Controversies in using technology in language teaching
Submitted by
Pete Sharma
on 8 April, 2009 - 12:02
In his first article for TeachingEnglish, Pete Sharma considers some of the
controversies surrounding the use of technology in and out the classroom.
'Interactive whiteboards are great!' 'Interactive whiteboards are expensive!'
There are many controversial issues in the area of technology-enhanced language
teaching. This article explores some of these areas of disagreement; it
concludes by revisiting four key ‘principles’ which can help teachers
incorporating ICT (information and communication technology) in their courses.
Terminology
One thing that I have noticed is how terms can have different definitions. For
example, the phrase ‘blended learning’ means different things to different
people. In language teaching, the classical definition is a combination of
face-to-face classes (same time, same place) and web-based training. However,
this definition excludes using CD-ROM, since they are not delivered over the
internet. What this means is that when teachers begin discussing concepts such
as ‘blended learning’ they soon discover they are arguing about completely
different things! Even the term ‘f2f’ can now be qualified as ‘f2f online’ when
used to describe teaching via tools like Skype.
Connotation
For some people, the term 'blended learning' has a positive connotation: 1+1 is
more than two. In other words, the best of the teacher plus the best of the
technology could result in positive learning outcomes. For others, blended
learning has a negative connotation: it is the worst of both worlds. On a
blended course, the students who love the classroom do not contribute to the
knowledge-building on the forums. The students who spend their time on-line hate
crossing the busy city to attend the face-to-face lessons. The course ends up
pleasing no-one! So, when someone mentions the ‘virtual’ classroom, what
connotation does it have? For one person it’s exciting; for the next, it’s
scary.
Using technology for different areas of language study
While technology has had a major influence on the teaching and learning of
languages, a lot of disagreement surrounds areas such as the teaching of
grammar, vocabulary, language skills and testing.
Grammar
The increase in the number of interactive exercises on CD-ROM and the web has
undoubtedly benefitted the analytical learner. Students can practise 24/7 and
receive instant feedback. However, many teachers and material writers would
argue that this kind of practice is based on an outdated, stimulus-response
methodology. These grammar exercises ‘skewer’ the language, so on-line practice
focuses on ‘crisp’ areas of language at the expense of ‘fuzzy’ areas. Here’s a
good example of this distinction:
Crisp: Is 'I went there': (a) Simple past? (b) Present perfect?
Fuzzy: What’s the difference between (a) 'I did it' and (b) 'I’ve done it'?
Vocabulary
Arguments are currently raging about the use of electronic translators. These
provide many benefits, allowing students to cross-check between bi-lingual
dictionaries and mono-lingual dictionaries, and encouraging them to review
language. Yet, when used for production, they seem to encourage the selection of
the wrong word in English, and teachers can quite easily spot an essay written
with the help of one of these small machines. They also inhibit fluency if
students take them out in discussion classes – which they frequently do.
Skills
In the area of the receptive skills, listening and reading, the effect of
technology has been huge. The Internet has provided a vast range of material,
offering many more opportunities for exposure to authentic materials, both audio
and text. At the same time, much of this material is clearly unsuitable for
language learners. The debate continues as to how useful YouTube is and to what
extent is technology ‘responsible’ for the rise in plagiarism in EAP (English
for academic purposes).
The influence of technology on the productive skills of speaking and writing is,
arguably, less. If you wish to improve fluency, many students would argue that
nothing is better than a face-to-face language lesson, a discussion class with
the teacher. Can the same be said about taking a fluency class using Skype, a
web-based program such as Illuminate or a class in the virtual world, Second
Life? What value does ‘Voice recognition’ have? Wikis enable students to compose
an essay together at a distance, making them a suitable medium for collaborative
writing. However, not all learners wish to learn from each other, and prefer
only the teacher to correct their work, rather than a peer.
Testing
There has been an explosion of on-line testing in the last few years. Such test
materials use the same formats as multimedia materials: gap-fill, multiple
choice etc. Is this a match made in heaven? Some would argue that on-line tests
actually favour students who use computers, and ignore the assessment of
‘affective factors’ such as personality and learner type.
The digital divide
Almost no other technology symbolises the ‘digital divide’ as much as the
interactive whiteboard (IWB). Those with access to this technology are currently
exploring how best to exploit it in the classroom; detractors suggest it can be
a way of going back to ‘teacher-centred’ approaches. In some parts of the world,
using such technology is a distant dream. The Cardiff Online forum has hosted a
particularly
lively debate on IWBs.
Theory vs practice
This is a world which is driven by technology. The innovators innovate, and
later, pedagogy plays catch-up, as teachers try things out. The world of theory
(of evidence and research) is, arguably, lagging behind what is happening in the
classrooms. In other words, if you wait for a case study to justify whether or
not Twitter has value, you may be waiting a long time, and the technology will
have moved on by the time the research has been done.
I think that there are many controversies in the use of ICT in the teaching and
learning of languages. This article has just touched on some of them – there are
many more:
In our book ‘Blended Learning’, my co-author and I discuss four key principles
which can help teachers implement technology. These are:
As I listen to the various arguments about all these controversies, I frequently
revisit these principles and still find them helpful in ascertaining my role. In
the first part of my time as Guest Writer, it would be interesting to learn what
people are doing, how they are using technology, and exploring these issues
further. So what technology related issues have you encountered in your
classroom?
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