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The Language Teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the first installment of this series, Tim Newfields showed you how to get online, and in the second, David Kluge provided an introduction to online "netiquette." In this installment, we are now ready to take our first plunge into an excellent resource for language teachers: e-mail mailing lists. Mailing lists are a kind of online discussion group. People subscribe to a list on a topic of interest by sending a simple command by Internet e-mail. This adds their name to a list of subscribers kept by a listserver (a "listserver" is the software which maintains the mailing list). Any message which is sent to a mailing list on a listserver is then forwarded by e-mail to everyone on that list. Lists for TeachersThere are literally thousands of lists covering every imaginable topic, from aerobics to zoology, including many specifically for language teaching. The largest list about language teaching is TESL-L. The TESL-L list and its sublists have over 12,596 members from over 70 countries (as of May 1996). The TESL-L lists have timely discussions on many aspects of language teaching and valuable library files ("archives") of previous discussions on such topics as cooperative learning, teaching large classes, and TPR. The TESL-L sublists include K-12 education, adult education and literacy, material writing, whole language, computer assisted language learning, administration, and job hunting. For those interested in topics related to teaching in Japan, there is also a mailing list I run through the generosity of Chubu University on behalf of the JALT CALL N-SIG called JALTCALL. Approaching 300 members and 5,000 messages, JALTCALL has grown rapidly in the 1 1/2 years since its inception in October 1994. Although the word "CALL" appears in the name, this list is open to discussions on any topic about teaching in Japan. In addition to sharing practical teaching ideas and solutions to common problems, members have discussed testing, discrimination, and job hunting. Although there are many types of listserver software, the three we will discuss here are LISTSERV, majordomo, and listproc. These lists have slightly different commands for subscribing to them. You can usually tell which kind of listserver it is from the address given for subscribing. For example the address for the TESL-L list is <LISTSERV@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>, that is, it's a "LISTSERV" list. LISTSERV is the most common type of mailing list software. The JALTCALL listserver address is <majordomo@clc.hyper.chubu.ac.jp>, so it is a "majordomo" list. A third kind of list is exemplified by Edupage, a list with daily updates about the computer industry. That address is <edupage@elanor.oit.unc.edu>. Edupage is a "listproc" list. Listproc lists (and some others we haven't mentioned) tend to be used more often for disseminating information and less often for discussion. Figure 1 gives examples of how to sign on to each type of list. If you make a mistake when you subscribe, each of the three types will usually send you a message with the correct commands.
Note: some systems require you to give your first and last name. With JALTCALL the system uses your e-mail address instead. The software automatically reads your name from your message and not including your name is easier. Once you've signed on, you will receive a welcome message telling you what the list is about and explaining the conventions or "netiquette" for that list. It is a very good idea to keep this welcome message so you know where to send messages for unsubscribing. David Kluge has already explained some of the most common types of online faux pas, but it is very important to read this welcome message before you post. It will contain information on what topics are appropriate and also will sometimes explain rules regarding limits on message length (for example, because of the high volume of messages, TESL-L limits you to two screens). One important piece of information included in the welcome message is where to send the messages you would like to share with others on the list. You send commands (such as "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" as in Table 1) to the listserver, but you send messages to a list on a listserver. For example, to subscribe to JALTCALL you address your message to <majordomo@clc.hyper.chubu.ac.jp> with the command "subscribe jaltcall" (without the quotes) on the first line of the message. To send a message with a topic you would like to discuss to JALTCALL, you would address the message to <jaltcall@clc.hyper.chubu.ac.jp> and not to "majordomo." New users often send their unsubscribe requests to the list (which everyone reads) instead of to the listprocessor, which is embarrassing to the new user and irritating to the other members. The welcome message will also tell you whether previous messages are archived and where and how to get them. TESL-L has several librarians who have merged messages on the same topic ("threads") and combined them into individual topic files. It's relatively easy to have these files sent to your computer ("downloaded") using commands you send to TESL-L by e-mail. All JALTCALL messages are archived. The volume of messages you get in your mailbox every day will vary according to the size and vitality of the list. TESL-L averages 10 to 20 messages a day, and JALTCALL around 5 to 10. Even if you are only on a couple of lists you may feel overwhelmed with messages. If your e-mail account is on a system which limits the number of messages you can receive or which charges for each message you get, many of these listservers have a "digest" option which collects and combines all the messages once every day and sends them to your mailbox as one message. This cuts down on the number of messages you receive and can also save you money. Your welcome message will tell you whether this option is available and how to get it. As an example, in the case of TESL-L, you send a message to the same address you subscribed to in Table 1 containing only the line SET TESL-L DIGEST. In the case of JALTCALL the digest is a separate mailing list. You need to subscribe to JALTCALL-DIGEST instead of JALTCALL as in Table 1. Lists for StudentsIn addition to language-related lists for teachers there are also lists specifically for student discussions. TESL-L provides a number of sublists for students at different levels of ability, including lists for discussions about business, movies, and so forth. In addition to having their students take part in lists specifically for ESL, many teachers have them read lists not specifically for language students about a hobby or interest and report on what they find. To find out more about using the student lists, send a blank message to <announce-sl@latrobe.edu.au>. We've provided some names of mailing lists for teachers and students in Table 2 along with short annotations, but if you want to find a specific list for yourself or to help your students find one, there is a searchable index of mailing lists. You can send an e-mail message to <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.NET> containing the words LIST GLOBAL to have the entire index sent to your e-mail box. This is a very long index, so you will probably want to limit the size of the file you are sent by adding a keyword, such as the keyword "ESL" in LIST GLOBAL/ESL. You can send more than one request in the same message -- just put the LIST GLOBAL/KEYWORD commands on separate lines.
ConclusionMailing lists are an easy and efficient way to keep in contact with other
language professionals all over the world and to keep up with the profession
itself. If you consider that members of a list all have unique backgrounds
and experience, it is easy to imagine how valuable this type of Internet
resource can really be. In the next article in this series, Tim Newfields
and I will discuss a perhaps even more valuable resource for teachers and
students: the World Wide Web. Article
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