CALL and Global Citizenship
Led by Brian Teaman and Elin Melchior
Back to Discussion Board Back to Calling Asia
Elin Melchior is the director of KETC, a language school provided by the city of Komaki and Ohio University. She is member-at-large of the CALL SIG and editor of the TESOL CALL-IS newsletter.
Brian Teaman is an associate professor at Hiroshima University. He is the webmaster for the GILE SIG and uses computers (among other things) to analyze interlanguage intonation.
This discussion is meant as a place for us to discuss ways that we can use CALL to promote "Global Citizenship" with our students. We need to start with a look at our own terms.
What exactly do we mean by Global Citizenship? Is this just another buzz word with no meaning like "internationalization"?
How specifically can CALL contribute to Global Citizenship? It seems obvious that the internet has opened up easy access to millions of people across the world. However, "use the internet" is a lesson plan pretty much doomed to failure. What can we do to exploit this wonderful new medium of communication and make it work for our students?
Please join in with comments and questions. This is a discussion for experts and newcomers. While we cannot claim to be experts, we will try to answer questions and bring some experts into the discussion.
Name: Elin Melchior
Welcome to the CALL and global citizenship discussion. Please click on "add your comments" so that you can read our introduction.
Name: Elin Melchior
I'd like to start off by talking about the term "Global Citizenship". There was a very nice definition in the February 1999 "Language Teacher". I have chosen a simpler definition for my own practice and that has been to have students connect with a culture other than their own (or those common to the media). An example of this would be "The Cities Project" which I taught with a teacher in Taiwan (this was an email exchange class). When we started, my students brainstormed about Taiwan - the sum total of their knowledge was "Taiwan has a lot of bananas." Eight or nine months later, in a completely different class, the students brought in newspaper clippings about the War Exercises which Mainland China was holding near Taiwan. This was now important to them because they felt connected to Taiwan, they knew people there and were concerned about what was happening there.
Elin KETC, Komaki, Japan elin@gol.com
Name: Thomas Asada-Grant
I will support and to Elin's comments--I look at the class as a whole and hope to see numerous exchanges of information-- giving and receiving opinions- that continue after the class has finished. Last year was my first year to use the internet to obtain information about a Baltic country, my students were writing old-fashioned cards and letters to. My students knew even less about Latvia than Tiawan so we had to use the Internet, dictionary, etc.
Name: Elin Melchior
Thomas - do you think that your students are more interested in other countries following their studies of Latvia - or do you think that their interest focuses only on the countries they study?
By the way what age/level students are you teaching and where?
Elin Komaki, Japan elin@gol.com
Name: Robert Kowalczyk
I was very happy to recently find out about the "Calling Asia" conference and particularly to find this section on Global Citizenship. Our group, Group 21, along with Ritsumeikan University, is planning an essential symposium for teachers to use in connecting young people throughout the world through the internet while fostering discussion on youth and its future. "Youth at the Millennium" to be held in Kyoto at the end of November will be an inter-generational dialogue between noted world figures and young people, through seminars, forums and workshops both at the symposium site, the Kyoto Muesum for World Peace, and by connecting the proceedings with many others in countries throughout the world via the internet. Following is a brief description of the conference and our group. I look forward to meeting you, Elin, Brian Teaman, and many other concerned educators at the May conference.
Sincerely,
Robert Kowalczyk
YOUTH AT THE MILLENNIUM An Internet Conference for College and Post-graduate Students
Group 21, in cooperation with the Kyoto Museum for World Peace of Ritsumeikan University, is planning a Symposium / Internet Conference for November 26th-28th, 1999, based in Kyoto, Japan.
The theme of the project is "Youth at the Millennium" and its main goal is to create an inter-generational dialogue between youth and elders concerning issues of critical relevance for the future.
The list of potential speakers includes prominent individuals from a number of countries. Those who have already accepted include Dr. Johan Galtung (Norwegian Professor of Peace Studies and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award), Mr. Satish Kumar (editor of Resurgence Magazine of England), Mr. Arun Gandhi (founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence) and Professor Yasushi Akashi (former Undersecretary General of the UN). These and other guests will discuss several issues while interacting with the students in attendance and countless others through the Internet.
The youth participants will include international students of the college and post graduate level. Planned sessions include panel discussions, lectures, workshops and an open forum. All conference proceedings will prominently feature exchanges with a world-wide audience via the Internet in a variety of formats. The target audience is educated, active and involved individuals under the age of thirty. Among others, topics for the conference will include green economics, democratization, peace education and spirituality.
Group 21 is a non-governmental project whose main aim is to educate and empower young people for the coming century. The men and women of the group are volunteers of varying ages and nationalities, most of whom are associated with universities and educational institutions. In 1997, Group 21 organized a project that brought together young people from twenty-one countries of the world to express the concerns of youth regarding their future at the COP3 conference on global warming in Kyoto. At the time, through a postcard and Internet campaign, the project was able to attract the attention of major news organizations both in Japan and internationally. More than 12,000 post cards were sent to the group from young people of 55 countries. A selection of these cards was delivered to Vice-President Albert Gore of the United States as part of the appeal. College-age members of the group attended the conference and were able to express themselves directly to the delegates of many nations. Group 21 has also organized a number of training workshops, community meetings and public forums on issues of critical concern to the world's future. Group 21 has no religious or political affiliations.
Name: Elin Melchior
Group 21 sounds very interesting. Do you envision people preparing their students for this? If so, how? I would imagine it would be very difficult for most students to jump into a dialogue suddenly. How did this work in 1997? How will the internet connect people without being overwhelming? Will discussions be threaded?
(Please put your name, location, and email address at the bottom of your message so that we will know who and where you are.)
Elin -- Komaki, Japan -- elin@gol.com
Name: Bryn Holmes
I think it is important to get our students talking about Global Citizenship so I have asked my class to come on line.
Name: Takahiro Endo
I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN A LOT OF THINGS
Name: Takashi Masui
The Internet cost a lot of money and I have no money. How can people from poor countries using internet?
Name: Takahiro Endo
I think that I can not
Name: Takahiro Endo
I think that I can not understand what Holmes says
Name: KONDO
I am tired
Name: Paul Daniels
Sorry about the Discussion board being down. It should be ok now. If not, please contact me at daniels@keyaki.cc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Name: William Zies
Ms. Endo & Ms. Masui, I hope to see you on Saturday. Perhaps I can help you.
Name: Elin Melchior
I taught English in Niger, West Africa - a country to poor to afford textbooks for all of its students - we had one class set of 25 textbooks which we used with 6 classes of 55 students. I cannot imagine my Nigerien students having access to computers (there were only two working telephones in my town - and they only worked occasionally). However, that was ten years ago and things are hopefully changing. I cannot imagine how this problem will be surmounted - but I certainly hope that it will be.
I would like people to remember the many countries who do have computer access, but are normally ignored while people turn towards the USA looking for internet partners. Countries like Malaysia and Taiwan have a very high percentage of students online.
Elin -- Komaki, Japan -- elin@gol.com
Name: Thomas Asada-Grant
One of the hazards of the alert, is being hit from behind by the dozing on the information highway. This is an apology for passing on Happy99 virus to some (?) of you. I am lucky I didn't receive and open something really destructive that would have melted down my hard disk. I didn't update my virus screen. If you want to immolate me in the town square, I'll see if I can bring an effigy. Again my apologies.
Name: Brian Teaman
I'd like to pick up on what Ellen said about "empathy" in her first post. Knowing people and respecting their value as persons is important, this is one thing that contact instantly does. If we had contact with Iraqis, Cubans and Serbians (to name a few official enemies of my country) I think our people would be less likely to support the destruction of these countries. We would know they are not devils in human flesh, but humans just like us. This is one great impact that merely knowing people will engender.
Name: Thomas Asada-Grant
There is something to be said for authentic voices of the people that is unfiltered, or transformed. In many cases the real benefit is for the author to see his or her text published in an authentic medium rather than only in a school environment. It validates that person's opinion in some way, similar to what was said by the director of the 1960's U.S. movie, "The Movie Goer"
Name: WILLIAM R. BORLAND
I'm sorry that I will not be able to attend this conference since I work both Friday and Saturday. But, I'd like to receive any material on it that is possible. In regard to the subject at hand, it is my experience that the younger the student is when he/she begins to study English, the better and faster they learn. I have taught at all levels and find that the junior high area is a great one for rapid improvement. At this level, students can just pick up the language by simply being exposed to it it seems. The natural intonation that you hear at this level is something that years of work by older students cannot achieve. Anything that would bring these students into contact with the language for any reason at this age will bring rewards far beyond what one would expect. My own experience thus far here in Japan has not included using the computer in the classroom. I think the time has come to start.
Name: michelle hill
have you gotinformation on implementing global citizenship in the primary classroom
Name: Melinda Rotramel
I am teaching a high school research class for grades 9-12 at Maryknoll High School in Honolulu, Hawaii this summer.Our focus is on gloal citizenship. Do you think that any of your participants would be willing to share thoughts and ideas with my students if they posted mesages? I think they are pretty responsible, at least that's my initial impression, just a little intimidated and unsure where to start.If you would be willing to help, just post a message and I will check tomorrow or day after. Thank you.