Mobility and learning in "hidden moments"

[Rebecca Weiner]

Hi--

I'm interested in how - and how much - people use mobile language learning tools, such as those downloadable on iPod and iPhone. When, where, why do you use them?

I do some consulting for Praxis Languages (www.praxislanguage.com), which makes ChinesePod (www.Chinesepod.com) as well as FrenchPod, SpanishPod, and ItalianPod.

One of the company's big selling points is the ability of truly mobile, interactive learning tools (they were the first Web 2.0-based, fully mobile language learning system, though they now have imitators) to free up "hidden moments" - while jogging, doing laundry, on the bus, etc. - to learn Chinese.

I'm interested in how much people use these tools, and whether it's primarily to supplement more structured traditional courses. I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Best--

--Rebecca

[DrWatson]

when & where:

I use such learning tools while walking to work or doing cardio exercise. I find if I try to use them while doing laundry or listening while I work or something else that requires me to pay attention even the slightest, I end up paying no attention to the audio programs and it ends up being just like background music. I'm in my late twenties so maybe such passive learning doesn't really help me at this point in my life.

why:

I'd prefer spending an hour a week talking with a native speaker but that just isn't possible here. I like audio lessons and podcasts because they are brief and fit nicely into my commute. I also like them because there are many different topics to choose from and as soon as a dialog becomes redundant I can move to another.

Hopefully podcasts will remain a tool that one can use by downloading the audio and the transcripts and what not. Not everyone uses iPhones or full-screen Nokia phones and stays connected to the Internet where ever one goes. It is nice to be able to download the audio on my iPod and then print out the transcripts on paper for review.

Oh and I use podcasts as a supplement to my preferred learning style: reading. My primary form of learning is through textbooks and self-paced learning. To learn listening skills however, I am thoroughly impressed with podcasts as a learning tool.

[renzhe]

I bought an MP3 player specifically to listen to Chinesepod on my commute to work. I use this relatively often, and think it's a great way to squeeze some Chinese into a busy day.

But it is definitely a supplement to other learning. I learn on my own, following a textbook, but also watch a lot of Chinese TV programming and read a lot. Chinesepod fits well as a resource for listening practice. I don't think I could learn a language through podcasts alone, though.

I've also started using Spanishpod recently, though it's just to increase exposure and counteract the rustiness, I speak the language already.

[character]

I'm interested in how much people use these tools, and whether it's primarily to supplement more structured traditional courses. I'd appreciate any thoughts.

I use material loaded onto a smartphone to supplement a Chinese class. I've listened to audio recordings on long commutes, in the shower, etc. I use flashcards in Plecodict whenever I'm waiting for a few minutes and don't have some other material to read. I've also read PDFs from the MIT Chinese courses on the phone (the Adobe Acrobat reader software can reformat simple PDFs to make them more readable on small screens).

In addition, while on a bus I've used a (tablet) PC to run some Chinese learning software.