4. HTTrack Software for Self-Access Language Learning
Madhumathi .P, VIT University, Vellore, India
Abstract
Professional growth requires continuous learning and knowledge enhancement in the field of work. It demands regular updating of contemporary trends in our area of specialization. Surfing through online resources provides opportunity to enrich knowledge in our subject. However, one cannot deny that there are some technical problems in using these online resources. Thus, HTTrack website copier is introduced to overcome certain technical problems and to facilitate continuous learning of online resources in offline mode. Therefore, this article describes the use of HTTrack Software for Self-Access Language Learning.
Keywords: CALL, ELT, Self-Access language Learning.
Introduction
Professional mobility necessitates continuous learning and knowledge enhancement in the field of work. Whatsoever the profession may be, the regular updating of contemporary trends in chosen area of subject or work requires continuous self-learning. To get along with the contemporary development in subject or work professionals rely on numerous resources from the World Wide Web. However, using online Internet resources often accompanies technical problems like low connectivity, slow loading, break up connection, limited download etc.
The Bird in Hand: HTTrack Software
Now how will it be if you can access all your hand picked websites at any time in your personal computers without Internet connection? It will definitely be a fabulous experience. This is possible if we can download the entire website with all its desired contents in the physical drive of our personal computer. Such a solution is possible by using offline browser utility software. HTTrack is such free and easy-to-use offline browser utility software. Therefore, it is feasible to use this software to enable the professionals’ self-learning.
Xavier Roche is the author of HTTrack, a popular offline browser aimed to backup/mirror websites. Since last decade, the software was in the Internet for professionals. HTTrack software is licensed under the General Public License GNU. It facilitates professionals to download World Wide Web resources from the Internet to their personal computer. This software arranges the downloaded sites by default in relevance to the original site’s link structure. The pages in the downloaded websites can be browsed by opening a page of the site in any Internet browser, which is as similar to that of the browsing in World Wide Web. The software can also update an existing mirrored site and recommence interrupted downloads. It is fully configurable and has an integrated help system. There are many options and filters to overcome the problems during process of mirroring. The complete information on the configuration and working of the software is available in the HTTrack website (www.httrack.com). By referring to the manual in HTTrack website, professionals can attain information on step-by-step processing of the software and its performance. Feedback and the frequently asked Questions (FAQ) section in the HTTrack website help the viewers to come out of the anxiety in using this software.
HTTrack uses web crawler to mirror or download a website. If the robot’s exclusion protocol is not disabled during programming by default, some parts of the websites cannot be downloaded. HTTrack by default cannot follow complex links which are generated using complex functions and expressions. Otherwise, the software can easily follow links, which are generated with basic Java Script Applets or Flash.
Use of HTTrack for Self-Access Language Learning
The purpose of developing this software is to provide students, teachers, IT consultants, web surfers and many others to make use of the richness of resources available in the World Wide Web in offline mode. The users of this software can copy some part of the website or the required portion for their work or studies. For researchers and professionals involved in projects, this software could be of a great use. They can collect all the information available on the Internet in required subjects. It allows downloading the desired information from its conglomeration, pages with list of pointers to other sites, URLs of portions of websites, complete site, home pages and sub directories.
It acts as a robot that relieves the user from the tedious job of manually saving each web page at a time and storing in unorganized manner. Typically, there will be hundreds of website links available on a particular subject; in this case, the required links could be downloaded with the help of HTTrack. The users can neatly organize and save the mirrored links as a bag of sites in their personal computers. In principle this software can download the entire content of the World Wide Web, provided our personal computer has enough disc space.
Advantages of Using HTTrack
Once the right resources are downloaded from the Internet on language learning, the professionals can make a directory for self-access learning. The benefits of using these offline resources are as following:
● refer to the resources at any point of time around the day
● reduce in cost of expensive modem connection
● overcome irregular Internet connectivity, slow loading
● less difficult for data mining, compiling information
● consult archive sites that might be removed one day
● surfing while travelling without Internet
● flexible and user friendly
● software occupies a minimum space of 11.1MB for installation
● relief from low band width download
● convenient and safe to use
The point to be noticed is that these collected resources would be helpful for life-long learning. Thus, individuals could make in-depth study of materials on their own pace of learning.Nevertheless, it provides private space for self-study on a wide variety of topic. Even though the websites are downloaded, it is sometime necessary to check the online websites for recent updates.
Circumspection for Using HTTrack Website Copier
Xavier Roche, the programmer of HTTrack argues that mirroring the website using HTTrack is not ‘stealing’ a website. Stealing a website does not require an offline browser. Moreover, direct copying using alternative options like copy-and-paste, print, print screen, save as, photographing are commonly practised to download web pages which are not considered as stealing. However, the author gives several suggestions for the website makers on how to restrict some important pages from being downloaded through HTTrack. Moreover, the author of HTTrack in the website of HTTrack requests the users not indulge in malpractices like grabbing some one's email accounts or collecting any other private information. The author conveys that such illegal activities would disgrace the hard work and time spent on developing this software.
Conclusion
To put in a word, HTTracker is a useful website for the learners who aspire to do self-study through the web resources. However, it should be taken care of that the resources mirrored are used for educational purpose alone for self-access learning and does not infringe any copyright or other intellectual property rights. HTTrack enables the user to download a website which facilitate viewing the simulation of an online Internet content in the offline mode. There are numerous language learning resources available in the Internet. It is the responsibility of the professionals to identify and download the correct resources on language learning using this software. Once the websites are downloaded and made available offline, it is possible for the professionals to do in-depth self-access language learning on the desired area of study.
Reference