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The Advantages of Usilng Technology 'in

Second Lanlguage Educat'ion Techwnology lntegrat'lon 'in Foreilgn ILanguage

to a Cownstructmovist Learn'lng Approach

BY Li WANG UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

38 T.H.E. Journal I www.thejournal.com I May 2005

ith the advent of networked comrputers and lnte:rnet technology, computer-based instruction has been widely used in language class- rooms throughout the United States. Computer technologies have

dramatically changed the way people gather information, conduct research and communicate with others worldwide. Considering the tremendous startupyV expenses, copyright issues, objectionable materials and other potential dis- advantages of technology, much research has been conducted regarding: the effectiveness of, and better strategies for, technology integration.Taking the characteristics of language learning into account, 'this article helps answer two important questions: Do we need technology in language classrooms? And what kinds of services do comp:uter technologies provide for :these classroomrs?

Background Studies Web-based writing instruction has proved to be an impor-

tant factor in enhancing the writing quality of low-ability

English as a foreign language (EFL) students. In a study

designed to examine the effectiveness of Web-based instruction

in the writing of freshman EFL students, Al-Jarf (2004) found

that the use of Web-based lessons as a supplement to tradi-

tional in-class writing instruction was significantly more effec-

tive than teaching which depended on the textbook alone. The

experimental group of students received online instruction in

which they posted their own threads, short paragraphs, stories

and poems on a discussion board. They also located informa-

tion from the Internet, as well as wrote paragraphs and checked

their own spelling using Microsoft Word.

In another study, Hertel (2003) describes an intercultural

e-mail exchange at the college level where U.S. students in a

beginning Spanish class and Mexican students in an interme-

diate English as a Second Language class corresponded weekly

for one semester. Survey results revealed this student-cen-

tered endeavor had the potential to

change cultural attitudes, increase _

knowledge and awareness of other The best cultures, foster language acquisition, al anguag as well as boost student interest and active, aur motivation in language and cultural ronmenti studies.

Bernhardt, Rivera and Kamil technoloe conducted a study in 2004 to exam- interet ine the practicality and efficiency ful tools 1 of Web-based placement testing for these apj college-level language programs.

Qualitative analysis of the data indi- langiJag cated that students, administrators

:wi

re ith

' 1

and instructors benefited from the online placement tests. For

students, accessing a placement test at their convenience with-

out making an extra summer trip to campus was seen as an

incredible time-saver. At the same time, having students partici-

pate in an academic exercise prior to arriving on campus sends

a positive message regarding the importance and prestige of

the language program at the university. For administrators, the

time saved by eliminating this extra step throughout a summer

orientation period is significant. Supervisors and instructors

reported that more effective decisions were made when they

had time to contemplate their students' performances, which

brought them greater confidence in their curriculum when they

encountered students at the beginning of a class session.

However, Chikamatsu (2003) conducted a study to exam-

ine the effects of computers on writing efficiency and quality

among intermediate learners of Japanese who found computer

use neither sped up nor slowed down their writing. Its use also

did not facilitate writing efficiency in composition. Yet comput-

er use did improve accuracy at the word level, indicating that

_____________________ learners benefited from computer

writing. The study also showed that qjt to learn a possible explanation for the appar- is in inter- ent ineffectiveness of computer use entic en vi- was that students might not have con_ puter been skillful typists. For logographicCu puter Slanguages such as Japanese and .. s and the Chinese, which have input processes re poiwiser- different from those of English and r assisting other Indo-European languages,

VAch6s td 0 S Hcomputer use by second language oaches to 0 learners is relatively uncommon and teaehing. its impact on writing is uncertain. ____________________ Results from many other studies

May 2005 1 www.thejoumnal.com I T.H.E. Joumal 39

Foreign Language Education

(Perez-Prado and Thirunarayanan 2002;

Cooper 2001; Smith, Ferguson and Caris

2001) also point out how students ben-

efited from the technology-enhanced

collaborative learning methods and

interactive learning process, while con-

currently finding some drawbacks with

use of the medium, such as technology

and group-work frustrations.

Analyzing Advantages and Disadvantages

Most of the above studies showed

technology's positive effects on language

learning, which answered the first ques-

tion: Do we really need technology in

language classrooms? The answer, of

course, is yes we do.

First, the advantages of using new

technology in language classrooms can

be interpreted in light of the changing

goals of language education and the

shifting conditions in our postindustrial

society (Warschauer and Meskill 2000).

New technology was part of the social

fabric at the turn of the century. So

while we taught foreign language stu-

dents to write essays and read magazines

a generation ago, we must now teach

them to write e-mail and conduct online

research. Thus, integrating technology

into language classrooms is inevitable.

Second, technology integration in

foreign language teaching demonstrates

the shift in educational paradigms from

a behavioral to a constructivist learning

approach. Language is a living thing,

so the best way to learn a language is

in interactive, authentic environments.

Computer technologies and the Internet

are powerful tools for assisting these

approaches to language teaching. Even

though constructivism is not a theory

associated with using technology, con-

structivist assumptions are guideposts

for developing a vision for integrating

technology into the language curriculum

(Brown 1997; Wolffe 1997). The follow-

ing are summaries of these assumptions:

Learning is an active process.

Learning is a natural, integral and

ubiquitous part of living; not some-

thing handed as a package to somebody

else (Bintz 1991; Anderson and Speck

2001). In today's language classes, the

teacher's role should shift from "sage on

the stage" to "guider on the side," while

students should actively search foi and

explore answers instead of receiving

standard interpretations. Technology

integration helps this shifting process

for teachers and students.

Problem solving is the focus.

The Internet, as well as some simula-

tion software, provides a stage for the

real world where students observe,

think, question, organize and test their

ideas. Unlike libraries, the Internet is

a living medium that offers updated -

5 Ways Technology Can Help Literacy Learning e aware that technology is just a tool, and designing

creative instruction is the key to successfully inte-

grating technology into classrooms.To do this,

teachers must first know whatthetechnology can do for

language learning.Thefollowing are five ways teachers can

use technology to help literacy education:

1. Word processing -- Word processing is a great way for

students to engage in writing, prewriting, drafting, revising,

editing, saving, printing, inserting tables and graphics, and publishing. In this information age, word processing is a

necessityfor any language class.

2.Technology texts - Electronic books are rich supple-

mentsforprintedtextbooks,thoughtheywill nevercompletely

replace traditional books (Leu and Leu 1997). Stories on the

Internet are enriched by multimedia to dramatically motivate

reading-reluctantstudents, leading to better literacy results.

3. Publishing students'work - Because students are

motivated, and investthemselves in their workwhen they are

engaged in authentictasks, a primary goal in teaching literacy

isforstudents to engage in meaningful andpurposefuI assign-

ments (Anderson and Speck200l). Computertechnologies

make students' work easy to publish in multiple ways, such as

in newsletters, flyers,Web pages, CD-ROMs, etc.

4. Communication throughthe Internet -While language

is for communication, the Internet has broken down commu-

nication's distance barrier.Therefore,students can build up

partnerships with learning peers in target languagesthrough

the Internet.The main ways of communicating on the Internet

include e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms and bulletin

boards.With MSN and Yahoo I messengers, students can

not only send instant messages, butalso have audio and

video conversationsthat greatly motivate andimprovetheir

speaking and listening abilities.

5. Searching for online information -The Web offers valu-

able resourcesfrom around the world (e.g., databases, online

journals, news, instructional materials, etc.)thatenable many

teachersto use the Internetas their "virtual library."

-L.:Wang

40 T.H.E. Journal I www.thejoumal.com I May 2005

information - enriched by graphics

and animations - to help students

solve real-life problems.

Learning is a collaborative pro-

cess. According to Anderson and Speck

(2001), students prefer working with

a partner over working alone on com-

puter activities. Leu (1996) adds that

"students often learn about complex

multimedia environments by showing

each other cool things." Thus, through

collaborative technology activities, stu-

dents benefit from working with each

other. Technology has also created a

great way to communicate with people

in different cultures. For instance, the

Internet offers a worldwide learning

environment that makes distance conm-

munication fast and affordable. By using

the Internet, cross-cultural cooperative

groups can be built up.

Despite these advantages, potential

drawbacks of using technology always

exist. Some of the main disadvantages

regarding technology integration in lan-

guage dassrooms include:

A few common pitfalls of Internet

use include objectionable materials,

predators, copyright violations and

plagiarism, viruses and hacking, net-

iquette behavior, and privacy issues.

Teachers must be prepared to deal

with these issues as they use technol-

ogy in their classrooms.

Startup costs, which include hard-

ware, software, staffing and train-

ing, are expensive. Warschauer and

Meskill (2000) indicate that intel-

ligent use of new technologies usu-

ally involves allocations of about a

third each for hardware, software,

and staff support and training. It is

often the case in poorly funded lan-

guage programs that the hardware

itself comes in via a one-time grant

(or through hand-me-downs from

science departments), with little

funding left for staff training, main-

tenance or software.

* Technology may not be good for

every language at all levels. For logo-

graphic languages, computer typing

may not help improve efficiency in

composition, especially with lower-

level learners. It also takes a long time for students to become familiar

with computer typing; therefore,

teachers should creatively use tech-

May 2005 1 www.thejournal.com I T.H.E. Journal 41

Foreign Language Education

ESL Ptrogram Focuses on Improvitng Literacy Skills

s children and adults whose primary language is not English attemptto get an education, the basic tools are necessary before they can achieve their

goals.lTking a step at ending illiteracy among Spanish-speaking students,

the new lLeamboslLet's Read) PC is an easyto-use program that enables users to

read andWrite in Spanish in less than 100 hoursT7hesoftware was designed by

eTeleNext Inc. and derived from workbookswritten by the Centro Latino de

Educaci6n Popular, a LosAngeles-based nonprofit learning center.What makes

l Leamosl PCu nique isthatitteaches literacyfor Spanish speakers intheir native

language, so students can use itas a stepforward in their questto learn Eng lish.

"While Einglish asa Second Language programs arefrequentlyvoffered through

adultschools, community centers and libraries, there are farfewer resources dedi-

rarmsfocused onteaching ESL,but allof

s native language ' says Stephens. "Our

h speakers who had never learnedto read or

- Alx-x Roman

nology but not rely on it alone.

Spending too much time on com-

puters is considered harmful to a

child's development of relationships

and social skills (Roblyer 2003). The

American Academy of Pediatricians

calls for limiting children's use of

media to only one to two hours per

day.

Van Dusen (1997) is optimistic that

the technology integration movement

will alter traditional professor-centered

methods and bring about more con-

structivist ones. But he also emphasizes

that this shift will not happen without

intensive professional development. In

Warschauer and M\4eskill's (2000) view,

it is futile to compare use of comput-

ers to nonuse of computers because a

computer is a machine, not a method.

Therefore, computers and the Internet

create a vast new medium that is com-

parable, in some ways, to books and

other print materials in a library.

The Future We can definitely agree that tech-

nology has done a great job in helping

language learning, but this is just the

beginning of the age of technology-

enhanced education. In the future, wire-

less networks, videoconferencing and

other multimedia-enhanced commu-

nication methods will be more popular

in the language classroom. However,

teachers should always remember that

technology is just a tool, and students'

learning achievement relies on appro-

priate and creative instruction. If you

are aware of the pitfalls of using tech-

nology to design creative activities, tech-

nology will work harder and better for

foreign language education. THE

To view the references cited in this

article, log on to www.thejournal.com.

42 T.H.E. Joumal I www.thejoumal.com I May 2005

TITLE: The Advantages of Using Technology in Second Language Education

SOURCE: T.H.E. J 32 no10 My 2005 WN: 0512100462005

The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. To contact the publisher: http://www.thejournal.com/