ESL Language Lab Needs

What we need for our students

The students in the English as a Second Language Department need a learning environment in which they can develop, expand upon and advance their language skills. Digital media technologies have significant potential for improving and facilitating such learning. A multimedia language laboratory will enable the transmission, recording and playback of the instructional content material (sound, video, text); simultaneous recording of comments, questions, responses and translations by instructors and students; comparison of student speech recording with the original sound; text synchronization with audio track; transmittal of student and instructor files to and from a server within a local area network as well as over the Internet.

Marsha’s Innovation grant objectives

Identify funding sources for the purchase and installation of a multimedia language laboratory and provide initial training for faculty.

Implementation Plans

· Research multimedia language laboratory systems and identify one for Mission College.

· Research possible funding sources and identify potential sources.

· Submit one or more grants to procure funding for the selected lab system.

Expected Benefits to District, College, Students and/or the Community:

· For our students learning English, increased aural comprehension and oral accuracy and facility in English, the language of communication in the college, in the workplace, in the community, and in the world

· For the workplace and for four-year educational institutions to which our students transfer, workers who are better able to communicate clearly and utilize technology effectively

· For the community, bilingual and multilingual leaders and global stewards in a competitive world economy

Minimum Facilities required

• At least one physical language lab space sufficient for 32-36 student workstations
• Hardware and software for each student workstation
• An instructor’s console with full controls for analog and digital media broadcasting
• At least one server for audio and video files
• Note: legal, e.g., Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act

Need for English language training increases

• According to the 2000 census, 45% of Santa Clara County residents spoke a language other than English at home, up from 32% in 1990. (San Mateo Cty, 41% up from 32%, Alameda Cty 37%, up from 25%, California 40%)
• In Fall 2000, the primary language of 45.8% % of Mission College students was a language other than English, up from 35.6% Fall 1992.

ESL Statistics

79 total sections, excluding skills labs, Fall 2002

25 sections emphasize pronunciation, listening and speaking (111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 143, 145, 910AB)

2,506 total enrollments, Spring 2002

1,370 total unduplicated headcount, Spring 2002

630 Pron/Lis/Spk enrollments, Fall 2002

9,749 WSCH (second only to Math at ~ 9909, 4402 FL)

Some issues to consider at September 12 meeting [1]

Should ESL collaborate with IIS/ Community Ed and/or Foreign Languages for the procurement of one lab? More than one lab?

Should the departments pursue individual language lab projects?

If the lab is a space shared by more than one department, what are the scheduling issues? What are possible solutions? How can satisfaction be achieved?

[1] In addition to which system, how much money, funding sources

Language Lab Project home page

Marsha Chan

Office Phone: (408) 855-5314

Email: mailto:marsha_chan@wvmccd.cc.ca.us

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[1] In addition to which system, how much money, funding sources