Technology in Language Teaching for the Vietnamese Heritage Learners

Technology in Language Teaching for the Vietnamese Heritage Learners – Some Basic Steps

OUTLINE:

A. Situation: Any language instructors of heritage learners know that this targeted audience’s language proficiency is as diversed as it could be. Thus, to facilitate the needs and learning styles of these heritage learners, it is essential to individualize the learning process and let the students learn at their own pace.

B. Methods: To this end, the instructions of elementary (1^st year) and intermediate (2^nd year) levels of Vietnamese language and culture program at UCLA have employed some basic technologies using simple softwares as the means to produce, edit, and deliver realistic and authentic materials to the students.

C. Technologies:

1. Hardwares: I make use of the availability of UCLA’s intranet and computer lab systems, which allow individual students at their convenience to constantly access their language lessons from any campus-based computers.

2. Softwares: Powerpoint 2000, Photoshop 5, Sound Forge 4.5 and Windows XP Movie Maker are used.

Powerpoint 2000’s versatility helps me to produce slide presentations for various tasks such as (a) practicing and improving pronunciation by providing both Vietnamese texts and audio link on each slide, (b) listening comprehension by having pictorial story accompanied by audio narration, and (c) watching and writing activities by allowing the students to watch a short video clip per slide and then write about what they see. Powerpoint is also very useful in solving the non-English “fonts” issue: with its “pack-and-go” option I can take my Vietnamese-based presentations anywhere as long as I use what is called True-Type fonts.
Photoshop 5, a photo-editing software, is used to edite images before using them in Powerpoint presentations. Basic editing involves adjusting colors, brightness and contrast, adding texts, resizing original images, and saving images in optimal formats which have the best photo quality and smallest file size.
Sound Forge 4.5, an audio-editing program, helps me to produce my own audio files or edit sound clips from various sources (e.g., the Internet, off-air recordings of radio programs, video tapes, audio tapes, etc.). These audio files can then be used in the forms of pronunciation, narration or dictation for listening, speaking and writing tasks. These audio files are also useful in teaching three major dialects of Vietnamese and/or accent reduction courses.
Windows XP Movie Maker, a basic video editing program within Windows XP, provides me the means to make my own video clips or turn lengthy videos into short and usable clips. These clips can then be linked to Powerpoint slides or burned into a stand-alone CD-R. In either case, these clips are very useful in such activities as previewing, discussing, reviewing, and summarizing on specific topics. Later, students can even watch and write about what they see in the clips.

Note: Should you need further information or a sample CD, please contact the author at Tin Pham, South and Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures, 290 Royce Hall, 154003, UCLA, Box 951540, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1540; Phone: (310) 206-8235; Email: tpham@humnet.ucla.edu.