ikt-basert norskundervisning i utlandet - Høgskolen i Nesna

Internet – the Space of Dialogue
Ugnius Mikucionis
Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
(Ugnius Mikucionis is also employed at Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania)
E-mail: umikucionis@takas.lt, umikucionis@gmail.com
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SUMMARY: Internet provides students and lecturers with a better possibility for reciprocal
communication (interaction), allows them to contact their colleagues from abroad in a quick
and cheap way, it also makes it easier to present the learning material (e. g. handouts) and to
share all kinds of information (transaction); if used creatively, it might also contribute in
encouraging students to be active, engaged and conscious about what they are learning, and
why.
One of the types of information, which can be shared through the internet, is interactive online
exercises. On-line exercises are nowadays generally easily accessible for the students and
contribute in making the process of learning a foreign language more interesting and
fascinating. The benefits of on-line exercises are obvious if students have free-of-charge
internet-access either at university or at home, and if they like to solve exercises individually.
One cannot however ignore the importance of group work and the traditional classroomlectures
while studying a living, natural language, such as Modern Norwegian.
It is impossible to overestimate the value and importance of bilingual target language – native
language dictionaries. There may be many misunderstandings and annoying blunders if one
uses a third language as an “intermediary” translating between one's native language and the
language one is studying (the so-called “target language”). Therefore we mean that the
development of a Norwegian-Lithuanian dictionary software has been of great importance;
this software is already being used by students at both Lithuanian universities where the
Norwegian language is taught, namely, Vilnius University and Vytautas Magnus University
in Kaunas.
This final report consists of three main parts:
• The first part, “Internet – the Space of Dialogue” deals mostly with theoretical issues in
connection with communication through the internet and with our experience about such
communication in the process of teaching of the Norwegian language.
• The second part, “Who Likes Hot Potatoes?”, deals with JavaScript-based online interactive
exercises we are creating for our students.
• The third part, “Trollord, or What Is the Difference between a Casserole and Hashish”, tells
about the ambitious project of creating of Norwegian-Lithuanian dictionary software for
Windows.
Internet the Space of Dialogue
One usually talks about two main types of communication through the internet: synchronous
and asynchronous. “Synchronous” means that all the participants are on-line at the same time,
and the communication goes on in real time (as in different kinds of chatting, instant
messaging or voice software, as MSN Messenger, ICQ or Skype).
“Asynchronous” means that the participants may go on-line at different moments of time, and
communicate by leaving messages to each other, so that it is possible to read and answer to
the messages when it suites best each and every of the participants.
Fredrikke nr. 11, 2005
Organ for FoU-publikasjoner – Høgskolen i Nesna