ICTs in English Learning and Teaching.

PAPER

ICTS IN ENGLISH LEARNING AND TEACHING

ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

PAPER

ICTS IN ENGLISH LEARNING AND TEACHING

ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

http:ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

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ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

http:

ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

http:

ICTs in English Learning and Teaching

A great number of articles have been written

about English language teaching and the use of ICTs (In-

formation and Communication Technologies) during the

last decade, achieving a laudable outcome. Recent literature

has shown that the use of ICTs in the language classroom

has a lot to offer to both learners and teachers, with learners

enhancing their vocabulary, improving their reading and

speaking skills, and with teachers having to hold a double

role; the role of the educator and that of the facilitator,

while having to cope with complex situations which include

lack of training or lack of equipment in the language class-

room. In this paper we shall review and present some repre-

sentative studies on this field during the last decade.

Index terms—ICTs, English language learning and teaching,

vocabulary, pedagogy, motivation, teacher perspectives.

I. INTRODUCTION

Teaching itself is an art. An art which, according to

many teachers and researchers, is constantly changing

depending on the era we live and teach in. Today, teach-

ing stands before a milestone, a major shift. A shift to-

wards teaching through technology, where, trying to fol-

low our times, we strive to prepare our students to em-

brace the new world that lies ahead them.

As Ibrahim discusses, Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) have altered the way we teach and

learn, taking education to another level, where a previous

teacher centered approach has today become a student

centered one. It is a breakthrough by all means which has

revolutionized the learning process allowing knowledge to

be effortlessly distributed and be able to take place any-

where since according to the ‘‘…Distribution of the

knowledge and learning’ … ‘Any space is a learning

space’’ [1]. Dina et al. discuss that, since our world is

constantly changing, so should educational aims and pur-

poses. Computer Assisted Language Learning is today

regarded as a critical element that has shifted educational

goals from knowledge acquisition to aspects and ways that

produce the development of attitudes and intellectual

capabilities as well as of further assimilation of

knowledge [2].

As Hashemi et al. argue, it is however the responsibility

of teachers to ensure that they are first and foremost famil-

iar with the ICT use that is about to take place in their

classroom for such assimilation of knowledge to take

place on secure grounds. Consequently, the learners’

computer skills are to be evaluated along with their web

navigation skills and language level. Adding to the above,

computer room availability as well as computer per num-

ber of students availability will successfully cover the

current needs of a teacher’s classroom [3].

As Ching Yang et al. and Hismanoglou observe, Inter-

net technology provides teachers and learners with ample

resources where learning can be generated interactively

through real world situations, student learning possibilities

have been found to be increased along with student com-

puter skills and student views that their learning can be

promoted and enhanced through communication tools

towards autonomy. Along these lines, student learning

possibilities are further enhanced when the employment of

an ICT tool such as a DVD or an e-mail is a daily compo-

nent of their lesson. ICT tools should be reinforcing the

coursebook, which is the ‘main medium’ teachers have, in

order to bring together a well-found syllabus that will

cover all of their students’ needs. It is nevertheless the

teacher’s responsibility once again to make an effort and

get liberated from the fear of ICT use in order to achieve a

thriving and praiseworthy outcome for foreign language

learning [4][5].

Beauchamp et al. discuss that while ICTs have offered

teachers and their classrooms new pathways towards lan-

guage learning, they have also given students the liberty to

orchestrate resources, thus, move towards autonomy and

be able to devise more dialogic and synergistic approaches

in the future, transforming their learning whether that is

individual or group work [6].

II. ICTS AND THE FOUR SKILLS

A. Listening

Nachoua reports that the skill of listening is of key sig-

nificance for English language learners to acquire. It is

also a very intricate skill to teach. The concept of pronun-

ciation, whether that is to understand or produce language,

also raises problems for non-native speakers. Using CALL

(Computer Assisted Language Learning) is a way to moti-

vate language learners to take a dynamic role in their

learning instead of acting as passive listeners [7].

Helping learners develop listening skills can be

achieved through a variety of multimedia instruments such

as digital stories, Mp3 recordings or podcasts.

In Verdugo et al., Digital stories are embraced by chil-

dren dearly as they combine interactivity, visual aids and

repetition, while they enthuse them through their topics.

As listening comprehension is difficult to be taught, these

stories help children develop this skill effortlessly, through

a fun and motivational activity while developing linguistic

structure, literacy, vocabulary, sound patterns and prosody

which can ultimately lead them to learn the language.

Additionally, children are familiarized with the ways one

may employ to convey meaning to others using non-

verbal communication such as gestures, facial expres-

sions, pitch of voice etc. It is vital to point out that this

social experience, as Verdugo et al. characterize it, takes

place at the children’s own pace as they are allowed to

proceed that way. It is also crucial to mention that, not-

withstanding the fascinating resources a teacher may find

on the Internet, what is brought in class should not exceed

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ICTS IN ENGLISH LEARNING AND TEACHING

the children’s linguistic level and technological abilities.

Furthermore, teachers have to ensure that the Internet

environment in which the children learn is secure [8].

In Roussel et al., older learners use Mp3 recordings to

increase their understanding on what they listen, with the

recordings enabling them to pause and replay the parts

they have inadequately understood, regulating their learn-

ing, while taking control over their self-regulation strate-

gies which enable learners ‘to better handle incoming

spoken discourse’ [9].

As Rahimi et al. argues, listening provides learners with

large amounts of language input. Thus helping students

learn the ways through which their mind functions when

learning through technology is crucial, as they discover

how to control their learning. ‘Planning and consciously

executing appropriate actions to achieve a particular goal’

as Sheorey and Mokhtari (2001) in Rahimi and Katal

(2012, p. 1155) state, is what learners need to master in

order to acquire language in technology-based environ-

ments. Metacognitive strategies will direct each learner to

improve himself/herself in the areas they need improve-

ment, in our case, listening. Podcasts are a means through

which the listening skill may be simplified and become

available to larger groups of population. Through pod-

casts, the learning outcome can be influenced along with

student motivation since they provide students with a self-

regulating input flow, respecting each student’s pace,

helping them surmount any obstacles they feel they have

in that area. What is more, students can listen to the input

repeatedly if they wish, anytime, anywhere, mastering its

content, which could also be authentic input, free of

charge, in their own time [10].

B. Speaking

As English today is regarded as a lingua franca, the skill

of speaking has become a skill of paramount significance

to acquire.

Güngor et al. present that in an Online Foreign Lan-

guage Speaking Class, virtual classes are designed having

in mind principles of ELT and e-learning along with tech-

niques that raise interaction, integrating vocabulary and

use of English, while providing a stress-free environment

in order to motivate even taciturn learners participate and

produce spoken language. In order for such an outcome to

be achieved though, learners must among other character-

istics, be open-minded, motivate themselves and have

basic technical knowledge. However, while learners are

only required to have basic computer skills, on a tutor’s

level, that proves to be inadequate. The tutor’s role, apart

from being a transmitter of knowledge and a guide to the

whole class, is also that of the facilitator; a multidimen-

sional role including technological and administrative

skills in order to avoid problematic situations [11]. As

Hashemi explains, the use of Oovoo and Skype apart from

enabling users to interact with pre-recorded messages,

also provide learners with the option of synchronous chat,

allowing the creation of a virtual class of three to six us-

ers, depending on the kind of subscription – free or paid

respectively. Another benefit provided by these two tools

is that learners can benefit from authentic learning experi-

ences rather than their usual routine, which will in turn

motivate them to ask for more real communication hence,

more chances to internalise language [12].

Waddel suggests another method to enhance students’

speaking skill, through the use of digital video. A short

film production through the use of WMM (Windows

Media Player) which is a very basic programme, proved to

enhance creative thinking, flexibility, originality, and

elaboration along with inspiration, motivation and confi-

dence to primary school students to use the English lan-

guage. Additional motivation also emerged from the con-

stant enjoyment students found in producing the film,

while improving their technological skills [13]. Gromik

discusses that mobile phones are also favouring language

learning. Using their video recording feature, students in

Japan created 30 second weekly video productions which

have been found to increase the amount of words they

spoke in a monologue. Thus, allowing learners use their

mobile phones for learning purposes serves two goals;

producing more creative thinkers, as students experiment

with audio and video captures and photos as well as famil-

iarizing students with the use of MALL (Mobile Assisted

Language Learning) [14]. Mercer et al. discuss on slightly

different tone the fact that computer-based literacy activi-

ties can also enhance children’s speaking skills by engag-

ing children into the discussion of the topic, allowing

them to share their thoughts and interact with their peers,

along with making decisions and learning to justify them

to their group. That however is a result that requires inte-

gration of the literacy activities with the teaching of the

speaking and the listening skill [15].

C. Reading

Online reading is a task that appears to be necessary for

the 21st century students. Therefore, the creation of a

Web-based reading program called ‘English Reading

Online’ was created to narrow the gap between reading

and comprehension using online reading strategies. The

effective use of reading strategies is known to amplify a

reader’s understanding. As technology has penetrated our

lives, the perception of reading for comprehension

through technology has to turn into a forward-thinking

way of doing so. As Harrison and Singhal argue in Huang,

Chern and Lin, ‘‘the ultimate goal is to enable students

use strategies spontaneously’’ thus gain a better under-

standing of what is being read. Notwithstanding reading

strategies having several benefits, there are several limita-

tions such as the level of the participants, the classroom

settings and the categorization of strategies which have to

be taken into consideration before engaging into practice

[16].

Strategic reading instruction benefits all students even

those of academic level.

Dreyer et al., in their article argue that even university

students come unaware that they should use reading strat-

egies in order to comprehend texts better; unaware of what

is expected of them. This perhaps is a result of insufficient

high school preparation or little preparation during their

time as students. As students gain a lot from reading

through strategies which improve their academic perfor-

mance, having it offered through a technology-enhanced

environment multiplies its effect on comprehension while

it allows them to learn how to use technology. According

to the article, the resources offered to the students through

a Learning Content Management System (LCMS) called

‘‘Varsite’’ allowed them instant access to a larger variety

of texts of those found in the University library. This sig-

nificantly provides each student with the autonomy to

access these resources according to their schedule, ena-

bling them to monitor their learning even better [17].

(PDF) ICTs in English Learning and Teaching. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268870208_ICTs_in_English_Learning_and_Teaching [accessed Dec 12 2018].