Advantages and Disadvantages of Using ICT to Teach ESL - Essay Example

Advantages and disadvantages of using ICT to teach ESL to 16-18 year old learners in Saudi Arabia Introduction Due to the growing advancements in the use of technology for imparting language education, Saudi Arabian teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) are also exploring the prospect of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for enhancing the learning and teaching process. Research indicates that the use of technology helps in teaching as well as learning in a faster and efficient manner (Andone et al., 2007). Experts consider that using technology to teach would be especially benefit for high school students as the younger generations are frequent user of technological devices such as computers, mobile phones etc. which can be used optimally as teaching devices as well (Andone et al., 2007). The swift improvement and development in ICT has lead to the transmission of technology in education. Many believe that the use of ICT would be advantageous for students to learn in case it is used in a proper manner. Although, it has been found that ICT might have its own flexibility and advantages for helping students to learn, it might not be useful for every other learner. However, it is important to understand the underlying benefits and caveats of using ICT for teaching ESL before deciding to implement it in a full-fledged manner. Further, the younger generation in every country has different preferences regarding technology usage for learning languages (Diaz, 2006). Saudi Arabia is no difference to the rule. Thus, it is imperative to understand whether implementing ICT for teaching ESL would be a viable option in Saudi Arabia or not, especially focusing on its impact on 16-18 year old learners. Thus, it is essential to first identify the various advantages and disadvantages of using ICT to teach ESL to 16-18 year old learners in Saudi Arabia, which would be discussed in detail in this paper. Use of ICT to teach ESL in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has witnessed considerable improvement in the use of ICT in education in the last few years. The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia is in fact working towards enhancing the country’s educational system by promotion the use of ICT in the education community. Not only at the university level, but the use of technology is also gaining foothold in the secondary schools as well (Kotrlik & Redmann, 2005). Research indicates that most students in Saudi Arabia favor the use of technology and therefore, it might be easier for implementing ICT to teach ESL to the high school students as well. In fact, as per a survey conducted by Davis and Davis (2007) with students of an ESL course in the country it was found that most respondents preferred to enroll for a course that implements technology to teach the students, rather than using conventional teaching methods. The survey also found that students liked the use of smart boards a lot as it helped in creating interaction between other students, while making the entire learning process an entertaining one. These students also liked the use of multi-media technology like CDs and videos for learning ESL. However, the survey also indicated various problems and issues regarding the use of ICT for learning and teaching ESL. While, some students were not satisfied with the level of teaching, the teachers expressed their displeasure over the use of technological tools. The teachers instead preferred to use the traditional methods of teaching and also complained of poor engagement at the part of the students in the classroom. The teachers and students also stated that the learning materials provided were of poor quality as well. Further, the lack of IT and technology knowledge also hampered in the learning and teaching of ESL (Davis & Davis, 2007). Although the use of ICT helped the students in many aspects for learning ESL, there were problem areas as well. Therefore, even before implementing ICT for teaching ESL, it is important to undertake a detailed study of the various benefits and caveats of the use of ICT, especially keeping in mind the needs of 16-18 year old learners in Saudi Arabia. Advantages of using ICT to teach ESL Research indicates that ESL students in Saudi Arabia prefer that ICT should be used in the classrooms as it helps them to learn the foreign language in an easier manner. It has been found that use of digital media helps in improving the cognitive sense of young learners efficiently and aids students to re-elaborate and revise the text in a better and quicker manner as compared to traditional methods. Students, especially in the age group of 16-18, uses multimedia technology and ICT web-based tools such as emails, blogs and wikis to communicate with each other and their teachers in a quicker and efficient manner. These ICT tools are especially beneficial for students who are not forthcoming to participate in classroom discussions and might be comfortable to discuss in such online forums (Ruhe, 1998; Turner & Crews, 2005). Further, the ICT for teaching ESL would also help the teacher to encourage the students make oral presentations in the classroom through the use of technology. It also aids in improving the listening and talking skills of the students. The teacher may encourage the students to use various multimedia tools such as videos and audios to improve their listening skills as well as enhance their pronunciation and reading abilities (Kramsch & Anderson, 1999). Due to the development in web 2.0, networking has become a buzzword in the education community as well. The high school students these days are also using Internet and networking sites for exchanging information. If used effectively, Internet tools such as blogs, digital storytelling and online reading may prove beneficial for teaching ESL to the teenagers. Together with using eBooks and other such multimedia tools that would help in increasing the reading and comprehension abilities of ESL learners, audio and visual aids would also assist in developing the speaking skills of such students. In order to teach ESL in a successful manner, it is essential to develop the confidence of the students as well to speak English with their peers and in social situations fluently and in a correct manner. Use of such web tools like blogs, online forums and social networking sites would also help in developing the confidence levels of the students and encourage them to use English in social circumstances effectively (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007). The young high school students are often inclined towards games and other online activities. Thus, various online materials dealing with games and other such activities are also being developed for ESL learners, which the teachers may use effectively to initiate learning in these students in an interesting manner. Further, ICT helps in integrating various cultural backgrounds as well through different learning modules. This would not only aid in teaching English but would also help in understanding the use of English in the cultural context as well (Hartley & Cone, 2000; Berman, 1998). With the shift from traditional to a more technological-driven teaching process, the teacher’s role also changes from just being a provider of information to the students to that of a supervisor or facilitator. The teacher would also be able to provide equal attention to all the students, while the students would be able to access the information regarding the course from any location. Therefore, the range of the course also expands significantly, with the students being able to undertake the course even from the comfort of their homes in case of inability to attend the classes in person (Rossett & Sheldon, 2001). If ESL is being taught through the use of ICT, students are considered to become learners for life. This means that students using ICT would always have access to information regarding ESL and would be well aware about recent developments as well. Such students would take more initiatives to learn on their own by researching on the Internet even after finishing their course. As mastering a foreign language requires constant practice, ICT would provide students with efficient tools that the students may use for practicing English speaking and reading even after completing their courses. Use of ICT also helps in creating an environment in the classroom that is less stressful as compared to traditional classroom, where the interaction sessions are less and people are judged more on the basis of their test results and performances. In an ICT educational environment, ESL learners feel safe to interact with each other as well as with their teachers (Morrison, 2004). Using of ICT to teach ESL learners, especially high school students, would be beneficial for the ESL learners in Saudi Arabia as learning English as a second language means developing a lot of confidence to use that language in public. Generally, people are comfortable with their native tongue and may find it difficult to adjust to a new language. Students often hesitate to speak English due to the fear of mother tongue influence (MTI) over the foreign language. These issues can be easily overcome with the use of technological tools such as online forums and blogs, wherein students can express their ideas easily. Further, using multimedia tools such as videos and sound recording, such students can improve their dialect as well (Schnackenberg, 1997). Therefore, the teachers should focus on generating interest and curiosity among the students about technology; use ICT to create problem-solving and decision-making skills in the students, while teaching them language skills. Technology helps in empowering students to learn English as a second language and Saudi Arabia is leveraging ICT in a big way to help students learn English in an effective manner. Disadvantages of using ICT to teach ESL Although, most students are well aware about the advantages of using ICT for learning a foreign language, it has been found that most of them, especially the students in their late teens, use ICT for recreational activities rather than for improving their language skills. Research indicates that students not even spend around two hours every week to learn language abilities through the use of ICT. Most of the students in the age group of 16-18 years use ICT to surf Internet or to chat with friends rather than using it for searching for new words or finding the right pronunciation for a word. Further, students also complain of not using ICT due to the lack of ICT training and English language proficiency (Shield & Kukulska-Hulme, 2006). Teachers of ESL often complain that young students are also not willing to participate in various team activities as well as individual assignments while given the task through the use of ICT. For instance, if the teacher gives class activities or homework through emails and online forums, often the students do not take such assignments seriously as they consider them to be informal methods of teaching and not a necessary part of the module. This results in poor engagement of the students in the course and therefore, poor progress rate as well (Egbert et al., 2002). Often the learners are also not satisfied with the quality of teaching imparted by the faculty members. As these students are mostly tech savvy they often find the lack of technological knowledge in their teachers a major obstacle for generating interest in the course. These students still consider that the traditional approach to teaching ESL is still a preferable solution over ICT use and finds the traditional method of teaching much more satisfying then the newer approaches. Such students often become passive in the classroom and are easily bored. They would therefore, reject the use of technology in ESL teaching, which might result into non-participation and resistance. Teachers and students of ESL courses also complaint of poor quality of course materials. Often the course materials are not at par with the teaching and learning objectives and are included only to fulfill the aim of using ICT for providing ESL teaching. These course materials are not fully tested and therefore their efficacy might be in question (Andone et al., 2007). While, some students may find the course to be too easy and boring, some may find it to be too progressive and difficult to follow. Such perceptions solely depend on the ability of the student to understand ICT tools and methods. In case a person is adapt in using technology, he or she would find using ICT in ESL learning as an easy process. However, if a person is technologically weak, he or she would find it very difficult to incorporate ICT use in ESL learning process. In fact, it might even create added problems for the student as he or she would now have to learn the use of technology, together with learning a foreign language. Such a situation would result in poor learning progress as well as creating a de-motivating environment for the student (Andone et al., 2007). The success of using ICT for ESL teaching also depends on the IT skills of the teacher as well. The teacher just like the students needs to fully understand the ICT tools being used in the course in order to deliver the course content in an effective manner. If the teacher gets intimidated by the use of technology, he or she would not be able to use it convincingly and deliver the lecture in an effective manner in the classroom. Thus, together with the students, the teachers of ESL need to develop their ICT skills to make the module successful (Egbert et al., 2002). Use of technology has advanced considerably in Saudi Arabia, with the youngsters using technology such as mobile phones and Internet on a regular basis. Thus, the outcome of using ICT to teach ESL to students between 16-18 years of age in the country might be beneficial if the module instructors are able to use technology in an efficient manner. However, it has mostly been observed that teachers are not able to use technology in most cases, which are leaving these students dissatisfied with the quality of the course content and the delivery mechanism. Teachers are also complaining that these students are not taking online assignments seriously and are often late in their submissions. Further, online forums instead of encouraging student participation are creating added issues for the teachers. Most of them observe that the students are using wrong spellings and grammar while posting comments or giving their opinions on these forums. As there is a lag time in responding to these comments, even when the teacher corrects their spellings and grammar usage, seldom students revisit the feedback given by the teachers. This is causing added concern as the students continue to use wrong English and do not make any effort to correct their mistakes (Diaz, 2006). Therefore, the need of the hour is to recognize these issues and address them at the onset so that ICT could be used in an effective manner for implementing ESL training as it cannot be denied that despite so many issues, using ICT would definitely help students to achieve better results in learning English as a second language. Conclusion Using ICT to teach ESL to youngsters in Saudi Arabia has certain advantages as well as disadvantages. The use of technology to teach ESL is helping teachers to improve the listening, speaking and presentation skills of the young students. With the use of various multimedia tools such as video and audio aids, teachers are able to improve the listening, pronunciation and reading abilities of the students as well. Further, through the effective use of Internet tools such as blogs, digital storytelling and online reading, teachers are effectively helping teenagers in Saudi Arabia to learn ESL. The use of web-based technologies such as social media, blogs and online forums are also helping such students to build their confidence regarding using of English and speaking or interacting with their peers in various social situations in an effective manner. Further, due to the use of a technology-driven teaching process, the role of the teacher has also changed from being a mere provider of information to that of a supervisor or facilitator. Thus, the teacher is being able to give equal attention to the students and help them in improving their English language skills in a better manner. Also, using of ICT is ensuring that such students should become learners for life. Technology has become a part and parcel of the lives of these students and therefore such students would always use ICT tools such as Internet to access information regarding English language and continue developing their language skills even after finishing their course. Although, most ESL students are aware about the various benefits of ICT use to learn a foreign language, they mostly use technology for recreational activities and do not consider using it to improve their language skills. Teachers on the other hand state that young students are so use to traditional method of teaching that they often do not consider online assignments seriously and often skip them as they do not find them as formal means of imparting education. Thus, improper perception about ICT use in education may result into low level of engagement in students, which would eventually result into poor progress as well. It has also been seen that learner might not be satisfied with the quality of teaching due to the use of ICT as the faculty might not be comfortable with the use of technology. This especially creates issues with tech savvy students who often find such classes boring as the teachers are not able to generate interest through the use of technology in an effective manner. These students prefer the traditional approach to teaching ESL over ICT use. Such a situation often results into making the students non-participative and resistive in the classroom. Thus, it is essential to take into consideration the various advantages and disadvantages of using ICT to teach ESL to 16-18 year old learners in Saudi Arabia, which were discussed in detail in this paper, before implementing such a process in a full-fledged manner. Reference Andone D., Dron J., Pemberton L., & Boyne C. “E-learning environments for digitally-minded students.” Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 18(1), 2007: 41-53. Berman, M. “A multiple intelligences road to an ELT classroom (2nd ed.).” Carmarthen, UK: Crown House Publishing, 1998. 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Turner, F. & Crews, J. “Bricks and clicks: A comparative analysis of online and traditional education settings.” International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning 2(4), 2005: 3-8. Read More

 

 

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