Knowledge on the Net
A six part radio series from the BBC World Service

Computers have been used for language learning and teaching for many years. The development of the internet and the World Wide Web in the the early 1990's has added another dimension to this resource. The web is interactive, it can be used for communication as well as information.

Knowledge on the Net looks at various aspects of the internet and how it can be exploited by teachers as a resource for themselves and their classroom teaching.

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These programmes are copyright British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
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Programme 1 - Introduction
Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds

Programme one gives a brief history of the Internet and then establishes reasons why it is a useful tool for teachers.

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Programme 2 - Searching
Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds

There are billions of pages of content on the net and that number is growing all the time. Whatever you are looking for is probably out there, but how can you find it amongst the millions of hits a search engine might give you? Listen to tips on more effective searching in programme 2.

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Programme 3 - Validating sites. Discussion groups and message boards
Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds

Assessing whether you can trust the information on websites can be difficult as there are so many and it's not always easy to see if they come from a reliable source. In this programme we hear some tips on how you can check a language website for authenticity.

The programme also looks at discussion groups and message boards and how they can be used by teachers to inform their teaching and as source of lesson ideas and activities.

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Programme 4 - Using the internet in class
Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds

In this programme senior teacher Rosie Gerard Wright discusses what's involved in the planning and implementation of an internet lesson. We also drop in on one of her classes to see how it works in practice.

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Programme 5 - Using the internet in class 2
Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds

Some more practical classroom activities employing the internet and information on using IRC - (Internet Relay Chat) with students.

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Programme 6 - Problems and solutions. Top tips
Duration 13 minutes 50 seconds

A look at some of the problems of using the internet for teaching and ways of dealing with them. Plus, a round up of the top tips for teaching with the net.

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Article - Using the internet 1

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