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Teach English in Sanyao Zhen - Shangluo Shi

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Sanyao Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Shangluo Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.

Within the past 20 years,we have seen great advancements in technology. Mobile phones and laptops that are thinner than a short novel, voice activated software systems, robotics, high speed internet where you can watch your favourite film any time etc... The world is technologically developed, but more often then not the classroom remains untouched, with the teacher remaining at the front of the class trying to gain the motivation of the students. Slowly, there has been a gradual introduction of newer, more educationally orientated forms of technology in the classroom. Whether this had been the introduction of the ‘Over Head Projector’, usage of cassette players to modern day equipment such as Smart Boards or laptops, technology is becoming a vital asset in learning. Language classrooms are capable of utilizing these newer forms of technology to better improve 1) teaching methodology, 2) developing interests with students and 3) access to authentic material. Firstly, teaching methodology is continually expanding, progressing and changing. The importance of lesson plans are still essential for the normal teacher, but with the inclusion of technology in the classroom, the limits of learning, which are usually confined to a classroom, are then released, making the classroom with technology a central point for outside information. In particular, the language classroom, from my experience, is often limited to resources that are predated; textbooks and worksheets often defined my time as a student in a language classroom. Nowadays, there are a variety of applications that teachers and students are able to use to reorganize the classroom. Teachers are able to set more interesting tasks for students, such as using PowerPoint in the classroom with gap-fill activities or interactive quiz shows that have questions and answers on a smart board that students can select. This allows teachers and students more variety in the classroom, which helps keep students, and teachers, motivated on the content. Secondly, finding out and developing the interests of students is often difficult. Some pretests and other questionnaire testing is designed to prompt students to inform teachers about their general interests, but even then, in my opinion, it is difficult to gather whether or not that information is actually worth investing as a teacher. Especially in today’s day and age, the current generation, depending on the place in the world, has access to the internet. The usage of internet in the classroom can help expand interests and maintain motivation in the classroom. For example, the use of YouTube or videos in the class, not only help bring material that is not easily available into the classroom, but also can be used in conjunction with teaching methods. For example, using the ESA lesson model, a teacher can Engage students with a video on a culturally significant point of a country. Students then revise the content learnt and focus on the accuracy of the language in the Study component. Lastly, due to technology, it is possible to ask students to create their own video, debate, television show, presentation, PowerPoint, using any form of technology that is available in the Activate phase. Although these thoughts have been mentioned before, the variety that can be provided expands, allowing for students to not fall into a sense of repetition as often. Therefore teachers are not only engaging the students but also their creating motivation to learn more about the language through their interests. Lastly, the access to authentic material is expanded. From my experience, teachers would often try and provide authentic materials such as newspaper clippings or books, but usually, these materials were often too difficult for anyone to understand, leaving students more confused. A major benefit that technology provides in the classroom is the ability to create a lesson around the ability of the students. Some websites, such as ‘breakingnewsenglish’ provide simpler variations of harder texts that can vary for different levels or ‘Kahoot’ where a teacher can design an interactive online quiz for their students based on authentic material. In addition to this, authentic materials are not just limited to videos and articles, but also access to more cultural understanding and in some cases skype sessions with a native speaker. Overall having this access to authentic materials reduces the amount of time a teacher is required to spend creating or searching. This gives teachers more time and opportunity to create more actively engaging classes for the students. It is worth noting that schools that don’t have access to technology and the equipment necessary to use it require more conventional methods of teaching, however this essay is to support that the advantages of using technology in the classroom out ways the disadvantages that are only present with accessibility. To conclude, language is free flowing. Language doesn’t have boundaries and often transcends any boundaries that it is presented with. By isolating a language in a language classroom with a teacher-student dynamic, the likelihood of repetition is high and would lead to a lack of motivation and interest. By bringing more technology into the classroom, that is designed appropriately and targeted towards the students interests, the boundaries of teaching methodology and student interest can be expanded and greatly benefit not only the student but becomes invaluable to the teacher. word count: 864


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