and collaborate.

Teachers also described OLEs as a repository of teaching content where they could access resources, activities, ideas, dictées, proverbs, lesson plans, teaching strategies, articles and sites to be used in learning centres. Others described its value to "supplement the current curriculum" to provide "support for the cultural objectives" or "enrichment" or "supplementary information" for "the development of themes". Other beliefs described the value of OLEs for "skills development" and for "reinforcement of previously learned concepts". Singhal’s (1997) description of the capacity of the Internet bears some resemblance to these uses identified by teachers. She notes that the Internet can be used to provide supplemental language activities such as reading tests, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary exercises and comprehension questions. However, Warschauer (1997b) reminds us that online activities should not be simply add-ons to the curriculum rather they should represent an attempt at integration and should, as well, place sufficient cognitive and linguistic demands on students. Beliefs that emphasize the value of OLEs "to provide opportunities to go beyond expected curricular outcomes", to allow for "hands-on learning" or to support a more resource-based, cross-curricular, project-centered and communicative approach to language teaching are perhaps more representative of the capacity of OLEs to place cognitive and linguistic demands on students. Beliefs that might take advantage of the capacity of OLEs to significantly affect the teaching process are those that refer to opportunities to "vary teaching methods", promote "active learning", to "create courses which are richer and better structured" and to create "tailor-made multi-media learning activities".

The beliefs that provide extensive support for the capacity of OLEs to transform the teaching process are those that critique or compare traditional teaching practices with those possible through use of OLEs. The following excerpt provides an example of this type of belief: "...--it is so easy to get into a comfortable rut! I get to offer the students worlds by visual aid of the computer that I could have never dreamed of by "normal" teaching methods. I guess it is making me a better teacher and I am more proud of the product I am delivering--it is now multi-dimensional rather than dry and boring". This belief and others like it suggest what Dwyer et al. (1992) refer to as "readiness for purposeful change" whereby the teacher tends to reflect on practice, to question old patterns and to realize that technology can change her students' learning experiences. Questioning old ways of doing things, is what is evident in beliefs such as the following: "We needed a breath of new life, teaching had become stagnant..." Other beliefs such as the following that criticize concerns with covering the curriculum indicate a readiness for change: "Yes, the minister wants a particular curriculum covered and yes, it is very tempting to just stick to the provided texts but how boring to use ONLY the prescribed materials and not have enough interest or motivation to spice up our own teaching and the students' learning by experimenting with new methods of instruction...".

Schofield and Verban’s (1988) investigation of the effect of computer use on the teaching of mathematics revealed that introducing computers into the classroom not only changes the teacher’s role, but results in a shift from a didactic to a constructivist approach. Beliefs such as the following would be consistent with their findings: "I used to apply the direct approach with repetitive drill, teacher led lessons. My style now is more constructivist, facilitative, multi-disciplinary in nature and I tend to approach themes with the given, that the computer is an integral part of activities, center work, etc.". In their vision for the learner, Henchey et al. (1996) emphasize the importance of learner-centered education characterized by "personal control of learning by students". Teachers’ beliefs that signify a move towards greater control by learners would be consistent with the vision of Henchey et al. and with the vision espoused by this study. One example of such a belief is articulated as follows: "the Internet has changed my practice of teaching, by allowing the student more control and therefore encouraging more active learning in the class".

The issue of student control is a pivotal one in the context of language learning as Williams and Burden (1997) remind us that learners learn better if they feel in control of what they are learning and when they are encouraged to set goals for themselves regarding learning the language. The flip side of the playing card of learner control is that of the role of the teacher who gives up some of her control to become more of a facilitator or guide. In second-language teaching, the concept of the teacher as facilitator dates back to the emergence of Communicative Language Teaching which, according to Richards and Rodgers (1986), often required "less teacher-centred classroom management skills". Littlewood (1981) describes the role of the teacher in Communicative Language Teaching as that of a "facilitator of learning". It is not surprising given the importance of the decentered role of the teacher in CLT that some of the teachers in this study expressed beliefs consistent with that of the importance of the teacher as facilitator: "One of the ways in which using the Internet changes one's way of teaching is that if you had not adopted the role of facilitator, technology will force you to take on this role." It is interesting that this belief associates the decentered role of the teacher, not with CLT but with use of technology as does the following belief: "The internet permits the teacher to adopt the role of facilitator (so often espoused in professional development but difficult for many to achieve in the classroom) rather than all-knowing sage".

Bracey (1993) concluded that technology serves as a catalyst for change and that, as a result of using technology, teachers were more willing to take risks, that they allowed for more independent student work, that they worked more as facilitators and that they provided for more dynamic learning experiences. Some of the beliefs expressed in this study are consistent with his conclusion such as the following belief which purports that effective use of technology requires the teacher to change her role: "As long as a teacher is willing to give up the 'sage on the stage' concept, and become a 'guide on the side',--the technology becomes an asset and not a liability." The following belief is consistent with Bracey’s observation of the changes which accompany the change in role as a result of using technology: "To borrow a phrase, I am trying to become more the "guide on the side" as opposed to the "sage on the Stage".... again, offering the same approach of making the students more responsible for and in control of their own learning."

The Audio-Lingual and Direct Methods depended on a central and active role for the teacher. CLT and now constructivism provide alternatives to such roles. Whereas in the Audio-Lingual Method, teachers controlled the learners, in the vision espoused by this study, teachers assist or guide the learner. In the following belief, a teacher sympathizes with the fears teachers may have in abandoning the approaches with which they have been comfortable. At the same time, she rejects an approach whereby the teacher controls the learner and, instead, espouses an approach whereby the teacher assists the learner: "Teachers have to be open-minded and not worry about losing 'the spot of authority' that they have traditionally held in front of the class. If they are not fearful of empowering the students to explore, than (sic) that will enable the teachers to expand their horizons." A similar belief reinforces the value of adopting new roles: "The teacher does not have to be at the center of instruction. When one can get past this, then integrating the Internet becomes fun and exciting". Teachers’ willingness to adopt new roles represents what Hannafin and Savenye (1993) term as a shift in learning theory. In their study of computer use, they found that the change in the role of the teacher from that of lecturer to facilitator represents a corresponding shift in learning theory. Teachers’ interest in being a "facilitator" instead of "a disseminator of knowledge" would reflect a shift away form approaches common to Audio-Lingualism and the Direct Method towards a more student -centered approach.

Beliefs that focus on the teacher’s role and the activities in which she engages in on a daily basis are likely to influence many other beliefs held by the teacher. If she perceives herself as a facilitator then many of the other aspects of the teaching process will likely change including the role of the student. The beliefs reported in this section focused significantly on teachers’ beliefs about their role. Most importantly, the beliefs indicated that some teachers were reconceptualizing their role as a result of their experiences with OLEs and were questioning some of the assumptions common to earlier approaches to the teaching of FSFL.

Many of the beliefs reported in this section reflect aspects of the vision of learning in the 21^st century. These beliefs highlight the value of OLEs to promote teacher collaboration, and recognize it as a support and as a means to find out about new approaches, ideas, techniques and, most importantly, new practices. These beliefs centre on a need to change and on a desire to transform practices. Other beliefs reported in this section reflect Behavioristic CALL whereby the computer is valued as an add-on or a teaching machine that simply assists the teacher in carrying out more efficiently traditional classroom tasks.