Information Communications Technology as a Motivational Language Learning Tool

Published by Melissa (1507042035)

There has been much debate over the use of computers and the internet in foreign language teaching over the past few years. The techniques offered, the activities and the degree of application in the language teaching syllabus have undergone a number of serious changes alongside the evolution of technology. The technology has become a fixture in many homes around the world, and its influence has permeated into all facets of our lives, including educational settings. This phenomenon has been hailed by many as the wave of the future in which language instruction will be driven by new advances in computers, the internet, and mobile technologies.

The introduction of this new process has serious implications for the nature and purpose of educational institutions. The knowledge and skills acquired make learning possible continuously throughout the lifetime. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as well as newer digital technologies such as computers and internet are more powerful tools for educational change and reform. They can best be harnessed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of education at all levels and in both formal and non-formal settings as it enables access to information exponentially. The process of learning a second language may be structured in different ways – in a classroom or at home, with or without a teacher, emphasizing or minimizing grammar, gradually exposing the student to native speakers or prompt immersion.

With the advancements in ICT, Web 2.0 tools are becoming more and more commonplace in schools. With the change of a “read” Web to a “read/write” Web, teachers are discovering new ways in which to engage technologically savvy students in computer-based educational activities. Publishing student work to the World Wide Web is a means of providing an authentic global audience for classroom productions. When students write or speak for a broader and more international audience, they pay more attention to polishing their work, think more deeply about the content they produce, and consider cultural norms more thoughtfully. Thus, the rapid advances in technology has led the development of ICT which is thought to offer new opportunities to promote the quality and effectiveness of foreign language teaching.

The advantages of ICT usage in foreign language teaching can be listed as:

This capacity marks the difference between computers and books. Books have a fixed presentation, unlike computers, which can combine visual with listening materials, text with graphics and pictures.

A teacher can use different materials for each lesson, not like in teaching with textbooks, where all classes presenting a certain topic are the same.

Computers provide a fast feedback to students` answers through error correction. It not only spots the mistake but also corrects it, sometimes even giving the appropriate advice.

Computer programmes can be adapted by teachers to suit their students` needs and level of language knowledge. Unlike books, which are produced in a single uniform format and need to be taught irrespectively of students` problems, computer programmes are more learner- friendly. First and foremost, ICT–and the internet in particular–provides language learners with the opportunity to use the language that they are learning in meaningful ways in authentic contexts. A second important benefit derived from the use of ICT in a language classroom is based on the opportunities it affords for cooperation and collaboration with one’s peers. A third major benefit of the use of ICT in blended language learning classrooms is the opportunity that ICT-based tools give to language teachers so that they can tutor their learners more effectively. With the help of ICT-based tools and the constantly growing number of available educational resources language teachers are able to give individual and personalized guidance to the learners.

Motivation is an important factor in the learning of foreign languages. And every teacher of English as a foreign language (EFL) looks all the time for different ways how to raise student’s motivation. Sets several conditions for teachers so that they might make motivation in classes possible:

· Create a pleasant and supportive atmosphere.

· Promote the development of group cohesiveness.

· Increase the students’ expectation of success in particular tasks and in learning in general.

· Make learning stimulating and enjoyable by breaking the monotony of classroom events.

· Make learning stimulating and enjoyable by increasing the attractiveness of tasks.

· Make learning stimulating and enjoyable for learners by enlisting them as active task participants.

· Present and administer tasks in a motivating way.

· Provide students with regular experiences of success.

· Build your learners’ confidence by providing regular encouragement.

· Increase student motivation by promoting cooperation among the learners.

· Increase student motivation by actively promoting learner autonomy.

· Increase learner satisfaction.

· Offer rewards in a motivational manner. And some of the conditions mentioned above can be fulfilled by using ICT since ICT have a positive impact on learning:

· learning concentrates rather on the learner than a teacher;

· learning becomes more personalized;

· learning becomes on the one hand more independent, on the other more collaborative and interactive;

· learning can happen at any place and any time;

· learning is enriched with more up-to-date materials, which can be tailored according to students’
immediate needs;

· thanks to multimedia activities, learning becomes more varied and dynamic;

· learning requires critical thinking;

· learning becomes more culture conscious.

ICT are nowadays part and parcel of everyday life. Especially young people cannot imagine being deprived of them. For them ICT are as natural as breathing. Therefore they are also widely exploited in education, including second language learning and teaching. Moreover, the English language teachers attempt to involve ICT in their teaching in order to make students’ learning more effective and motivating. In the learning and teaching of English ICT can be used in the following ways:

· using various websites sites for developing language skills;

· communicating with native and non-native speakers via e-mail, Skype, chat, twitter, blog and other Web 2.0 applications;

· using online courses;

· using online reference tools, e.g. online dictionaries; and

· creating and publishing one’s work, for instance, wikis.

References

Z. Dörnyei, Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: CUP, 2001.

B. Frydrychova Klimova, “Impact of ICT on foreign language learning,” AWER Procedia Information Technology and Computer Science, vol.2, pp. 180-185, 2012..

A. Fitzpatrick, and G. Davis. (2003). The impact of ICT on the teaching of foreign languages and on the role of teachers of foreign languages, EC Directorate General of Education and Culture [Online]. Available: http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/docs/ICC_Grahams_Report_Final.htm

S. S. C. Young, “Integrating ICT into second language education in a vocational high school,” Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol.19, pp. 447-461, 2003.