This document discusses how crowdsourcing has been used to advance language learning and teaching for smaller languages. It provides examples of crowdsourced projects like translating TedTalk subtitles, crowdsourcing language teaching materials on platforms, and crowdsourcing language curriculum development. The document argues that the language education field could better embrace new online spaces and communities to enrich classroom practice by taking inspiration from open collaboration and learning in online communities.

1. Crowdsourcing in language learning and teaching:
“small” languages’ achievements
Katerina Zourou, Ph.D.
Director, Web2Learn, Greece
Funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework
Programme of the European Union
EnetCollect: European
Network for Combining
Language Learning with
Crowdsourcing Techniques

2. Can you name a event in
Iceland that in your opinion was
crowd based?

3. From https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/opeds/opinion/2016/06/23/football_ecstasy_in_iceland/

4. Can you name a event in Iceland
that in your opinion was crowd
sourced?

5. “Engagement of individuals who voluntarily offer their
knowledge to a knowledge seeker (an organisation, a
company, etc. Howe (2006).
Howe, J. (2006). "The Rise of Crowdsourcing". Wired, 14 (6)
https://www.wired.com/2006/06/crowds/
Crowdsourcing: short definition

6. Forging the Icelandic constitution:
civic participation onsite…
Debating the constitution with (l-r) constitution activist and lawyer Katrín Oddsdóttir,
filmmaker Eileen Jerrett and Alex Prichard in Reykjavik. Info from http://theconversation.com/icelands-
crowd-sourced-constitution-hope-for-disillusioned-voters-everywhere-67803

7. … and online

8. Community location: physical?

9. 15
Community location: exclusively online?
https://stackexchange.com

10. Community location: blended?
Meetup communities

13. What can we learn for the learning
and teaching of languages?

14. Some crowdsourced
language-related projects

15. 1st example: TedTalks
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en

17. Subtitles of TedTalks produced in a crowdsourcing
fashion
https://www.ted.com/participate/translate

18. A platform for crowdsourcing language materials

21. Amara’s collaborative dashboard

22. 2nd example: crowdsourcing language
teaching materials
Note: indicative example. Work in progress- still lots to be done

25. => Emphasis on practices; hands-on approach for educators
https://oepscotland.org
3rd example: crowdsourcing language teaching curricula
https://oepscotland.org

26. => Teacher engagement; re-use; localisation
http://www.tess-india.edu.in

27. • On a global level: shouldn’t we embrace new spaces
and modes of connectivity more actively?
• How to valorize educational practice using Open
Educational Resources (OER) without downplaying the
value of licensed materials?
• Shouldn’t we reconsider the role of communities in
language education in the open?
• Shouldn’t we get inspired from learning and
collaboration « in the wild » to enrich the language
classroom practice?
Few ideas to discuss

28. Thankyou!
#enetcollect
@web2learn_eu
Slides available at
https://www.slideshare.net/Web2Learn_eu