Technology in the classroom has taken many forms over the years, and 68 percent of students say their teachers are using technology effectively in class. Computers are present in nearly every classroom, and more teachers are getting equipped with interactive blackboards instead of dealing with dry erase fumes or chalk dust. One particular application of classroom technology that’s useful at all levels of schooling is using technology for second language learning.
Immersion Without the Expense
There is no better way to learn a second language than to be completely immersed in it. For many students, the demands of the school year and the expense make it impossible for them to go to a different country and truly pick up the language. However, the Internet lets them hear native speakers, either through entertainment media or by interacting directly. Not only does this help the students pick up the basics, it also exposes them to the slang, idioms and other turns of phrase used by native speakers. This is all invaluable experience when it comes to mastering a foreign language.
Teacher uses online virtual world “Second Life” to teach speaking skills. Photo by Flickr user blogefl
At-Home Lectures
Some students have a hard time following lectures in class, and don’t grasp as much as they should from their language lessons. Instead of talking at the students the entire class time, U.S. News reports on a teacher who made her lectures available in downloadable form for home viewing, and assigned that as homework. Instead of students leaving class with too many questions for her to answer, they spend the entire lecture period talking about the assignment and answering a variety of comprehensive questions.
One-On-One Interaction
Even the schools with the lowest student to teacher ratios cannot give a great deal of one-on-one time with students. Practice is one of the best ways you have to learn a foreign language, but doing so on a one-on-one basis is not feasible in the classroom. However, through video chat programs such as Skype, students can have virtual pen pals who are native speakers. You can talk to each other through the program, which adds in the essential element of body language to the equation. Students talking to kids their age also helps add to the experience. Most schools have wireless Internet for laptops and other devices in the classroom, so you don’t even have to assign this for homework. For fun homework the kids will want to do, let them watch subtitled foreign language versions of their favorite series and movies.
Software-Assisted Learning
Software packages and language learning websites such as Rosetta Stone and Duolingo provide additional learning opportunities. Before incorporating any software or website into your teaching plan, make sure the style it uses to teach language is either similar to, or complementary to, the style you use. You don’t want to confuse your students with an entirely different method of grasping language, syntax and grammar.