LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Using Technology in the English Language Classroom

Renu Gupta, Ph.D.

Abstract

This paper examines the use of technology in the language classroom. It examines the role of the language class (specifically, the English class) and how this frames the use of technology to support its academic and communication roles.

1. Introduction

Technology in education is not a new concept. In the 1960s and 1970s, lessons were broadcast over the air; for language teaching, audio tapes and films were available and some universities (such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi) had sophisticated language laboratories where students could practise their spoken skills. However, for the most part these technologies were not used in school and university classrooms.

Today, the scenario is very different. Technology is not 'out there' but part of our daily lives in devices such as mobile phones, portable music devices, TV, and computers, and activities such as sending SMS messages, listening to music files and audio books, watching cable TV, and surfing the Internet. The drop in prices has brought technology within the reach of more people to the extent that it is cheaper for an institute to buy computers and software than to hire faculty. Today's students are comfortable using technology and, if they are not, they are expected to become computer-literate for the workplace. These changes have led to a push for incorporating technology in educational settings.

However, technology means different things to different people.

2. Technology of Education vs. Technology in Education

Technology can be used merely as a medium to transmit the prepared learning material. For instance, in many distance education programs, a digitized version of the printed material is sent to learners; another example is a video of the teacher's lecture (perhaps with students asking questions) that is either broadcast or stored for students who are in remote locations, at a different campus, or are working adults. These are examples of the technology of education that is used to optimize delivery.

In contrast, technology in education is used to meet and further curricular goals. Technology is used to enhance learning in ways that may not be possible through traditional methods such as printed matter (textbooks) and verbal explanations. For instance, simulations in economics and finance allow students to input numbers and examine the impact on other variables. Through graphics and animations, science students can visualize elements that static images cannot replicate. For an example, see Smart Class (http://www.educomp.com/ContentDemo.aspx) where the congruence of triangles is represented by manipulating two triangles. Technology may even impact the curriculum if it returns teaching/learning to ways that the classroom has abandoned. For example, textbooks were created to provide teachers and students with a set of materials that was limited, but the Internet is a window to authentic texts.

When we examine how technology is used in education, we find examples of multimedia lessons, learning objects, and simulations in content subjects, but a similar orientation seems to be missing in the field of language teaching. For example, a handbook on multimedia by Mayer (2005) discusses the design principles for several content areas, but there is only one chapter on using multimedia in language teaching (Reinking, 2005). Instead of examining the design of multimedia, the discussions revolve around the use and effects of word processors, communication tools, such as discussion threads, chat, and email, and research tools, such as the Internet and webquests.

3. The Goal of This Paper

This paper examines why and how such technologies are used in the language class. The 'why' comes from two formulations of the language class: the academic role of the language class and the social role of language. In terms of its academic role, the language class is now viewed as central to the academic endeavor; there is a realization that students need to 'learn to learn' and it is the language class that can address this need. In terms of the social role of language, there has been a shift away from teaching isolated linguistic components to viewing language as being embedded in a social context defined by audience and purpose; as a result, the technology is used to foster communication and collaboration. The 'how' is addressed in Section 9, which describes how technology can be used in the language classroom to teach for academic and social purposes. The final section raises the issue of 'multiliteracies' arising from digital technology that may shape the future curriculum.

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