ICT in English Language Teaching

The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is something unavoidable. Almost in every part of human life, ICT is there. People, infact, tend to be “selfish” with their gadgets or smartphones. It, then, leads people to talk less with others and focus more on what they have in their hands. They communicate, actually, but in different styles: emails, whatsApps, twitter, facebook, instagram, and other online medias.

What about in teaching? Here, we summarize an article* about how ICT influence the way we transfer knowledge to students.

The Benefits of ICT in general

ICT is found to be advanta geous in several ways as mentioned by Herington (2002)

1. technology facilitates exposure to authentic language;
2. technologyprovides the access to wider sources of information and varieties of language;
3. technology gives the opportunity to people to communicate with the world outside;
4. technology allows a learner – centered approach;
5. technology develops learner’s autonomy.

ICT help people in order to get information and to communicate each other in wider range.

ICT Tools in Language Context

Interactive media is the integration of digital media including combinations of electronic text, graphics, moving images, and sound, into a structured digital computerized environment that allows people to interact with the data for appropriate purposes.

Computer can be utilized with other multimedia learning devices or it can stand alone (a standard PC) and still serves its basic purpose as an electronic medium of language learning.

Audio devices can be used with other media to form an interactive multimedia. However, it can also be utilized separately as independent tool. Audio devices include speaker, earphone, CD, and etc.

Internet can be used as a medium of language learning through email, www (world wide web), text, audio and video conferencing.

Mobile gadgets such as cell phone and smart phone which are equipped with programs like computer, which enable it to perform as mini personal computer. By using this gadget and its internet connection, everybody could enjoy chatting, browsing, and discuss each other with the wider range. The advancement of science and technology makes the size and price of those gadgets are getting cheaper and reachable.

Social interface. This media provides facility or example that enables an interaction between human and computer. People set up more interaction with computer in a more intuitive way with less effort through writing, voice, touch, eye movements, and other gestures. (Hartoyo,2012:34) This technology serves as the milestone of the recent development of interactive multimedia, audio-graphic computer teleconference, and interactive television via satellite (National Broadband of Employment, Education and Training, 1993:5).

Interactive whiteboard. An interactive whiteboard or IWB, is a large interactive display (such as a touch screen monitor) which is connected to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computers’ desktop onto the board’s surface, where users control the computer using a pen, finger or other devices.

A message for NC teachers

What’s been shared by the article is abundant. Let’s focus on what we have. As a teacher, do we have a personal notebook or netbook? If yes, what programs or files have we installed to the computer that support our teaching? Do we have a folder in our notebook created specifically for our teaching materials?

If you haven’t spent a specific space for teaching materials, begin now. Create a folder and save all supporting teaching files in the folder. The files may be in forms of pdf, mp3, videos, ppt and others.

What about our smartphone? Have we installed teaching materials in it? Do we have an English – Indonesian dictionary in it? Have you ever previewed an e-book in your smartphone? If you haven’t done any of the activities asked, begin now. Equip your smartphone with dictionary application and save some e-books and listening files in it.

For those who like being active in a social media, you can use whatsApps, facebook, or twitter to improve interaction with your students in English. You can share ideas or even tasks to them.

Once again, ICT develops very fast and we have to be ready with it. Take it or we’ll be left behind.

For NC teachers who need additional materials in forms of pdf or mp3, please contact NC Head Office (Education Department) or email your needs to newconcept1983@gmail.com. We are ready to send the materials to your email address.

*https://prinzessinnadia.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/ict-in-english-language-teaching-and-learning/