TOPIC ONE: Student variables in the use of technology for language learning
Individual language students are going to respond quite differently to the use of technology in the classroom. Some will find it useful; some will strongly dislike it; some will find it very enjoyable and motivating; and some won’t really care one way or the other.
The variables that contribute to these different student responses include the following:
•Previous experiences with technology
•Skill with technology
•Level of confidence with technology versus fear of technology
•Age
•Language level
TASK ONE: Based upon your own experience and opinions, discuss how each of the above variables might positively or negatively affect student attitude towards the use of technology in the language classroom. Also discuss the challenges these variables present to the language teacher using technology. Use 200 words in your response.
One can expect that students with previous or frequent exposure to information technologies respond positively to the use of technologies in the classroom, but a neutral attitude or a negative attitude can also be expected. Some students can engage easily with tasks that require computers, others may not be interested in them. The challenge a teacher faces with students who are computer literate is to motivate those who find some resources outdated or boring.
Students with little experience with technology, low level of confidence in technology, or fear of it, might be more concerned in learning how the technology works rather than with the topics of study. The teacher might end up using the language instruction time in teaching how to operate something. The challenging situation is a heterogeneous group, where there are both experienced and inexperienced users of technology and the teacher has to help some students to gain the confidence necessary to complete some tasks, while keeping other focused in their work.
Generally young learners get easily motivated into using different resources, but they also get frustrated easily when their knowledge of the target language is not enough to understand what to do, for example, in a game.
Another variable that we can include when studying the response of students to technology is that learning goals and skills are culturally influenced, and some students, even with the knowledge of IT, prefer to study using old methods of memorization, as they find the use of computers not helpful enough to learn a language. I understand these students because I realized that I understand and remember better what I read from printed sources than from a screen.
I also have had difficulties reading from a screen until I started using the focus@will background ‘music.’ I now find little difference. It really helps with concentration. Even with playing it while listening to a lecture. I assume it also helps with listening to second language instruction.