Language lab
A language laboratory is a specially equipped room for learning languages or software enables the language lab functions, Mobile hardware systems are possible. Language labs are often found in schools or universities. It is the active practice of speaking and understanding.
Description
In the beginning was the laboratory of rows of single cabins, most of which were aligned head-on the teacher's table, were played from which learning programs to the student desks. All students had a headset with microphone. The teacher had a control panel, through which they also talk about headphones and microphone either all students or record individual contact and control could. There were language labs for the sole hearing, to listening and speaking, and listening, speaking and recording the student voice. In the best case, the students are separated by partitions to achieve a certain acoustic insulation, but can also act for the student by other students separately.
History
The concept of language laboratories goes back to the psychologist BF Skinner. The language lab spread since the 1950s in the United States and since the 1960s in the Federal Republic of Germany. Due to the economic and political situation at that time the teaching of modern foreign languages was introduced across the board for all schools. Today, the language laboratory is mostly replaced by computer work spaces.
In the language was typically taught after audiolingualen method, with the related of the learning theory on the behavioral psychology of Skinner, from the language description on the other hand, the structuralist language description to Bloomfield. Skinner took the view that the learning of languages such a behavior can be learned. Therefore, it is taught according to the stimulus-response scheme, on the positive reinforcement (reward ) follows. Learning takes place through imitation, so the exercise scheme envisaged a stimulus, a student answer right solution from the tape and repetition of the correct solution. Bloomfield introduced a descriptive language viewing and therefore broke the dominance of the grammar lesson from that referred to the Latin grammatical categories. Since the 1970s and 1980s, the audiolinguale method was replaced by the communicative method called, in addition to listening and speaking also has reading and writing in a foreign language to the object.
Modern versions
In modern times, language labs are at least partly equipped with software. The most modern form are software language labs with analog audio cabling. In the language the student PCs ( full-fledged multimedia computer with keyboard, mouse, screen and headset) via LAN with a teacher computer and / or server are connected. From a separate audio unit of sound over analog lines will be distributed to the students' PCs. This avoids that the sound is delayed to the image arrives ( latency). For pure software labs sound delay occurs. The presenter can send the students video clips with sound on their computers. These can then even to speak ( for example, a market scene ) and compare afterwards what they have said and how the sound is. Is supported by a visual indication of voice modulation ( waveform analysis). The lecturer can listen to each student, talk to him, send him texts and much more. Of course, everything can be projected.
Benefits
One advantage of the language laboratory is the greater speech and thus exercise time compared with the conventional teacher-student dialogue belongs to the student. In the regular classroom, the available time is distributed to all students, which is why per pupil are usually no more than 2-3 minutes to practice with the instructor. With a language laboratory, it is possible that all students can practice at the same time, which is why the talk time increases by 10 times. The teacher does not lose control of the students and the students have the opportunity to ask questions to the teacher, without these being overheard by other students.
Criticism
Language labs are expensive to purchase. When at the beginning language labs were still " cassette -based", the technology was maintenance-intensive, and often could not be used cabins. Another problem was that both students and teachers were often overwhelmed by the operation.