It might seem a somewhat exploited catch acronym, but ICT is really representing nowadays the most effective tool in the hands

Selling English by video-conference
by Paolo Badiali paulbad@libero.it

Introduction
It might seem a somewhat exploited acronym, but nowadays ICTs (information&communication technologies) are really representing the most effective tools in the hands of teachers worldwide to address the sore issue of students’ motivation. As one of the teachers in charge of 3 of the 6 ICT laboratories at my school[1] (i.e. multimedia lab, audio active language lab and videoconference lounge), I have witnessed over the years the improvement of technology applied to language teaching and the parallel slow sinking of students’ motivation and average performance. It is not my task here to launch a moping crusade over the causes and consequences of the demise of education standards in the 3^rd millennium. The aim of this article is simply to tip teachers with tested ways to counteract such a downward trend. In two separate articles which appeared in this paper some time ago[2], I set about tackling the issue of language and multimedia laboratories as a down-to-earth approach to boosting learning awareness and teaching effectiveness. I am now turning towards videoconferencing (also video conference and VC in the article): arguably the most suitable and the ultimate state-of-the-art materialization of ICT for teaching/learning in general and especially for languages.

Video-conference made easy

Linking to public resources
Imagine that you are an EFL teacher working with the history and Italian teachers on a joint project on the Middle ages in Europe over the period 1000 -1400 or dealing with historical novels such as Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe together with the Italian teacher wishing to provide pupils with a more extensive background on the historical novel as a literary genre for Manzoni’s “I Promessi Sposi”. As part of a lesson on the English society after the Norman invasion you link via video conference to the Public Record Office In England where actors take on the characters of a Norman and a Saxon and re-enact an encounter over taxation. Your pupils would be able to question and challenge the characters and see artefacts, including a facsimile of William I’s Domesday book. Or imagine that you are a science teacher in a liceo scientifico striving to make your 5^th form students master the topic 'The Earth and the Solar System' as part of your programme on astronomy. You could link your class via video conference to NASA, where experts lead your pupils in a discussion on living in space and link to astronauts in the space station, who answer questions from your pupils. If you are an English teacher in an istituto agrario you could find interesting ways of joint teaching with the forestry teacher by linking to the Queens Botanical Gardens in NY and have live lessons and class interaction with experts. One last example directly from personal experience. After reading the introduction to Chaucer’s The Physician in the Canterbury Tales the students could gain extra information from a video conference link with the Wellcome Library in London where competent staff will deal with the concept of medicine, astrology and astronomy in the middle ages. They could show and read the text by Chaucer in the original Middle English version while students could follow the text in the modern English translation they are already acquainted with and learn supplementary information about the background context where the story is set[3]. Video conferencing offers enormous potential for enriching students' learning in ways that cannot easily be achieved by other means. It can radically alter the way pupils interact with one another and with the world outside the classroom walls let alone the highly beneficial input on motivating the students to use a foreign language in the most challenging learning environment.

Basic technical knowledge
When I’m referring to video-conference in the article I am implying a rather sophisticated and somewhat costly equipment connecting through 3 isdn lines, with 2 quality cameras to allow views from different perspectives, a video projector to show the partner class or site on a screen, a tv set for the teacher to monitor and direct the event, a console to check sound levels and performance of speakers and microphones, an object camera to show documents and texts and an external audio/video source to send music and show video cassettes and last but not least a well planned lighting scheme to enhance video performance and image quality. Low-end solutions such as employing web cams and a pc screens in connection with video chat software such as CuSeeMe and Netmeeting are also possible. However being the quality and dimensions of pictures being often inadequate and sound standards usually poor, it is a solution usually best suited for very small groups of students or as an extension to the existing language laboratories[4]. Recent developments in internet communication standards and the widespread use of fast lines even for home use make the Internet Protocol connection (or simply IP), a feasible and practical alternative for the schools with access to fast computer networks. This is an alternative only to the standard 3 ISDN connection systems and you will still have to supply all the equipment mentioned above ( cameras, speakers, microphones, general console deck, tv set etc) to convert the signal into a quality broadcast. Recent developments in videoconferencing are going to set as the commonly shared standard, systems which can handle both ISDN and IP connections.

Solutions to aching budgets
It is a rather demanding commitment for any school’s budget these days to opt for high-end solutions systems such as those depicted above. In my case, it was the Comunità Montana of the Mugello[i]Valley north of Florence which eventually provided my school with all the equipment needed for a high quality video-conference. It is therefore my advice that teachers interested in video conference set up a project in cooperation with local authorities and associations supplying community services to make the need of a videoconferencing hall a shared political target. Joining forces at the local level is the first step towards setting up a practical financial plan drawing at EU or regional funds.

To get started
Here’s a very short list of useful institutions and public sites which offer class support via video conference:

1.University of Georgia Marine Extension Service http://www.marsci.uga.edu/EXT/GSAMS.html
contact person Bob Williams, Distance Learning Coordinator, Education Specialist
bobwms@uga.edu tel +1-912-598-2496

2. Public Record Office (It holds nearly 10 million original documents, relating to most major events and famous people from the la st 1000 years of history. The education department has developed a programme of on-site history workshops for all levels.) www.pro.gov.uk/educationservice
contact person Philip Stanley-Berridge philip.stanley-berridge@pro.gov.uk +44 208 392 53 30

3. Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, houses the world's largest freshwater aquarium. You can have the education department bring some of the wonders of the natural world to your classroom via a videoconference. http://www.tnaqua.org contact person Or Cingilli, Education Technology Coordinator
or.cingilli@tnaqua.org tel +1-423-785-4051

4. Queens Botanical Garden, "the place where people, plants and cultures meet" is located in Flushing, New York. The Garden has a wide array of enjoyable educational programming available to classrooms via a videoconference. In the "Bees and Flowers" videoconference program, the instructor will dress up in costume as a beekeeper to deliver the lesson. "Growing Together" and "George Washington Carver" are two other distance learning topics available.
http://www.queensbotanical.org contact person Betty Scott, Distance Learning Coordinator 1-718-886-3800 x230

5. Science Museum, London Video conferencing lessons are available directly from the Science Museum and can be booked by contacting Sarah Leonard or going to the Science Museum website. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/education contact person Sarah leonard s.leonard@nmsi.ac.uk tel +44 207 942 4750

6. NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio, develops communications technologies for NASA's space missions. The facility offers students and teachers many workshops using videoconferencing technology. Videoconferences are available in the following NASA missions: Space Science, Earth Science, and Development of Space Transportation. Program descriptions can be found on the Research Center’s website.
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/CoE/Presentation_Descriptions111.html contact person Ruth A. Petersen
Ruth.A.Petersen@grc.nasa.gov tel +1-216-433-9714

[1] liceo scientifico Giotto Ulivi, Borgo San Lorenzo, Firenze, www.giottoulivi.it

[3] The activity is really rewarding but it needs to be carefully planned well in advance with the staff at the Wellcome Library. During the VC meeting students are also shown ancient manuscript and treaties of medicine dating back to XIII century. Bookings can be made through www.global-leap.com