Integrating Technology in the Adult ESL Classroom
In this article, the author discussed two
reasons for the slow adoption of technology as an
instructional tool in adult English as a Second Language (ESL) education. She
also outline recent facts about the relationships between today’s adult ESL
learners and technology, and then construct a background of theoretical support
in favor of integrating technology in adult ESL classes.
Teaching students to be literate is a high
educational priority not only in the United States, but also throughout the
world. Though this area is one of our greatest priorities, it is also one of
our greatest challenges as educators. The classroom environment has changed
from many years ago. Teachers face the challenges of a large population who do
not speak English and have high passing rates. Communication has an important
role in life and especially in education. Nowadays, lots of people generally
use technology for communication.
This study aims to reveal, that global society
is now in an information century. In this century, people are witnessing
communication revolution. In this revolution, the communication technologies
have been developing very fast. Especially Web 2.0 tools and other
communication tools via internet get people together online (Isbulan, 2011).
This development has altered the structure of education system. Creating
effective communication among people and establishing contacts are the survival
needs of human being. People cannot live without communicating (Isbulan, 2011).
Using technology in the classroom sometimes creates some communication barriers
for students and teachers.
The public education system no longer considers
integrating technology in the classroom as debatable issue. According to
McClanahan many schools have started to use computers and mobile devices in the
classrooms to enhance academic performance of students. However, the
introduction of current and emerging forms of technology in adult English as a
Second Language (ESL) education has not been widely embraced (Lotherington
& Jenson, 2011). One important obstacle to integrating technology into
English language instruction is ESL educators’ concern for the perceived
complexities of its integration into their classrooms. Other barriers stem from
the assumptions by ESL program managers and instructors that their learners are
too old to learn technology, or they do not own or have access to computers or
Internet connectivity (McClanahan, 2012).
To encourage a new direction for ESL teachers, this
article examines how learners may benefit from an integration of technology in
the ESL adult classroom. In addition, several digital tools are described,
along with suggestions for integrating them as instructional aids. It is
important for ESL instructors to consider several questions regarding the
benefits of bringing technology into the classroom. Some questions surround how
technology affects learner motivation, engagement, and involvement (McClanahan,
2012). Other questions bear on the instructional benefits that technology
brings into the classroom, and whether it provides learners with, skills they
can develop, strengthen, and/or use at the workplace, in their communities,
with their children, and beyond.
According to McClanahan, the main motivations for adult to participation in educational pursuits are job-related. Today, technology is ubiquitous in society and the job market favors those who are skilled with it (McCain, 2009). Therefore, when educators increase ESL learners’ familiarity with technology and they develop tech skills, it can help to support their motivation to learn English. Indeed, using technology in the classroom develops both job-related and communication-related skills at the same time.
The use of technology in public education classrooms
is widespread and adult and language learning theories would support the
integration of technology in adult ESL classrooms. All ESL learners are not
necessarily technology-illiterate, and therefore it is apt that their
instructors “dip a toe” in technology by experimenting with various educational
tools. Although technology does present its challenges, avoiding it limits both
students’ and educators’ access to tools that can make English language
learning more relevant to learners’ lives and bring a sense of living in the
21st century to our classrooms.
Reference
Isbulan, O. (2011). Communication Barriers in Distance Education. Turkish Online Journal of Education Technology. Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED520220.pdf
McCain, M. (2009). The power of teaching to transform adult learning: expanding access to adult education & work skills through distance learning. Council for advancement of adult literacy. Retrieved from: http://www.caalusa.org/POWER_OF_TECH.pdf
McCalahan, L. (2012). Training Using Technology in the Adult Classroom. Technology use in Education. Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ989256.pdf
Lotherington, H. & Jenson, J. (2011). Teaching multimodel and digital literacy in L2 settings: New literacies, new basics, new pedagogies. Retrieved: from. http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2008/09/using-word-clouds-in-efl-esl.html
