JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY FOR ELT

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1. WEB TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Dr.A.Joycilin Shermila,Associate Professor,Annammal College of Education for Women,Tuticorin – 628003.

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r Contributors

Sit emap

2. LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH ICT

Dr. Bharti RathoreLecturerWaymade College of EducationVallabh Vidyanagar 

3. USING BLOGS FOR TEACHING TECHNICAL ENGLISH - A STUDY

Dr.Revathi Viswanathan,Associate Professor,B.S.Abdur Rahman University.(This Paper was Presented in Asia TEFL Conference On 9th August 2009)

4. ONLINE AND OFF LINE TUTORING TO ENHANCE THE

LEARNERS’ CAPABILITY IN ENGLISHDr.S.Ganesan,                                                        K.G.JaishriM.A.,                                          

S. Keerthivasan Prof. & Head,                                            Prof. & Ph.D Research Scholar.,                            

Dept. Of English,Dept. Of English,                                                        Dept. Of English,                                                                                

Vel Tech Technical University,                        Vel Tech Technical University,            Vel Tech Technical University,

Avadi, Chennai-600 062                                            Avadi, Chennai-600 062                            Avadi, Chennai-600 062

5. WEB TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AND GRAMMAR

 Bhanu Viswanath,Asst.Professor in English,Siddarth Institute of Technology,Puttur.

6. USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES TO TEACH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Dr. S. Ganesan                                                                   Ms. R. ShaliniProfessor & Head                          Asst. Prof in English & Research Scholar,

Vel Tech Dr.RR & Dr.SR Technical University Avadi, Chennai-62.

 WEB TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

         Dr.A.Joycilin Shermila    Associate Professor,

 Annammal College of Education for Women,  Tiruchendhur Road,

             Tuticorin – 628003        ajshermila@gmail.com

AbstractThe Internet and its user-friendly interface the World Wide Web

provide versatile opportunities for language learners.  Children are highly motivated by computers and language learning is more enjoyable with the Internet.  Social networking can serve as a fantastic educational tool both for teachers and students if they understand that the site is used for educational purposes, and is not for personal use. E-mail offers students a practical opportunity to interact with others in the target language.  New generation is crazy about the internet and computers; therefore it will be a fun way to use web 2.0 in language teaching.  The World Wide Web should be used to develop purposeful interaction in the language classroom.

 Computer technology is pervasive in all aspects of modern life.  In the

last few decades, computer technology has made tremendous progress in the world of communication to benefit people. One of the benefits of computer is to help the teachers and the students in teaching learning process.  The Internet and its user-friendly interface the World Wide Web provide versatile opportunities for language learners. The World Wide Web has opened new vistas of language teaching, and since its language is English it provides an

unlimited resource of vocabulary. Moreover, as children are highly motivated by computers, language learning is more enjoyable with the Internet than with conventional methods.

Computers provide students with lot of information and give them individual guidance in learning.  In the computer environment students have the pleasure to discover new knowledge easily.  At the same time they will always need their teachers’ help and guidance. This new situation requires developing new skills, both on the part of teachers and students.  (Cole and Griffin, cited by Jones and Mercer, 1993:23).

The real advance in the use of computers in language teaching came with the transition from floppy-disc to compact discs (CDs) as the basic form of software, the proliferation of e-mail as a means of communication and, most importantly, with the arrival of the Internet as a widely available resource. Today there is a vast array of language teaching material available in the form of CD ROM or DVD, ranging from self-study materials to supplement published course-books, to ESP-based courses and culture-based materials. Many learners of English have access to e-mail and the Internet at home as well as at school and this presents teachers with a range of useful options in terms of setting writing tasks, communicating with learners by e-mail, giving them research tasks and setting up project work based on researching the Internet. Teacher’s Role in the Digital Classroom

It is an admitted fact that using the Internet for learning changes the role of the teacher and the work of the students. As Hajnal, Agócs and Veress point out, future language learners who have an Internet connected computer at home spend lots of time in front of the computer and they are to be guided rather than instructed, as they can find necessary information on the World Wide Web, and they keep in touch with their teacher and classmates by e-mail (1996). Moreover, Windeatt, Hardisty and Eastment reveal that when students are working on the computers they pay little attention to their teacher. This requires more flexibility from the instructor in managing the lesson, and allows more time for working with individuals (2000).            Certainly, teachers have a great responsibility in giving their students the right amount of help. ‘Children need to taste the success that will encourage them to better things, and a teacher can guide them towards that feeling, and show she experiences it also …’ (Hill, cited by Fisher, 1993: 61).

Computers cannot help students when they have difficulties. It is the teacher who not only instructs but pays attention to students’ problems.  As Richard and Janice Schreck point out, “the computer lacks the abilities of a human instructor, for instance, who can interpret facial expressions that indicate confusion or distress, or who can clarify and explain poorly presented segments of otherwise acceptable material whenever the need arises” (1991: 478).  Computer programs can provide students with authentic texts.  The Internet is the principal medium by which students can communicate with others at a distance.

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 Kenji and S. Kathleen Kitao devised three major categories for

computer usage:-    “the computer as a teaching tool”,-    “the computer as a teacher resource”, and-    “the computer as a management tool”(1995).

            Computers’ role in education is growing, and they are becoming important aids both for students and teachers.            Net-based lessons are motivational, a source of authentic language and retain a certain "cutting edge" feel. One of the most important roles of the Internet in learning a language is having access to a large range of audiovisual materials. The Internet provides the learners and teachers with such materials as listening to the news, radio, and/or TV programs, by recording and playing them back to see how native speakers use the language, phrases, and idioms, which also facilitates practice of pronunciation. Social Networking Sites for Language Teaching

The “social networking site” is the 21st century term for “virtual community,” a group of people who use the Internet to communicate by voice, chat, message, blogs about everything and anything. The widespread examples of social networking are Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, YouTube, MySpace, etc. The idea of using social networking in language classrooms seems to be challenging. Using social networking in a classroom, students get an opportunity to:

• Learn a language collaboratively• Be more enthusiastic about learning

• Become autonomous learners• Work together constantly and collaboratively

• Communicate with the native speakers• Learn more about the culture from native speakers themselves• Become more accustomed to native speakers’ pronunciation

• Learn a language in more authentic situations Language teachers can post the target materials on the social network

site and students can write their comments and can also have a discussion on the target topics. Students can be encouraged to share their ideas, difficulties, etc. Social networking can serve as a fantastic educational tool both for teachers and students if they understand that the site is used for educational purposes, and is not for personal use.

 The speaking exercises on the Internet give the learner and the teacher

the opportunity to engage in an online, simultaneous atmosphere with the help of applications such as Messenger and Skype. Skype provides a real-time speaking opportunity with a group of students in a virtual classroom.  The teacher can open a pop up window to write messages, to show the spelling of

certain words.  Everyone in the group has the opportunity to write something on the message box.  The students have the opportunity to write on a separate window individually. This is a chance for the shy or timid students who are hesitant and do not want their comments or questions to be seen by others. Such students can open a new private window and get into communication with the teacher personally.  It enables the user to continue their learning process online without the need for physical presence in class. In language teaching not all areas lend themselves readily for online teaching. Solving tests or doing exercises based on already familiar grammar items is easily transferrable from a classroom setting to online teaching via Skype.

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                

-3-  Emails in Language Classroom

Exchanging emails can help language learners explore the language with interest. It will be a good way in learning how native speakers start and end emails, the common expressions, and the daily life expressions or abbreviations that they use in emails. It will also help in learning the standard language in some cases.  Being very fast, emails increase the exchange between people and consequently increase the interaction between them which leads to more language uses.

E-mail offers students a practical opportunity to interact with others in the target language. Students can create their own mailing lists or the teacher can set up a class e-mail list or listserv. Allowing interested outsiders to subscribe to a class e-mail list can create additional opportunities for authentic communication with other target language speakers beyond one's own familiar classmates (Gonglewski, 1999).  When e-mail communication is kept within one class, the teacher can easily connect communicative tasks to the topic currently being covered in class and thereby extend the learners' communicative time and involvement with that topic. Instructors can design e-mail assignments as pre-class, post-class, or supplementary activities. Web 2 0 Technologies in Language Classrooms

The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services and web applications.

The teaching profession as a whole has much to learn from its digital native students, especially at the technological and social frontier of

Web 2.0 (Wildner, 2000; Davis, 2002; Evans, 2004).  I t is highly encouraged that language teachers must develop awareness and competencies to effectively integrate technology in language teaching and learning. They need to equip themselves with the recent technological innovations to make learning process more relevant to the needs of the modern world (Churchill, 2000; 2007).  In our world, there are different kinds of English teaching methods. Students are to have fun while learning. As the students are keen on technology, they spend most of their time playing computer games or surfing the web. Because of this reason the teacher can make his lesson more effective and enjoyable by web 2.0 technologies. They are up to date so they attract students’ attention. Also they make teaching easier. The teacher can find a lot of visual or audio materials and games.  We can get use of web 2.0 technologies in the classroom effectively. New generation is crazy about the internet and computers; therefore it will be a fun way to use web 2.0 in language teaching.

The Internet is occupying an important position in the ELT classroom.  The World Wide Web can be used very effectively in teaching English as a second language interactively. Preparing for an Internet-based language lesson may be demanding because looking for information on the World Wide Web requires a considerable amount of time and concentration. However, it is absolutely rewarding using it in teaching languages, as students benefit from it enormously. In addition, the range of educational materials that are available in Internet constantly increases and new resources appear on the Internet, which has to be exploited.  The World Wide Web should never be used in the language lesson just for the sake of novelty. It should be used to develop purposeful interaction in the language classroom. Works Cited

1. Gonglewski, M. (1999). Linking the Internet to the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Foreign Language Annals, 32(3), 348-362

2. Fisher, E. (1993). The Teacher’s Role. In Scrimshaw, P. (Ed). Language, Classroom & Computers (pp. 57-74). London and New York: Routledge.

3. Kitao, K., and S. K. (1995). Using Technology for Language Teaching. Archive of the mailing list TESL-L. Accessed 04, 08, 2003.

4. Jones, A. and Mercer, N. (1993). Theories in Learning and Information Technology. In Scrimshaw, P. (Ed). Language, Classroom & Computers (pp. 11-26). London and New York: Routledge.

5. http://karinebaghdasaryan.edublogs.org/2010/11/02/the-role-of-socila-networking-in-language-learningteaching

6. http://www.slideshare.net/jonathanlivingstone/lets-bring-web-2-0-technologies-into-language-classrooms-an-interactive-project

 

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 LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH ICT 

Dr. Bharti Rathore Lecturer

Waymade College of Education,Vallabh Vidyanagar.

Abstract Information and Communication Technology is the buzz word of the 21st century. With incredible finesse it has changed the nature of sharing, storage and dissemination of information. According to UNESCO, “ICT is a scientific, technological and engineering discipline and management technique used in handling information, its application and association with social, economical and cultural matters.” The present paper deals with the importance of ICT in teaching language skills. Keywords: Information and Communication Technology is the buzz word of the 21st century. With incredible finesse it has changed the nature of sharing, storage and dissemination of information. According to UNESC, “ICT is a scientific, technological and engineering discipline and management technique used in handling information, its application and association with social, economical and cultural matters.”  Digitalization of many ICTs has made it possible to design, develop, manage and assess the learning process. It increases the efficiency of the system and makes it more powerful. The new digital technologies used under ICT are following-

o  Multimedia PC, Laptop, Notebooko Digital Video/Still Camerao Local area networking(LAN) and other Networks/Mobile Phoneo WWW(World Wide Web)o CD-ROM and DVDo E-mail and Chato Digital Librarieso Computer Mediated Conferencing- Video Audio Conferencingo Virtual Realityo Application of Software like Word Processing, Spreadsheet,

PowerPoint and simulation, speech recognitiono  These new techniques used under ICT help pupils learn English by

enabling them to communicate, edit, annotate and arrange text quickly and flexibly.

 Using ICT can help pupils to:

o Access, select and interpret informationo Recognise patterns, relationships and behaviourso Model, predict and hypothesiseo Test reliability and accuracyo Review and modify their work to improve the qualityo Communicate with others and present informationo Evaluate their worko Improve efficiencyo Be creative and take riskso Gain confidence and independence

 ICT can be used to integrate speaking, listening, reading and writing. It enhances interactive teaching and learning styles. It also extends pupils' ability to exercise choice, work independently and make connections between their work in English and in other subjects.For example, ICT can help pupils:

o use a wide range of strategies to explore contrasts, comparisons and connections dynamically

o annotate text in innovative wayso enrich or broaden the context of literary studyo see texts in alternative versionso use a wide range of analytical and critical techniqueso  sort and process text and data quickly and efficientlyo order and arrange text and data experimentally, using combinations of

word, image, sound and hypertexto save, record, edit and adapt their work quickly and efficientlyo retain evidence of the editing process so that it can be examinedo change the organisational structure and qualities of texts to suit

different audiences and purposeso compose multi-authored textso select from a wider range of audiences, throughout the worldo exercise choice of medium and design while composing

ICT has been found highly relevant in developing all the four skills of language learning. Following studies will support this viewpoint                                                                                                               - 5 -  Reading            Birmingham, P. investigates the ways in which secondary (Year 9 and 10) students and their teachers use a storyboard tool which provides the user with the capability to create, capture, store, retrieve and interact with a range of images and texts. Research findings report on two distinct ways this product made a valuable contribution to students' learning by encouraging them to explore beneath the surface of the text of Macbeth, in order to gain a deeper understanding of plot, mood, atmosphere and character motivation.

(UK)                   Hall, T..evaluates 17 American studies using Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) in reading for students with learning difficulties. The studies were categorised by type of computer instruction (drill and practice, strategy and simulation) and type of reading intervention. The findings show that students with learning difficulties, who use CAI in reading, increase performance in reading decoding and reading comprehension. Well designed CAI software that is regularly applied in classrooms, has the potential to reinforce teacher instruction, offers students an increase in practice time and can lead to success in reading. However, access alone to hardware and software does not automatically result in reading success for students with learning difficulties. (US)                   An evaluation of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL), in particular reading support software called RITA (Reader’s Interactive Teaching Assistant) used with eight students (mean age 11.7) needing intensive support in one comprehensive secondary school over ten weeks. Findings suggest it can be effective for most students with reading failure in secondary school. The effect of three weekly twenty-minute sessions was measured pre- and post- test. It was most effective for non-dyslexic children, with significant progress in those areas targeted and less progress in areas not targeted in Individual Education Plans. Mean scores did increase for each test, especially for reading and comprehension, and it reversed the general downward slide in standard scores. Highly variable results in spelling may have been due to a school-wide spelling initiative that caused extra difficulty. The least impressive results were for two ESL students where the computer-generated speech may have been too poor to assist with their comprehension difficulties. There were significantly higher levels of enthusiasm and commitment than with traditional approaches. (Lynch, L. UK)                   Nicolson, R. describes a small study with students aged 6 and 8 identified as being most at risk of reading failure. The RITA (Reader’s Interactive Teaching Assistant) system was used with HyperCard 2.3 on Apple Macintosh computers. RITA is a flexible system which allows the teacher to tailor individual activities for the students, automatically storing and analysing the results. The study found that RITA was as successful as using a previously administered traditional intervention approach, with very satisfactory educational effectiveness and cost effectiveness. However, RITA was significantly more cost effective in improving the reading skills of junior school students. Additionally, the students using RITA showed higher levels of motivation than with the traditional approach. However, as successful as computer assisted learning (CAL) appears to be, it is likely that around 10 per cent of the cohort will need to be provided with continuing support. (UK)                   Scrase, R. investigates the use of scanners linked to computers with

speech synthesisers, with a group of sighted year 2 students who had been identified by their teacher as needing additional help with their reading. All the students quickly learned to use the system and the average reading score increased from 6.11 to 7.2. Spelling scores increased from 6.6 to 6.9 and comprehension scores increased from 9.23 to 9.62 during the trial. Findings concluded that the system was more effective at improving reading than spelling and students with specific reading difficulties made little or no progress with the system. (UK)                   Scrase, R evaluates the impact of a multi-sensory system for teaching reading and spelling skills to pupils with learning difficulties. Students using the Starcross Indirect Learning (IDL) system listened to sentences dictated by the computer, then typed the sentences as the program read out the letters. Correct typing was displayed, while asterisks replaced incorrect typing. Research findings demonstrated that students improved both their reading and spelling ages by six months or more for each month of the program. This represented 3.7 times their previous rate of progress for reading and 4.4 times their previous rate for spelling. Further analysis showed that the system was also effective for students with problems with their visual processing (Meares-Irlen syndrome). The study was part of the 'Reading by Computer' project. (UK)                   Van Daal describes two small-scale pilot studies, into the effects of an instructional multimedia system on spelling motivation and reading skill acquisition. The first study examined whether reception-aged children can independently acquire initial reading and spelling skills through computer-assisted practice. The findings show that students, who participated in the computer-based reading and spelling practice, improved their word recognition skill and decoding skills. In up to 16 hours of computer practice they learned as much as in 3 months of traditional reading instruction.                   The second study examined the impact of computer-based spelling practice on the levels of motivation of children with reading failure. The students showed more positive behavior during practice with the computer and less during classroom instruction. Computer-assisted spelling practice also helped them to improve their spelling. (Netherlands) 

                            -6-Speaking and listening            Between October 2001 and March 2002 Becta ran a Digital Video pilot project involving 50 schools from across the UK. The aim of the project was to gather evidence of the impact of DV technology on pupils' engagement and behaviors, and to identify models of effective practice. Becta commissioned the British Film Institute to undertake an evaluation of the Digital Video pilot project. Their report looks at patterns of use and good practice in Digital Video, and considers how the technology has increased

pupils' motivation, broadened access to the curriculum and has fostered both creativity and moving image literacy. The report contains key findings, analysis, case studies and recommendations.            A research study was conducted into the development of a child-friendly computer software program to enhance the early literacy skills of reception-aged children. The ergonomic aspects of designing software for young students are described, along with two studies of reception aged children using the story and vocabulary parts of the program. Multimedia activities such as storybook reading, communicative writing and language games had an impact on students’ oral and written language development, with significant gains in vocabulary development of ethnic minority students. (Netherlands) Writing                   Breese conducted a study on the use of ICT in developing writing skill. This study investigates the effects of unlimited access to word processors on students writing over a period of 20 months. Each of the 7 students was given a laptop to use for all their writing in English lessons. Samples of their narrative writing were compared with samples from a parallel class who only used hand writing methods. Students using word processors showed significant improvement over those using pen and paper.                   Deadman conducted an action research project exploring ways in which reflective writing supports pupils' learning. Students were given two writing activities: one group had the support of the teacher and the other involved students supported by both the teacher and a hypermedia reflective writing frame work. The writing was then analysed sentence by sentence and the results compared. The findings suggest that there were improvements in students' ability to reason when they were further supported by a hypermedia reflective writing framework.                   These studies suggest that ICT can enable pupils to understand, visualise and interpret difficult texts. Students with learning difficulties who use CAI in reading, increase performance in reading, decoding and reading comprehension. Moreover ICT also enables the learners to go beyond the text and relate the text with real life. While using technology I found that a simple and interesting story like ‘Little Match Girl’ sensitizes the students about the plight of the poor and unprivileged people and they develop humanitarian outlook towards mankind. A simple poem like ‘I Love a Tree’ if taught with proper use of ICT enables students to develop love for nature and environmental concerns. Whereas the lesson ‘A Food Chain Story’ when taught with proper graphics inculcates respect and honour for all living creatures as it successfully presents inter-dependence of all creatures. Use of ICT in a lesson like ‘Weird Science’ gives a bird’s eye views of many more such type of inventions. These lessons taught by my students in the schools

generated interest and insatiable curiosity among learners which in itself is the hallmark of true learning. ICT in Practice: going beyond the classroom - Thus ICT not only makes language learning easy  and fun  but also spices the text with real life experiences which make a learner more broad minded and humane. ICT when used properly enables a student to go beyond the textbook to have the feel in real life situations. A lesson on child labour encourages a student to get more information about the condition of child labour in different parts of the world and also to think and devise the ways to help and support them. The students may be also asked to carry out small research related with the topic. This undoubtedly will sharpen their mental abilities and make them more creative. At Waymade College, student teachers prepare various projects on the basic themes of the lesson. For example while teaching the lesson Heart; they also collect information about preventive measures to keep our heart healthy and strong. While teaching the lesson Shipwreck, they collect information about shipwrecks and how they could have been avoided. A lesson on Pollution motivates them to know of the possible causes and steps required to stop that.  INTERNET they collect the relevant information. Similarly a poem on river makes the student teachers collect pictures of ever flowing rivers filled with sparkling clean water as well as polluted dirty rivers of today. Thus making them think over the present scenario. Poems like ‘I Love a Tree’ when taught with the use of technology succeeded in developing environmental awareness and sensitivity towards nature. Kindling the spark of imagination, making students aware of the reality existing outside classroom, stretching their perception, sensitizing them with the values, refining their perceptions are some of the merits of using ICT in classroom.

Thus ICT has become now a need of the modern classroom as it broadens a man’s outlook of life by bringing the whole world at his command. Neglecting it would mean confining oneself within narrow walls so language teachers should try to use more and more ICT in the classroom.  References:-

1. Birmingham, P., 2001. Storyboarding Shakespeare: learners' Interactions with Storyboard Software in the Process of Understanding Difficult literacy texts. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 10 (3), pp. 241-252.

2. IHall,   T., et  al., 2000. Computer Assisted Instruction in Reading for Students with Learning Disabilities: a Research Synthesis. Education and Treatment of Children, 23 (2), pp. 173-193.

3. Lynch, L., et al., 2000. Computer-assisted Reading Intervention in a Secondary School: an Evaluation study. British Journal of Educational Technology, 4 (31), pp. 333-348.

4. Nicolson, R., et al., 2000. Evaluation of a Computer-based Reading Intervention in Infant and Junior  schools. Journal of Research in Reading, 23 (2), pp. 194-209.

5. Scrase, R., 1997. Using Scanners linked to Talking Computers as Tools for Teaching Children to Read. British Journal of Educational Technology, 28 (4), pp. 308-310.

6. Scrase, R., 1998. An Evaluation of Multi-sensory Speaking-computer based System (Starcross-IDL) designed to Teach the Literacy Skills of Reading and Spelling. of Educational Technology, 29 (3), pp. 221-224.

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 USING BLOGS FOR TEACHING TECHNICAL ENGLISH-A STUDY

Dr.Revathi Viswanathan,Associate Professor,

B.S.Abdur Rahman University.                     (This Paper was presented In Asia TEFL Conference held  on 9th

August 2009, at Banghkok)Introduction            English Language teachers in recent years have understood that the integration of technology with traditional classroom teaching enhances language learning. It is felt that traditional classroom environment offers limited scope for creating real life situations in the classroom due to various reasons such as lack of appropriate infrastructure, large classrooms and rigid curriculum . In such contexts, it is imperative to offer language instruction in multiple settings as it promotes the use of language skills in authentic situations with the help of various teaching and learning tools. In other words, teachers need to use advanced technological tools like blogs, podcasts and many more to offer input in technical English beyond classroom setting too. It is worthwhile to mention that it helps even slow learners to comprehend technical aspects by doing tasks, assimilate what is learnt and use that knowledge in real life contexts. This article discusses a research study conducted at the tertiary level and highlights the possibility of training ESL students beyond the classroom with the help of Blogs, to teach technical English.                   With the advent of advanced technology, language teachers are now able to provide need based training to students. Internet provides more opportunities to teachers for conducting web based activities. As Carter, R and David Nunan (2001) mention, it "adds a new dimension to on-line communication and learning".  Teachers have now understood the importance of encouraging students to access even online documents (in the language classroom) and discuss various topics with their peers either in the classroom or through the web. According to Shin (2006), Computer Mediated Communication helps us 'to understand the complexity of its contexts in language learning and teaching'. This proves the fact the  language instruction in multiple setting provides an opportunity to create a virtual environment for

students to participate, collaborate with their peers, receive additional input and training, get individual attention, learn at their own pace and also self-direct their learning. Self learning is advocated to a greater extent in large classrooms due to the complexity of learners' abilities. Enhancing collaborative learning with the help of technology is normalized in recent years and Gasen (1996) in his talk on 'New metaphors for collaborative learning' makes specific reference to the feasibility of maintaining an electronic record of team activity or brainstorm new ideas, form concepts, share ideas and document ideas in written format with the help of technology. Research studies show various advantages that teachers too experience by using advanced technology as a tool in the out-of-the classroom setting. To quote a few, Web 2.0 tools such as Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Mobile help English teachers to create a platform for students to contribute to their learning, reinforce ideas and promote them to assimilate ideas learnt. Thomas (2009) feels that Web 2.0 applications 'enhance collaboration and participation in the classroom and develop students’ new digital literacy skills'. These tools supplement teaching, teachers could think of integrating technology with language training in order to offer authentic input on technical English and help students to use the language in different scenario.The research studies done (by the researcher) earlier on using Blogs to teach foundation English  proved the possibility of motivating the students to use the tool for publishing general essays and current news and that instigated the researcher to do further research. A minor project was conducted recently in one of the reputed engineering colleges in India, which focused on training students in technical writing skills through a class Blog.The objectives of the study were

To offer language training beyond the classroomTo use Blogs to promote collaborative learning and widen students knowledge of technical EnglishTo restructure the prescribed textual information and present them as self-instructional tasksTo offer web-based training (through Blogs) to students of a large classroom.To teach technical vocabulary and develop writing skills among studentsTo train them to face their end semester exam with confidenceTo prepare students for life long learning

Methodology:Sample:           

The participants of this study were first year Electronics and Communication Engineering in B.S.Abdur Rahman University, India. Out of 50 students 20

were taken for the study. The samples were chosen on the basis of their performance in the test conducted in the beginning of the semester. The

analysis of their performance and the further discussions with them relating to the difficulties in completing the given tasks highlighted the need for offering

training in using the language skills.

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Tools used for Training:Web-Based text and BlogsProcedure:

               It was felt that web-based training would promote students’ participation

in language learning. In order to achieve this, the needs of the students, in developing technical writing skills, were analysed and it was found that

students had to be trained in using technical vocabulary in real life situations gathering information on technical subjects (in order to learn technical terms and expressions)  writing lengthy technical answers effectively completing

technical writing tasks such as 'writing checklist', 'writing memos' and 'writing different types of reports' 

         Considering the needs mentioned above learner training was offered for one semester. The prescribed text was restructured as Web-based tasks, which included grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing tasks relating to topics such as resources and Energy, Technology, to name a few. A class Blog was created with the help of the free site, www.blogger.com , and the web-based lessons were uploaded. Most of the lessons dealt with technical details of objects or things that we commonly use.            It is worthwhile to mention that these types of tasks provided exposure to technical vocabulary and also showed the possibility of using them in real life contexts.The sample students were asked to access those tasks periodically. They had to create individual Blogs, which were considered as E-Portfolios and post their responses in their Blogs for the researcher to access them.            As mentioned earlier, one of the purposes of offering online training beyond the classroom was to develop technical writing skills among students and also prepare them to face their exams with confidence. In a way their performance helped the researcher to analyse the effectiveness of the training. A few WebQuest tasks were also designed and in one of them students were encouraged to write a survey report on the use of mobile phones, after accessing a few sample reports from the web.Task:            Dear Students, Have you written a report before? Do you know what is a Survey report? It is a report that is written after conducting a detailed

investigation of something. It is a part of a research work. Would you be interested in learning how to write it?Access the following URL addresses and find out the way. A sample report is

also given in one of the web sites.            All that you need to do is to go through it and prepare a report on your own.

How about conducting a survey to find out the number of people (your own classmates) who use mobile phones with specific facilities? Follow the

following steps:As a group ask your friends and classmates whether they have a mobile with particular features attached. Identify those features. Ask them the purpose of

having such a mobile and what have they done with those facilities for example with a camara, Internet connectivity and others. Collect the data.

Compile them and sit together to discuss your data with group membersFollow the survey report format and prepare a report as a group

http://www.audiencedialogue.net/surveyreport.htmlhttp://www.creativeorgdesign.com/samplereport.htm

http://www.multihullsurveys.com/sample.htm            You need to post it by this weekend. You must stick to the schedule.

 Happy Blogging!            As mentioned earlier, the Web-based tasks focused on developing students' knowledge of vocabulary and developing their reading and writing skills. Students could complete the tasks and post their responses in their e-portfolios. The researcher accessed them and corrected the answers, clarified the doubts raised by students in the class and offered her feedback. Considering the task fulfilment of students, while a few could complete the task within the time allotted, a few took more time to complete. The constraints faced by students such as the need for completing the record work of core subjects (before the semester examinations), lack of internet access and the need to prepare for class tests conducted by other subject teachers, were identified as reasons for such lacunae. However, it must be pointed out that 80% of samples showed interest in participating in this project. Further, their performance in periodical test (conducted by the institution every month) was encouraging.                                                                                                                         -9- Results and Discussion:            The analysis of the effectiveness of the language training was done on different parameters such as, students' ability to complete tasks, their capacity to comprehend different aspects of technical subjects through varied tasks, the success rate of learning technical vocabulary and finally their ability to develop technical writing skills by doing web-based tasks. It was found out that

1. While 35% students had difficulty in completing the tasks efficiently, 65% of them could succeed in that attempt.

2. 70% of them learned a few aspects in technical subjects by doing the tasks.3. 60% of them could learn technical vocabulary and also use them

effectively while handling the tasks.4. 85% of students could write technical essays, reports and checklists

very well, which helped them to handle questions in the end semester. 

            The above mentioned observation proved right, when students shared their blogging experience. Needless to say, students specified the benefits that they received while doing web-based tasks, in their e-portfolios.             The individual attention given helped them to exhibit their analytical and critical reading and writing skills by doing various tasks efficiently.To quote a feedback on the experiences,1. Saturday, April 25, 2009Blogging experience            I feel that blogging is for our own learning and development. I view my blog as a way of both communicating with people and as a way for me to keep track of my own thoughts and ideas. To be frank the assignments which were earlier given to me were relatively new, especially pixel and printing technology, and in fact I had to gather the information from the net. By doing so I acquired knowledge about the subject and its applications in modern day life. By reading lot of articles, I came across new words which helped me to improve my vocabulary and also express the same in my tasks.Initially I felt a bit nervous to post my tasks in the net, for the fear that I may go wrong and get criticized. But because of the encouragement given by my

teacher, I gained confidence and courage to express my thoughts and ideas. A major challenge for bloggers is to find extra time to pay attention to their

blog.. Though it took a lot of time to understand the subject and present it in a lucid way, still I feel that the time spent was worth it. Further it has also

developed my ability to think and present it in a creative way. These tasks have helped me to learn the aspects of upcoming technological development in this world. I sincerely express my gratitude to my teacher for providing such

an opportunity.Posted by Ashwin kumar M E at 6:38 AM , Thursday, April 23, 2009            In addition to this, the researcher could observe students' positive attitude to learn beyond the language classroom and their willingness to publish completed tasks through Blogs.

            To conclude, it must be admitted that the Web 2.0 technology promotes learner training beyond the language classroom and enhances

language learning among students. It is imperative for language teachers to find ways and means to offer such training to students to take up responsibility

for their learning process.References:

1.      Benson (2006).'What is Autonomy?' Retrieved 30 July, 2009 from,      http://ec.hku.hk/autonomy/ .

2.      Thomas (2009). Language Education with Web 2.0 Technologies: From Face-to-Face to Distanceand Blended Learning Retrieved 3 August, 2009, from www.plc.sas.upenn.edu/Michael_Thomas.pdf . 3.      Fowler, Thomas,Jean Gasen,Steven Saltzberg  and Lowell Roberts (1996).4.   Collaborative Learning Using Technology: Issues and Approaches'. 2009, fromhttp://www.educause.edu/Resources/CollaborativeLearningUsingTech/14998 

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ONLINE AND OFF LINE TUTORING TO ENHANCE THE LEARNERS’ CAPABILITY IN ENGLISH

Dr.S.Ganesan Prof. & Head, Dept. Of EnglishVel Tech Technical University,

Avadi, Chennai-600 062 

K.G.Jaishri      Asst. Prof. & Ph.D Research Scholar in English

Asst. Prof. in English,Vel Tech High Tech Engg. College

                                                                                               S. Keerthivasan ,

M.Phil.,                                                                        Vel Tech High Tech Engg.

CollegeIntroduction

            English is considered as a dominant tool of communication in the present 21 century. The mastery of language will lead the country to the much awaited title of the developed nation. The modern technologies have the potential to transform the students from passive recipients of information into active participants. It is time that we move to create a comprehensive language learning system that leads to enhanced knowledge of the language and technology. The integration of computers into the communication environment is very essential. The technological advancements should be a part and parcel of any teaching programme. The on line tutoring is a new emerging field. This paper discusses the recent developments in the field of online tutoring.

 Online Tutoring            There are many ways to use the technology for the welfare of the society. One such positive and effective way to use the technology in education is online tutoring. In online tutoring, there is wide scope for the resources used towards teaching. The term used for online teaching is ‘tutoring’. There are many countries which use this online tutoring sector as the part of their academics. Instead of a teacher teaching the students with all the examples and definition in his/her own method without much concern about the students capability, online tutoring focus on individual students. The learning capability of the every student will be different. It is not possible for the teacher to focus on a particular individual it might dissatisfy the other students if the teacher concentrates on a particular person.            Online tutoring is a wonderful way to focus on the student’s potential and diverts it towards the subject. For example, if a student is not sure about the topic, the tutor (teacher) starts with example and goes on with the definition. If the student is bright the tutor starts the topic with questions to get the knowledge about the topic from the student. The tutor uses the technique known as ‘brainstorming’ to get the knowledge about the topic. After educating the student with the topic, a test is given to check the students understanding towards the topic. The method of tutoring depends according to the student’s learning ability.            In online tutoring the topic will be taught with the interaction with the student in each and every step. The student will be cross checked by the tutor as often as possible to make sure the student’s concentration on the topic. This type of tutoring enhances the student skill sets and it is always possible to concentrate only on the weak area of the student. After identifying the weak area or the doubtful area of the student the tutor concentrates on that particular area of the topic and makes sure the student understood the topic. These are the two extremes in the level of the students. If there is a student with normal learning capability then the tutor starts with pre-reading activity followed by the lesson then post reading activity to show the earlier knowledge in the subject and the knowledge acquired by the student.            There are many companies which carries the work of online tutoring to the students. The students are mostly from U.S. because there are only very few teachers. These teachers can be used to monitor the students rather teaching them so a large number of students can be benefited. Most of the schools opt for this online tutoring so it is easy for them to maintain the student’s record as far as their academics is concerned. The schools and parents can check their child’s academic performance using the reports submitted by the tutors.            In online tutoring the subjects are specific like English, Mathematics,

etc so it is possible for a student to learn more subjects just like what he learns from the class. The difference between online tutoring and classroom teaching differs only towards the student’s perspective. The student will be more focused and will be learning the subject according to his learning ability. The students who use online tutoring as a method have showed and improved a lot in their academics.Offline tutoring            When we talk about offline tutoring there are two types (i) Helping the students with their writing through writing lab (ii) Preparing contents (teaching materials) for the students for their academics which will be used by the teachers as teaching aids to teach the students.            Helping the students with their writing – means for example if the student has to submit an assignment to the teacher. He/She will be totally lost because they will be confused like how & where to start for the assignment. The tutor will guide the student like a mentor and explain him/her with the ways to go about to complete the assignment. The student will be sending the work to the tutor for check if it is in the right track. The tutor will be providing embedded comments to help the student identify and correct the errors, if any.

            Preparing content for the students for their academic purpose – Here since the lack of technology the teacher uses a single computer to the entire class and uses projector to explain the topic. The teacher explains the topic to the students with the visual aids and makes sure everybody understands the topic.

ConclusionThe concept of online tutoring has broken the barriers of distance and time in the transmission of knowledge. Many developing countries are adopting the new system of on line tutoring. The world wide class room has come into existence due to the advent of the Internet. It is only a matter of time before the entire world adopts the new technology of on line tutoring. References

1. Mitra, B.K. (2006). Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers.New Delhi: O.U.P. 2006.

2. Davis, K. (2005). Effective Technical Communication. New Delhi: Tata Mc Graw Hill.

3. Levy,M. (1997). Computer--Assisted Language Learning: Context and Conceptualisation. Oxford: Clarendon.

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 WEB TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR VOCABULARY

DEVELOPMENT AND GRAMMARBhanu Viswanath

Asst.Professor in English,Siddarth Institute of Technology, Puttur.

bhanuviswanath_2007@yahoo.comAbstract

Good communication skills are very important for any professional career. This paper surveys research on the sources of web in learning Vocabulary and Grammar. Verbal talent is not developed on its own, and only by new verbal experience. Verbal talent will develop when a person is thrown into verbal situations that he or she can’t understand the language and makes him indispensable to develop a good technique in learning and writing.  The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource that anyone could imagine and it is right at our finger tips. The potential of the internet as a teaching tool is a relatively new concept but more and more people realize that it can indeed foster a dynamic learning environment. Web Resources are particularly beneficial as a teaching aid and makes learning practical. Everybody is empowered by the Net because it enables them to study independently. Although learners certainly acquire world knowledge incidentally while engaged in various language learning activities, systematic study of vocabulary and grammar is also required. This review explicates on e-learning and the discussion of how word frequency counts and information on word meaning from computer corpora can inform the selection of words to be studied with a particular focus on grammar. It also extends on finding internet sources for practicing vocabulary through illustrations. It helps the learners to achieve their objective with number of practice exercises. This study assesses the web tools for learners who gains potential and convenient learning resources.

 Introduction:

To develop Vocabulary effectively apart from secondary sources, web tools are potential, highly dynamic, practice oriented and provides information at our finger tip. Recent studies in second language tells that vocabulary learning indicates that certain learning strategies are more effective in acquiring new vocabulary words and the learners have preferences in the strategies they use to learn vocabulary words in a second language. These studies indicate the web tools in acquiring vocabulary and grammar at a glib. This article focuses on how to gain vocabulary and grammar through web and the detailed study of surfing websites, relative premises on internet for vocabulary acquisition, depth of word knowledge and appropriate word use.

Pedagogical methods in web reach readers to know the profundity of language. Internet provides immense strategies to acquire knowledge. Why we need vocabulary and grammar?

          Do we need vocabulary and grammar in our livelihood? Yes grammar and vocabulary is the basic structure of language which plays an integral part of communication. It is not a crime if we don’t know how to describe words and structures in grammatical terms. But putting words and phrases in the wrong places is an awry. For example, “Go you to office everyday?” makes all the readers understand the context in it. But it is grammatically incorrect. “Do you go to office everyday?” sounds good syntax and lasts impression to the reader. This may be illustrated in further example like “Tragically at the age of six, Smith's father died”. This says that Smith's father died at the age of six. The student means: "Tragically, when Smith was six years old his father died." The first sentence conveys wrong meaning even though funny, it is a depressed manifestation.

            You are sad, you are happy, you are thrilled – you want the world to know. That’s exactly why you should use the structure of the language properly. You want to reach your audience in a way you will be understood without ambiguity. What you write must be clear to the reader. Your language must form a smooth pothole-free bridge between what you write and what is understood. Error-free grammar is the conveyer belt.

What is vocabulary and how it enhances our life?

Vocabulary:

            "Vocabulary is knowledge of words and word meanings. However, vocabulary is more complex than this definition tells.

ORAL VOCABULARY (Receptive)

PRINT VOCABULARY (Productive)

Words used in listening and speaking.

Words used  in reading and writing

 -12-

 In addition to our appearance and the way we carry ourself, people will

judge us based on the words that come out of our mouth. Even if we are a mathematical genius, having a poor vocabulary will send across a message that we are not very intelligent. If we don’t care for other’s critique also, our

vocabulary will determine whether or not we are successful. If one want to know the world or whether he should express his idea it can be possible with only good vocabulary. It is especially important for technically oriented people to pay attention to their vocabulary. When I say technically oriented people, I'm specifically talking about those who are good with numbers, mechanics, and other technical subjects. While they are brilliant in these subjects, many of these people are not so brilliant when it comes to writing or speaking. It is not their fault, and most are lacking in one area. Being able to improve, our vocabulary will open a lot of doors, doors that would normally be closed. When we improve our vocabulary, we feel good about our self, because we have a larger command of our language. Vocabulary enhances our life:    

You feel good about yourself, because you have a larger command of our language.Vocabulary can greatly increase our IQ.Can communicate our ideas to people in a more effective manner. Vocabulary is crucial because it is directly related to languageThe more words you know, the more eloquently you can convey the ideas and hence you can open up a number of career doors.Here I am going to speak about the web resources for learning English.

In this competitive era, we have to think about the practical resources which are helpful and practical oriented and need to be worked out. Because there are millions of ways in the world of web we can learn English vocabulary. But the practical way of using websites is utmost useful for learners.            They are: 1. www.usingenglish.com               2. www.nonstopenglish.com How to improve Grammar and Vocabulary through Internet?

You know, the web is a big place. There’s lots of information, but you just need the right tools to find them. After analyzing the facts that vocabulary and grammar is the need of every hour   to survive.  We must first use one of the best and most simple ways to improve our vocabulary is to read as much as we can. Reading a tabloid or a fashion magazine will do little to improve your vocabulary. When I say read, I'm referring to books that are actually challenging, books that use words and concepts that   are not found in your everyday language. These are the types of books that will less improve our vocabulary. If you want to improve your vocabulary, try reading a book on philosophy, or a book on classical literature. These are the types of books that will allow your vocabulary to increase. Besides this, you will also learn more about the world in which you live. Increasing your vocabulary will allow you to become smarter, and it will also allow you to become better

informed.  Number of practice exercises can be practiced and progressed through web tools and resources.            Even though there are softwares that can be installed and make you learn English but it is only a temporary and time being activity. But web tools are there which gives millions of practice exercises through varieties of websites given below. 1.

 www.kidsites.com   Purely for kids who can view a lot

2.

 www.english-zone.com

Includes flash exercises also  

3  www.agendaweb.org                            

Contains grammar worksheets

4  www.freerice.com  Contains practice exercises in an interesting way.

5.

 www.english-test.net/asvab/  

Contains 60 vocabulary tests for competitive  Exams.

6  www.syvum.com/gre/   

Contains practice exercises on word roots. Here you can find number of SAT (Scholarly Aptitude Test) quizzes to enhance your knowledge.                                                                                                                                                                             

7  

www.reference.com                              

 Gives us online thesaurus and dictionary.

8.

www.eslgold.com Contains audio lessons and learning games.  Translation in multiple languages.                                                                                                                                                                                        

9  www.englishclub.com Gives multiple exercises for speaking, listening practice.

10.

 www.merriam-webster.com -   Diction

ary 

It is the one which allows user to hear the words.

11

.http://www.idiomconnection.com/

The best site for Idioms.

1  http://www.learn- English lessons for the beginner, includes

2.

english-online.org/   

worksheets and audio files.

13

http://www.focusenglish.com/dialogues/conversation.html  

Conversations for bothreading and listening, includes common slangand idioms.

14.

http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com

Contains more worksheets with answers.

15.

http://www.esl-lab.com

Very good platform for quizzes.

16.

http://www.talkenglish.com

A self-learning spoken English site.

17.

www.yourdictionary.com

Very good Thesaurus

18.

http://www.englishpage.com

Online worksheets focusing mainly on grammar, includes translation dictionaries.

19.

http://esl.about.com/od/beginningenglish/ig/Basic-English/     

Short lessons on the essentialsof the English language.

20.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics

Teaches the exact elaboration of linguistics.

 -13-

 Visuwords

            Visuwords is an awesome visual tool to find new words and improve your vocabulary. When you look up a word in this tool, it shows a neat graph which connects that word to various other words based on different relationships between them. You can hover over each word to get its definition and also zoom-in and zoom-out using your mouse wheel. It's certainly an excellent dictionary plus thesaurus.

             Thesaurus.com is a part of dictionary.com and gives an elaborate

description of words, the part of speech they belong to and various synonyms and antonyms of that word.DefinrDefinr, as it says, is an incredibly fast dictionary. It starts suggesting the nearest possible word as you start typing a particular word. Most of the time you get the required word after typing 3 or 4 letters and then you can just click on the word to look up its meaning. Definr also provides some nice tools which make this service more useful.Meta GlossaryMetaGlossary.com approaches the task of finding meanings of words in a different way. It aggregates various links on the web which provide an explanation to the term and shows the results. Hence it does the job of pulling definitions of the word from the entire web.ThsrsThsrs helps you to get shorter synonyms of long words. Although it's not dead accurate but still can be useful at times. It also provides a browser plug-in to easily look up shorter synonyms of words with a right click.WordsmithWordsmith is a nice resource for new words, especially its ' A Word A Day ' newsletter, which is immensely popular and delivers new words everyday to your email inbox.BBC Learning EnglishBBC Learning English is another comprehensive resource of not only English grammar and vocabulary but on various aspects of this useful language.  It includes stories, pictures, quizzes and various communication tools to improve your English vocabulary.NinjawordsNinjawords, like Definr, claims to be a very fast dictionary. Although it doesn't show words as you type like Definr but is certainly very fast in displaying the  meanings and synonyms once you hit enter.  It also has a random tab which can be used to play around and learn new words.Thinkmap Visual ThesaurusThinkmap Visual Thesaurus is a free-to-try visual tool which shows related words in an interactive map and helps you to easily find their meanings and listen to their pronunciation.AskOxfordAskOxford is the online version of the famous dictionary by the Oxford University press. It's comprehensive without a doubt and includes various other vocabulary resources and a quotations dictionary.Urban DictionaryUrban Dictionary stands out from the herd. It's a dictionary of slang words. So use this dictionary and don't miss out on slang words either.

Alpha DictionaryAlpha Dictionary doesn't directly show you the meaning of a word. Instead it searches all the available online dictionaries (most of them) and displays the results in the form of links to the meaning of that word in those dictionaries. So choose your favorite dictionary (if at all you have one) and click on the corresponding link to view its meaning.  Web Resources should reach students            Students participated in classroom activities four days a week and one day should be designated for activities in the language center for audio and computer-based Internet activities. The instructor also designed classroom activities that demonstrated the different strategies used in this study. Sample activities included worksheets solving, Dictionary, Flash quizzes, a concentration game using words and pictures, reading short cultural narratives, and paired/small group conversation. To record weekly activities, students were asked to keep an accountability chart that indicated which strategies they used at home and on the Internet, the time spent on each strategy, and the activities that they preferred in the classroom.             As part of the required tasks for this class, students were asked to visit the Web site and to study on their own at home during the week. When at home, they kept track of the different ways they studied a weekly list of vocabulary words and kept track of the amount of time they spent studying those words. When visiting the Web site, students were asked to choose any of the web sites to practice the activities. Each vocabulary lesson was presented with Web-based activities that supported the following strategies:This is a memory strategy that involves associating new language information with familiar concepts. It helps strengthen comprehension as well as make new vocabulary words easier to remember.Conclusion:There is no conclusion in this topic because till the IT world flourishes web resources also embellishes till the world ends. Hence I would like to highlight those strategies of websites contains enough tasks to improve our knowledge. Apart from those sources, infinitive sources grow day by day and further communicative exercises, business vocabulary, listening lessons, video clips of famous authors are also available to improve skills. Web surfing is the hand touched resource which enriches the interested and devoted person’s knowledge and promotes a highly well toad shrewdness and the function of left brain generates.

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 -14-

 USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES TO TEACH

COMMUNICATION SKILLS 

Dr. S. Ganesan M.A.,M.Phil.,Ph.D                 Ms. R. Shalini ,Prof. & Head, Dept. Of English          Asst. Prof in English 

Vel Tech Dr.RR & Dr.SR Technical UniversityAvadi, Chennai-62

 Abstract

From dawn to dusk, man is using technology in various aspects for all his works. It is technology that is evolving everyday. People have to update

themselves for surviving in this hi-tech world. In short this world is driven by technology, which cannot be denied. It is the vehicle to get access with this

modernized world. More than the process of communication, trade and transactions, today technology is widely used in educational sectors. Though

technology cannot play the vital role of a teacher, it can be used as a supplementary tool for enhancing teaching methods in classroom. As the

conventional chalk and talk method seems to be monotonous and boring to the students ,teachers emphasize on latest technologies for teaching the subjects.

Various software and modern technologies are being introduced to make students to get access with their subjects easily. This study aims to discuss the availability of various technologies, their impact, their practical uses and the

problems associated with the application of modern technological tools. 

IntroductionIn the fast developing 21st century various innovative technologies are

being introduced to teach English in the classrooms. Knowledge base is fast doubling and tripling in so short a time. To cope up with this trend, we have to use modern technologies to teach English to the technical students. Students have to update their knowledge by using modern technologies. Otherwise they will be relegated in the job market. Maggie Sokolik observes:            Machines are now used as tools for communication rather than simply as ways of delivering automated drills or exercises. Vast amount of reading on any topic and in many languages are now available on the web, and the chance to participate in discussions with people from all walks of life is motivating for many learners. Modern technologies available for teachers of English today are

o Communication labo Video conferencingo Video Libraryo CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning)o TELL (Technology Enhanced Language Learning)o Pod casting

o Quick Link PenQuicktionary

o Programmes through educational satellitesBlogging

The integration of technology was started in the early 1960s and 1970s. In the preliminary stage, people used tape recorders as a technological device to

instruct the students, which later evolved as communication laboratory. Every day people are getting access to some new technologies, which join hand with English teaching. As the conventional teaching method such as the chalk and

talk method seems to be outdated, these technologies can be used as a supplement to the classroom teaching method to have a lively atmosphere in the classroom. It is the need of the hour to integrate modern technologies to upgrade the level of English teaching. The modern technologies relax the

mind of the students to get into the subject with full involvement rather than a difficult task to do. Indumathi observes:

            New technologies in language learning by multiple intelligence and mixed abilities replace with old methods of teaching. In the multi-cultured community, the four basic skills are imparted in the teaching with a variety

and novelty. Hence they are enthusiastic in learning the language. Language can be learnt by imitation. So one should hear more to develop his/her listening skills. Naturally they try to speak in the same styles as we

learnt our mother tongue.The usage of Internet has brought tremendous change in the field of

teaching and enhancing English learning. It is believed that people tend to forget everything within three days after they hear.

                                                                                                                 

-15-How to Use these Technologies

Video TapesScenes from popular English films can be screened first without any

running script on the scene. Then the students are asked to identify the words, script etc., Again the scene will be repeated with the scripts on the scene. This kind of telecasting videotape with and without script makes the students to get access with the pronunciation, accent and word usage of English with interest. This method will make the students to repeat it again in their homes voluntarily.

Communication LabsSoftware’s are available to develop LSRW skills. By incorporating

suitable software through computers the students will play it again and again with their own interest and try to improve their LSRW skills, which are most essential in this modernized IT world.

Listening skills make one to understand what another person speaks.

Speaking skills is essential to convey the desire and idea of a person in the right way to the other. Reading skills is important to interpret what is given in the text. Writing is used to express our thoughts. The usage of headphones in the lab makes the students to have interest over the subject and induces them to repeat again and again instead of feeling boredom.

Video ConferencingVideoconferencing is the method in which one person can access to the

speeches of other persons in some other parts of the world. It is the live relay of a programme, which is mostly used to view the lecture of a professor who

resides in foreign country. In short it is very helpful for the students to understand what is going in this world and to hear the speech of the top most

personalities in a lively manner. The most notable point in video conferencing is that the students can post questions immediately and get their answers at

once.Video Library

Video Libraries are most essential in our fast and modernized world. This is helpful for the students to those who miss some interesting session. In this process the teaching of the faculty will be recorded and made available to the students. The students can view the tapes in their leisure hours. The advantage in this method is that students can replay it when there is a necessity.

Blogging            Blogging can be used for instructing the candidates when the teacher is off campus. The teacher can post his article or the instruction to the students,

where the students are allowed to post their comments and queries. The teacher can answer the question through his blog. Blogging seems to be

widely in use.Messages through Mobile Phones

            Mobile phones can also be utilized to enrich vocabulary skills by receiving new words daily. There are certain websites and services to provide new words everyday. The only thing we have to do is that we should register our mobile number in the particular websites. This makes the students to get

access with certain new words daily.

CALL                    The educational role of Computers in learning a second language and the role of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) is significant.

The teacher can use the latest technologies, which have the potential to transform the students from passive recipients of information into active

participants. CALL is defined as the search for and study of applications of the Computer in language teaching and learning.

TELL            TELL is the use of computer technology including hardware, software and the Internet to enhance teaching and learning of languages. It allows the students to get access with all the technologies available for the enhancement of English learning. Students are allowed to use online dictionaries, chat, and

to view the various happenings around the world. 

-16- 

Educational SatellitesIn the college we can create Educational Satellite lab, whereby satellite

programs of educational value like UGC’s country wide classrooms, Anna University programmes and other world wide programmes are recorded and students are given access to the recording either through big screen or small monitor.

InternetInternet is a commonly acknowledged term and widely used by people

throughout the world. Students now use Internet in the class to learn English. Online teaching inside the classroom seems to be interesting and makes the

students to find out the suitable materials for them. Students are instructed to do the grammar exercises which are available online. Through Internet we can

collect data from various sources for any instruction.The Web

            There are many ‘self exercises’ in the Internet. English Exercises Online at www.smic.be has over 100 free exercises covering grammar and

vocabulary. Another interactive site is www.eslgo.com. In this site a student can learn English language with an ESL teacher. There are two examples out

of thousands of websites, which combine ICT and English teaching. Discussion forums, course management systems are also available in the

Internet as advanced tools.Pod casting

            Pod casting is the integration of audio files where we can feed our own materials and ply it inside and outside of the classroom. Students use i-pods to

hear their favorite music files. In the same way they have their education in the form of entertainment. Vijayalakshmi observes:

 Podcasting allows students to use their tech-based entertainment systems for educational purposes. With it we are able to move away

from the traditional face-to-face training without losing the student-to-trainer relationship that is so effective in any learning process.

Podcasts enables students and teachers to share information with anyone at anytime. An absent student can download the podcast of

recorded lesson and is able to access the missed lectures. They could also access lectures of experts which may not otherwise be available

because of geographical distance and other reasons.Quick Link Pen

            Quick Link Pen allows learners to copy and store printed text, Internet links. It helps to transfer the data to computers and enables the reader to get the meaning of the word from a built in dictionary. Accessing this type of machine seems to be a more convenient method. Recent developments in machine translations presents translation engines like GO Translator and

Bablefish.Quicktionary

            It is a pen-like device. It allows the reader to easily scan the word and get its definition and translation on its own LCD screen. Technology such as Enounce and Sound-Editor enable learners to adjust the speech rate of listening materials to assist their comprehension, and present spectrum of speech waves and visual depictions of mouth and tongue movement to ease the learning and refine pronunciation.

Conclusion            The modern tools are in addition to the inputs given by the teachers in the classrooms. The magic is real in that it helps the students to enhance their language learning in a fruitful way.Acknowledgement

We acknowledge with thanks for the constant encouragement and support given by our Chancellor Dr. R. Rangarajan, Vel Tech Dr. RR & Dr. SR. Technical University.  Reference:

1.      Indumathi, M.R. “New Trends in Exploring the Unexplored in ELT-A Study”. Proceedings of the fifth National Conference, March 24-25, 2010. Enhancement and Excellence in English for Employability and Empowerment. Ed. Anbazhagan, K. SRM University: Department of English and Foreign Languages 2010. 102.2.     Krashen, S. (1989). We acquire vocabulary and spelling by reading:

Additional evidence for the input hypothesis. The Modern Language Journal, 73, 440-464.

3.      Nation, P. (1993). Vocabulary size, growth and use. In R. Schreuder & B. Weltens (Eds.), The Bilingual Lexicon (pp. 115-134). Amsterdam:

Benjamins4.      Sokolik, Maggie. “Computers in Language Learning”. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Ed. Murcia, Marianne Celce. United States: Heinle & Heinle, 2001. 477.5.      Vijayalakshmi S., “Podcasting: An Effective Tool for Language Learning”. Teaching English as a Second Language. Ed. Vyas, Manish & Patel Yogesh. New Delhi: PHI Publication, New Delhi, 2009

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