Kerdenova G.K., Makhambetova K.K.

 

KAZAKH-BRITISH TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY (KBTU)

 

Technology Integration in Foreign Language Teaching

 

 

Nowadays English is the most widespread language. It is spoken as a mother tongue by over 300 million people all over the world. And it is necessary to learn it. For our generation English is like a key into the world. Because with English we can make relations with other countries, get most technical and educational novelties and take part in integrity process in the world. Educational technology, which is increasingly being used in English Language Teaching programs around the world, has immense potential for enhancing the quality of knowledge of the language. It can be a powerful tool for language learners because it combines the advantages of work with new technologies. So computer technologies have changed the way people get information, make research and communicate with others worldwide.

 

The main aim of our project is to define advantages of using computer technologies in Foreign Language Teaching. To realize it we have set the following aims:

l                      to plunge into a history

l                      to analyze searching material

l                      to know more about technology novelties in education

l                      to cross-examine students .

 

        Nowadays technology is the obligatory thing in our life. But let us have some information about its history. The history of use of computer technologies in teaching foreign languages has some decades. In 60th the program CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) in such leading countries of the world as the Great Britain and the USA was functioned mainly as experimental one. The basic purpose of its work, in American scientists R.C. Atkinson and H.A. Wilson’s opinion, was using CALL efficiency in comparison with the traditional methods of teaching. The period in the end of 70th in foreign pedagogy was characterized by the rash development of researches in the field of studying possible spheres of use of the computers in teaching foreign languages.

Since 80th of XX century, due to appearance of PCs computing machinery has become mass and available for all. At that time PCs took big turns of production and sales. Society began to use PCs in different spheres, including educational sphere. Thus, in 90th of XX century in Japan, for the first time computers began to be used in learning English Language (as a foreign language). Later, computers took important part in studying English.

 

At the various stages of use of computer technologies in teaching different problems were solved. But the majority of researchers in their works cited about advantages of the organization of process of teaching foreign languages with the use of micro-computers, suggesting their approaches to the problem of use of the computers in process of teaching foreign languages.

This reform gave many advantages in economics and education too.  There are two diagrams about two developed countries. They are about how the number of non-English native speakers was growing under the implementation of new technologies.

 

 

 

 

As we see in these two diagrams, the number of English speakers is constantly enhancing by implementation of computer technologies. As domestic and foreign experience of application of computer technology shows, the realization of the above-stated opportunities allows ensuring:

1) Granting to students the tool of research, design, formalization of knowledge about the subject and at the same time active component of the subject, tool of measurement, display and influence on it;

2) Expansion of students’ knowledge by taking into consideration opportunities of experimental research, training game, audiovisual and other activities, including individual, group, team work;

3) Increase motivation of training of investigated objects, phenomena, situation management, opportunity of an independent choice of the forms and methods of training, implementation of game situations and others.

Computers create the favorable opportunities for organization of independent job of the schoolchildren at lessons of English. Students can use computers both for studying different themes, and for self-checking the gained knowledge. The computer is the most patient teacher, capable to repeat any tasks, achieve the correct answer and, in the final bill, automation of learners’ skills. The computer telecommunication allows to realize distance training, and also in the short terms to duplicate advanced pedagogical technologies.

 

Among the benefits of computers’ use in the foreign language classroom, the most important are:

·        Creation of communicative situations and training various kinds of speech activities;

·        Increased motivation and students’ participation;

·        More opportunities to interact with target language and content area because students spend more time on tasks;

·        Greater integration of reading and writing skills and opportunities to practice them in contexts;

·        The possibility to implement a pedagogy based on problem solving and critical thinking;

·        More self-paced autonomous learning that is learner-controlled rather teacher-controlled. 

 

There are a lot of present novelties, which are  integrated and wide used in foreign language teaching.

 

l      Speech Synthesis or Text-to-Speech (TTS) Technologies:

          Speech engines that generate speech in different languages.

l      Automatic Speech-Recognition (ASR) Technology :

           Software designed to type what the user dictates. It enables learner to interact with the     

           computer orally and thus practice oral language.

l      Computer-mediated Communication Technologies :

The general application of computer and telecommunications technology to enable interpersonal communications. It enables users to construct and manipulate graphical objects and avatars; use sound, images, and video to communicate to each other in a virtual world.

l      Electronic textbooks:

Creation of the electronic textbooks of new generation is one of perspective directions in modernization of educational process in teaching English Language. The textbooks can be written on CD, DVD or be on any educational site in the Internet. The modern electronic textbook actually represents a database on the certain subjects. The pupil makes inquiries or sets questions and receives the necessary information as a texts, diagrams, illustrations, pictures, sound files, ect. But it is important not to forget, thet in most cases electronic textbooks are created not by the teachers and psychologists, but young programmers. It is no wonder, that sometimes these books are not clear to the usual users. Moreover, these electronic textbooks can repulse learners from useful process. Therefore electronic textbooks of the future should become a product of joint creativity of the teachers, psychologist, artists and programmers.

l      Video and Audio Technologies:

Enables captions in different languages; its digital nature allows for more control over the content; allows for contextualization of content by linking to other content on the web.

l      Machine Translation :

Translates text and enables learners to gain a rough idea of the meaning of the material.

l      Simulation, Animation, and Intelligent Agent Technologies :

A representation of an item of equipment, device, system, or subsystem in realistic form. It allows learners to have a more authentic and realistic experience; allows for a more contextualized content; risk-free environment.

 

Analyzing all opportunities computer technologies and experience of foreign countries, we came to a conclusion that it is necessary to expand sphere of use computer technologies. But what do students think about it? We have interrogated 70 people. And here is the result.

 

 

 

 

 

In conclusion, the most important element in regard to foreign language and technology integration is the linking of proven teaching strategies to the technology. I believe that it is via interactive learning that technology in the classroom can contribute the most. As the practice shows, new technologies are the best way of teaching foreign languages in educational system, which fully satisfy the didactic requirements and real conditions. The computers can perceive new information, definitely process it and accept the decisions, can remember necessary data, reproduce the driven images, supervise job such as training, synthesizer of speech, video recorders, and tape recorders. The computers essentially expand the teachers’ opportunities on motivating students’ learning English, allow maximum to adapt process of training students’ individual features. Therefore today it is urgent to expand the IT-technologies applications