Technology in the Language Classroom

D.Özal

Dalga Özal

Yard.Doç.Dr.Nalan Kızıltan

YDE 602

28 March 2002

Technology in the Language Classroom

Nowadays, due to the developments in technology, the materials used in language classes have also improved. The use of technology in teaching second languages has been increasing dramatically over the past few years and technology covers a wide range of materials from audio-tape players to computers (Brown, 2000: 143).

Commercially produced or self-made audio and video tapes are helpful tools for language classrooms.Today, almost every textbook presents a wide variety of audio and video tapes as supplementary materials, and of course, with the help of radio and sattelite technology, it's not a dream to create your own audio and video tape materials. Recording and appealing radio or television program according to the needs of your students, you can develop your own material. Creating your own worksheet that fits to material you recorded, you can make it more practical (Izquierdo, 1989: 44).

Slide projectors and overhead projectors are also important and challenging technology assisted materials for a language classroom.They are useful and helpful materials for a teacher; especially the newly designed ones allow the users free movement.

A slide projector brings the activities to the classroom that we can never bring or that are difficult to perform in the classroom.They arouse interest trough the change of pace and activity; at least, blacking out the room gives an extra excitement of something special or extraordinary.They are easy to obtain or produce and they can be arranged and re-arranged into different sets for different uses.

The overhead projector (OHP) is an extremely versatile tool with many advantages and few limitations.Its powerful light and brilliant screen illumination make it a vivid and catching aid.It

offers the flexibility that comes from face-to-face interaction.Drawing, writing, touching the transparency with the tip of the pen to emphasize points, the teacher is ideally positioned to use the students' reactions to build a energetic lesson. A teacher can use it for practising a wide variety of language skills; speaking (e.g. describing people or professions), listening (e.g. stories with cut out figures), writing (e.g. outline in tabular form for a life story), vocabulary etc.

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

It is rare to find a college or university these days that has not invested heavily in computer hardware and software to support instruction. Instructors, many of whom were trained long before there was such a term as a "PC" feel the need and the desire to use computers to enhance instruction, but they are not always certain of the best way to proceed. In foreign language education, the goal of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is no different from the goals of foreign language education in general: to provide students resources and experiences that will provide instruction and practice in speaking, reading, writing, and listening to their target language, as well as cultural information necessary to a full understanding of the people and the language they are studying. In a great many ways, the incorporation of the computer into the foreign language classroom is just the latest in an ongoing sequence of technological innovations that arose after World War II.

The advantages of using the computer, Internet and hyperlinks are increasingly becoming evident in CALL. Moore in his article on reading on the Internet says (Moore, 1998: 326) "There is little doubt that the Internet can bring access to a much wider range of information and resources than are currently available in most classrooms." Vast amounts of information on any topic are accessible through the web and navigation with the use of hyperlinks is far faster and better suited to scanning than linear print media. All materials are real and authentic use of language that is generally very ...

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According to Warschauer and Healey, there are lots of benefits of including a computer component in language instruction:

Multimodal practice with feedback
İndividualization in a large class
Pair and small group work on projects, either collaboratively or competitively
The fun factor
Variety in the resources available and learning styles used

Exploratory learning with large amounts of language data
Real-life skill-building in computer use (Brown, 2000: 145)

Many teachers have observed that students generally have a positive attitude toward technology in the classroom. Studies have consistently shown that students have positive attitudes about computer technology being used in the classroom and that such technology does have a positive impact .

Computers have been used for instructional purposes since the 1960's. Applications have been implemented on different generations of computers since that time. With the development of personal computers in the 1980's, a plethora of (CAL) Computer-Assisted Learning software was produced for stand-alone desktop computers of many types. Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is the application of CAL to language learning and teaching. Methodologically it is a highly ecclectic field, borrowing from CAL and Applied Linguistics. CALL program types may be classified in many different ways (Mercer and Scrimshaw, 1993: 191).

Table 1

CALL Program Types

Source: The Internet TESL Journal 6 (2000): 15.

Regardless of the specific methodology used, language teachers have generally found it desirable to present new items through meaningful content; in fact, 'contextualizing' lesson

presentations have become a widely accepted rule of good language teaching. Language learning takes place most effectively in social settings through communication. An important part of teaching is to structure opportunities for communication for the learner - the learner must be communicating about something real and interesting. Through Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) a wide range of communication channels are possible (Dunkel, 1991: 27) .

Table 2

Types of Computer Mediated Communication

Source: The Internet TESL Journal 6 (2000): 16.

Computer Technology And Language Skills Development

One of the first steps in technology-assisted instruction is to decide which technological medium is the most appropriate one for the language skill(s) to be developed during a particular period of time. Some technologies lend themselves better to the acquisition of certain language skills than others.

Computer-assisted instructional (CAI) programs are ideal for fostering reading and writing skills in the target language. CAI can be used by groups or individual students within a classroom or media center, or over local or long-distance computer networks. Students waiting for a message to arrive from another classroom or another country are highly motivated to read

that message, and in turn, to respond in writing to this real form of communication. With a basic word processing program, students can write short articles and compile and edit a newspaper based on their classroom exchanges.

With the addition of audio capabilities to personal computers via audio boards (or CD-ROM) with microphones for input and headphones for output, the audio-assisted computer is a virtual mini-media unit. With the hookup of a special tape recorder to the computer, interactive audio provides multiple possibilities to teach and test active listening skills. In computer-assisted audio, the printed screen comes alive with sound for the acquisition of listening and speaking skills as well as reading and writing skills.

In the case of video, the visual component, which is especially useful for cultural and paralinguistic information, is added to the oral/aural components of other technologies. Regular linear video is most useful in developing listening skills and creating cultural awareness. Video with target language subtitles can also serve in developing reading skills. Video enables students to observe the dress, food, climate, and gestures of the target culture. When the power of a computer is added to video that is pressed onto a disc for instant access of sound, vision, and text, the resulting interactive videodisc system can provide practice in all of the language skills. Students' skills in listening and reading as well as in writing and speaking can be greatly enhanced when these latter options are available on an interactive videodisc program. (Not all videodisc programs provide student audio input.) Cultural aspects of the video segments can be highlighted using the videodisc program.

Types of Technology-Assisted Activities

Once the specific technology and skill(s) to be developed have been matched as outlined above, the specific courseware and type of activity that are most appropriate must be selected or prepared. Traditional exercises provide various activities for the development of these skills, but technology-assisted activities can also be introduced into standard teaching techniques to enhance language learning.

Speaking: Dialogues can be effectively used in developing speaking skills. Use of an interactive audio program allows students to create dialogues and to practice them with other students. Other task-based speaking activities can also be used effectively with interactive audio programs (Stone, 1991).

Listening: Videotapes or interactive videodisc programs can provide excellent listening comprehension activities, given a good listening guide prepared for the students. Depending on

the language level, students listen for just the main idea or jist of a segment, or they listen for specific facts in the video program.

Reading: Reading skills can be substantially developed using computer-assisted instructional programs. Word-level reading skills (word recognition) are enhanced by activities such as cloze activities, anagrams, jumbled words, and so on, which are found in many CAI software programs. To practice reading at the sentence level, computer programs provide practice in ordering words within a sentence, text reconstruction, or ordering sentences within a paragraph. Other CAI programs provide extensive (article or story length) reading comprehension passages with accompanying word helps and comprehension questions at the end of the selection.

Writing: Technology-assisted activities such as fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, and true/false questions help students to write at the word level. Other types of software, such as databases and spreadsheets, provide students with practice in retrieving information and problem-solving skills. Word processors (in the target language) are ideal for compositions or free writing practice at the discourse level. Some word processors are bilingual and provide on-line assistance with dictionaries, spell checkers, and grammar helps. When technology is interactively used among students, cooperative writing activities are strong motivators to help students develop writing skills.

Culture: Because of the visual component (with non-verbal behavior), video-based activities are well suited for observing cultural differences and similarities in a live context. Both video tape, including satellite broadcasts, and interactive videodisc programs provide ways of developing cultural sensitivity.

Testing: Computer-assisted testing now provides a more comprehensive, fast, and accurate way of testing student language skills (other than speaking skills). Students can also self-test using CAI programs. Teachers can use testing in an instructional way given the right kinds of activities and programs.

Teachers' Barriers to the Use of CALL

Financial barriers: High cost of the hardware, software, maintenance, and staff development.
Availibility of computer hardware and software : There are few educators skilled in designing software because it is costly and time consuming. Choosing hardware is difficult because of the many choices of systems to be used in delivering education, the delivery of equipment, and the rapid changes in technology.

Technical and theoritical knowledge: Many instructors do not understand how to use the new technologies. Furthermore, little is known about integrating these new means of learning into an overall plan.
Acceptance of technologies: We live in a time change but, there is a natural tendencyfor organizations to resist change. Wrong conceptionsabout the use of technology limit innovation and threaten teachers' job and security (Lee, 2000).

Conclusion

Today what we need is radical alternatives that change the nature of language learning and teaching. With technology-assisted instruction, there are changes in both educator and student roles. Students are given more responsibility for their own learning, while the educator serves as a guide and resource expert who circulates among students, working individually or in small groups with a technology-assisted lesson. Educators observe more of the learning process in action and serve as a guide in that process.

The new technologies offer many possibilities to the second language learner. The effectiveness of these technologies depends on appropriate use by informed educators. Neither textbooks nor technology can replace the live, unprogrammed feedback and interaction of the language teacher.

The CALL lab is a wonderful resource for helping your students to learn more effectively. Initially, you need to spend time learning new technologies and techniques that work well for you. In the coming years, it will become increasingly necessary for teachers to understand these technologies and to be able to use them. However, we must always keep in mind that it is learning and not the use of technology that is the true goal.

Some Useful WWW Links

http://www.abcteach.com/

http://members.home.net/kayem/teach/t-links.html

http://www.collegeem.qc.ca/cemdept/anglais/trouindx.htm

http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/eslplans.html

http://www.longman-elt.com/new_eng_par/teachers/game_bank.html

http://www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/staff/visitors/kenji/test.htm

http://www.oup.com/elt/

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/

http://ericae.net/

Works Cited

Brown, H. Douglas. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 2000.

Dunkel, P. The Effectiveness Research on Computer-Assisted Instruction and Computer Assisted Language Learning . Ed. P. Dunkel. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 5-27.

Izquierdo, Blanca. "Bringing the Mass Media into the Classroom." English Teaching Forum . April 1989.

Lee, Kuang-wu. "English Teachers' Barriers to the Use of CALL." The Internet TESL Journal. 6-12 (2000).

Mercer, N., and P.Scrimshaw. Researching the Electronic Classroom: Language, Classrooms & Computers . Ed. P.Scrimshaw. London: Routledge, 1993.

Moore, P. "Reading and Writing on the Internet." The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. 19-4 (1996): 317-329.

Stone, L. "Task-based activities: Making the language laboratory interactive." Technology and Language Learning Yearbook. Ed. Willetts, K. 4th ser. Washington, DC: Athelstan Publications. 1991.

The Internet TESL Journal . 6 (2000): 15-16.