Start-up Procedure

1. Register your class with Tom Robb (trobb@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp) giving Your name, the name of your institution, the dates of your class term, the approximate number of students and the name of the node that they will use (the part following the '@' mark in their address). If you are reading this information, you most likely have already completed this step!
2. Your class node will be registered in the 'header' of the INTRO-SL list which will permit your students to subscribe to INTRO-SL.
3. Print out this information for your reference and prepare copies of the student handout -- the last section in these guidelines.
4. Go over the material with your students, and then have them subscribe to INTRO-SL.
5. The students will receive a welcome message with a list of the guidelines and 'netiquette' for participating on the SL Lists. Go over this document with your students. You can receive a copy of document by subscribing to INTRO-SL yourself.
6. Have the students post their first message to INTRO-SL. Help them learn how to properly format it. Note that the other messages on INTRO-SL may not serve as good models! See the section entitled "Getting Started" below for more detailed information.
7. They are welcome to send as many messages as they like to INTRO-SL, but once they are ready, they can join any of the other lists. Please remind them that the other lists are for discussing the topic of the list and they should NOT send a personal introduction void of any relevant content.
8. If the students s no longer wish to receive the INTRO-SL messages, advise them to set it to NOMAIL. Instructions for this are in the INTRO-SL "Welcome Message."

When The Course Ends

    I promise to read the rules for participation in the Student 
    Lists and to follow them faithfully.  I understand that I may be
    removed from the SL lists if I violate these rules.

Detailed Information on the SL Lists

The Current Lists

   INTRO-SL    Student EFL/ESL Discussion List for New Members
               The first list that all students join, for making
               friends and practicing sending and receiving e-mail.
   CHAT-SL     Student General Discussion List (Low level).
               Students can use this list for small chit-chat.
               A party-like atmosphere.
   DISCUSS-SL  Student General Discussion List (High level).
               Participants on this list are expected to have at least
               an intermediate level command of written English. For
               more serious topics and in-depth discussion of issues not
               covered by the other lists, although levity is welcome!
   BUSINESS-SL Student Discussion List on Business and Economics.
               Discussion of any aspect of business, economics, world
               trade problems, etc. is welcome.
   EVENT-SL    Student Discussion List on Current Events.
               Discussion on anything related to current events,
               ranging from the weather to the environment to social
               and political issues.
   MOVIE-SL    Student Discussion List on the Cinema.
               Discussion on anything having to do with the movies,
               including opinions, comments and questions about films
               and actors and actresses.
   MUSIC-SL    Student Discussion List on Music.
               Discussion, comments and questions about any kind of
               music or musicians: rock, pop, classical, folk, etc.
   SPORT-SL    Student Discussion List on Sports.
               Discussion of any aspect of sports, including current
               international sporting events as well as advice on and
               descriptions of any sport.
   ENGL-SL     Student Discussion List on English.
               A place to ask questions and get (or give) information
               and advice about any aspect of learning and using
               English, including grammar, spelling, pronunciation,
               language learning strategies, etc.
   SCITECH-SL  Student Discussion List on Science, Technology and
               Computers.
               For students studying or interested in science and
               technology.

MONITORS

MONITORS:

CHAT-SL
   Michael Glass, Sogang University
       glasstm@ccs.sogang.ac.kr
   Kazue Tanaka, Tokuyama Women's College
       tanaka@tokujo.ac.jp, twc97150@tokujo.ac.jp

  
DISCUSS-SL
   Tony Butterworth, Adult Migrant English Service, NSW, Australia
       tonybutterworth@one.net.au

  
BUSINESS-SL
   Emily Lites, American Business English Services, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
       lites@bizenglish.com
   Vicki Hollett, Freelance teacher and writer
       101361.2352@CompuServe.COM
   Ken Alyta, Samsung Human Resources Development Center
       alyta@sigma.shrdc.com

  
ENGL-SL
   David Ross, Houston Community College, Houston, Texas
       ross_d@hccs.cc.tx.us
   Michael Thomas, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet Heidelberg
       Michael.Thomas@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

  
EVENT-SL
   Ellen Butki, Brooklyn Bridge Institute, Argentina
       ebutki@datamarkets.com.ar
   Suzan Moody, Chinese University of Hong Kong
       smoody@cuhk.edu.hk

  
MOVIE-SL
   Jane ('Truna') Turner, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
       j.turner@qut.edu.au
   David Tillyer, Westchester Community College, Westchester, New York, U.S.A.
       datcc@cunyvm.cuny.edu

  
MUSIC-SL
   Greg Younger, Economics Institute, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.,
       youngerg@spot.colorado.edu
   Todd Steed, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
       steedt@cie.gw.utk.edu

  
SCITECH-SL
   Monitors needed!

  
SPORT-SL
   Sam Cornett, Sumikin-Intercom, Japan
       sam-cornett@aw.sumikin.co.jp
  

Getting Started

• Work them into email gradually
  • Let them try writing email-type messages on paper to a partner in class, so they can see the person they're writing to.
  • Have them send a few messages to you via email (you reply).
  • Use email for writing journals.
  • Have them send email and receive responses from an in-class partner.
  • Have students make a class distribution list (alias, names) so that a class listserv has been set up. Another possibility is to set up a class listserv yourself through your computer center. Use this class listserv for synchronous or asynchronous on-line discussions.
  • Find out in some way (a written assignment, perhaps) what they've seen before encouraging them to post to the list.
  • For optimal success, require the use of a list as a part of their coursework.
• Be sure they understand the lists
  • Subscribe to a few of them and lurk for a week before your students subscribe. Discuss what they can expect, and discuss what they're seeing while they're in the lurking phase.
  • Be sure they understand the difference between ENGL-SL and the other lists (see descriptions above). Direct them to ENGL-SL when they have questions about grammar, idioms, vocabulary, usage, etc. They can be sure that their questions will be answered on ENGL-SL.

Effective Messages

• Good writing on email -- teach the following:
  • ALWAYS use descriptive, short subject headings.
  • Start with some kind of greeting (i.e. Hi, Hello, somebody's name).
  • Don't use all capital letters -- It will look like you're shouting.
  • Use paragraphs and spaces.
  • Sign your message
• Introductions on the lists
  • Please try to make your students sensitive to the fact that the readers on INTRO-SL get many, many introductory postings. Interesting introductions include something uniquely personal and/or eye-catching.
  • A good rule of thumb is that 'introductory postings' should ALWAYS include a question -
  • something that other readers might take interest in a respond to. Ideally, if the list has been active enough, all introductory messages should refer to a previously posted message that the student has seen during the initial "lurking" phase.
  • Students should sign their introduction with full name (or alias that will always be used) and university.
  • A poor introduction:

          My name is Maria. I study English at X university.  Please
           write!
    

  • A better introduction:

           Hello!  I see you have been talking about food. I make
           excellent whirlpool eggs. Can you guess how?  Can you guess
           what country I'm from? Tell me how to make your favorite
           food.
               Youki Naito, XYZ University
    

  • Take a real post or two, point out what is wrong with them, and then provide a good model. (The example below is fictitious.) Teachers could use these in class with their students:

Poor:

     TO: INTRO-SL

     Hello! This is Kim Jong-Sam. I am from Korea. I like movies and
     playing tennis. Please send me a message!

1. The information about himself is very boring. People can tell he is from Korea just by looking at his name.
2. He says he likes movies and playing tennis but gives no details.
3. He doesn't refer to any previous message.
4. He says 'Please send me a message' but there is nothing in this message that other people would want to reply to.

Better:

     TO: INTRO-SL

     Hello! This is my first posting to INTRO-SL. I'm from Pusan, Korea
     and have only been in the U.S. for 2 months now.

     I like movies very much. I see that some people have been
     discussing Forrest Gump. I thought it was a nice story, but it is
     a little difficult to believe sometimes! Do you agree with me?
     Bye!

     --Kim Jong-Sam  (Call me 'Sam')  XYZ University

1. He provides more detailed information about himself.
2. He refers to something previously discussed.
3. He says something which other people can reply to.

Keeping the Momentum

• Using the lists as a part of coursework (some suggestions)
  1. Require students to reply to at least one posting a day/week.
  2. Use what they see on the list as a basis for in-class activities.
  3. Have them find, maintain, and report on penpal communications that are initiated via a list.
  4. Require them to get involved with at least one discussion, report on the experience.
• Changes to course structures -- Unlike some other email projects, the SL lists are not project specific. Teachers can structure the course so that communicative interaction via the internet is a part of the course; i.e. students must get certain information from other subscribers in order to complete an assignment. Remember that other discussions may be taking place on the lists as well.
• Teachers who have longer or more complex projects in mind are free to discuss this on TCHR-SL.
• Suggested activity:
  Students can be required to find out specific things from students from other countries, i.e:
  • find 5 recipes specific to 3 different countries,
  • Ask students from 3 different countries to tell you what 5 things they think a visitor to their city should see.
  • Discuss in brief three headlines from this week provided by students in 4 different countries.

  Sample posting:

           Hello, chatters! I need your help with an assignment that I
            must hand in this week. I need holiday recipes from three
            different countries. If you send a recipe, please explain the
            holiday, too. Thanks!
                      Suagata S., Japan.
  

• Continued access to email
  • See to it that students can keep their email accounts open even after the course is over so they can stay on the lists.
  • At the end of a course, some students may not want to stay on the lists. Make sure that they unsubscribe!
• Some teachers active as catalysts on the lists
  • Especially for those who use the lists as a part of class assignments, this is equivalent to preparing a lesson.
  • Develop virtual events or activities on a list to which all your students are subscribed.

Facilitating Problem Resolution

• Students who don't use their email accounts
  • If there are technological difficulties, the student may need to be taken through the steps one by one by the teacher or a knowledgeable fellow student.
  • If the problem is psychological, it may be time to have an in- class discussion in very small groups about the students' feelings, positive and negative, about using email.
• Students who don't get past the lurking stage
  • Implement suggestions above for getting into email slowly.
  • Ask the students why they are reluctant to post.
  • Take a recent posting from a list that the student is subscribed to which you feel contains a good stimulus for a reply. With the student, brainstorm some things that s/he might be able to say and then have the student write a reply on paper (or word processor) to show you. After a suitable reply has been generated, have the student post it.
• When there is no response to one's postings
  • Have students bring to class print-outs of the postings to which they got no response and have students brainstorm in small groups ways to make postings more inviting to replies.
  • Encourage students to reply to many others. They may have to throw the line in a few times before they get a bite.
• Too much mail
  • Make sure they know how to unsubscribe from lists they're not interested in or required to use.
  • Teach them to write and read subject headings.
  • Teach them how to delete mail before it is read (based on subject headings).
  • Teach skimming and scanning so they can read mail quickly.
• Too little mail
  • Encourage them to write more often in ways that invite replies.
  • Make sure they know how to unsubscribe from a slow list and subscribe to a more active one.
  • Ask students why they think a given list is too inactive.
  • Brainstorm (with students and teachers!) ways to increase traffic.

Technical Considerations

• Deleting lines
  • When messages keep getting reposted when included with a new message, it can make for redundant reading. Teach students how to edit out unnecessary lines from previous postings which they are including with their message.
• Good subject headings
  • Should be no more than three or four words yet convey the main idea of the message.
• Deleting/discarding/saving mail
  • Teach them how to clean out their mailboxes as often as possible.
• Subscribing, unsubscribing
  • Make sure they know the difference between sending something to listserv@latrobe.edu.au and sending something to their list(s) XXXX-SL@latrobe.edu.au.
  • Instructions:

         1) TO SUBSCRIBE to a list, send a message to
    
              listserv@latrobe.edu.au
    
         with only the following in the body of the message (and use no
         subject heading)
    
              SUB XXXX-SL my-full-name-here
    
         (XXXX is the name of the list to which you want to subscribe. So
         your message might read:
    
              SUBSCRIBE CHAT-SL
    
         2) TO UNSUBSCRIBE from a list, send a message to
    
              listserv@latrobe.edu.au
    
         with only the following in the body of the message:
    
              UNSUB XXXX-SL
    
         such as:
    
              UNSUB CHAT-SL
    

• Using the computer
  • Teach students how to turn on the computer, log on, and read and respond to mail.
  • Teach students not to use caps lock, as the resulting message looks like they're shouting.
  • Teach them how to use function keys. (or email commands specific to the email program used at your college).

Keeping the Lists Centered on the Students

• Students like and profit by seeing native speech on the lists.
• Postings from teachers should always include a question to the students or some other way of encouraging student response.
• Teachers must avoid talking only with each other on any list. Conversations must be geared to including students. It is strongly suggested that TEACHERS REFRAIN FROM RESPONDING TO STUDENT POSTINGS FOR 24 HOURS in order to give other students a chance to reply first. Teachers should not answer the student-targeted challenges posted on the lists by the list monitors.
• Teachers are encouraged to start or help keep topics or virtual activities moving, but should do everything possible to involve students.
• Research based on the lists must first be authorized by La Trobe University. If you have any question, contact the list monitor or list owners.
• Native speaker students are allowed on the lists but within the above parameters. They are encouraged to lurk for a while and to contact the list monitor before posting.

Co-owners of the SL lists:

Thomas Robb, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan
<trobb@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp>