Infusion of Emerging Online Technologies into ELT: The Need of the Hour

By Seyed Mohammad Hassan Hosseini* mhhosseini2002@gmail.com

Abstract

Today’s world context of the Cyber Age, which is characterised by ever-growing technological revolutions in the ongoing scenario of globalisation, has increased the value of English language, the language of the virtual world or the Second Life, as an international lingua franca (ELF). And ELT professionals’ main mission is to equip tomorrow’s citizenry with this international medium of interaction, with ELF. But the fact is that ELT has not been a success in many parts of the world, including in countries like Iran and India, hitherto (Hosseini, 2007). It is in this backdrop that the deficiencies in the present context of ELT call for new remedies and innovative approaches. This paper, as such, suggests the inclusion of online technology, as an effective educational apparatus, into the field for the benefit of language classes. The paper gives glimpse of the emerging online technologies and presents pragmatic guidelines for successful implementation of such innovations. Educational institutes – from primary to post secondary — could consider the proposed programme for enhancing the attainment of their educational objectives. The project may also be implemented state-/country-wise.

Introduction

English language, in the era of globalisation, has become a multi-purpose instrument enabling human beings not only to use it for communication in trade, business, administration and science education, but for influencing human behaviour and facilitating social cooperation as well. Interdependence in today world context is an indispensable value, and using English in communication is one way of promoting mutual understanding and interdependence. Globalisation has also contributed to the evolution of online technology, which has undoubtedly helped humans to achieve the optimum potential in every sphere of life. It is recently, however, that the present info-tech scenario has brought to the fore the significance of online technology in improving the quality of education in general and ELT in particular.

Online technology has given the language teachers a goldmine of materials for exposing learners to enormous opportunities for genuine learning, either individually or cooperatively. In virtual learning environments that take advantage of engaging activities and are scaffold by live instructors, students have the opportunities to use the language and share their language learning skills and strategies not only together but also with native speakers (Pegrum, 2007). This could happen through chat rooms, blogs¹, wikis², moodles³, podcasting⁴, vodcasting⁵, and other virtual worlds. In such virtual environments, students, with different backgrounds, learning styles, interests, and abilities and paces of learning, can acquire and practice a new language through available to them authentic, diverse, and at the same time comprehensible input. They provide portable access to learning, which can be personalised and flexible. One other major characteristic and significant feature of these virtual learning environments, as the nexus of innovation and empowerment, is that they have the capacity to supply a developmental window on to the learning process, allowing fuller formative feedback as well as providing a portfolio of learners’ contributions (Bradshaw et al., 2002). In structured implemented virtual learning environments no learner can abdicate their responsibilities.

It is such kinds of contributions of online technologies to language learning environments that have led to the success of language classes which are run with their scaffold. Comprehensible input, for instance, according to Krashen (1989), is one of the main prerequisites for the acquisition of language. Authenticity is also believed to be one of the main keys to language learning. Another reason for the success of these virtual spaces in language courses may be the fact that they are stress-free and hence contribute to lowering the affective filter of learners and encourage risk taking, which is an important predictor of SLA. Such learning spaces naturally thwart the boredom of learning the language occasioned by conventional classes and contribute to positive change in the attitudes of learners towards learning. A number of researchers like Mathewson (1976) and Zimbardo and Ebbesen (1970) have argued that favourable attitudes are likely to motivate students for further learning and help increase their attention or engagement in the learning process. And engagement in learning, as the main key to effective language learning, brings their academic success. Feeling of achievement, in its turn, escalates their confidence, positive attitudes, motivation, engagement in the learning process, and consequently academic achievement. As indicated in Figure 1, this is assumed to be a cyclical process. Such assumptions are in part based on SLA theory which clearly prioritises the significance of exposure, motivation, and confidence as three pivotal variables for the acquisition of language to occur.

Figure 1. The Cyclical Interplay among Attitude, Motivation, and Learning

Despite the importance attributed to the significant role of online technologies, as powerful resources for enhancing language learning, ELT sphere has not yet accommodated such innovations, especially in countries like Iran. This is while in some developed countries the focus is on concepts like ‘content-bound web-based collaborative language leaning’. The merits of such programs are believed to be immense in view of the fact that they have the capacity to be managed in such ways that could enhance the acquisition of academic language, in addition to language itself, more effectively.

Therefore, the infusion of online technologies into language courses must be taken into account as the need of the hour. Such programmes could be conducted independently at state level or even country-wise or in an attempt to back up the conventional language classes in schools, universities, and other educational institutes for the attainment of their ultimate curriculum goals. In the latter case, such technologies will mediate between teaching force and learning effect. That is, they will reinforce learning of students, in bona fide environments, which cater for different learning styles. With the scaffold of synchronous and asynchronous e-tutoring, learners will be able to learn in ways not previously possible. Such solutions are congruent with Piagetian, Deweyian, and Vygotskyian approaches to learning which aim at augmenting learner autonomy.

But the point is that the formal and structured integration of online technologies into language learning courses is not that easy. Van de Ven and Poole (1995) confirmed the idea when they stated, “the task of making the transition from traditional teaching to teaching with technology is much tougher than it seems. This is because the transition is as much a cultural one as one of mere methodologies. It involves a shift in teaching paradigms, a shift in the way of thinking about teaching (p. 198)”. Such a shift demands open-endedness of all the stakes involved. It exacts devotion, patience, perseverance, and expertise. For such programmes to be effective, a team of best of those experts who are committed to their profession and accountabilities are needed. Such teams, as illustrated in Figure 2, should consist of four main sectors: a Control Centre, a Teaching Sector, an Evaluation Sector, and a Logistic Sector.

Figure 2. Components of the Centre for ELT and Online Technologies

In view of the significant contribution of such a programme to the success of the profession, the following tasks are suggested for each sector (see also Appendix A):

Control Centre

………………………..

The coordinators in control centre, which is recommended to include some IT professionals, in addition to some language teaching specialists and some language testing experts, should take account of the following tasks:

• Detecting and analysing the learners’ needs;
• Clarifying the objectives;
• Designing the syllabus;
• Developing authentic and engaging instructional materials;
• Improving fair and motivating evaluation systems;
• Defining and configuring the services that are to be made available to learners, and
• Synthesizing and canalising the efforts of teaching sector and evaluation sector while keeping in mind the objectives and the curriculum.

Furthermore, the administrators in the centre should help teachers and evaluators to keep abreast of the latest developments in the areas of their concerns for the success of their online programmes. This could be done through providing them with some relevant electronic lists, electronic journals, online libraries and databases, and so forth. Formation of web-based English language teachers communities for sharing research and teaching experiences (e.g., through synchronous and asynchronous discussion forums) could also be effective. Such circles of experts contribute to the teachers’ professional success by virtue of the fact that they would serve as platforms to improve the quality of their classrooms’ wikies, blogs, and moodles. They would also be helpful for preparing shared banks of quizzes, tests, and tasks so as to lessen the burden of their responsibilities in the implementation of their innovations in their classrooms. Creating and monitoring opportunities for critical engagement of teachers, evaluators, and students through live and/or messaging systems should not be neglected.

Yeh et al. (2000) put forth the following guidelines for designing more qualified interactive websites, which could be considered by the control centre:

• Accommodating a variety of learning styles (e.g., through providing texts, graphics, and high quality audio and video media);

• Encouraging exploratory learning (e.g., via interactive tasks);
• Providing sequence instruction (in the web pages);
• Encouraging metacognition (design of learning strategies in the web pages),
• Using graphics to show relationships, and
• Providing downloadable educational software (e.g., games and songs).

And finally, the administrators should be cognizant of the fact that learners’ participation in the learning process can be stilted, or passive if they feel no control over their endeavours. Ineffective data delivery system, improper and insufficient tutor/moderator support, and absence of necessary feedback from the service providers can also jeopardise the learning process.

Teaching Sector

………………………….

The online English language teaching specialists, in teaching sector, should be aware of the fact that E-learning has changed their roles from the sole sources or transmitters of knowledge to moderators, e-learning guides, managers of a range of resources, and facilitators of the learning process. They may take into account the following accountabilities:

• Effective contextualised conveying of material through their virtual environments. This may be supported by audio and video conferencing, etc.;
• Practising participants through both online and offline exercises and quizzes;
• Providing learners with relevant, immediate, and comprehensible feedback. Mobile technologies could be fruitful in this regard also, and
• Bringing equal opportunities for all learners’ participation and enhancing their simultaneous interaction.

The important thing is that students should have primary skills in practical use of online technologies if they are to make use of such programmes more effectively. And it is teachers who need to empower them with necessary skills for entering virtual learning environments. Teachers ought to develop their computer as well as interpersonal skills. Practising them in working through different chat rooms and search engines in order to access, for example, to specific chat groups, web forums, and remote libraries and databases is essential. Teachers should also encourage them for offline interactions through emailing, messaging and / or threaded forums. Establishing and developing a culture of learning and capacity building in terms of developing their abilities for adhering to such a culture in which bilateral responsible interactive learning is emphasized should not be overlooked. These could be done through conducting some crash courses or orientation workshops.

Evaluation Sector

…………………………….

The language testing specialists who avail themselves of tools and techniques of e-assessment, including different types of rubrics and rubric generators, CBT / CAT and TOIA, the emerging assessment managing system, for example, may consider the following for contributing to the success of online courses:

• Focusing on intended ability levels of learners;
• Targeting at the assessment of test takers’ performances / abilities in real-life situations. Simulation tasks allow test developers to elicit contextualized, integrated performances that closely resemble those in real-life L2/FL interactions. (Mislevy, 1996; Mislevy, Steinberg, Breyer, Almond, & Johnson, 1999.), and
• Generating new tasks with the desired components in a structured manner which can be done based on a systematic analysis of prototype tasks with identified characteristics that are fed into a database.

Specialists, in evaluation centre, should consider that computerized delivery of tests through the internet should be on time, the allocated time for its completion should be clear, and the evaluator should be online in order to facilitate the process of test taking.

Logistic Sector

………………………..

And finally, the experts in charge in logistic centre should consider the following responsibilities:

• Appropriate course changeover and administration of new course;
• On time delivery of high-quality services, and
• Adaptation of the course for facilities, conditions, and needs.

The personnel in logistic sector should bear in mind that learners need to be provided with appropriate guidelines and time table. In addition, they need to have access to a wide range of communication tools such as more controllable video and audio programs in order to select the tools that better help them obtain ‘live’ content and information.

Conclusion

Concurrent with the shift from second to third millennium, the world is increasingly becoming digital and hence communications and the means of communications are being redefined. It is in such a context that online technologies are increasingly getting integrated into ELT via a range of approaches and programmes. The belief is that online educational spaces which are need-based, student-centred, and process-oriented make language teaching and language learning enjoyable as they offer flexible and attractive environments suitable for multilevel continues interaction. As a result, they lead to satisfactory teaching / learning experiences and thus enhance the effectiveness of language classes and lead to deeper learning.

Therefore, the prominence of the mission and the objectives of ELT need to be explored from different vantage points in this context, especially in countries like Iran. ELT has to move from instructivists to constructivists’ modes of pedagogy, which emphasizes students acquiring meta skills and knowledge for a lifelong learning. TESOL practitioners must exploit the emerging electronic tools in their language classrooms if they want to play their roles in the betterment of the profession, which is as one of the major thrust area of Education. In the process, they should also help students develop their technological savvy in virtue of the fact that it is crucial for their future professional success. Educational policy makers should also focus on establishing and developing virtual schools, universities, and other educational institutes.

Educators, however, should be aware of the fact that in spite of the ample options online technology provides to learners, it can still be harmful to them. Therefore, they should not be negligent of the pitfalls of virtual worlds as they, with their engrossing power and charm, can distance students from social life and leave them in a real island. Technology should empower learners, and not handicap them.

Notes

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1.       A blog is virtual learning environment that could offer immense possibilities in the field of ELT, for augmenting learner autonomy. It is useful especially for large classes. The point in a blog is that every step of the way or every journal entry is a final version on its own right. It is also a good platform to record processes and stages for end-users. To help students create their own blogs, teachers can conduct an orientation workshop, availing themselves of the guidelines at www.blogspot.com.

2.       Wikies are almost similar to blogs. But in contrast to blogs that are good platforms to record processes and stages for end-users, in wikis it is the last version that counts. The best section in a wiki is the discussion where one can learn how a community interacted to get those results. This is in contrast with a blog where every step of the way is a final version on its own right.

3.       A Moodle is a free, open source virtual learning environment. It can be used to provide structured additional learning materials to supplement face-to-face classes, or even to produce a simple online distance learning course.

4.       A podcast is an online, pre-selected audio on-demand, delivered through a portable media device such as an iPod or MP3 player. Podcasting is a technology by which teachers can add to their online course, thereby diversifying the way the course content is delivered. This technology has built itself on the developments of cyber bulletin boards, web groups, weblogs, audioblogs and rss feeds. Using this technology, sound files are created in MP3 format and stored on the web. Then an XML file is created and uploaded on the same site. Users should download one of the client software to be able to listen to podcasts. They can store them on their computers, copy them on movable drives or MP3 players or ideally to their iPods and listen to them at their own discretion. Using a podcast, vocabulary, for example, can be learnt easily by listening to a corpus in which the world occurs. This gives a contextual meaning, usage, and focuses on pronunciation. Likewise, the subtle differences between synonyms can be demonstrated through examples of usage through corpus data. Similarly, collocations can be taught using examples of the linguistic units presented contextually.

5.       A vodcast is similar to podcast with the difference that it deals with visual. It is an online delivery of video content on-demand through a video -MP3 player such as an iPod video.

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*The author holds an A.D. (ELT), a B.A. (ELT), an M.A. (TEFL), and a PhD (ELT). He has presented many articles in different (inter)national symposia and journals. His research interests are in the areas of teaching methodology and applied psycholinguistics with a focus on context of learning. His publications are varied including one recently published in Online Journal of ‘Language in India’-December 2007 issue. He has also presented papers in national and international symposia including recently at the International Forum on “New and Emerging Technologies in ELT”, held at Madras, India.