วันอังคารที่ 11 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2557

Using Computers for Teaching and Learning English

อ้างอิงจาก เอกสารอบรมครูสอนภาษาอังกฤษจากมหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์
Using Computers for Teaching and Learning English

 

1. The Use of the Internet for Teachers

 

Finding relevant websites

 

There are many websites that provide information and material for teaching and learning English including TEFL, TESL and TESOL websites. Even when the materials are not directly relevant, teachers can often adapt them and get useful ideas for creating their own materials.

 

To find relevant websites, you can type keywords into the address bar of a browser program such as Internet Explorer, or you can use a search engine website e.g. Google (www.google.com) (generally considered to be one of the best search engines).

When searching:

              i.    enclose phrases in quotation marks e.g. “EFL Learners”

            ii.    use more than one keyword to narrow down your search (e.g. EFL and interactive)

           iii.    put a + sign in front of each additional keyword to include it in the search e.g. EFL +resources. This finds websites that refer to both EFL and resources.

           iv.    put a - sign in front of each additional keyword to exclude it from the search e.g. EFL -resources. This finds websites that refer to EFL but not to resources.

 

Using search engines such as Google, you can search for a variety of types of files including webpages, images, Word documents, Powerpoint presentations and ‘pdf files’ (i.e. documents that retain all their formatting and can be viewed and printed using the free program called Adobe Acrobat Reader).

 


 

Teachers can use the Internet in different ways including:

 

a)    Obtaining general information about language teaching and computing

b)   Communicating with other language teachers (and students)

c)    Reviewing and purchasing books and computer programs

d)   Downloading computer programs

e)    Getting lesson plans, worksheets and presentations

f)    Downloading clipart including images, sounds, animations and videos for insertion into documents

 


 

Information and advice about both teaching and computing can be obtained from a variety of websites on the Internet including websites of language teaching organisations, such as:

 

ICT - Information and Communications Technology for Language Teachers
TEFL.NET - Teaching Tips
Becta - British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
CILT – Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research
TESOL – Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages
 
The Internet TESL Journal
IATEFL – International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
OUP Language Teachers Club
Bell Schools' website – includes a list of resources for English teachers
Thailand TESOL
MacMillan Resources
JALTCALL
ELT News

 

 



 

Teachers can communicate with others involved in teaching by joining mailing lists and discussion groups on language teaching organisations’ and language teaching websites such as:

 

Dave’s ESL Cafe
TEFL Forum
Longman Discussion Teacher Forum
Aardvark English Forum Teaching Links


 


 

Information and sample material for books and computer programs can be found on publishers’ and language teaching organisations’ websites.  You can read reviews, follow web links, get ideas for using materials, run demonstrations and order materials. There are often extra materials (including additional exercises, lesson notes etc.) for language books. Examples can be found at these websites:

 

Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press - dictionaries
Wida Software
Educational Software Products
Eurotalk Interactive
Intense Educational Ltd.


 


 

Computer programs, for use in language teaching, can be downloaded from software library and publishers’ websites. This includes commercial programs, freeware programs (i.e. programs that can be downloaded and used at no cost) and shareware programs (i.e. programs that can be freely downloaded and tried out but should be paid for if they are used). Websites that provide downloadable computer programs for language teaching include:

 

Halfbaked Software University of Victoria, Canada
Camsoft – software publishers
Sussex University Language Institute

Puzzlemaker – for creating puzzle exercises




e)   Getting lesson plans, worksheets and presentations

 

Teachers can download lesson plans, worksheets and presentations from the Internet from publishers’, language teaching organisations’ and language teaching websites. Although you have to pay for some of these, there are many that are free. Try these websites for ideas and materials:

 

Isabel's ESL Site - English as a Foreign/Second Language in Secondary Education (Materials and links for Teaching and Learning)
One Stop English
-Macmillan Publishing
ELT Web – Lesson Plans and Exercises
Bell English Online - Bell Language Schools website
The Internet TESL Journal -Things for ESL/EFL teachers
BBCi
Discovery School - worksheets
TEFL.NET
To Learn English
About.com – What you need to know about English as a 2nd Langauge
Boogle’s World  - ESL worksheets and lesson plans
ESL Lesson Plans and Resources

EFL/ESL Lessons and Lesson Plans - from The Internet TESL Journal

Sites for Teachers
Abc Teach
The Internet TESL Journal's TESL Handouts for Classroom Use
 
English To Go
EFL4U(purchase lesson plans)
ESL Worksheet Generator
 
Create a Graph
Education world

 

 

 


 

All kinds of clipart, for use in your own documents and presentations, can be downloaded from media library websites. You should always check the information on each website to find out if the clipart is copyright free and how it can be used. Some useful clipart for language teaching can be found at these websites:

 

UVic’s Language Teaching Clipart gallery
LangPix- Pictures for language teaching
Clipart Collection for EFL/ESL Instruction
Microsoft Design Gallery
Hassle Free Clipart
Awesome Clipart for Kids
Disney Sites Clipart

 

2. The use of the Internet and computer programs for students (CALL)

 


 

Students can use the Internet in different ways including:

a)      Communicating with other students (and teachers)

b)   Searching for information - Research projects

c)    References

d)   Online Exercises and Games

 


 

Care should be taken if encouraging young learners to communicate with other Internet users. Young Learner mailing lists and forums should be used and guidance on ‘safe use’ should be given to students. For example:

 

Linguistic Funland – Pen Pal Center
Longman Teen Student Discussion Forum
Email Project Home Page. - for 'publishing' student writing
ePALS.com - classroom exchange
Teaching.com – IECC members site. Find a partner for your class.
The Internet TESL Journal's  - ESL : Penpals and Communicating with Others
Student List Project - Discussion lists for EFL/ESL students
 
World’s Chat

 


b)   Searching for information – Research Projects

 

Searching the Internet can be done using search engines designed for children:

 

Yahooligans
Ask Jeeves Kids
Kids Click
Ivy Search Engine for kids
Metacrawler
New Scientist
NationJunior
How Stuff Works

 

To find websites with exercises that can be used online, search for ‘Interactive’.


c)   References

 

Websites providing reference programs can be found at:

 

Microsoft Encarta – multimedia encyclopaedia with many lesson plans and online activities (registration required for access to a lot of the materials)
http://encarta.msn.com
 
Longman Web Dictionary
www.longmanwebdict.com/
An Online English Grammar
www.edufind.com/english/grammar/toc.cfm
The Internet TESL Journal – Dictionaries and reference materials
http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Dictionaries_and_Reference_Materials/
Little Explorers English Picture Dictionary
www.enchantedlearning.com/Dictionary.html
Dictionary
http://dictionary.reference.com/

 


d)   Online Exercises and Games (activities that can be completed on the Internet)

There are many different types of activities available including:


 

Singing Songs


NIEHS Kids’ Page

Musical English lesson


 

Reading Stories


The Internet TESL Journal – ESL textbooks
Pintura – Art Detective
Learning Resources
Storytelling
TheCase:weekly mysteries
CRAYON create your own newspaper

 

Listening


Randall's Basic self-study guide

The Internet TESL Journal -ESL listening

 

Writing


Electronic Postcards

The Online Writing Lab

 


Grammar


University of Victoria - Index to Grammar Materials

ESL Blues - Animated Grammar Tutorials
 
Guide to Grammar and Writing - Interactive Quizzes
Grammar

 

 

Miscellaneous Activities


Bell English Online - Bell Language Schools website
www.bellenglish.com/resources/languagelearning.asp
The Internet TESL Journal – Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students
http://a4esl.org/q/h/
Aardvarks’ English Forum – interactive English exercises
www.englishforum.com/00/interactive
BBC World Service – Learn English
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
Game Zone – language games
English for Everyone
Interesting Things for ESL Students
-          Crossword Puzzles
-          Easy Vocabulary Quizzes with Pictures
 
Non-Stop English
www.nonstopenglish.com/
Pearson-Longman Publishers – teens
www.longman-elt.com/teens/students/index.html
Learning Planet - wordsearch
www.learningplanet.com/act/ws/e_ws.htm?e_zoo
Interactive Game
www.duber.com/thegame/index.html
1-Language.com – online materials
www.1-language.com/englishcourse/index.htm

 


Designing Web sites


Webmonkey


 

Sample Lessons

 

1. The Weather Channel
2. Just the Jobs
3. Dietitian of Canada
4. Virtual Kitchen
5. Superstitions
6. The Internet Movie Database
7. Mr. Showbiz
8. Simultaneous Interpreters
9. Concordance
 
10. Knock, knock. Who’s there?
11. Party Hats
12. Jumbled Texts