E-portfolio AL

E-portfolio

“Applied Linguistics”

By: Pamela Erices Terán

Career: Pedagogía en Educación Media en Inglés

Course: Applied Linguistics

Teacher: Mabel Ortiz Navarrete

Section: 1

November, 14th 2017

Table of Contents

• Disciplines of Applied Linguistics
  • Self reflection:
• CMAP: Disciplines of Applied Linguistics
  • Self reflection
• Second language acquisition and Bilingualism
  • Self reflection
• Argumentative Essay: Bilingualism
  • Self reflection
• Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning
  • Self reflection
• Reaction paper: Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning
  • Self reflection

Worksheet: Disciplines of Applied Linguistics

LA and its related disciplines

Self Reflection

I selected this worksheet, because it was the information with which I made the CMAP about the disciplines of Applied Linguistics. When I read it, I understood what the course was about and how the concepts had to be connected. I learned about the studies of Linguistics as Sociolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, the difference between Bilingualism and Foreign Language and what Lexicography is.

CMAP: Disciplines of AL

Self Reflection

In the CMAP that I made, I need to improve my connectors and also I should improve the definitions that I created. The CMAP will help me to remember all the disciplines of Applied Linguistics and will help me to understand it in a quickly way.

Paper: Second- Language and Bilingualism

Second-Language Acquisition and Bilingualism at an Early Age and the Impact on Early Cognitive Development

ELLEN BIALYSTOK, PhD

York University, CANADA

(Published online February 9, 2006) (Revised October 15, 2008)

Topic Second language

Introduction The possibility that early bilingualism affects children’s language and cognitive development has long been a concern for parents and educators. In the first half of the 20th century, the prevailing view was that bilingualism and second-language acquisition early in life made children confused and interfered with their ability to develop normal cognitive functions

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and succeed in educational environments.

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These ideas were dramatically reversed in a landmark study by Peal and Lambert3 that showed a general superiority of bilinguals over monolinguals in a wide range of intelligence tests and aspects of school achievement. Recent research has been more balanced, identifying areas in which bilingual children excel and others in which bilingualism has no effect on their development.

Subject The question regarding the potential impact of bilingualism on children’s development has always been important, but has increasingly emerged as a crucial concern for modern societies and for Canada in particular. In addition to the official commitment to a national policy of second-language acquisition and bilingualism, immigration has transformed Canada into a rich multilingual and multicultural nation. Public schools, especially in major urban centres, are home to large numbers of children for whom English or French is a second language. These children represent an enormous variety of home languages and often constitute the majority of children in a single classroom. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand the impact of these language backgrounds on children’s cognitive and educational futures.

Problems Information about the language, cognitive and educational development of children with varied language backgrounds is essential to interpret the performance of these children in school and assess their development. For example, children with limited proficiency in the language of schooling are certain to experience increased difficulty in coping both

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academically and socially, and it is important to identify these difficulties in order to understand what intervention or remedial approaches are needed. Research Context The research is typically conducted in classrooms, often settings containing both multilingual and monolingual children. The context in which the bilingualism or second language occurs is important, even though it is not always included as a formal aspect of research investigation. There is evidence that whether the child’s home language is in a majority or minority situation, is valued in the community and is used as a medium for literacy tasks affects the child’s linguistic and cognitive outcomes.4 Therefore, the implications of the child’s language experience should ideally be examined with careful attention to the social and linguistic factors that describe the child’s social and educational environment.

Key Research Questions The important issues concern the cognitive and educational outcomes for bilingual children. First, it is necessary to establish whether language acquisition proceeds at the same rate and in the same manner for children who are learning two languages simultaneously or are learning a second language after having begun to master one. Second, are children able to acquire literacy skills at school if they are either bilingual or learning a second language, especially if their home language is not the language of instruction? Finally, are there consequences on normal cognitive development in terms of the child’s ability to acquire new concepts or perform various calculations (e.g. arithmetic), especially if school instruction is in the child’s weaker language?

Recent Research Results There are three main outcomes from this research. First, for general language proficiency, bilingual children tend to have a smaller vocabulary in each language than monolingual children in their language.5 Nonetheless, their understanding of linguistic structure, called metalinguistic awareness, is at least as good6 and often better7 than that of comparable monolinguals. Second, the acquisition of literacy skills in these children depends on the relationship between the two languages8 and the level of proficiency in the second language.9 Specifically, children learning to read in two languages that share a writing system (e.g. English and French) show accelerated progress in learning to read; children whose two languages are written in different systems (e.g. English and Chinese) show no special advantage, but neither do they demonstrate any deficit relative to monolinguals. The benefit of learning to read in two languages, however, requires that children be bilingual and not second-language learners whose competence in one of the languages is weak. Third, bilingual children between four and eight years old demonstrate a large advantage over comparable monolinguals in solving problems that require controlling attention to specific aspects of a display and inhibiting attention to misleading aspects that are salient but associated with an incorrect response. This advantage is not confined to language processing, but includes a variety of non-verbal tasks that require controlled attention and selectivity in such problems as forming conceptual categories,10 seeing alternative images in ambitious figures,11 and understanding the difference between the appearance and functional reality of a misleading object.12

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Conclusion The results of these studies demonstrate that childhood bilingualism is a significant experience that has the power to influence the course and efficiency of children’s development. The most surprising outcome is that these influences are not confined to the linguistic domain, where such influence would be expected, but extend as well to non- verbal cognitive abilities. In most cases, the child’s degree of involvement with a second language, defined as the difference between bilingualism and second-language acquisition, is an important variable that determines both the degree and type of influence that is found. Three patterns of influence were noted in these studies. One outcome is that bilingualism makes no difference, and monolingual and bilingual children develop in the same way and at the same rate. This was found for cognitive problems such as memory- span development and language problems such as phonological awareness. The second is that bilingualism disadvantages children in some way. The primary example of this is in the development of vocabulary in each language. The third pattern, and the most prevalent in our studies, is that bilingualism is a positive force that enhances children’s cognitive and linguistic development, improving access to literacy if the two writing systems correspond and development of general executive processes for all bilingual children solving a wide range of non-verbal problems requiring attention and control. These executive control abilities are at the centre of intelligent thought.

Implications Parents are often concerned that using a non-community language as the language of their home will disadvantage their children. This program of research provides solid evidence that the overwhelming effect of bilingualism in the home is positive. The disadvantages are relatively minor and easily overcome. The implications for schooling are more complex. Children’s success in school is strongly dependent on their proficiency in the language of instruction, a relationship that holds for important linguistic activities (e.g. learning to read), non-verbal computational subjects (e.g. mathematics), and content- based curricula (e.g. social studies). In all these cases, children must be skilled in the forms and meanings of the school language and be competent readers of that language. Bilingual children may not be at the same level as their monolingual peers, and second- language learners for whom English or French is not their home language may have not built up adequate skills in the instructional language to succeed in schools. The evidence for the overwhelming positive benefit of bilingualism, together with evidence that bilingual children are not cognitively handicapped, indicates an important role for schools in providing a means for these children to build up their language skills in the school language so that they can be full participants in the classroom and reap the most positive benefit from their educational experience.

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REFERENCES

1. review in Hakuta K. Mirror of language: the debate on bilingualism. New York,

NY: Basic Books; 1986. 2. Macnamara JT. Bilingualism and primary education: a study of Irish experience.

Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh University Press; 1966. 3. Peal E, Lambert WE. The relation of bilingualism to intelligence. Psychological

Monographs 1962;76(27, Whole No. 546):1-23. 4. Cummins J. Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of

bilingual children. Review of Educational Research 1979;49(2):222-251. 5. Oller DK, Eilers RE, eds. Language and literacy in bilingual children. Cleveden,

England: Multilingual Matters; 2002. 6. Bialystok E, Majumder S, Martin MM. Developing phonological awareness: Is

there a bilingual advantage? Applied Psycholinguistics 2003;24(1):27-44. 7. Bialystok E. Levels of bilingualism and levels of linguistic awareness.

Developmental Psychology 1988;24(4):560-567. 8. Bialystok E, Luk G, Kwan E. Bilingualism, biliteracy, and learning to read: Interactions among languages and writing systems. Scientific Studies of Reading 2005;9(1):43-61. 9. Bialystok E, McBride-Chang C, Luk G. Bilingualism, language proficiency, and learning to read in two writing systems. Journal of Educational Psychology 2005:97(4):580-590. 10. Bialystok E, Martin MM. Attention and inhibition in bilingual children: Evidence from the dimensional change card sort task. Developmental Science 2004;7(3):325-339. 11. Bialystok E, Shapero D. Ambiguous benefits: the effect of bilingualism on

reversing ambiguous figures. Developmental Science 2005;8(6):595-604. 12. Bialystok E, Senman L. Executive processes in appearance-reality tasks: The role of inhibition of attention and symbolic representation. Child Development 2004;75(2):562-579.

To cite this document:

Bialystok E. Second-language acquisition and bilingualism at an early age and the impact on early cognitive development. Rev ed. In: Tremblay RE, Barr RG, Peters RDeV, eds. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development [online]. Montreal, Quebec: Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development; 2008:1-4. Available at: http://www.child- encyclopedia.com/documents/BialystokANGxp_rev.pdf. Accessed [insert date].

Copyright © 2006-2008

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Self Reflection

I chose this paper because I made my Argumentative Essay based on this. This paper, which was read and discussed in class, made me to get a better point of view about Bilingualism. I learned to use the keywords to made a full sentence about it and reading this article, I learned more vocabulary which helped me to improve my level of proficiency.

Argumentative Essay: Bilingualism

Being bilingual makes you smarter

Bilingualism is defined as the ability to use two languages in a correct form (understanding, speaking and keep learning). Searching for information about this topic, there are many articles that explain the benefits and the crucial importance of this skill and as the explanation about the problems or disadvantages that being a bilingual person can take. Being bilingual improves your cognitive, social skills, and even increase your mental health. Hence, have this ability increased, makes you smarter.

Being bilingual improves your cognitive skills. Bilingual people are quicker at resolving different tasks, because they workout their brain often by changing from one language to another. Studies suggest that bilingual people train a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks. A part of the brain, which is called “the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex” is in charge of the executive function (as it was mentioned earlier) whose can increase the complexity of the mind, doing notorious changes as translating faster, understand better and an instant emotional reaction. The cognitive skills in bilingual people, according to the “Critical Period Hypothesis” theory, develops better from birth to three years old, because of the flexibility of its brain (learning to talk two languages instead just one it is not a problem for children), and the use of the two hemispheres for bilingualism. But a grown-up person can also being bilingual just using the left hemisphere, which is in charge of the logical part of the brain, without involve the emotional part. There are different types of bilinguals; the first one is called “compound bilingual” which is in the first kind of age (birth to three years old) who expresses both codes simultaneously. The second is called “coordinate bilingual” and is who expresses it bilingualism just learning the other language, but using the native one daily (an example is a teenager learning at school). And the last one, is in adult age, which is called “subordinate bilingual” (here, the pronunciation is different as it is used to be).

Different language’s knowledge increase the possibilities of communication. This is also related with their social skills which are better than monolingual students because they are better at communication. This is because bilingual children have social experiences like wrong understanding, so they consider the perspective of others. An intuitive sense, we might say. They have to think about who speaks which language to whom, who understands what content, and the times and places in which different languages are spoken. Interpreting someone’s utterance often requires paying attention not only to the context, but also the surrounding content. Bilingual students have a facility in adopting another’s perspective and have already understood the importance of it. Multilingual exposure also develops this ability in students, they get ahead on what the other person may understand.

A shield from mental problems as dementia. The higher the degree of bilingualism (more neurological activity use), the later the age of had dementia or Alzheimer. There have been many articles whose explain the power of the bilingualism and the delay in mental diseases. It is estimated that being bilingual makes a person delay this problems for at least five years. A big difference between a bilingual and a monolingual is that a bilingual person keeps its mind busy and working the double, because the translate and understanding is automatic for the context the bilingual belongs. "We would probably refer to most of these cognitive advantages as multi-tasking," said Judith Kroll, psychologist at Penn State University. "Bilinguals seem to be better at this type of perspective-taking."

In conclusion, bilingual people have more advantages than disadvantages; in contrast, the benefits for to know more than one language can make a big difference in the neurological area, as a better health of it, delaying diseases. Also, it expand the possibilities to success in different places, and the communication with other people around the world. Bilingualism provides various functionalities and advantages for the speaker who possesses the knowledge of two languages. The advantages not only refer to a plan of mental development and health benefits, but also a professional and personal development. It is well known that knowing another language is key when applying for jobs of any category, however, to master a language other than the native language, is usually the key that opens the door to better jobs, promotions or the possibility of having better opportunities employment. Now although being a bilingual speaker represents having competitive advantages in the labor market, it is not a condition that is achieved very easily, since to dominate another language apart from the native is, undoubtedly, a challenge. And it is not easy or quick to learn to speak another language, starting from the basis of learning and the dynamic rhythms of everyday life. Learning another language requires time, dedication that is reflected in constant study and, above all, practice.

By Pamela Erices and María Fernanda Pedreros

References

Salinas, H. (2010, October 4). Does your language shape how you think?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html

Jha, A. (2011, February 18). Being bilingual may delay Alzheimer’s and boost brain power. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/feb/18/bilingual-alzheimers-brain-power-multitasking

Crosson, C. (2016, December 1) Why Bilinguals are smarter. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/learning/questions-for-why-bilinguals-are-smarter.html?mcubz=0

Self Reflection

In my own work, I should improve my writing skills and get a bigger and extended vocabulary. I need to explain what I want to mean in a very formal way. Also, to have a better spelling and grammatical learning, will help with my future works and I need to remember that an essay needs to have references and citations of the author of the paper which I am writing about.

Paper: Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning

2012 International Conference on Language, Medias and Culture IPEDR vol.33 (2012) © (2012) IACSIT Press, Singapore

“Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning”: An Analysis. Solanki D. Shyamlee1+

, M Phil.2

1 Communication Skills, Sardar Patel College Of Engineering, Mumbai 2 Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand, Gujarat

Abstract. In language teaching and learning, we have a lot to choose from the world of technology: Radio, TV, CD Rom, Computers, C.A.L.L., the Internet, Electronic Dictionary, Email, Blogs and Audio Cassettes, Power Point, Videos, DVD’s or VCD’s. The last two decades have witnessed a revolution due to onset of technology, and has changed the dynamics of various industries, and has also influenced the industries and the way people interact and work in the society. This rapid rising and development of information technology has offered a better pattern to explore the new teaching model. As a result technology plays a very important role in English teaching. Using multimedia to create a context to teach English has its unique advantages. This paper tries to analyze the necessity of multimedia technology to language teaching and also brings out the problems faced by using these technologies. It also aims to make English teachers aware of the strategies to use it in an effective manner.

KeyWords: English Language teaching, Multimedia Technology, Advantages, Disadvantages, Optimization, Strategies.

1. Introduction:

With the spread and development of English around the world, English is used as a second language in a country like India and for some people the 1st language. It enjoys a high prestige in the country. At present the role and status of English in India is higher than ever as evidenced by its position as a key subject of medium of instruction, curriculum. As the number of English learners is increasing different teaching methods have been implemented to test the effectiveness of the teaching process. Use of authentic materials in the form of films, radio, TV has been there for a long time. It is true that these technologies have proved successful in replacing the traditional teaching.

The new era assigns new challenges and duties on the modern teacher. The tradition of English teaching has been drastically changed with the remarkable entry of technology. Technology provides so many options as making teaching interesting and also making teaching more productive in terms of improvements. Technology is one of the most significant drivers of both social and linguistic change. Graddol: (1997:16) states that” technology lies at the heart of the globalization process; affecting education work and culture. The use of English language has increased rapidly after 1960. At present the role and status of English is that it is the language of social context, political, sociocultural, business, education, industries, media, library, communication across borders, and key subject in curriculum and language of imparting education”. It is also a crucial determinant for university entrance and processing well paid jobs in the commercial sector. Since there are more and more English learners in India, different teaching methods have been implemented to test the effectiveness of the teaching process. One method involves multimedia in ELT in order to create English contexts. This helps students to get involved and learn according to their interests, It has been tested effectively and is widely accepted for teaching English in modern world.

Technology is utilized for the upliftment of modern styles; it satisfies both visual and auditory senses of the students. With the spread and development of English around the world, English has been learned and used by more and more speakers. According to David Graddol ‘it is the language at the leading edge of

+ Corresponding author.

E-mail address: shyamlee_sds@yahoo.com.

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.scientific and technological development, new thinking in economies and management, new literatures and entertainment genre..... David Graddol, The future of English, Page 2

2. Use of Technology in Teaching English

As the use of English has increased in popularity so has the need for qualified teachers to instruct students in the language. It is true that there are teachers who use ‘cutting edge’ technology, but the majority of teachers still teach in the traditional manner. None of these traditional manners are bad or damaging the students. In fact, till date they are proving to be useful also. However, there are many more opportunities for students to gain confidence practice and extend themselves, especially for ESL students who learn the language for more than just fun. For them to keep pace with ELT and gain more confidence they have to stride into the world of multimedia technology.

3. The Growth of ELT Through Technology

21 st century is the age of globalization and is important to grasp on various foreign languages and English language comes first.English Language Teaching has been with us for many years and its significance continues to grow, fuelled, partially by the Internet. Graddol’s study (2000) suggests that in the year 2000 there were about a billion English learners- but a decade later the numbers doubled. The forecast points to a surge in English learning, which has peaked in 2010. The same study indicates that over 80% of information stored on the internet is in English. For the first time there are more Non-Native than Native users of the language and diversity of context in terms of learners, age, nationality, learning background etcetera has become a defining characteristic of ELT today.

With the rapid development of science and technology, the emerging and developing of multimedia technology and its application to teaching, featuring audio, visual, animation effects comes into full play in English class teaching and sets a favorable platform for reform and exploration on English teaching model in the new era. It’s proved that multimedia technology plays a positive role in promoting activities and initiatives of student and teaching effect in English class. Technological innovations have gone hand -in- hand with the growth of English and are changing the way in which we communicate. It is fair to assert that the growth of the internet has facilitated the growth of the English language and that this has occurred at a time when computers are no longer the exclusive domains of the dedicated few, but rather available to many. With this there has been a very significant proliferation of literature regarding the use of technology in teaching English language. Mostly these writings unequivocally accept technology as the most essential part in teaching. In a sense, a tendency to emphasize on inevitable role of technology in pedagogy to the extent of obliterating human part of teacher by technology part has been very dominant. And as a result if we neglect or ignore technological developments they will continue and perhaps we will never be able to catch up, irrespective of our discipline or branch. For this reason it is important for language teachers to be aware of the latest and best equipment and to have a full knowledge of what is available in any given situation. Teachers can use Multimedia Technology to give more colorful, stimulating lectures (new Horizons).

There are many techniques applicable in various degrees to language learning situation. Some are useful for testing and distance education, and some for teaching business English, spoken English, reading, listening or interpreting. The teaching principle should be to appreciate new technologies in the areas and functions where they provide something decisively new useful and never let machines takeover the role of the teacher or limit functions where more traditional ways are superior.There are various reasons why all language learners and teachers must know how to make use of the new technology. Here we also need to emphasize that the new technologies develop and disseminate so quickly that we cannot avoid their attraction and influence in any form

4. Analysis on Necessity of Application of Multimedia Technology to English

Teaching

4.1. To Cultivate Students’ Interest in Study

Nowadays, the stereotyped traditional teaching methods and environment are unpopular while multimedia technology featuring audio, visual animation effects naturally and humanely makes us more 151

.access to information besides, with such characteristics as abundant-information and crossing time and space, multimedia technology offers a sense of reality and functions very well, which greatly cultivates students’ interest and motivation in study and their involvement in class activities.

4.2. To Promote Students’ Communication Capacity

Traditional teaching has hampered students’ capacity to comprehend certain language and also understanding to structure, meaning and function of the language, and makes the students passive recipients of knowledge, So it is hard to achieve the target of communication. With teachers’ instructions leading students’ thought patterns and motivating students’ emotions, the multimedia technology seeks integration of teaching and learning and provides the students greater incentives, The PPT courseware activate students’ thinking; the visual and vivid courseware rand help them to transforms English learning into capacity cultivation. And such in-class activities as group discussion, subject discussion, and debates can also offer more opportunities for communication among students and between teachers and students. So multimedia technology teaching has uniquely inspired students’ positive thinking and communication skills in social practice.

4.3. To Widen Students’ Knowledge to Gain an Insightful Understanding to Western

Culture. The multimedia courseware can offer the students abundant information; more plentiful than textbooks, and help them to get of displays vivid cultural background, rich content and true-to-life language materials, which are much natural and closer to life. Not only could learners improve their listening ability, but also learn the western culture. Grasping information through various channels can equip; the students with knowledge and bring about information-sharing among students and make them actively participate in class discussion and communication.

4.4. To Improve Teaching Effect

Multimedia teachings enrich teaching content and make the best of class time and break the “teacher- centered” teaching pattern and fundamentally improve class efficiency. Due to large classes it is difficult for the students to have speaking communication. The utilization of multi-media sound lab materializes the individualized and co-operative teaching.The traditional teaching model mainly emphasized on teachers’ instruction, and the information provided is limited due to traditional classes. On the contrary, multimedia technology goes beyond time and space, creates more vivid, visual, authentic environment for English learning, stimulates students’ initiatives and economizes class time meanwhile increases class information.

4.5. To Improve Interaction Between Teacher and Student

Multimedia teaching stresses the role of students, and enhances the importance of “interaction” between teachers and students. A major feature of multimedia teaching is to train and improve students’ ability to listen and speak, and to develop their communicative competence, During this process, the teacher’s role as a facilitator is particularly prominent. Using multimedia in context creation creates a good platform for the exchange between teachers and students, while at the same time providing a language environment that improves on the traditional classroom teaching model. In this way, teachers in the classroom no longer blindly input information and force students to receive it in a passive way.

4.6. Creates a Context for Language teaching

Multimedia teaching creates a context for language teaching. This method makes the class lively and interesting, as well as optimizing the organization of the class. Multimedia has its own features such a s visibility and liveliness. During the process of multimedia English teaching, sounds and pictures can be set together, which enhances the initiative of both teachers and students, When using multimedia software, teachers can use pictures and images to enrich the content of classes, and also imagine different contexts in the process of producing teaching courseware, Students in the class can use multimedia to understand the class in a clear way. Through the whole interactive process, it is apparent that using multimedia in ELT is effective in nurturing students’ interest in learning English, as well as enhancing teachers’’ interest in English teaching. As Zhang (2006:11.1)points out through Multimedia and network technology we can offer

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.students not only rich, sources of authentic learning materials, but also an attractive and a friendly interface, vivid pictures and pleasant sounds, which to a large extent overcomes the lack of authentic language environment and arouses students’ interest in learning English.

4.7. To Provide Flexibility to Course Content:

In addition, multimedia teaching is also flexible. It is obvious that the context can be created not only in the classroom, but also after class. Multimedia language teaching can also create a multimedia language environment for the purpose of conducting language teaching. English teaching itself must focus on the guidance of teachers and be student-centered(see, for example, Holec, 1981), which we believe is one of the principles for language teaching. Students are bound to have some problems in classroom teaching, which can be addressed under the guidance of teachers. In such circumstances, students can use the new technology to their advantage, such as manipulating the network to contact teachers, and receiving answers by email.

5. Analysis on Problems Arising from Application for Multimedia Technology

to English Teaching

In spite of advantages of application of multimedia technology to English class teaching has to improve teaching effect and university students’ overall capacities, there are many problems existing in practical teaching, such as:

5.1. Major Means Replaced by the Assisting One

Application of multimedia technology is and assisting instrument to achieve the projected teaching effect, While if totally dependent on, multimedia devices during teaching, the teachers may be turned into slaves to the multimedia and cannot play the leading role in teaching, It is observed in practice that a lot of teachers are active in multimedia technology application but not proficient enough to handle it confidently. In class, they are standing by the computer and students are fixing their attention only on the screen, and therefore, there is no eye contact between teachers and students.. The trend of modern information and technology teaching appears to the extremity regardless of the essence of the traditional teaching. And hence, the notion of Creative Education is to be fully comprehended that modern educational techniques serves an assisting instrument rather than a target: and that should not dominate class. They are substitutes to effective teaching and learning

5.2. Loss of Speaking Communication

English language and English analysis by the teachers are effective in conveying knowledge to the students from English pronunciation to comprehension, improving students’ English thought patterns and oral expression, Whereas, the introduction of multimedia technology featuring audio, visual, textual effect fully meets audio and visual requirements of the students and enhance their interest, but it also results in lack of communication between teachers and students, replacement of teachers’ voice by computer sound, and teachers’ analysis by visual image and students have’ few chances for speaking communication . With the favorable atmosphere by the mutual communication between teachers and students fading away, and sound and image of multimedia affecting students’ initiative to think and speak, English class turns to course ware show and students are made viewers rather than the participants of class activities.

5.3. The restriction of Students’ Thinking Potential

It is clear that language teaching is different from science subjects, for language teaching does not require demonstration by various steps, rather, the tense and orderly atmosphere is formed through questions and answer between teachers and students, Teachers raise impromptu and real-time questions and guide the students to think, cultivate their capacity to discover and solve problems, however, due to over- demonstration and pre-arranged order, the courseware lacks real-time effect and cannot give feedback. It ignores emphasis and importance in teaching; it also neglects instruction in students ‘ thinking , inspiring their paths of thinking, strengthening their capacity contemplating and solving problems. In this way, it should be noted that cultivation of students’ thinking capacity should be the major objective in teaching and

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.using of multimedia technology and it should not take up the students’ time for thinking, analyzing and exploring questions.

5.4. Abstract Thinking Replaced by Imaginable Thinking

The Process of cognition goes through perceptual stage and rational stage. It also applies to studying process. It is our hope that teaching makes students adopt the outlook cognition from perceptual recognition to rational apprehension, and greatly leap from perceptual thinking to rational thinking; Therefore it is the major objective in teaching. To enhance the students’ abstract thinking, the multimedia technology makes content easier, and with its unique advantages, it can clarify the emphasis in teaching. While if the image and imagination in students’ mind were merely showed on the screen, their abstract thinking would be restricted and logical thinking would waste away. At present the decreased students’ reading competence has become a major concern for reason that, textual words are replaced by sound and image, handwriting by keyboard input. All in all, the multimedia as an assisting instrument, cannot replace the dominant role of teachers and it is part of a complete teaching process. Besides, it is not a mechanic imitation of teaching, rather it integrates the visual, textual demonstration with teachers’ experience to contribute to the programmed, automatic and continuous teaching project so as to enhance the overall improvement of students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing.

6. Suggestions and Strategies to the Existing Problems

In practical teaching. It is improper to duplicate the textual material simply to the screen so that the teacher’s position is ignored In order to ensure the function of, multimedia in teaching. It should be noted that::

6.1. The Beauty of Courseware Is not the Sole Pursuit

It is proved through practice that adequate application of multimedia technology to teaching can make breakthroughs in class teaching. That is to say, during multimedia assisting teaching, teachers still play the leading role that their position could never be replaced by the computer. For instance, the introduction to each lesson and speaking communication are good way to improve students’ listening and speaking which the computer cannot fulfill, Therefore, teachers’ interpretation shall not be overlooked. Meanwhile, as a practical linguistic science, English should be used very often in class to cultivate the students’ communicative competence, Multimedia, as an instrument for assisting teaching, serves the teachers despite its extraordinary effect, So teaching determines whether to adopt multimedia technology. Otherwise, the teachers were acting as the projectionist, clicking the screen.

6.2. The Computer Screen can’t Substitute the Blackboard

Some teachers take the computer screen as the blackboard, They have input exercises, questions, answers and teaching plans into the computer and display them piece by piece, without taking down anything on the blackboard or even the title of a lesson. It is known that teachers are supposed to simulate situations based on teaching and guide the students to communicate in English. Beside traditional writing on blackboard is concise and teachers can make adjustment and amendment to it if necessary. Furthermore, experienced teachers know well that a perfect courseware is an ideal project in mind, and that in practice, they need to enrich the content on the blackboard with emerging of new question raised by the students.

6.3. Power Point cannot Take the Place of Student’s Thinking and Practices

At present, most multimedia courseware mainly feature on image and animation of teaching materials in order to cause audio and visual effect, which lively displays the content of textual materials and helps the student deeply understand the texts. A problem remains that displaying of the content of texts in the PPT courseware cannot take the place of students’ thinking or English communication in simulated circumstance, When working on and utilizing the courseware, we need to encourage the students to use their own mind and speak more, actively join in class practice, we should not overuse the courseware merely in the hope of adding the modernized feature to class teaching

6.4. Traditional Teaching Instruments and Devices should not be Overlooked

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.The function of multimedia assisting in teaching cannot be replaced by many other instruments, which does not mean that multimedia can replace any other form of instrument; Some teachers tend to entirely depend on multimedia teaching. While, it should be noticed that although multimedia has its unique advantages in teaching, the characteristics functions of other forms of teaching instruments are still incomparable. For example, the recorder still plays a role in broadcasting listening material. So teachers are supposed to choose appropriate media and instrument based on the requirements of teaching and integrate multimedia instrument with traditional one and fully perform their merits, rather than merely in pursuit of trendy method.

6.5. Multimedia Technology should not be Overused

Some teachers may possess the improper concept that they would totally apply multimedia technology in their teaching. It is also believed that the more utilization of multimedia technology, the better class atmosphere may grow, the more actively the students get involved in class participation, the more easily the material access to the students. Apparently, the students show some interest in leaning, but actually, they feel like looking on. In practice, the more unconscious attention the students pay. The more interference of teaching information during transmission, the less the students take from the language materials. It is impossible to effectively train the students’ language expression in class time. It is clear that in spite of advantages of application of multimedia technology, it assists in teaching. During practical teaching, it is part of a complete teaching procedure. In practice, if multimedia technology would be properly implemented in English teaching, the students could make full use of English speaking and listening materials and develop their overall capacities, which is the objective for us to introduce multimedia technology to modern teaching thus, this leads to systematic training on students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing, makes teachers’ instructions come into great play, help the student gain basic knowledge as well as language training at classes, improves their expression ability in English and lays a fundamental basis for their English communication.

7. Conclusion

“Ideally, the purpose of both the traditional and computer-assisted cooperative language leaning classrooms is to provide a space in which the facilitation of learning, and learning itself, can take place” (Shi, 2008: 76). It is true that one of the ultimate goals of multimedia language teaching is to promote students’ motivation and learning interest, which can be a practical way to get them involved in the language learning, Context creation of ELT should be based on the openness and Accessibility of the teaching materials and information. During the process of optimizing the multimedia English teaching, students are not too dependent on their mother tongue, but will be motivated and guided to communicate with each other.

Concerning the development of technology, we believe that in future, the use of multimedia English teaching will be further developed. The process of English learning will be m ore student-centered but less time-consuming. Therefore, it promises that the teaching quality will be improved and students’ applied English skill scan be effectively cultivated, meaning that students’ communicative competence will be further developed.

In conclusion, we believe that this process can fully improve students’ ideation and practical language skills, which is helpful and useful to ensure and fulfill an effective result of teaching and learning. Barring a few problem areas multimedia technology can be used effectively in classrooms of ElT with proper computer knowledge on the part of teachers, overcoming the finance problems in setting up the infrastructure and not allowing the teachers to become technophobes.

8. References

[1] Graddol: (1997:16)

[2] David Graddol, The future of English, Page 2

[3] Zhanghongling ( The development tendency of the modern foreign language teaching and the computer assisted

instruction. Computer- Assisted Foreign Language Education 3.

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.[4] Brown, H.D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. Beijing: Foreign

Language Teaching and Research Press.

[5] Holec,H.(1981). Autonomy and Foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon.

[6] www.ccsenet.org/journal.html , vol.1, No 4, November 2008.

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Self Reflection

This long paper, which I used to writing the reaction paper, helped to understand the benefits that technology had in the ability of capacity of learning and teaching English language. After read it, I think that in the future, I would try to make dynamic and didactic classes. I would try to use technology as a resource of comprehension and visual support.

Reaction paper on “Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning”

By: Pamela Erices and María Fernanda Pedreros

Regarding to the article “Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning” by D. Solanki and M. Phil, teaching and learning English language through technology benefits and improves people skills and capacities. The growth of the media and the number of English learners has increased the different teaching methods and has demanded new challenges on the way this language is taught. The 21st century is the age of globalization and English is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Graddol study (2000) indicates that over 80% of the information stored on the Internet is in English. Also, the same study suggests that in the year 2000 there were about a billion English learners but a decade later the numbers doubled. According to David Graddol ‘it is the language at the leading edge of scientific and technological development, new thinking in economics and management, new literatures and entertainment genre. It is a fact that the growth of the internet has facilitated the growth of the English language.’ Through technological methods, both visual and auditory senses of the students are been satisfied. There is an analysis on the capacity that this study has for students and also for teachers. The impact of the new technology has been an especial support for the new generations, because of the dynamic and didactic strategies that can be applied in this language.

Firstly, we agree that multimedia technology is an essential part of the English learning, most than for any other discipline or branch because it develops faster their communicative competence. According to Solaki and Phil (2012) stated ‘The teaching principle should be to appreciate new technologies in the areas and functions where they provide something decisively new useful and never let machines takeover the role of the teacher or limit functions where more traditional ways are superior. There are various reasons why all language learners and teachers must know how to make use of the new technology.’ Teaching English with multimedia technology helps the development of the auditory ability of the students, to identify differents accents in the English Language and exercise the capacity of understand what is hearing. Also, it helps the visual ability of students, by the possibility of seeing videos of other countries, their culture, and to settle in the environment. We think that this way students gain more confidence for practising and doing autonomous work in the aspects they found difficult. Moreover, it is a matter of exploration which makes learning more fun and interesting with animations and effects. For this reason, we acknowledge that is important for English teachers to be aware of the latest and best equipment available to teach English with multimedia technology and provide a full learning. Nevertheless, traditional learning has proved till the date that is useful too, and there are still teachers teaching in a traditional manner. But we believe that students want their lectures to be more interactive, and significant. However, the world of multimedia technology provides so many options making teaching more productive in terms of improvements. Teachers can use the technology in order to make their lectures more stimulating, instead of hearing and writing what the teachers is saying in the classroom.

Another interesting point is the relationship between the student and the teacher. We strongly believe that the learning process need to be supported by interaction and comprehension. During the learning process with multimedia technology, the teacher takes the role of facilitator by correcting mistakes, answering doubts or explaining some things that the students might ask. So, the “teacher-centered” teaching pattern gets broke, and the student becomes the center. The learning is more individualized and co-operative, teachers in the classroom no longer force students to just receive and repeat information given in a passive way. Due to large classes or long lectures it is difficult for students to have speaking communication. Multimedia technology train and improve students’ ability to speak and listen, it creates an authentic environment which enhances the initiative of both teacher and student, as Solaki and Phil (2012) pointed: ‘Multimedia teaching creates a context for language teaching. This method makes the class lively and interesting, as well as optimizing the organization of the class. Multimedia has its own features such as visibility and liveliness. During the process of multimedia English teaching, sounds and pictures can be set together, which enhances the initiative of both teachers and students, When using multimedia software, teachers can use pictures and images to enrich the content of classes, and also imagine different contexts in the process of producing teaching courseware’. Also, we want to highlight the good relation which is also after the classroom, because the context created in classes lead teachers to be are more flexible with their students. We believe that teachers need to be a closer relation with the students to comprehend their problems which can interfere with their learning and know how to deal with it.

After we expressed about the two main topics on the paper that we were interested on, we also want to mention the well-supported evidence and facts that supported the text. It was interesting to read it, since we agreed in many points as students of the English Language and how the technology has made our own learning more easier and productive. Multimedia Technology helps us to get in context which is more natural, real, and closer to life. Nevertheless, we think that the use of textbooks are also good, but complement both things and variate from one to another, is way better. We always use new technology during time, and education has to be a part of that too, as the paper stated: ‘The teaching principle should be to appreciate new technologies in the areas and functions where they provide something decisively new useful and never let machines takeover the role of the teacher or limit functions where more traditional ways are superior.There are various reasons why all language learners and teachers must know how to make use of the new technology. Here we also need to emphasize that the new technologies develop and disseminate so quickly that we cannot avoid their attraction and influence in any form’.

In conclusion, through time and history, the teaching methodology has been changing and evolving, all this for learning to be better, have a greater degree of effectiveness for the human being who receives the new information and incorporates it into a process that , it is usually quite common and simple in its form. Although the way of teaching is systematized and governed by studies of the learning capacity of the human being, it is dynamic and variable, that is to say, it is changing according to the resources available to be able to teach and also from according to the learning capacity of each individual. At the present the methods of teaching have varied a lot and in a short period of time. This is mainly due to the incorporation of technology in learning methods. The incorporation of technology in teaching methods responds to the interests of improving effectiveness in what is taught and facilitating learning. The use of technology in everyday life is reflected in all senses and even in current learning. If we look back, we will realize how the way of learning and teaching has evolved over time. From chalk slate to now digital and touch screen whiteboards, from exhibitions with large sheets of paper to exhibitions through projectors and using specialized software, from classroom to online classes, having to resort to the library to access to a book to download it from the internet and even use software that read by one. Like all these changes, the teaching of languages ​​has also been changing. Learning a new language is a difficult task, and even more so if the means to achieve it are reduced, this is where the use of technology plays an important role in the current teaching of languages, since it facilitates the way in which they are assimilated. acquired knowledge. The appearance of specialized softwares in the teaching of a language, interactive games for children that brings them closer to the language and gives them basic notions that in the future will be reinforced, as also the current offer of online language classes in virtual platforms make the learning of a language like English more accessible to all through technology.

References:

Solanki D. Shyamlee., M. Phil. (2012). “Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning”: An analysis. International Proceedings of Economics Development and Research. Retrieved from http://www.ipedr.com/vol33/030-ICLMC2012-L10042.pdf

Self Reflection

The 1600 words Reaction Paper, let me improve my skill of expressing my thoughts and ideas about the use of technology in learning and teaching a language (specifically, in English language). It made me realized that the improve of technology over time, is also the improve of new methods to teach and to learn.