1. Role of Language Lab... by Deepika & kalaiarasan

We can, however, describe what language is, language is a medium of communication. Communication implies carrying of message or receiving of message. The importance of English is not because of its more users but what it is used for. In the present century English has gained a position. It is commonly used in many fields. English language makes the people to know what is happening around the world.

Language Lab

Language laboratory is an audio-visual installation used in modern teaching methods to learn the foreign languages. Perhaps the first lab was at the University of Grenoble. In the 1950s up until the 1990s, they were tape based systems using reel to reel or (latterly) cassette. But the current installations are generally multimedia computers. The language lab is a technological break for imparting skills in English. The language lab offers an exclusive result oriented and efficient to enrich the English language learning process. The multimedia based language lab helps to learn and enhance the language proficiency by sharing the course materials with in a second where the teacher and the students involved effortlessly. The language lab is developed on the methodology of LSRW skills.

With the most advance computer hardware performance and multimedia technology, pure software solution will become more and more common. Most of the software companies with the experience in teaching software, providing pure software based language lab solution. It contains the following advantages: Using “Function Oriented” design concept, divided teaching method, with the user-friendly interface, user can use it easily. By using professional sound technology with video broadcasting function, the language lab provides a rich environment to learn the language. Break through the traditional teaching method with the rich teaching material contents, the digital language lab motivates student’s learning attitude, providing an interactive learning environment.

Advantages and Benefits of Language Lab

• • Auditory Oriented: The direct sound transmission gives step by step guidance from the teacher to the heads of the students with crystal clear clarity.

  • Better Attention: The Lab software is more attention enthralling for the students, where they are engaged with individual systems.

  • Comprehensive quickly: The Lab increases the pace of comprehension as students coaching is purely based on the level of study.

  • Damper the idea: The Lab regulates the language through the different thoughts created in the mind of the students.

  • Effective learning: The lab provides to learn the foreign language practice in a focused setting that eliminates the feelings of self-consciousness.

  • Focus Veracity: By using text, audio and video can easily be integrated with actuality in every day situations.

  • Guide the group: It is easy to guide the groups by monitoring each student independently without disturbing the others students.

• • Have the self evaluation: the students can do a periodical self evaluation to measure the progress as well as evaluate his/her language with that of the expert.

  • Independent learning: access to resources beyond the timetable encourages independent learning.

  • Janitor for learners: It care takes the learners to become skilled at the language that they are learning.

  • Kaput the fear: The automated learning environment removes one’s fear and creates a happy learning situation. Learn the need: The lab fulfills the need of the learner that is learning the language skills in an effective way.

  • Medium of interactivity: The students can record their own voice and play back the recordings, interact with the each other and the teacher, and store the results.

Today's educational climate is increasingly diverse. Art has long been seen as a visual language. The language lab plays a key role to learn the foreign language in a happy atmosphere and in a successful way. Both the teacher and the students’ inputs are very important in this kind of learning activity. The efforts of the both make the above points victorious. The computers are just an aid and not a solution. The well planned contents and practice help the learners learn the language very quickly. Though the language lab is believed as self learning accessible, we need an expert to handle the classes. Multicultural countries like India, students are taking taut try to learn the English language and its proficiency. So we need a solution that facilitates the second language learning in a trouble-free way.

Foreign language learning lends itself naturally to the use of media. The content that is now used in the new language labs is much richer and self authored or free: now not just audio, but video, flash based games, internet etc and the speed and variety of the delivery of media from teacher to student, student to teacher, is much quicker and therefore much more engaging for both teacher and student.

The students feel different when they learn in different atmosphere. Apart from the traditional classroom, lab creates an easy atmosphere. Language lab plays a pivotal role in learning the spoken English. The basic proficiency in spoken English is imparted to students through the language lab.

It is concluded that the language lab is the solution and need of the hour to learn the English language. The quality of the language proficiency will be more when they learn it from the multimedia, digital and computerised Language Lab. We need some trained expert to teach the faculties to know how to handle the language lab and the students in a proper way.

Surely language laboratories represent the single largest investment and installment of audio resources in education. By high merit of its unique equipment and its unambiguous pedagogy, it stands alone. The computer now fulfills all the need of language educators and gives life to language for many learners.