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SWALLT Vendors' ShowcaseBecause information on commercial products that provide improved technology for language learning is vital to our membership, we offer this section where our business members may announce products or company news. The inclusion of a particular product or company does not imply any endorsement or recommendation by SWALLT. Featured in this issue are LangLab and Horizon/Wimba LangLabLangLab turns any computer lab into a language lab, and more.
Students can listen and record, in the lab or remotely. Instructors
can both monitor and communicate with students in real time using the MONITOR module, and insert comments (responses, feedback) anywhere in
students' recordings, using the TEACHER module. The ADMIN
(authoring) module makes it easy to prepare new lessons, recording
original material or importing sound from CDs and tapes accompanying
textbooks. LangLab is easy to use, and the latest version runs on
Macs and PCs. JUST DOWNLOAD A FULLY-FUNCTIONAL DEMO VERSION, complete with documentation that includes a guided tour, Exploring LangLab. http://www.elanglab.com or write for info at info@elanglab.com. Horizon/WimbaSince the popularity of online courses has steadily grown since the late 1990’s, this troubling question has been raised all too often. With most distance students taking self-paced courses, they almost exclusively rely upon textual documents to learn their course material. And unfortunately, this dependency on text carries over to language courses as well. Dialogue is considered by many as both the fast track to language learning and the acid test of learner knowledge. Facilitating and encouraging discussion and dialogue, among learners and instructors, is therefore both a key success and motivational factor for language learning. Yet most online courses lack the necessary tools and resources to offer their students the ability to practice the most important audible and verbal aspects of languages. Fortunately, there is a company offering a remedy to this problem. Horizon Wimba offers language learning solutions that allow students and teachers to learn and teach the most natural way of all – with voice. Its products enable instructors to humanize and personalize their online language courses by utilizing web-based collaboration software designed for online distance education, language learning and live interactive communications. Both instructors and students consider personal interaction to be an essential element of the teaching and learning process, and Horizon Wimba’s language learning solutions allow faculty and students to enjoy the best elements of face-to-face and online instruction, as faculty and students can talk to each other, share ideas and information, and feel as if they’re part of a single community. Now, with Horizon Wimba, all aspects of language instruction can be conducted in an online environment, while retaining the personal elements that are so essential to the learning process. Note that Horizon Wimba integrates with both WebCT and Blackboard course management systems. For more information, contact: Matt Wasowski at Horizon Wimba. Business members: Submit your items for the Spring, 2005 issue to the editor by May 1, 2005. You must be a member of SWALLT for your item to appear in SWALLT Online.
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