EASC/OATJ Virtual Spring Workshop 2021

This workshop consists of three parts.  The first part discusses the roles of language teachers in the age of the digital transformation.  As we know, the pandemic has forced a significant transformation in how we teach. We are literally in the age of digital transformation, and the role of technology has become more invaluable than ever before to our teaching.  With such rapid and unanticipated changes, we need to modify our pedagogical strategies accordingly.  But how?  Takako Aikawa will tackle this question by presenting: (i) strategies and various online modalities for remote learning (Goodell & Kessler, 2020) and (ii) sample learning activities that demonstrate the connection between the theory of learning and its practice. She contends that the adoption of remote instruction into our curriculum has great potential to make our teaching more effective, and that we need to proactively integrate what is called “blended learning” to maximize the strengths of both face-to-face and remote instruction.   

In the second part of the workshop, Takako Aikawa discusss how language technology (such as natural language processing (NLP), speech-to-text, machine translation, etc.) can enhance our language instruction.  To this end, she first presents a series of NLP-related projects that she conducted over the last several years, so that we can see how language technology relate to language teaching.  These projects include:

1. (i) AI Japanese language teacher
2. (ii) Automatic Japanese quiz maker
3. (iii) Word2vec (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word2vec)

Then, Takako Aikawa will present some useful online NLP tools and walk us through hands-on practice of these tools.

The third part focuses on how emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) can impact language learning.  Recent advancements in AR/VR allow us to create new learning experiences within situated contexts: AR/VR can simulate real life contexts and accordingly, we can create environments where learners are able to use their target language as if they were in the real world.  She argues that the use of AR/VR promotes the idea of playful learning by engaging learners in fun activities and sparking their interests.  To demonstrate how AR/VR can facilitate the implementation of new learning experiences, she presents the following AR/VR projects that she conducted in collaboration with MIT’s Media lab.

1. JaJan: Shared Virtual Space for Language Learners (AR)
2. WordsSense: Kinesthetic Learning for Language Learners (VR)
3. Inner Child: Impact of Virtual Embodiment for Language Learning (VR)

In each part of the workshop, Takako Aikawa plans to include a breakout room session, so that the participants can exchange their ideas and opinions on the following:

• Part I: What kind of teaching or curriculum would work best for the “new normal” of language pedagogy after Covid-19?
• Part II: What have you learned about NLP technology from the workshop, and what possibilities do you see for applying it to your own practice?
• Part III: What do think about the use of AR/VR for language learning?  What benefits do you see in using AR/VR?  What hesitations do you have?