TOPIC 24.

TECHNOLOGICAL AND
PEDAGOGICAL ASPECT OF THE USE OF
AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS (NEWSPAPER,
TELEVISION, TAPE RECORDER, VIDEO.).
COMPUTERS AS AN AUXILIARY RESOURCE
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND
IMPROVEMENT.
INTRODUCTION
With the advance of nformation and Communication
Technology (CT), it is clear that a new society is
emerging worldwide. This society is primarily
characterized by its ability to access information
and use it to create new knowledge.
We live in the image based world, therefore, our
students are more motivated and captivated by
images than by books. Nowadays, Educational
technologies are indispensable resources for
English learning/ teaching (ELT). They offer a wide
range of possibilities for practicing the four
language skills, but we must take into account the
way we use the technology since not all
information available is suitable for our students.
AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
With the advent of new technologies, the
expression audiovisual refers to the use of
machines as means of diffusion and
communication (Computers, TV). The use of
audiovisual materials is crucial to develop the
nformation and Digital Competence. Adell
(2007) states that the ease with which our
students handle technology is a result of having
been born into this new society as "digital
natives while adults have had to acquire these
important skills retroactively as "digital
immigrants. The widespread incorporation of
CT into schools has given teachers a powerful
tool for developing our lessons.
W TeIevision: y way of a
combination of images and
sound on its screen, television
puts an enormous amount of
visual and audible information.
This content can be reinforced
with English subtitles. TV is an
effective mean to develop
listening and reading abilities and
sociocultural elements.
AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
W Video The use of videos in the classroom has
many advantages t's informative, motivational,
recreational and expressive.
There are a great number of videos available
that have been made specifically for the ELT
classroom. Some videos contain songs and
rhymes e.g. Play it again!, and others present
cultural aspects of English speaking countries
e.g. This is ritain.
There are also a great number of authentic
suitable videos such as cartoons, TV programs,
documentary, self made videos, etc.
AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
W Cassette/ CD Nowadays all the books include
CD which in turn include oral texts, video clips,
stories, songs and other activities. They are very
useful to consolidate and extend vocabulary and
to improve oral skills and comprehension. Use of
cassettes and CD has the following advantages
They present a great variety of native accents.
They focus on oral language.
They make the realization of many
communicative activities possible.
They are easy to use and don't cost much.
They can be elaborated by students.
AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
MATERIALS
W The Radio is an auditory means of
communication that sends and receives
signals (information) by way of
electromagnetic waves. The Radio can
help us to develop listening skills since it
broadcast many programs, songs, etc.
and sociocultural contents.
W Tape recorder allows
register the students' voice
in order to play it back and
listen our performance. We
can check pronunciation,
correct mistakes, record
dialogues for others to
listen, etc
MATERIALS
MATERIALS
W Newspaper: The reading and writing of newspapers
offer a multitude of didactic possibilities. n digital or print
format, newspaper can be used for many activities and
projects with a lot of contents and at any level. The use
of newspaper has the following advantages
t's more than a mere classroom activity.
t integrates communication, teaching and motivates
apprenticeship.
t allows students to obtain information in English.
t provides information about English speaking countries.
t encourages the development of cooperative work.
t encourages research.
t provides a wide range of possibilities in order to
develop language skills.
COMPUTERS
Computers complement and reinforce
the learning process. Nowadays, all the
resources and materials above mentioned
are available in computers and nternet as
multimedia resources.
As CT Schools 2.0 we have at our
disposal computer room, and in the third
cycle the students have their own laptops
and the classrooms are equipped with
projectors, computers, digital board and
wifi access to nternet.
Computers use
Computers offer a wide variety of tools for
classroom use. We have offline and online
activities which offer a great amount of materials
and didactic possibilities for English classrooms.
We should adapt our methodology and materials
to the characteristics of our students and check
before the lessons that they are suitable for
them and our proposals. With the combination of
technological, pedagogical and human
resources, we can better respond to the
interests and needs of each student making a
much more autonomous and personal learning
process.
EducationaI Software
W The operative system available for our schools
in Andaluca (GuadaIinex) includes Openoffice
software such as Writer and Impress which help
us for elaborating templates, worksheets, texts,
presentations, etc.
W ost textbooks come with CD -ROM that
contain the multimedia version of dictionaries,
exercises, pronunciation practice, texts,
dialogues, games, videos, songs, stories, etc.
W Internet offers online tools such as, web pages,
blogs, forums, communities to share exercises,
searchers (Google), videos (Youtube), chats,
emails, social nets, databases, radio shows,
games, ., the possibilities are limitless.
W HeIvia pIatform allows us to design distance
learning courses.
W Hot Potatoes includes six interactive
applications multiple -choice, short -answer,
jumbled -sentence, crossword, matching/
ordering and gap-fill exercises for the World
Wide Web.
W JcIic allows teachers to design, implement and
evaluate multimedia educational activities e.g.
puzzles, word search.
EducationaI Software
dvantages
W nternet is a great resource for developing the
four language skills since it provides access to a
great amount of multimedia information.
W CT give teachers a powerful motivational tool.
ecause de images, the information found is
more attractive
W Computers contribute to a more active and
personalized apprenticeship for students. t
makes possible for everyone to choose the time
and place for training, and allows them to
complete the activities at their own pace.
Students can choose their own learning
itinerary. t ncreases the level of control
students have over their own learning.
W t increases teacher student and peers
communication through email, chat, forums,
social nets, etc.
W t allows establish contact with English speaking
people and schools.
W nternet facilitates the continuous formation and
collaboration between students. There is no limit
to information, communication, imagination and
exchange of ideas.
W Audiovisual material will help students'
comprehension of the world and the changes
happening in it.
dvantages
isadvantages
W We may sometimes have trouble accessing web
resources.
W eing prepared to use new technologies requires
additional effort of the part of the teacher and the
students.
W aving good machines that work comfortably and quickly
supposes additional infrastructure and maintenance
costs.
W There are contents, practices, activities, etc. that can not
be done by internet. Not all information is suitable for our
students.
W ccasionally, we may overuse the website and frustrate
or even alienate students who don't have access to
nternet.
W Links sometimes break and computers sometimes
freeze.
Web safety
t is really important to protect our
pupils from distasteful pages. ur
computers should be equipped with
program designed to filter out
inappropriate content. ur children should
be supervised by the teacher while they
work with computers. t's recommended to
have a document signed by children and
parents detailing how the nternet can or
con not be used.
The uses of Internet
W or developing projects or reports searching specific
information related to a topic.
W Creating a school website or blog with the main content
of the different didactic units. A class design web page
doesn't need nternet connection; it can be done directly
and accessible from the hard drive.
W To establish contact with pen pals from English speaking
schools.
W Reading and following instructions and answering
questions.
W Accessing a site to produce a quiz for other pupils.
W Doing language activities.
W Creating new materials, Jclic, hot potatoes.
Computer management ruIes
W ake children know what will happen if they
disobey the rules.
W Establish basic rules for using computers.
W Always, as teachers, visit a site before using it
with our pupils.
W Check the computers before using them
(connection, CD, software, web pages, links,
etc.).
W Ensure children understand the purpose of the
activity with the computers.
W Use computers for a limited time.
W Always to present children a clear task to focus
their attention.
Students with specific needs of
educationaI support
The use of technological resources offers students
with special educational needs compensatory
instruments that allow them to complete the
same activities as the rest of the students. We
should consider their needs and, above all, what
he or she is capable of doing, then determining
what kind of technology adaptations requires.
or example ;4ice rec43iti43 s41tware for
motor deficiencies, a special scree3 where
images can be substituted by sounds, or raille
keyb4ard 4r pri3ter for visual deficiencies.
Listening deficiencies don't need special
adaptation although in some cases a sonic
messae can be substituted for a ;isual one.
TechnoIogy: PupiIs' Iearning
contributions
W !sychological: t stimulate children's motivation
since they find it fun.
W Linguistic: t combines sound and vision, provides a
full context for language, includes non verbal
communication, develops all skills, introduces new words
and phrases or helps to revise them.
W Cognitive: t develops children's power of observation,
curiosity, information and research skills as well as
independent learning.
W Social: Pupils working together on a computer project
will develop collaborative skills.
W Cultural: t provides background information about
English speaking countries.
CONCLUSION
As English teachers, we should be at the
forefront of the changes. The motivation that CT
awaken in students and the advantages they
offer can become a very powerful educational
tool. Students will think they are playing with the
computer, drawing graphics, changing colours,
etc. while we know the true learning potential of
these games and activities.
t isn't technology "per se that matters; it is
the didactic use we give it, combined with
practice with the materials.