Infusing Information Technology with English Language Teaching: Experience and Ideas

    Source: duolingo blog (https://blog.duolingo.com/english-language-day/) 

Welcome to my blog dedicated to the vast world of learning and teaching English! I, Christian Leonardo, am the writer of this blog. Currently, I'm pursuing my study in English Language Education Study Program at Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Indonesia.

To start things off, language is one of the most vital parts of any culture because it allows people to communicate, interact, build relationships, and even create the society we are living in right now. Because of this particular reason and because of how the world keeps evolving day by day, teachers need to know how to pass on their knowledge while still catching up with the advancement of the community, especially technology. That is why this blog is here!

Whether you're a student wanting to learn English, an educator willing to expand your knowledge, or someone fascinated by the art of English, this blog will be your online "teacher" that guides you throughout your development of acquiring the English language! In the following posts, we'll go on various adventures of learning English, mastering the skills, understanding the components, and even taking in the joys as well as challenges. We'll share important tips, strategies, methods, and resources with you to learn. So, buckle up, students!

So, back to the main topic, this specific post is a short introduction to the infusion of Information Technology (IT) with English Language Teaching (ELT). Back when I was an elementary school student in around 2009-2015, technology was not as advanced as it is now. CDs, flash drives, and screen projectors were already mainstream, but they were not really used by my English teacher. Instead, most of the time, we only used our book. It was in junior high school when we started using the screen projector more. We would watch movies, listen to lectures with slides, and present the assigned topics.

On top of that, as you have probably known (or experienced), starting in 2020, the world shut down for a few years, and everything went online. It was at that period of time when we fully depended on technology for almost everything. We bought groceries from the Internet, we paid bills, we interacted through social media, and some of us even graduated with an online diploma. It was indeed a life-changing situation. However, if it weren't for that, we would probably still be using the "traditional" way of teaching, or just doing things in general.

During the pandemic, my English teacher would send us links of websites to read and videos to watch. I personally learned so many new things about technology and its potential. Not only was it useful for my English learning, but it was also more intriguing. As a result, the students, including myself, were more engaged with the teaching-learning process.

Now, if I were a teacher, I would definitely try to infuse IT with language learning. One of the easiest examples I can think of is Kahoot! Kahoot! is not only beneficial in terms of knowledge, but it is also advantageous in terms of competition and having fun while learning. Additionally, there are hundreds of other websites that you can find on the Internet. Some examples include Wordwall, Vocabulary.co.il, British Council Learn English, English Online, ESL Kidstuff, Blockly Games, and so many more. These websites are equipped with well-prepared materials, quizzes, and games! Therefore, using these websites for students, especially young learners, is an excellent idea.

To put it simply, technology has become a huge part of humans’ lives. We use it every single day for every single thing, even for teachers to educate and for students to learn. We cannot deny how useful technology is, and we should not overlook its potential. That’s why we as young learners, teachers, and agents of change need to be able to control and maximize the use of technology.

“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. Learning is more nthan absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding.” 

-William Arthur Ward