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Over the summer the organization formerly called TVLT New Media Language Training changed its name to New Language Solutions. This simple new moniker captures the spirit of what we provide to Canadian settlement language training providers: solutions to learning technology challenges facing teachers and learners.
We’ll be rolling out the branding in more detail over the fall, especially at TESL Ontario and ATESL conferences. Please keep an eye out for our new look. And please accept our assurance that New Language Solutions is picking up where TVLT left off. Our new motto says it all: Empowering Educators and Learners through Innovation. The expert learning technologists at New Language Solutions (or NLS if you prefer) will continue their mission to enable and support LINC blended learning on behalf of our funder, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Edulinc Virtual Classroom
The Edulinc LMS now offers a synchronous virtual classroom for its users. Teachers can add a virtual classroom to the courseware by turning course editing and adding a BigBlueButton activity to their course. Training materials for teachers will be added to the Stage 3 course in early September (in Blended Learning Development: Activity Guide 2).
Access the Edulinc LINC Classroom e-Activities on the Web
Visit the following links for quick access to the updated LINC Classroom Activities e-resources without a log in:
LINC 1 | LINC 2 | LINC 3 | LINC 4 | LINC 5 | LINC 6 | LINC 7
http://edulinc.ca/linc1/; http://edulinc.ca/linc2/; http://edulinc.ca/linc3/; http://edulinc.ca/linc4/; http://edulinc.ca/linc5/; http://edulinc.ca/linc6/; http://edulinc.ca/linc7/
Web News
How Adult Learners are Changing Education
... As continuous education becomes more important for working professionals keen to advance their careers, how people access education is undergoing a revolution. The way adults learn is very different from the traditional route taken by young graduates fresh from school. Their expectations, motivations, lifestyles and experience are different for younger students. This brings new challenges to education providers in delivering and assessing education. At the same time, it offers great opportunities to innovate ... In this article, we look at the key ways adult learners are changing education. ...
https://performitiv.com/2018/06/26/measuring-micro-learning-and-informal-learning/
AI’s Next Great Challenge: Understanding the Nuances of Language
Language is a uniquely human capability and the manifestation of our intelligence. But through AI — specifically natural language processing (NLP) — we are providing machines with language capabilities. ... The progress the industry has made was on display in Google’s recent demo of Duplex, in which an AI agent called businesses and booked appointments. What once seemed like science fiction is now reality, but to maintain a truly copacetic human-machine relationship, machines must be able to hold more intuitive, contextual, and natural conversations ... Advances in sentiment analysis, question answering, and joint multi-task learning are making it possible for AI to truly understand humans and the way we communicate...
https://hbr.org/2018/07/ais-next-great-challenge-understanding-the-nuances-of-language
For digital nomads, work is where the laptop is
Gwendolyn DaSilva rises at 5 a.m. to teach English to Chinese children from a small office just off her kitchen in Colombia. Through an online teaching portal, she gives one-hour private lessons for about four hours to children ages 5 to 12, and then she walks to a coffee shop to spend most of the day blogging about Medellin and travel. ... The 41-year-old native of Glasgow, Mo., gave up her six-figure salary and spent a year teaching English in South Korea. Now, in Medellin, she’s part of a community of digital nomads who have moved their lives and work to distant locales — often sun-soaked and always with a solid digital infrastructure — to take advantage of a lower cost of living.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/for-digital-nomads-work-is-where-the-laptop-is/2018/07/06/3e146a4c-7e34-11e8-bb6b-c1cb691f1402_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.47bff9b31752
Canada’s immigration system continues to innovate and deliver better service
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has taken great strides towards improving its clients’ service experience. A reduction in backlogs and processing times is a cornerstone of that work. Today the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, highlighted some of the substantial improvements that IRCC has made over the past year. ...
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2018/08/canadas-immigration-system-continues-to-innovate-and-deliver-better-service.html
Global Edtech Investments Shatter Records in the First Half of 2018
"An astonishing $8.24 billion in investment flowed to learning technology firms in the first half of 2018," reports Sam S. Adkins, Metaari's Chief Researcher. "I have been tracking learning technology investment activity for twenty-two years and I have never seen such an incredible burst of global activity. ..."
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/global-edtech-investments-shatter-records-in-the-first-half-of-2018-1027347829
Japan set to deploy English-speaking robots to schools: Report
Japan's Ministry of Education is reportedly planning to place English-speaking robots in schools around the country to help children improve their English oral communication skills. According to a report from Japan's national broadcaster NHK, the ministry will launch the initiative in April in about 500 schools nationwide as part of a trial. It will also make study apps and "online conversation sessions" with native English speakers available to students, the report said....
https://www.zdnet.com/article/japan-set-to-deploy-english-speaking-robots-to-schools-report/
How Virtual Reality Can Transform Language Teaching
... people are often faced with challenges when it comes to grasping command of other languages. Their language training is often missing the vital elements that help a person learn a language quickly. Virtual Reality (VR) might be on the verge of changing that completely. VR technology is quickly penetrating into educational landscapes and transforming the way students learn.
https://www.vrfocus.com/2018/06/how-virtual-reality-can-transform-language-teaching/
Language Learning of the Future
The single best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the society where that language is native, however, very few have the luxury of being able to do this! Mersiv is a modern language-learning device that brings the same type of immersive learning to you, wherever you are! Mersiv utilizes a camera, microphone and headphones to identify and tailor unique micro language lessons directly reliant to the user in that moment ...
http://www.yankodesign.com/2016/10/31/language-learning-of-the-future/
Blogs
Smart Phones in the Pronunciation Class? Yes!
Sometimes students come up with great ideas for learning! When I taught a couple of pronunciation classes at our local community college a few years ago, I was struck by the students’ use of their phones in class – not so much as a distraction or a deterrent to learning, but as an aid to help them produce accurate speech. The primary advantages I observed are that the phone can provide individual feedback at the touch of a button and that it is available for practice outside the classroom as well.....
http://blog.teslontario.org/smart-phones-in-the-pronunciation-class-yes/
Make your LMS a social learning platform
Vivek Singh, education professional and contributor to Ask a Tech Teacher, has some interesting ideas on using your native LMS as a social learning platform. He has some great thoughts on breakout rooms, discussion forums, virtual reality, and gamifying lessons.. ...
https://askatechteacher.com/2018/08/08/59427/
How Long is too Short? Determining the Ideal Duration for Bite-Sized Learning
Ever since Grovo Inc. trademarked the term ‘Microlearning’ the L&D industry has been using different terms like ‘bite-sized learning’, ‘just-in-time learning’, and ‘learning nuggets’. In this blog post, we examine results of some popular surveys and insights from industry-leaders to determine the ideal length of bite-sized learning. ...
http://blog.originlearning.com/ideal-length-of-bite-sized-learning/
Jobs
Online ESL Teacher
IBestTeacher is looking for Online English teachers to provide English teaching to Chinese students ages 5 to 16 years old. Full training and teaching material is provided. ...
https://www.tesl.ca/images/graphics/Jobs/esl_position_ibestteacher.pdf
Your Best Resource for Online ESL Jobs
A web page listing online ESL teaching jobs.
https://www.hioffer.com/
Professional Development
Txtng is killing language. JK!!!
Does texting mean the death of good writing skills? Linguist John McWhorter posits that there’s much more to texting -- linguistically, culturally -- than it seems, and it’s all good news.... This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page....
https://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhorter_txtng_is_killing_language_jk?utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tedspread
LearnIT2teach Annotated Bibliography New Resource: Chasing the butterfly effect: Informal language learning online as a complex system
This intriguing and thought provoking article provides a comprehensive review of how the multiple opportunities for students to engage in informal language learning, outside of the classroom or institutional settings, using digital technologies and social media platforms has the potential to impact second-language (L2) development. ...
http://bib.learnit2teach.ca/blog/chasing-the-butterfly-effect-informal-language-learning-online-as-a-complex-system/
New eBook: Technology and the Curriculum: Summer 2018
The benefits and drawbacks of the integration of technology into both the curriculum, and teaching and learning practice, continue to be contentious issues on multiple fronts. On the one hand, there are those who continue to subscribe to Clark’s (1994 a, b) contention that technology has no impact whatsoever on learning achievement. ... However, there are many more reasons why it is imperative that teachers and schools thoughtfully plan for meaningful technology integration. ...
http://www.powerlearningsolutions.com/blog/new-ebook-technology-and-the-curriculum-summer-2018
e-Resource Corner
11 tips for speeding up English Language learning
To master the English language in rapid time, you must work hard and smart. If you want to give yourself the best shot at high quality language acquisition, you need to know the secrets of picking up the information at speed – and retaining it. To kick-start the knowledge-soaking process, here are 11 tips to help maximise your learning experience. ...
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/11-tips-speeding-english-language-learning/
Easy World of English
This site offer reading, writing/grammar and listening activities at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
http://www.easyworldofenglish.com/
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