Teaching with Technology

Article #1

Bringing about changes in second language acquisition during the 21^stcentury should be the motivation that drives technological research.  The language teacher should strive to make the student more independent and confident in the transition between acquisition and learning the target language.  The distinction between the two is fully achieved when the language learner can communicate effectively in any situation.  This article “How a Web-based Course Facilitates Acquisition of English for Academic Purposes”, written by Jin Chen, Safia Belkada, and Toshio Okamotoa, documents the research that studies computer-based learning activities and its effectiveness on achieving autonomy.

In a formal education environment the student often has no idea why they are being ask to do a particular assignment and the teach does not provide any explanation to the student; therefore, narrowing this gap between the pedagogical agenda of the teacher and that of the learner is important.  “Educational research findings suggest that the success of any educational process should be based on sound pedagogical principles and interactions” (Chen 33).   In communicative language teaching, language is taught in an integrated way and involves authentic and meaningful language that fosters the development of fluency.  It stresses the importance of unrehearsed conversations and encourages autonomous language learners.   Nonetheless, communicating in an L2 is a long process and requires a lot of effort on the part of the learner.  It requires a great deal of conscious thought at first; however, with much guided practice in communicating it will become easier. 

Communicative methodology is designed to promote practice of the target language and is a “successful and powerful approach to language learning” (Chen 33).   Learning language through technology has become beneficial for second language acquisition.  The language teacher wants activities that encourage students to communicate the language they learned in the classroom environment in real and simulated context.  Hence, the research conducted in this study is designed exactly for this purpose and the “computer serves not as a medium of communication, but as a presenter of material meant to engage students in conversation” in combination with task-based teaching (Chen 34).  

Task-based teaching promotes interactive communication among students and the ability to carry out simple activities using language is then proved to motive students to learn.  Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) coupled with this approach seeks to teach the learner vocabulary “based on the idea of linking students’ prior knowledge with their new knowledge” (Chen 34).  A Web-based course was developed called Academic English to help students’ acquire better English for academic proposes and would “support distance learning as well as supplement traditional classroom-based activities” (Chen 34).   However, the research conducted in this study proved to be inconclusive because researchers could not draw any difference between the interaction created in a Web-based environment and traditional classroom. 

The study did recognize CALL “encourages student autonomy” (Chen 47) and reinforces the belief that it is ultimately the role of the teacher to meet the special needs of the students by increasing the proficiency levels in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  The language teacher should continue to foster academic achievements, social growth and acceptance, self confidence and self-worth, while developing language proficiency.  In conclusion,  technological change in the second language acquisition in the 21^st century should continue to be the agenda for researchers.

http://llt.msu.edu/vol8num2/chen/