THE USE, ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
PRESENTED BY-
URVI DAVE
dave.urvi71@gmail.com
SUBMITTED TO-
INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR
ELT & TECHNOLOGY
ORGANISED BY-
SMT. S B GARDI DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
MKBU, GUJARAT (INDIA)
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to analyze
the use of technology in English Language Teaching, problems faced by teachers
and students/learners. As the technology is developing rapidly, better tools
are being offered to experiment and explore with the new teaching methods. It
also aims to make non-native speakers of English as language teachers conscious
of the strategies to use it in an efficacious manner.
Key words - English Language
Teaching, multimedia technology, interaction, culture etc.
INTRODUCTION
With the spread and
development of English around the world, it has become an important means of
communication among the people of different cultures and languages. English
language is used as a second or third language by Indians and it holds a higher
status than ever. It is used as curriculum in all the institutions. With the
growing number of English learners, various teaching methods are tested to
check the efficacy of English Language Teaching. Technology has been used from
a long time in the form of movies, TV, tape recorder, computer etc.
"Technology has turned into one essential aspect of society that
helps students to understand the bigger picture of the world and not just stay
confined to what schools and teachers teach them within their classrooms."
- Prajesh
SJB Rana
Of course, the technology
has proved to be successful in replacing the traditional language teaching. The
modern language teachers have new challenges and duties given by the new era.
Multimedia technology has now replaced traditional teaching way of English
language. Language learners are being attracted towards technology as it makes
teaching and learning engrossing as well as fruitful.
"Technology lies at the heart of globalisation
process; affecting educational work and culture."
- David
Graddol
With the expanding
popularity of English language, there is arising a need of change in the
methods of teaching. To gain confidence and keep pace with English Language
Teaching (ELT), they have to make headway into the world of multimedia
technology. The term multimedia technology refers to computes based interactive
applications that use both the hardware and software, allowing people to share
their ideas and information. It is a combination of text, graphics, animation,
video and sound. There are more native speakers and there is diversity in terms
of learner's age, nationality and learning background which has become the
chief feature of ELT. Growth of English language has been facilitated by the
growth of interest. As the ELT models change rapidly, there has been a
significant growth of literature regarding the use of literature in ELT. These
literatures unequivocally accept technology as the most essential/crucial part
in teaching. Technology dominates teachers as if they ignore technological
developments, they would never be able to catch up with the new trend. The idea
of teaching should be to acknowledge new technologies with limiting the functions
of traditional teaching and the role of teachers.
ADVANTAGES
1) Students become passive
learners which hampers the achievement of the goal (in traditional teaching
method). It also hampers student's capability to acknowledge the structure,
meaning and function of the language. For example, the use of PPTs make
students think and comprehend the language easily. It creates a positive
environment for the classroom activities such as group discussions, debates,
quizzes etc and also develop communicative competence among students and
between students and teachers.
2) The learners not only
improve their listening ability but also learn about the culture of the target
language. Technology helps them to share information and also helps them to
actively participate where students learn the language more quickly and
effectively.
3) "We also need to
take into account that as human beings, we are very visual beings, that what we
see tends to affect our judgment more and technology helps in bringing that
visual aspect to education. Who here would prefer a lecture over a
presentation?"
Technology helps in
accessing information regarding the culture of the target language and also
motivates students to learn language more effectively. While teaching English
language, the sounds and pictures can be set together that enhance the active
participation of students as well as teachers.
"Bad teaching will not disappear with the
addition of even the most advanced technology; good teaching will benefit from
appropriate use of technology to help learners achieve their goals."
4) Technology breaks the
teacher-centered traditional teaching method and improves teacher's teaching
performance as well as teaching contents. It goes beyond time and space and
creates more real-life environment for English teaching.
5) Student's problems have been addressed in the
classroom only but now with the use of technology, their problems or doubts can
be solved outside the class via emails and conferencing systems. Students can
contact their teachers any time through internet and get their problems solved.
DISADVANTAGES
1) Teaching a language needs
discussion, formed through questions and answers between teacher and students.
Brainstorming sessions take place along with lots and lots of questions,
students are guided to build up their capacity to answer. Real- life teaching
vanishes with the use of technology as students get pre-arranged content and
with this, they are unable to give feedback, which ignores the spontaneity in
the students' mind that includes thinking and building up their learning
capacity and problem solving.
2) Overhead projectors have
been supplemented with blackboards in many institutions. Teachers can turn into
slaves if they are totally dependent on it as they may be active in using
technology but not competent enough to handle it properly. If the teacher uses
computer for teaching all the time, they can't have direct eye contact with the
students. Teachers should also use blackboards/whiteboards to write some
questions or a few words while teaching.
3) The language learning
programmes start with the expenses that are related to implementation of new
technologies in education. The expenses include hardware, software and training
of staff for at least one networked computer laboratory where everyone
including teachers and students can use it. This problem occurs in language
classes who do not get enough funds. The hardware itself comes in through a
one-time grant and almost very little funding is left for training and software
maintenance.
4) Technology helps a lot in
understanding the content easily but obstruct their logical and abstract
thinking as textual words are replaced by sound and image and handwriting by
keyboard. Technology should never replace the role of a teacher rather it
should be as an assisting tool only.
SUGGESTIONS
1) Teachers should play the
leading role in teaching and also give opportunity to students to think, speak
and listen. Technology should just be an assisting tool for them and not more
than that.
2) Teachers have to
encourage the students to think critically (brainstorming) which helps in
becoming active learners rather than passive listeners.
3) Traditional forms have
their own advantage. Tape recorders still play an important role in playing the
listening materials. Teachers should not be totally dependent on technology and
should integrate technology with the traditional teaching tools.
"In the
absence of teachers trained to use technological tools in the classrooms,
students will be unable to learn English as fast and effectively as they could
with technology or as fast and effectively as their fellow students across the
globe."
- England,399
4) Language teachers should
introduce both traditional teaching method and technology so that the students
can have the overall training on their LSRW skills as students feel some
interest in learning through technology but in real life can feel inactive due
to continuous using/looking at the screen. This can ignore their other skills of
language learning.
CONCLUSION
To promote student's
motivation and interest in language learning is the main objective of
multimedia technology. A favorable environment should be created in order to
achieve this goal which should also be based on the availability of teaching
materials as well as information. Students should be motivated to use English
language in order to communicate with anyone. Teachers should focus on
maintaining the students' communicative competence.
Student's thinking and
practical language skills can be improved with appropriate use of technology
which can ensure and fulfil the result of English Language Teaching. In spite
of some disadvantages, technology can be used effectively in English language
teaching classrooms.
Overall, the non-native
speakers of English as language teachers can teach English more effectively if
they teach with the help of technology.
