Using Media in Foreign Language Education and Its Pedagogical and Cognitive
Impacts on The Teaching and Learning Process: How Does The Media Help To
Improve Teaching And Learning a Foreign Language?
Today, technology is gradually improving in every field
of study including education. Teaching
and learning no longer has to take place in a physical setting. Current technological tools enable students to
observe and absorb a foreign language and interact with their teachers in a
virtual settings as if they were in a physical classroom. With the advancements
in technology, many institutions are integrating technology to their academic
curriculum.
In order to indicate the significance of using the media
components in education and to give the strong attention in technology use for
language learning, it is important to figure out how technology has been used
in the field. The purpose of this research is to provide the required
information with regards to impacts of using media both from the perspective of
a language educator and that of a language learner. Additionally, this research will try to find
out how the media is going to help enhancing language-skill in a foreign
language learning and teacing process.
As it is understood from the name, multimedia is the
integration of multiple forms of media.
When the language learning process, including constructive, cognitive, and
social aspects, is taken into account, it is clear that there is an actual and
potential relationship between media and learning(Kozma 1991). It is obvious
that multimedia provides opportunity to learners and instructors to develop
their skills and shape their learning methods. Because it offers to be learning
by hearing, seeing and also speaking, they will be involved into the
constuctive learning environments which assures not only to advance learning
and teaching, but also to develop student- teacher interactions.
Liu and Moore(2002) define ‘language learning’ as a
multifaceted social and cultural phenomenon.
They emphasize that in order to further enrich our knowledge of the
language learning process in the computer-assited environment, it is required
to describe the vital components of media. There are a great variety of
multimedia tools used in teaching and learning a foreign language. Computer,
Word-processing and Internet are commonly used among of these tools.
Computer is used to present multimedia items such as
video, powerpoint presentation and sound. It has a considerable impact on the
way how teachers deliver information to their students and how students obtain
effectively this knowledge. James(2012)
states that the methods of teaching and learning can be advanced by using
computer, because it is possible to use visual and audio materials with
computer. These materials have positive contributions to the learning process
as learner use his eyes as well as his ears. Media embody certain features that interact
with learners to influence the structure, formation and modification of these mental
models. (Kozma 1991)
The best aspect of the computer is video that has a great
advantage by enabling an authentic language input in a matter being made the
movies and TV programmes for native speakers. The practical applications of
video can give students a chance to imitate natural models for role-play, and
to increase of understanding of other cultures by teaching suitability. By this
way, they are able to concentrate on the language in detail and interpret what
has been said, repeat it, predict the reply etc. They can also concentrate in
detail on visual clues that is an important part of video methodology to
meaning facial expression, gesture, posture and on details of the environment.
According to study of Liu&Moore(2002) a reasonable
amount of literature has been dedicated to the potential benefits of
computer-based training. It is underlined that the benefits of computer
teaching as a tool could include increasing language learners' self esteem,
vocational preparation, language proficiency and overall academic skills. Educators
have particularly interested in technology's interactive capabilities, such as
providing instant feedback and increasing learner independence.
There is an experience one of the teachers, which is illustrating how
technology-based training can contribute to the students’ accomplishment with
conventional academic task (Cited from ‘Effects of Technology
on Classrooms and Student’):
The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars. [with technology]. My favorite is this boy . . . who had major
problems at home. He figured out a way to make music by getting the computer to
play certain letters by certain powers and it changed the musical tone of the
note and he actually wrote a piece. He stayed in every recess. . . . When I
asked him what he was working on, he wouldn't tell me. Then he asked if he
could put his HyperCard stack on my computer because it was hooked up to
speakers. I said "sure" and at recess. . . he put it on my computer
and played his music and literally stopped the room. And for months he had kids
begging him at recess, every recess, to teach them how to make music. And for
that particular kid it was the world because he really was not successful
academically and was having lots of problems. . . . This really changed him for
that school year. -Elementary school teacher.
Another one multimedia tools is internet which is an
extremely useful resource for instructors and learners as it makes information
rapidly accessible(Kozma 1991). Similarly, Serva & Fuller(1999) endorse
this notion by asserting that in order to support the structure of education,
it requires not only academic content knowledge in a field of study, but also
skills in team work, interaction, management and rational decision making. The ways of improving the quality of the
students's educational experience and the instructor's performance have to be found
in order to exel in a foreign language teaching and learning.
Internet is the prime instructional instrument with its
linking and interactive capabilities to able to enhance vocabulary learning and
reading comprehension(Liu&Moore 2002). Brouse&Basch(2011) support this
idea in their research paper. They point out that using a variety of web-based
materials such as instant messaging, social networking and video conferencing
is an effective way for authentic learning environment and interactions between
teachers, students and native speakers of the target language. The usage of
online learning communities indicates the way how learning might be facilitated
through improved interaction and cooperation.
E-mail, bulletin boards, digital video and blog can be
accounted another examples of internet tools, currently being used in foreign
language learning and teaching. This magical collection of tools is largely ignored in
the literature as an incentive to attract students to exact culture-laden
contexts, which they are able to respond by speaking and writing in the target
language. For instance, e-mail is regarded as a very realistic form of communication
because it is real conversation about real topics with real people(Liu&Moore
2002). E-mail and simultaneous chat can master effective language skills. They
are also valuable in developing critical thinking skills(Liu&Moore 2002).
The other one of multimedia tools is the Word
processing(WP) which is perhaps the most accepted and universal use of computers
in education. Roblyer&Duering claim that there is probably no other
technology resource has had as great impact on education as WP. It is used to support any kind of directed
instruction or constructivist activity because of having many greater relative
advantages to teachers and students.
Saving time, enhancing document appearance, and allowing
sharing of documents are some of the WP’s advantages. It helps teachers use
preperation time efficiently by letting them modify materials instead of create
new ones. Materials created with WP software look more excellent and
professional than handwritten or typed materials.
WP
programs such as Micrososft Word improve a foreign language learners’ writing
skills by providing a better understanding of spelling and new vocabulary. They
are should be encouraged to use WP programs while they are writing an
assignment or anything because the writing process can be facilitated with the
WP programs. This programs are especially helpful in several writing stages: composing,
revising, and editing due partly to fact that they don’t require students to
rewrite their work. Moreover, they give a chance to students to format their
work and produce copies which are clearly readable and improvement appearance.
It is a undeniable fact that the importance and
effectiveness of technology in teaching and learning a foreign language.
Learners can manage available cognitive, physical, and social resources to
create new knowledge by interacting with information in the learning environment
and integrating with information stored in memory(Kozma 1991). In this process,
tecnology plays a crucial role to improve the effectiveness of the learning and
teaching process by raising the quality of education. Multimedia has no doubt reshaped the way learning
and teaching by supporting, expanding and enhancing course content, learning
activities, and teacher-student interactions with the advancements in
technology(Abdous 2010).
In the light of all these knowledge, in order to carry
out an advanced learning process, it is needed to integrate and interact with
the multimedia tools as an instructional instruments. It is certain that all
multimedia tools have magnific impacts and contributions to the language
learning process as long as they are used at the right time and in the right
place.
REFERENCES:
1- Abdous, m., & facer, b. r. (2010). MALL
Technology: Use of Academic Podcasting in the Foreign Language Classroom
. Academic Podcasting and Mobile Assisted Language Learning: Applications
and Outcomes (p. 93). Virginia: IGI Global, 2010.
2- Brouse, C. H., & Basch, C. (2011). Use and
Efficiency of Various Technological Methods in the Different Aspects of
Teaching and Learning a Foreign Language at 16 Universities in New
York. Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology,7(36), 30.
Retrieved April 24, 2012, from rcetj.org/index.php/rcetj/article/.../237
3- Liu, M., & Moore, Z. (2002). A Look at the
Research on Computer-Based Technology Use in Second Language Learning: A Review
of the Literature from 1990-2000.. Journal of Research on Technology in
Education, 34(3), -.
4- Kozma, R. (1991). Learning with
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an Instrument to Determine the
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Education.com. (n.d.).Education.com | An Education & Child Development Site
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