Language lab Software Review

 Hello readers,

This blog is a part of my classroom activity on Language lab software. 
   
To show worksheet of given task click here.

What is language lab

A language laboratory is a classroom equipped with tape recorders or computers where people can practise listening to and talkingforeign languages.

Language laboratory is an audio-visual installation used in modern teaching methods to learn the foreign languages. Perhaps the first lab was at the University of Grenoble. In the 1950s up until the 1990s, they were tape based systems using reel to reel or (latterly) cassette. But the current installations are generally multimedia computers. The language lab is a technological break for imparting skills in English. The language lab offers an exclusive result oriented and efficient to enrich the English language learning process. The multimedia based language lab helps to learn and enhance the language proficiency by sharing the course materials with in a second where the teacher and the students involved effortlessly. The language lab is developed on the methodology of LSRW skills.

Why should you use a language laboratory?

A language lab creates a learning environment much more effective than traditional classrooms enhancing the capabilities of students and allowing a high degree of immersion and attention to diversity.

A language laboratory encourages the participation and integration of the students in the different exercises and this is reflected, for example, in the time it takes to students to speak in another language during class. In a traditional class of 45 minutes the percentage of time spent by students to speak in the language they are studying is 2.2% while in a language laboratory classroom the percentage of time spent reaches nearly 24%. It is also necessary to note that these figures might be higher depending on the exercises taking place in the class.

Given these figures it is obvious that language laboratories offer a number of advantages over traditional teaching systems, allow several students to talk and interact at the same time, you can record all these interventions, send different exercises to different groups of students, work with media, etc.

In addition, the use of the language lab allows students to have access to the information quickly and easily developing many types of classroom exercises, personalizing the learning process, encouraging creativity, innovation and training . Language laboratories also favor a high degree of skill development, team and collaborative work eliminating socio-temporal barriers since information is not found in a particular and specific place and at the same time, they foster digital literacy responding to new educational and social needs.

Advantages and Benefits of Language Lab

·        Auditory Oriented: The direct sound transmission gives step by step guidance from the teacher to the heads of the students with crystal clear clarity.

·        Better Attention: The Lab software is more attention enthralling for the students, where they are engaged with individual systems.

·        Comprehensive quickly: The Lab increases the pace of comprehension as students coaching is purely based on the level of study.

·        Damper the idea: The Lab regulates the language through the different thoughts created in the mind of the students.

·        Effective learning: The lab provides to learn the foreign language practice in a focused setting that eliminates the feelings of self-consciousness.

·        Focus Veracity: By using text, audio and video can easily be integrated with actuality in every day situations.

·        Guide the group: It is easy to guide the groups by monitoring each student independently without disturbing the others students.

·        Have the self evaluation: the students can do a periodical self evaluation to measure the progress as well as evaluate his/her language with that of the expert.

·        Independent learning: access to resources beyond the timetable encourages independent learning.

·        Janitor for learners: It care takes the learners to become skilled at the language that they are learning.

·        Kaput the fear: The automated learning environment removes one’s fear and creates a happy learning situation. Learn the need: The lab fulfills the need of the learner that is learning the language skills in an effective way.

·        Medium of interactivity: The students can record their own voice and play back the recordings, interact with the each other and the teacher, and store the results.

The students feel different when they learn in different atmosphere. Apart from the traditional classroom, lab creates an easy atmosphere. Language lab plays a pivotal role in learning the spoken English. The basic proficiency in spoken English is imparted to students through the language lab.             It is concluded that the language lab is the solution and need of the hour to learn the English language. The quality of the language proficiency will be more when they learn it from the multimedia, digital and computerised Language Lab. We need some trained expert to teach the faculties to know how to handle the language lab and the students in a proper way.             Surely language laboratories represent the single largest investment and installment of audio resources in education. By high merit of its unique equipment and its unambiguous pedagogy, it stands alone. The computer now fulfills all the need of language educators and gives life to language for many learners. The components of language Lab

A modern Language Lab consists of various elements that form a multifunctional environment that uses the latest technologyfor education. Among the components of language laboratories we find:

Furniture. Language laboratories should have a specific and robust furniture that is capable of securely hold all the elements that are part of that laboratory.

Computers. The computers are a very important part in the language lab.

Technology. A language laboratory has a specific technology that enables the interconnection, interaction and communication between the different positions that make up the lab.

Headset. They should be designed to facilitate communication between the people who use the lab for the different activities that take place in it can be carried out successfully.

Why Use Language Labs to Teach English?

• You can use them to give every student individual attention, even in a large group setting.

• Students can take their time and progress at the pace that’s comfortable for them.

• You get to hear every student’s voice. Even students who would normally be too shy or intimidated to speak up in front of a large class feel more at ease working with labs.

• A number of modern labs have excellent modern English and ESL learning content, and most allow you to add and adapt your own content as well.

• Somewhat ironically, what used to be the most boring part of a language class can now be a fresh and engaging change from the norm.

History of the language laboratory:

·         The middle of the 20^th century was an exciting time for foreign language study in the United States. During World War II, the army created the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) to provide education to officers with strategic wartime skills, including foreign language proficiency. Following the scholarly opinion among linguists of the day, who believed that language was acquired through habit, the ASTP taught language primarily through oral drills. As the ASTP spread to institutions of higher education throughout the country, the army developed audio discs in dozens of languages. (Kitao)

The word ‘laboratory’ originated in the late 15^th century. It refers to a specific structure or a room for mixing chemicals and preparing medicines by science experts. Scientists used to follow structured steps to perform their experiments and research purpose. Through the Language lab we are being four skills master and that are the Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Language laboratory also played an important role in the language learning process. Language lab is a class of English language learning where teaching learning process happens computers and other technical support. For language learning students individually use a computer which is connected with a server. 

Past, present, future of language laboratory:

Past:

In 1950s, language laboratories were established to provide language training with advanced technology for language learners. In early history, phonographs, (a kind of record player) was used to record sound and became a tool for teaching foreign languages in the nineteenth century. The first of them was established at the University of Grenoble in 1908. There were many innovations developed in this period that are includes the transistor portable radio in 1954, the stereo LP in 1958, the compact audio-cassette, the first home Sony video tape recorder in 1963, and Dolby Noise Reduction in 1968. This all invention become most important to learn Language laboratory very effectfully.

Present:

Since 1950s, language laboratories have been developed. The old-style language labs that a teacher arranged the listening practice allowed with a hard-wired analogue tape deck based systems with 'sound booths' in fixed locations that are become outdated. During 2001-2007, portable music players became a great achievement of language laboratories. At that time language learning through podcast became more significant. It is similar to listening to radio or watching a TV show. In a language classroom, students can be both learners and also producers. A teacher can simply record his/her teaching and upload. Those who miss that class or want to review the lecture can download the lecture podcasts for later listening on their computers or mobile devices. MP3s players are now available at low prices while PCS, laptops, tablets or smart mobile phones are common devices usually owned by most students. When podcasts are made available on the Internet, the teacher can direct their learners to them for self-study purposes or even use them for listening in class via a computer.

Future:

In future language learning happen with the electronic media or e-media. e-Learning will undoubtedly be with EFL management, it is very difficult to say what the labs in the future EFL classes will be like. In fact the question is whether language laboratories will exist. Observing the trend, media in EFL learning can be supported and delivered with digital technology rather than from physical language labs. 

Language lab software in My Institute

In My institute we have “Globarena language lab soft ware” Which we practice learned some of the Exercise. Which are basically made for Improving four basic four skills  L S R W, And also learned some new words and phonetics of the language.

It has Three layer, First is very Easy second little bite more difficult and Third one is more Difficult, Each and every level are with some audio visual instructions, so learner can easily get the idea about what they have to do.  its design as per learners needs, as some of are only wants to achieve short time goals like they don’t want to gone through whole examination, and daily classes so they can by practicing this kinds of Software , able to get achieve their goals in very short times.