Using the Internet for Foreign Language Learning
Jean W. LeLoup and Robert Ponterio

With the focus on language, communication, and culture in the national standards (National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 1996), foreign language teachers are continually searching for easier and better ways to access authentic materials and provide real-life experiences that will improve their students' language skills and increase their cultural knowledge. As the Internet transforms the way we communicate with the world, it is only natural that this technology should play a major role in the foreign language classroom.

Foreign language teachers used to strive to simulate the target language atmosphere in their classrooms; now they can connect directly to target language countries, cultures, and speakers by using the Internet. Their students can readily see and comprehend that the language they study is a viable means of communication for millions of native speakers the world over, not just another subject to be studied in the confines of the classroom. Use of the target language takes on a real practicality when a student is attempting to converse with a native speaker over the Internet or is trying to find information that is available only on a local Internet site in a target language country thousands of miles away.

Teachers appreciate the Internet's ability to provide authentic materials and cultural information that would otherwise be difficult, or even impossible, to find. In addition, many foreign language teachers who are alone in their school districts, and therefore isolated from their colleagues, have found a camaraderie, a support system, and many opportunities for professional development via the Internet. This article provides an introduction to the following basic Internet applications for foreign language teachers: electronic mail (e-mail); electronic discussion lists; chat, audio, and video communication; streaming audio and video; the World Wide Web; and electronic journals. Those interested in specific Internet-based classroom activities will find Virtual Connections, edited by Mark Warschauer (1995), an excellent resource (see References section at the end of this article).

Electronic Mail (E-mail)

E-mail is probably the most common and well-known Internet application. Newer software facilitates e-mail use for foreign language purposes by making it possible to work with diacritics--for example, accent marks, tildes, and umlauts--and non-Western character sets. With even a single e-mail account, foreign language teachers can integrate e-mail-based activities into their curriculum (LeLoup, 1997). International keypal--that is, electronic pen pal--projects are easily implemented when students have the necessary Internet access, equipment, and foreign contacts (Knight, 1994; Shelley, 1996). Distance learning is another curricular area in which e-mail is being used to support communication between and among geographically dispersed teachers and students (Ponterio, 1996). Of course, teachers can also use e-mail to connect with one another and to request information and resources. Foreign language teachers should insist on access to the Internet and software that fully supports diacritics.

Electronic Discussion Lists

Electronic discussion groups, such as listservs, exist on the Internet to provide a forum where people with similar interests can engage in dialog and share resources. Hundreds of lists of interest to foreign language teachers are available on the Internet.¹ Two practice-focused lists are of particular interest:

	Language Learning and Technology International --This list distributes information about all aspects of the technology used in language teaching.
	Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections K-12 --This list helps foreign language teachers find partner classrooms for international and cross-cultural e-mail exchanges.

The Foreign Language Teaching Forum (FLTEACH) is a good example of a list that cuts across language lines to discuss methodology, instructional innovation, professional articulation, and enhanced student learning, among other topics.² The FLTEACH home page also lists numerous resources, including collections of Internet addresses in specific languages. Other lists are language-specific and address topics as narrow or broad as their memberships warrant.

Participation in electronic discussion lists can be a useful tool for professional development, particularly for foreign language educators who are isolated geographically or are working alone in their school districts (LeLoup and Ponterio, 1995a, 1995b). New subscribers to any list should read its welcome message and follow appropriate guidelines and protocols (netiquette) before posting messages.

Chat, Audio, and Video Communication

Real-time communication takes place via several different types of chat, audio, and video communication programs. One such application is Internet Relay Chat (IRC), which enables synchronous "conversation" among participants anywhere in the world. Students choose a channel and "talk" by typing messages to all of the other people on that channel; everything that is typed is seen instantly by everyone. Hundreds of channels exist, with names usually reflecting the topics and languages discussed (for example, francais). Private, closed channels can also be created for use in the foreign language classroom. To participate in IRC, users need client software that is compatible with their computer system. Several IRC software programs are available on the Internet as shareware or freeware, and some Internet browser programs come equipped with their own chat function (for example, Netscape Chat). IRC client software comes with documentation that outlines basic IRC commands and explains how to use them. For example, the "list" command displays all the channels currently available and active on the server.

Audio and video communication programs, such as CUSeeMe and MS NetMeeting, also allow foreign language students to engage in synchronous conversation. Using the proper software, students can see and talk directly to one another. These applications take a large amount of bandwidth and depend on a clear and direct Internet connection--the faster the better. Network traffic also affects the results. Although only in the initial phases of development, these powerful new technologies have the potential to greatly affect the ability of foreign language students to communicate directly with native speakers in target language environments.

Multiuser domains (MUDs), as well as MUDs/object-oriented (MOOs) and multiuser shared hallucinations (MUSHes), are text-based virtual environments that allow users to connect to the same place at the same time and interact with one another. Users can "talk" by typing and "listen" by reading; these applications are much like IRC. But MOOs differ in that they create a virtual environment--such as a cafe, a library, or a home--and the users manipulate cyber-objects using words that assist in their conversations, self-definitions, and the creation of the virtual environment itself. Many MOOs exist in which target language speakers and learners can interact regularly--for example, the Spanish MundoHispano (telnet europa.syr.edu 8888); the French Le MOO Francais (telnet moo.syr.edu 7777); the EFL/ESL schMOOze University (telnet schmooze. hunter.cuny.edu 8888); and the Portuguese MOOsaico (telnet moo.di.uminho.pt 7777). To join a MOO, you can either telnet to the MOO's address or use MOO/MUD client software and enter the address where indicated.

Useful Internet Resources To Help Users Start Exploring A Communications Technology Module for the Foreign Language Methods Course: FLTEACH WWW page: Less Commonly Taught Languages Project: MediaINFO Links Online Media Directory: MIT List of Radio Stations on the Internet: Red Cientifica Peruana (Peru home page): TennesseeBob's Famous French Links!: VCU Trail Guide to International Sites and Language Resources:

Streaming Audio and Video

One way to connect second language students with native speakers and authentic materials is by using streaming audio and video technologies that virtually transport the target language environment to the classroom without wasting time downloading huge files. Students can hear live or prerecorded broadcasts of music, news, sports, and weather from countries around the world transmitted to their computers in real time. Although this technology is in its infancy, it is developing rapidly. An Internet search can keep foreign language teachers up to date on the latest free streaming media software that places target language audio and video files a click away.

The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (WWW or Web) is an interlinked network of pages or sites--often combining images and text and created by private individuals or organizations--that are made available via the Internet. The defining element of the Web is its hypertext links, which allow words or icons on one Web page to link to words or icons on another page anywhere in the world with a simple click of the mouse.

Many Web pages focus on foreign language learning. The multimedia nature of the WWW and the use of the Web page as an interface to other services have greatly expanded the power of the Internet by making it possible to display information using a combination of formats (Fidelman, 1996). This is essential for the delivery of authentic materials in the form of texts, images, sound recordings, video clips, and even virtual reality worlds. New, more sophisticated programming functions, such as JavaScript, can turn a Web page into a multimedia environment. This allows students to interact in interesting ways with the authentic materials found, for example, on a target language Web page.

Electronic Journals

Several electronic journals target foreign language professionals and their concerns. Generally, these journals have free subscriptions, are published quarterly, and do not exist in paper form. The hypermedia nature of Web-based journals allows articles to include links to related background information located elsewhere on the Web. The dissemination of journals via the Web is a practical way for Internet-focused publications to illustrate the applications of the technology they advocate. Of particular interest to foreign language teachers is Language Learning & Technology (LL&T), first published in the summer of 1997. The primary mission of LL&T is to disseminate research about issues related to technology and language education. Improvements in Web software have led some organizations--such as the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session --to publish their working papers exclusively on their Web sites, with print versions available on a very limited basis.

Conclusion

Computer technology has much to offer foreign language teachers who can integrate new tools into the curriculum in a meaningful way--for example, by setting up international keypals for their students or by locating and printing authentic materials from the World Wide Web. The Internet can also help foreign language teachers further their professional development by keeping them abreast of theoretical, pedagogical, and technical developments in the field. Internet use clearly supports the national standards for foreign language learning in the areas of communication, authentic language use, cultural connections and comparisons, and extensions into communities.

Clearly, target language communication and culture are well within reach via current and emerging technologies, and information about using these technologies is readily available on-line. The intrepid and creative foreign language teacher will venture into this virtual realm, find authentic resources, and use them to make the foreign language classroom a marvelous place to learn.

References

Fidelman, C. G. 1996. "A Language Professional's Guide to the World Wide Web." CALICO Journal 13 (2 & 3). [Available on the Internet at http://agoralang.com/calico/webarticle.html.]

Knight, S. 1994. "Making Authentic Cultural and Linguistic Connections." Hispania 77 (2): 289-294.

LeLoup, J. W. 1997. "But I Only Have E-mail--What Can I Do?" Learning Languages 2 (2): 10-15.

LeLoup, J. W., and R. Ponterio. 1995a. "Networking With Foreign Language Colleagues: Professional Development on the Internet." Northeast Conference Newsletter (37): 6-10.

LeLoup, J. W., and R. Ponterio. 1995b. "FLTEACH: Online Professional Dialogue." In M. Warschauer, ed., Virtual Connections: Online Activities and Projects for Networking Language Learners. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press.

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project. 1996. Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century. Yonkers, NY: Author.

Ponterio, R. 1996. "Internet Resources for a French Civilization Course at SUNY Cortland: A Pilot Project." NYSAFLT Annual Meeting Series 11: 43-50.

Shelley, J. O. 1996. "Minneapolis and Brittany: Children Bridge Geographical and Social Differences Through Technology." Learning Languages 2 (1): 3-11.

Warschauer, M., Ed. 1995. Virtual Connections: Online Activities and Projects for Networking Language Learners. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press.

Notes

¹See http://alabanza.com/kabacoff/Inter-Links/listserv.html to search for information on scholarly electronic lists.

²To subscribe to this list, see the FLTEACH home page.

Jean W. LeLoup and Robert Ponterio are faculty members in the Department of International Communications and Culture at the State University of New York at Cortland. Dr. LeLoup is Assistant Professor of Spanish and Coordinator of Secondary Education. Dr. Ponterio is Assistant Professor of French. They are the cofounders and moderators of FLTEACH. They have had several articles published and have made numerous presentations on the use of electronic communication and technology in foreign language instruction.

Tips for Searching the ERIC Database on Foreign Language Topics

Go to the ERIC Systemwide site

More Than Just the Internet: Other Technology for Language Teaching