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AN OVERVIEW OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF ICT IN

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING

Simhachalam Thamarana
Research Scholar
Andhra University
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
India

Abstract
Some highlights in the contribution of ICT in teaching and learning of English language are to be
outlined and the ways the technology can assist in English course planning are to be examined.
Use of ICT is an essential subject matter in English language education that it is presented all
through this paper. In this paper we come across more discussions of technology related to
the teaching English language skills. For example, topics such as use of technology in
students vocabulary expansion; technology associated with language students in most of the
educational institutions in the world; computer-assisted purposeful learning environments in
addition to content-specific applications of technology in English language skills like
Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are to be examined. This paper will also explore
the technological advancements and the Internet, standards for technology-language students,
and teaching and learning with technology. Moreover I endeavour to show some English
teachers and students attitude towards use of ICT in English language teaching. Finally the
conclusions are drawn by means of the review of literature indicated.

Key Words: ICT, Language Teaching, Skills Learning, Computer, Websites.

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In the present educational world, Information and Communication Technology has great role
to play in planning for teaching and learning of English language. There are some significant
ways that technology helps in English language course planning.
Some important aspects are as follows:
(a) It provides a learning goal for students to develop certain technology competencies.
(b) It provides a resource for curriculum planning through the extensive materials that are
available on the Internet.
(c) It provides tools to improve students ability to learn through techniques such as simulation
and visualization in science as well as text analysis in literature.
(d) It supplies some software and applications that encourages reflection in language learning
and provides models of good teaching performances.

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND THE GROWTH OF

INTERNET SERVICES IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION:
Now a days students are growing up in an advanced world that is far changed technologically
from the world in which their grandparents and parents were students. But now all kinds of
education connected with technology in order to succeed in the present world. If students are
to be adequately prepared for tomorrows jobs, technology must become an integral part of
schools and classrooms.
The Internet is a system of computer networks that operates worldwide. As the core of
computer-mediated communication, the Internet is playing avital role in the technology
advancement in educational institutions. In most of the cases, the Internet has more recent and
up to date information than printed textbooks. Many developed countries have already adopted
technological approaches in teaching and learning. For instance, cent percent of American
public schools have internet connections. However, the Internet did not become the common
portal it is today until the introduction of the World Wide Web (WWW). The Web is a system
for browsing all Internet sites. It is called the Web because it is made of many sites connected
together.
In the internet, the World Wide Web presents various web pages with the help of HTML and
HTTP, with full of links to other documents or information systems. The user can access more
information about a particular topic by selecting one of these web links. Web pages include
text in addition to multimedia content such as images, video, animation, and sound files. The
English language learners and teachers can access all this information by clicking on words or
images appeared on a computer screen. In addition to this multimedia content, web indexes
and famous search engines such as Google and Yahoo can also help language students in

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finding useful information after necessary verification and collation of multiple web sources.
The Internet can have valuable tools for assisting language students. Though, it has some
possible shortcomings. To use internet effectively with language students, we shall have to
know how to make us of internet and feel secure with it. The users can have many latest
equipment and application softwares. In addition, the computers should be installed with
firewalls and blocking software on educational institution servers to control the issues such as
students accessing pornographic material and biased web sites. If we use effectively, the
Internet will certainly expand right to use a world of knowledge and people that students cannot
access in any other way. There are some effective ways that the technology can be used in
language classrooms:

Planning and integration of linguistic knowledge

The Internet has enormous databases of information on a vast range of topics which are
organized in multiple ways. As language students search Internet resources, they can process
many things like integration linguistic information from various sources that they could not
otherwise access. There are many ways to support such work is through Tech Learning
(http://www.techlearning.com). A Tech Learning is an inquiry-oriented activity designed by
teachers that maximizes student learning time, emphasizes using information rather than
looking for it, and stimulates thinking. This involves various Software reviews, online course
registration, discussion groups. Tech Learning focuses student efforts on possible tasks,
provide a set of information resources and guidance for completing those tasks, and outline the
work in an integrative context. They help students to learn Internet searching in meaningful
ways.

Collaborative language learning

One of the most effective ways to use the Internet inyour classroom is through project-centred
learning and teaching activities. Indeed, many websites for English language learning are
designed to be collaborative with roles and tasks assigned to various members of each group.
Other important collaborative use of the Internet is to have a group of students conduct an
analysis on some grammar topics related to English can be put it on the Internet. We can get
responses from many parts of the world. We can organize, analyze, and summarize the data we
receive, and then share them with other English classes throughout the world. There is another
type of collaborative learning project which involves sending groups of language students on
Internet to find information and use it in an effective way in language learning and teaching.
Computer-mediated communications for Language Teaching and Learning

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An increasing number of innovative educational developments include the use of computer-
mediated communications for teaching and learning of English. For example, there are many
online sites (such as www.britishcouncil.org, www.englishgrammar.org,
www.eslpartyland.com, www.usingenglish.com, www.ets.org/toefl, www.iteslj.org,
www.brighthub.com, www.busyteacher.org etc) set up for English teachers and students to
communicate with pen pals around the world. Most of these websites even provide safe
access to more innovative Computer Mediated Communication forms such as chats and blogs
(such as www.brighthub.com). In the other programs and websites similar to some of these
websites, assisting in Fostering a Community of English language Learners, in which language
students communicate with experts via e-mail, giving them access to a wider circle of
knowledgeable people. In the British council (www.britishcouncil.org), a year long,
interdisciplinary English language curriculum for various levels of students, students conduct
language practices at their own local study sites and then share their findings and experiences
with students around the world through an Internet conversation panels.

English Teachers Training to develop the Knowledge about Use of Technology

Two excellent Internet resources for English teachers are The ICT4LT website is a collection
of training modules in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Language
Teachers. It was initiated with funding provided in 1999-2000 by the European Commission
and has been regularly updated ever since. (ICT4LT at www.ict4lt.org) and Educational
Technology and Mobile Learning (www.educatorstechnology.com), which provide many
useful websites for teaching and learning English anduseful information about a wide range of
educational topics. The BBC learning English, students can find help with grammar,
vocabulary, and pronunciation, with plenty of references to current events inaddition to
a special section for EFL teachers. The Educational Technology and Mobile Learning provides
an easy access to English language related material, lesson plans and many useful links to
online educational information about English Language. Other excellent Internet resources for
English teachers include ESL Cyber Listening Lab (http://www.esl-lab.com/index.htm), an
online website that brings language educators together in learning communities to discuss
various issues and work on language collaborative projects. The Oxford University Press
Learning Resources Bank (OUPLB) for English language teaching world-wide
(http://teacherline.pbs.org/teacherline), which provides many resources, online professional
development courses such as learning courses, titles, and interactive English reading tools for
teachers. Some language games and tests that offer student a great way to test and improve
their English language skills. As the Oxford University Press Learning Resources Bank

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(OUPLB) for English language educators has an extensive collection of paraphernalia to the
teachers at all levels in various subject areas in English. It also provides many professional
development materials to teachers for teaching language effectively.

Use of Graphics and Presentations in English Language Teaching

Somegraphics software like Microsoft Power Point can tremendously improves many of the
presentations language instructors use in teaching. Such software graphics packages allow
teachers as well as students to copy and create images, set the timing of material, formulate
charts and graphs and make excellent visual presentations in English language classrooms.
These graphics and presentations can help teachers to organize his content and place it in a
dynamic format for an effective teaching. On the other hand, flashy graphics are no substitute
for a wellrehearsed presentation. During presentation, the text presented on the Overhead
Projector screen must also supports the material presented orally.

SOME ESSENTIAL CRITERIA TO USE TECHNOLOGY FOR ENGLISH

LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING
In the present times, educational institutions must have an active role in making sure that
students become technologically literate and competent enough to adopt it in studies. Most of
the national standards recognized this technological awareness. For instance, the National
Council of Teachers of English/International Reading Association Standards for the English
Language Arts (NCTE/IRA, 1996) include the following: Students use a variety of
technological and information resources (such as libraries, databases, computer networks, and
video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. In
addition, amajor theme in the National Council for the Social Studies, Curriculum Standards
for the Language Studies (NCLS, 1994) is Science, Technology, and Society. The
International Society for Technology in Education has developed the some essential technology
standards for students (ISTE, 2007) and teachers (ISTE, 2007).

9 Communication with collaboration. Students use digital media and language contexts to
work collaboratively, even in distance education system, to improve various skills in
language learning.
9 Creativity and innovation. Students in general and English language students show creative
thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products using technology for better
learning.

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9 Good Research and adequate information fluency. Students apply various digital tools to
gather, evaluate, and use information about language skills.
9 Digital citizenship for satisfactory behaviour. Students improve their understanding of
human, societal, and cultural issues involving technology and demonstrate ethical
behaviour.
9 Essential Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Students need to have
potentiality in critical thinking to plan learning activities and carry out useful research,
manage various projects, solve problems, and make prompt and effective decisions using
right technology.
9 Technology operations and concepts. Students understand much technology related
operations and concepts so that they can use in learning activities.
These technological settings capture many aspects of the ways in which the Partnership for
21st Century Skills suggests technology can help language instructors and institutions look
beyond the requirements of the No Child Left Behind policy to help students develop essential
knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need in the coming generations. They support
emphasizing main subjects and language learning skills using 21st century technological tools
and apt content in a 21st century context, and using present assessments to measure various
language skills.

PEDAGOGICAL RELEVANCE IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE

LEARNING
At present the main concern is all about the use of technology to improve language teaching
and learning. In fact there is no correlation between the learning language and using the
language in a real situation in day to day life. Many reputed educational institutions argue that
there is a huge gap between the technology knowledge and the skills most students learn in
colleges and the technology knowledge and the skills they need in the 21st century workplace.
Many language experts stated that schools need to move beyond the emphasis on subject
content required by the present language students and focus more on 21st century dominant
themes, like use various media and information and communication technology in teaching and
learning.

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Works Cited
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Clyde, William and Delohery, Andrew.Using Technology in Teaching. New Haven and
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Broughton, Geoffrey, et al. Teaching English as a Foreign Language. London and
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Block, David and Cameron, Deborah, Ed. Globalization and Language Teaching. London
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Erben, Tony and Ban, Ruth. Teaching Language Learners through Technology. New York
and London: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Goodwyn, Andrew, Ed.English in the Digital Age Information and Communications
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Cassell, 2000. Print.
Field, Kit, Ed. Issues in Modern Foreign Languages Teaching. London and New York:
Routledge. 2000. Print.

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