Teach English in Longtou Zhen - Hanzhong Shi

In the lessons we have been instructed to use in our EFL classrooms, there was a preference to brick an mortar style of teaching that involves paper, pencil and the spoken word of the teacher. However, in this modern era, there is an increasing demand for technology to be used in the classrooms, both in the primary/secondary educational systems as well as in the business sector. In this essay, I hope to explain and even tackle the reasons why a higher focus on integrating technology in the classroom as well as give a few suggestions on the types of lessons needed to be added in the EFL classroom. This course was not blind to the importance of technology in the classroom, and as such I want to highlight the aspects of that lesson that are still relevant for 2019 and focus on the ones that would be the most useful. One of the first pieces of technology that classrooms have started implementing is the aspect of a Smart Board. This technology combines the aspect of a white or chalkboard, a computer screen, and most include the feature of an overhead projector. This one device eliminates the issue of Teacher handwriting issues that happen with a traditional whiteboard, as well as allows for clear and legible classroom-wide grading of worksheet-based assignments. The Smart Board is clearly going to be the move of classrooms the world over and in many American public schools are already the standard. Another aspect of technology that is useful for the classroom as well as the business sector is that of the email. The creation of email lessons and the importance of proper email etiquette in the English language is a vital tool for the teacher to use. In the classroom, after a proper lesson on how an email should be structured in English as well as the vocabulary needed for a proper email would be an invaluable resource for many students. Lessons would such topics as choosing a proper email address, the subject line, paragraph spacing, as well as the sign off tag and signature. Added with proper vocabulary for email usage a student is able to interact with the teacher and other students in the classroom. If their goal is to have a career or further their education in an English speaking country they can deal with the vital email communication needed, and they can receive individual, private reflections from the teacher in a timely manner. The email is a vital tool in the English speaking professional world and should be covered just as important as the traditional essay would be taught. Videos are something important to the nature of an English lesson. It is visual, should be at least in part an authentic source and is usually the students’ first introduction to the English language. I remember watching an interview about a Korean celebrity reflecting on how he taught himself English by watching the television show Friends. Utilizing such pop culture references has long been a beneficial self-help tool for individual learners. Why not expand on that with the classroom. Popular culture such as famous TV shows, movies, or music videos would be something that students would naturally be interested in. They could be highly catered to a specific topic as long-running shows such as The Simpsons or the aforementioned Friends covered a wide variety of topics. They would be able to see several English speakers in an environment familiar to them, and it would be a way for them to work on proper fluency and confidence to native English speakers as they have such an iconic example of pop culture in their arsenal of English conversation topics. One of the most controversial aspects of technology in a classroom is the nature of a smartphone. Many schools ban the devices in the classroom, yet most teenagers would have access to them. The smartphone would have access to the internet, email sights, chatroom opportunities, a voice recorder, and timer. The amount of use a smartphone could add to the classroom is astronomical if it was only honed for the right purpose. This use of a device that the Generation Z or Y is known to keep almost permanently attached to their hip may even promote them to utilize their lessons or at least recall them at a later, non-classroom setting date. For example. To use their phones as voice recorders for an assignment would eliminate the need for traditional tape recorders and as they are already on a digital platform they could easily be sent and shared for review. To have a student-led chatroom for lessons or assignments could promote student discussion and would be in a portable manner as well as having the possibility of being looked at for later reflection. The trick with this step is to be firm but focused on when the use of smartphones in the classroom is allowed. Similarly to the use of computers in class. With proper time and the popularity of teachers accepting the devices in the classroom, we could heighten the integration of such a marvel of technology in the classroom. Technology is of the future, and for classrooms to continue to produce top students they must utilize the best of materials available. I understand that not all regions would be as technologically advanced as some but I took this lesson to heart with the mindset that I would be teaching in South Korea; a nation well known for their technological advances. To understand that the youth of today live and breathe technology and that the international business world is increasingly becoming a digital one, it is turning into a necessity to have technology-based EFL lessons. For, if the classroom is the last place to improve, then the innovations of tomorrow will soon cease to exist.