Chunks and Scripts in Student Blogs
The blog of student projects called É isso aí is an interesting example of how technology can be used to help students build language skills via chunks and scripts. The blog is designed for intermediate and advanced students who are functional, but still developing in their language skills. As part of their course activities, the students are given ten topics to focus on (travel, animals, hobbies, relationships, food, staying in shape, society, children, youth, and elderly).Then students follow these steps to engage with the topics, ultimately creating their own video skits to add to the blog:
- As a primer, students first write a brief paper on the topics, which helps to focus on related vocabulary and correct form.
- Next students study some of the video clips from Portuguese Communication Exercises where the Brazilians are discussing related topics.
- Then students review the video skits that other students from previous semesters have added to the blog.
- Finally, students record their own video skits to add to the blog. During this fourth phase, students write the script for their skit, perform and record the skit, digitize and edit the recording, and then add their script and written analysis of the project in the blogs comments section.
The following demonstration video clip describes the format of the É isso aí blog site. While viewing, focus your attention on how much the students are actually producing in order to complete the blog video assignment.
One of the interesting aspects of the use of technology in this site is how seamless the process is for the students. That is to say, the students do not really pay attention to the fact that technology is being used. They simply put it all together: write, record, digitize, transcribe, and post. As to chunks and scripts, there is a conscious effort on the students' part to incorporate specific language items into their recordings. For example, here is an English translation (originally in Portuguese) of one comment:
"Grammar Notes: In this dialog we used the words pra and pro in place of para a and para o. Although it may not be totally grammatically correct in formal writing, these reduced forms are more common in less formal writing (such as email, etc.) and in oral speech."
It is impressive to see that their awareness of a certain form has been incorporated into the recorded skit. Students have made an attempt to use the chunks that they have noticed.