Total Views: 324
| Chat Rooms Prove to be a Lifeline for English Learners |
| Written by Administrator |
| Thursday, 09 September 2010 20:33 |
|
When one of EnglishClub.coms chat rooms experienced technical difficulties in early September 2010, it became obvious to members and administrators that this method of practising English had become a lifeline for learners around the world. Fearing that their virtual social hall was being shut down permanently, regulars of the MyEC chat room begged administrators to put it back up as soon as possible. The wall and inbox of the founder's personal page quickly filled up with messages from disconnected users who felt lost without this branch of their learning English network. Bianca wrote: "I want to thank you for this fabulous idea to create a club for learning and teaching English. Thank you! I have [gotten] used to my friends and the chat room where I used to meet them, fighting for them and against them...I can't do without them...I will not give up until we get answers. " Another member wrote: "This jolt of the chat room missing, gave shock waves. This is our second home, to some learners may be the link ,to get over their shyness, in talking English and improving their writing skills as well. We have developed our own circle of friend, thanks to the mains thus being able to voice chat and also go on conference with more members." Another claimed she felt "stuffy" and unable to breathe without her chat room friends. The chat room was back up and running normally by the end of the day, and members celebrated and welcomed each other excitedly. English learner Rosemie described what the chat room means to her: "Chatting helps me develop my communication skill in writing as well as reading. Aside from enhancing my grammar in conversation I also make friends from around the world." While the MyEC chat room is designed for English learners to practise what they learn in class and online, it is more than just that. As one member shyly admitted, "I use the chat room to resolve my loneliness". Unlike some of the other chat rooms online, the MyEC chat room is moderated occasionally and considered by most as a safe place to hang out and learn. Rinka wrote "Than[k] God they don't laugh at me even when I make a lot of mistakes with my English." If members experience abuse in the main or private chat rooms, they are encouraged to report the member using the form provided. Since every member also has a profile page, it is easier for moderators to ban illegitimate members on MyEC than it is in other Internet chat rooms. While some access the chat room from their laptops or desktops, more and more users are relying on mobile phones to keep in touch with cyber friends. Participation ranges from those who observe, to those who pop in to say hi, to those who engage in full conversations on topics of interest in hopes of improving their English. "I was an observer before, but now I'm not. I enjoy my time with my friends!" types Rana, an active member in the MyEC chat room. Members include English learners of all levels as well as teachers who volunteer their time. Robert is one teacher who can be found in the MyEC chat room regularly. When English learner Aisha asked what "heads will roll mean", one of the chat room moderators provided the definition and an example sentence, and Robert added "It refers to the time when people were decapitated for displeasing the monarchy in England." Aisha was thankful and expressed her difficulty with idioms: "Idiom is like puzzle in English, I have to guess the meaning." She was quickly offered several links to online help with idioms. Robert regularly reminds members that the chat room is useful for practising communications skills, however, not all of the members of the English Club agree on how a chat room should operate. Some like Annie wish it could be more educational and structured. In a blog that was organized during the brief shut down of the chat room, Annie expressed a desire for daily questions in the chat room. MyEC administrator, Tara Benwell, agreed that this would be a good idea. In her blog post response to the chat room shutdown, she offered plenty of links where chatters could go to find topic ideas, such as the Talking Point Discussion forums and the Monthly News Digest. Teacher Bob wrote a similar suggestion: "You can ask a simple question like, 'Do any of you have a younger brother?' There are so many things you can use to get people talking. You could even start a topic on English verbs. Give it a try and you might be surprised." When this idea was discussed in a recent chat, however, some chatters expressed concerns about the chat room being likened to a classroom. While many are starving for English practise and embrace the idea of using chat to accomplish their goals, others just want a casual place to hang out. EnglishClub.com maintains two chat rooms, but there are other ways for members to chat as well. Ana and Gideon met on EnglishClub.com's Facebook page, where over 11,000 English learners and teachers comment on daily updates. These two new friends practise English every Saturday using the private chat feature on Facebook. Others meet in EnglishClub.com's main chat rooms and then break off into private rooms. Many share Skype IDs and move on to video chat. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites |
