Technology-Enhanced Language Learning

Amazingly, technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) has been a fashion. Accompanying with this teaching approach, there are so many new computer skills that I should be equipped with and apply them into my teaching, such as, wiki spaces, interaction white board, blogger, and RSS.


To begin with, Web 2.0 is the most important concept that linked the rest of things. In the past, we search information on the websites which are created by a few of people, and the information there are not changeable. So the connection between people and information goes only one way; in other words, people find information which is there already. To be frankly, it feels cold in that way since there is no interaction. Then, after the first generation, it comes to the era of the second generation, also called Web 2.0. It makes the Internet into huge communities through several spaces, which people have already used them, like Wikipedia. This way, everyone could contribute to the spaces, which subsequently show the interactions between people. What’s more, the connection goes both ways, which would be more convenient, efficient and much easier. Take wiki spaces for an example, simply get a free account of it, then I can manage it as my own webpage, and what’s awesome is that all of my friends can join me just by clicking, making them a part of the wiki spaces. With this wiki spaces, I can even have discussions and even plan for a trip. Take RSS feed for another example, before web2.0, people open so many web pages to read things they want. Now, with RSS feed, people will read what they want within one page, and all they have to do is to add their favorite pages through RSS.


When speaking of applying into language teaching, I believe it would definitely be an impact on ways of teaching now. Since today, Learning has been about taking notes and taking tests. However, with the appearance of TELL, students could have opportunities to learn by doing them directly, which might subconsciously evoke their intrinsic motivation or reinforce their knowledge into long term memory.


In brief, TELL will become more and more common after a few years because technology is still making progresses. And, maybe, students will go to school by their avatars. Who knows! Therefore, I think it is always good to learn new things so as to keep myself spinning as the earth never stops.