Reading  skill   

How to Teach English with Technology

The use of new technologies in English language teaching has experienced an increment in the last years. However, very little has been published so far on the how-to aspect of technology integration in this context. Two recent books fill in this gap: Blended Learning and How to Teach English with Technology. I adopted both publications for my computer-assisted language learning (CALL) course last semester, and my students, who are pre-service English teachers, welcomed them warmly. Part of my students’ enthusiasm stems from the fact that the publications allowed them to see in practice what they had learnt in theory. Informed by the latest developments in language teaching theory and practice, these books cover many of the growing range of technologies used in ELT and offer practical ideas which teachers can incorporate into their teaching. Both publications are consistent with an ‘electronic literacy approach’ ( Shetzer and Warschauer 2000), which views technology not just as an aid for language learning but rather as an important new medium of literacy in its own right. According to this approach, language teaching professionals who have access to computer technology are in a good position to teach students not only language but also valuable skills and strategies in using computer technology that can help them to cope with the requirements of the information technology society. Another key concept in the books under review is technology integration. Therefore, the main rationale underlying both publications is that technology use should be an integral part of the teaching and learning process and not a discrete activity to be undertaken in isolation of the rest of the learning. The books then provide very practical and exciting ideas on how teachers can go about developing effective ways of putting these principles into practice. http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/content/62/4/422.extract