TECHNOLOGY AND

ESL GRAMMAR
 Topics to be discussed:

• Roles, advantages & disadvantages, and impact of

technology in teaching and learning.
• Recommendations for effective use of technology
• Integration of technology in teaching to macro skills.
• Tools for the ESL Classroom.
 Roles of Technology

“Technology makes
the world a new and
better place”
 Roles of Technology

1. Traditional role
a) Delivery vehicles for instructional lessons.
b) Technology serves a s a teacher.
2. Constructivist role
a) Partners in the teaching-learning process.
b) Technology is a learning tool to learn with,
not from.
c) Serves as a medium in representing what the
learners knows and he/she is learning.
 Roles of Technology

From a constructivist perspective, the

following are roles of technology in
learning (Johanssen, et al 1999):
1. Technology as a tool to support knowledge
construction.
2. Technology as information vehicles for
exploring knowledge to support learning by
constructing.
3. Technology as context to support learning-by-
doing.
 Roles of Technology

From a constructivist perspective, the

following are roles of technology in
learning (Johanssen, et al 1999):
4. Technology as a social medium to
support learning by conversing.
5. Technology as intellectual partner
(Johanssen, 1996) to support learning
by reflecting.
 Roles of Technology

Whether used from the traditional or

constructivist point of view, technology is very
helpful when USED effectively. Research
indicates that technology “increases students’
learning, understanding, and achievements also
their motivation to learn, encourage
collaborative learning and supports the
development of critical thinking and problem
solving skills.”
 Advantages & Disadvantages of
Technology in Teaching & Learning

Advantages:
1) Motivates students to learn English
2) Develops students' communicative competence
3) Widens students' knowledge about the culture of
English
4) Improves teaching efficiency
5) Enhances interaction among students and between
teachers and students
6) Creates a conducive teaching environment in the
classrooms
7) Provides opportunities for English teaching outside the
classrooms
 Advantages & Disadvantages of
Technology in Teaching & Learning

Disdvantages:
1) Emphasis on the supplementary of effective
teaching
2) Lack of communication between teachers and
students
3) Lack of real-time teaching
4) Loss of students' logical thinking
5) Expensive way of conducting language classes
 Impact of Technology
in Teaching & Learning

Positive:
1) Enhanced teaching and learning
a) Technological developments like digital cameras,
projectors, mind training software, computers,
PowerPoint presentations, 3D visualization tools; all
these have become great sources for teachers to
help students grasp a concept easily.
b) It has to be understood that visual explanation of
concepts makes learning fun and enjoyable for
students. They're able to participate more in the
classroom and even teachers get a chance to make
their classes more interactive and interesting.
 Impact of Technology
in Teaching & Learning

Positive:
2) Globalization
 Impact of Technology
in Teaching & Learning

Positive:
3) No Geographical Limitations
 Impact of Technology
in Teaching & Learning

Negative:
1) Declining writing skills
2) Increasing incidents of cheating
3) Lack of focus
 Recommendations for
effective use of technology

1) Teachers should play the leading role in

teaching
2) Teachers should not consider the computer
screen as a blackboard or whiteboard
3) Teachers should encourage students to use
their own mind and speak more
4) Teachers should use all possible teaching
aids and techniques
5) Teachers should not overuse multimedia
technology
 Integration of technology in
teaching to macro skills

Listening
Technologies that only allow for listening
include broadcast media such as
television and radio, recorded media such
as CDs, CDROMs and video, and digital
versions of these. Some people might
also remember cassette tapes and vinyl
records!
 Integration of technology in
teaching to macro skills

 Speaking
There are few technologies that allow for speaking
without also including listening. Even early wax
cylinders and later tape recorders allowed users to
both record someone speaking and listen back
afterwards. Beyond such recording devices that
are asynchronous (not at the same time), most other
technologies addressing speaking are considered
communication media. So telephones, two-way radio and
video conferencing not only allow for both speaking and
listening but also allow them to take place at the same
time (synchronous) and between two or more
participants.
 Integration of technology in
teaching to macro skills

Writing
Technologies that support writing are the
oldest. From clay tablets and carved stone
through handwritten and later printed books,
and on to computer-based text, writing has been
the main technology for recording and
transmitting language over centuries. However
many languages, including all the Australian ones,
never made use of writing and survived
perfectly well without it.
 Integration of technology in
teaching to macro skills

Reading
Most of the technologies that support
reading are the same as those that allow
us to write, or we tend to associate the
two so closely that we rarely separate
them. But chalk, pens, and typewriters
are only used for writing, not reading.
And television only allows us to read, not
to write.
 Tools for the ESL
Classroom

EverythingESL
This is a remarkable resource for an ESL
teacher, basically serving as a storage of
learning materials including grammar lessons,
exercises, essay topics, tutorials, tools, and
other useful things. It also provides key
strategies for teachers to generate an effective
learning environment, which is great for both
experienced and new educators.
 Tools for the ESL
Classroom

UsingEnglish
This site provides a great database of
resources for teaching English as a second
language online. It includes tools, articles,
handouts, lesson plans, worksheets, training,
language tests, polls, quizzes, and even
glossaries and vocabulary materials. In other
words, it is a go-to resource for ESL teachers
who need materials for the class.
 Tools for the ESL
Classroom

What Works Clearinghouse

This site provides reviews of current research
of different products and practices in education.
According to the creators of WWC, their goal
was to provide teachers with the information to
make evidence-based decisions and improve
the quality of learning. The website include
sections such as literacy, math, science,
behavior, teacher excellence, early children,
post-secondary education, and more.
 Tools for the ESL
Classroom

BBC Learning English

BBC Learning English is an English program that is
most widely used by students from all over the world. It
includes grammar and vocabulary lessons designed by
some of the best British teachers, with great references
to modern events from around the globe. It provides a
unique learning experience that should be tried in all
ESL classrooms. It even contains a section dedicated
to ESL learning, which is not currently updated but can
still serve as a valuable resource.
 Tools for the ESL
Classroom

50 Essential Resources for ESL Students

 http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/50_essential_resources_
for_esl_students/
 REMEMBER!

Technology will not replace

teachers, but teachers who
understand technology will
replace those who do not.
— Ray Clifford
 REMEMBER!

Technology will not replace

teachers, but teachers who
understand technology will
replace those who do not.
— Ray Clifford