Here is TK Arunachalam’s article ‘The relationship between tech and the English language teacher’ published on Cambridge English blog.
Technology is having a huge impact on education and the way we learn, and the English language learning sector is no exception. Technology and language learning have a long history. If we go back to the 1980s, the boom in home computing started to change the way we learn. More recently the advent of the internet and the introduction of interactive whiteboards have also had dramatic effects on the classroom. At Cambridge Assessment English we’ve put a lot expertise into developing digital resources and they are starting to have an impact on our learners worldwide. I often get asked: will tech eventually replace teachers? The simple answer is no, quite the opposite. In fact in the last ten years digital developments have opened up lots of new opportunities for existing teachers, which can really benefit students learning English around the world. So what digital products are Cambridge Assessment English developing? We’re developing lots but here are a few that I’d like to showcase.
Games and social media
At Cambridge Assessment English we’ve produced lots of games, videos and social networking which are proving to be great ways of helping people to learn English. One of our most successful developments to date is Quiz Your English, which is a mobile app that allows language learners around the world to go head-to-head in an English language quiz. Players can challenge people via social media to see who comes out on top for vocabulary and grammar skills. The app covers a range of topics and has proved to be a fun way to practise and improve students’ English. Launched in March 2017, over 5 million games have been played so far making it a huge success and a significant milestone in the digital learning space for Cambridge Assessment English.
The relationship between tech and the English language teacher