The English language has become an obligation. People understand its importance now. According to Statista, more than 100,000 students learned English as a second language in the UK in 2020. Isn’t it enough to highlight the significance of the English language? English not only helps in studies but also brings new opportunities for students. It enables us to communicate with strangers wherever we go.
Learning English can be daunting, but it is not impossible. With the increased awareness and advancement in the education system, we have innumerable opportunities to learn and teach English.
Technology has made everything easier for us. The tasks we took hours to complete can now be done in a few minutes. So why don’t we make use of technology to teach English? As an English instructor, you might wonder if it is possible to teach English with technology. The answer is a big YES.
Keep reading to discover how to incorporate technology in your classroom to teach English.
Step out of the Dark Ages and Start Teaching English with Technology
It is your responsibility as educators to pique students’ interest and motivate them to continue their studies.
In the past, educators needed to put in a lot of time and effort to create a stimulating classroom setting. However, with the help of modern tools, imparting a worthwhile and exciting lesson has become much more straightforward.
Due to technological advancements, students now have more opportunities than ever to gain knowledge through direct experience in the classroom.
Incorporating technological tools into the classroom, like interactive grammar courses and interesting conversational practice, can significantly improve the educational experience for your pupils. It can serve as an enjoyer for them. Your students will be itching to participate more actively in class.
High-tech Tools for Every Type of English Classroom
Whether an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher or a native English speaker teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), these tools can help increase student participation and improve your lessons.
Engaging Apps for Your Tablet
Tablets are versatile instruments that may be put to many varied uses in the classroom. Students can use them as notepads. You can use them to give them access to supplemental learning content with which they can interact.
You can even use applications that you download to track student progress and manage your classroom. If you’re an English teacher, here are some great applications to use in your lessons:
1. Quizlet
Quizlet is a website that lets you make study materials for students to use on their mobile devices (Android and iOS). It is a fantastic tool for teachers of both first and second languages. It allows them to make flashcards and other interactive activities to help their students learn, review, and practice grammar and vocabulary through dynamic drills and exciting games.
2. Game Show Studio
You can use the Game Show Studio app on your tablets to turn every lesson into a fun and interactive game show. Game Show Studio, now exclusive to iOS devices, lets you transform iPads into buzzers for a quiz, turning it into a competitive round of trivia. This program is excellent for making your lessons more practical, and it’s not limited to use in ESL classrooms.
3. iMovie
iMovie is an excellent app for Mac and iOS users that can be used to make movies quickly and easily. Teachers of English might incorporate iMovie into classroom instruction by having students develop and perform their short film scripts.
Show all the videos your students made at a showing in the afternoon or evening, and if you have time, hold an awards ceremony where they have to give acceptance speeches.
Tools for Connecting with Other ESL Classrooms
If you’re a teacher of English as a second language, you can attempt to set up a virtual connection between your class and others studying the language in different parts of the world.
Video chats can be hosted between your classroom and other ESL or native English classrooms using Skype or FaceTime (for Mac and iOS users). The equivalent of traditional pen pals, this method introduces your pupils to new cultures through the medium of direct communication.
Consider connecting your ESL pupils with a native-English-speaking class if you are working abroad and have friends who are also teachers in an English-speaking country.
Educational Podcasts
Teachers of all stripes can benefit from podcasts to go into greater depth on various subjects.
The benefits of podcasts for ESL educators come in two forms:
- They have a ton of great information that your pupils can use.
- They are perfect for gauging how well someone listens.
Furthermore, depending on the podcast, ESL students might learn new vocabulary and improve their ability to communicate fluently in formal and informal situations.
Dozens of authentic, conversation-based podcasts for ESL learners are available on [email protected]. These podcasts are great for introducing the day’s topic as a warm-up activity or assessing students’ listening comprehension as part of a more extensive unit study.
Culips is another excellent English as a Second Language podcast. On this site, you can find podcast series on idioms, frequent expressions, and podcasts with spoken English at varying speeds. You can design a lesson around an individual podcast or use them to add a little something to your teaching.
In addition, the BBC’s The English We Speak is an excellent brief podcast that focuses on vocabulary and is perfect if you’re in a hurry. You can help your kids improve their vocabulary by having them listen to the weekly updates and write down new words they encounter.
Teaching with Smartboards
Smartboards are an excellent tool for making English classes more interactive and engaging for students. Smartboards, a form of interactive whiteboard, can improve the learning environment in any institution by allowing lecturers to incorporate visual aids like photographs, diagrams, and other media into their lesson plans. So, let me explain:
Flipped Classrooms:
Do you want to implement a flipped classroom model? A smart board can be a great asset. “flipped classrooms” are gaining traction as a way to teach and learn because it encourages students to complete much of their prerequisite coursework outside of class. Before the actual classroom lesson, they listen to lectures, watch relevant videos, and employ study resources on their own time.
You are responsible as a teacher to use class time to review the material with your students. Smartboards are especially helpful in this context because they allow teachers to access online materials, project students’ notes, and integrate media into review sessions, all of which contribute to the success of the flipped classroom model.
Virtual Field Trips:
When time or money prevents you from taking your students on a real-life field trip, you can always transport them virtually using your smartboard. Raise the stakes by letting your kids do real-world learning outside the classroom.
Discovery Education provides virtual field trips in the classroom, such as a literary adventure that teaches students about Shakespeare and a visit to the Library of Congress. The best way to ensure that your kids pay close attention and participate in your “field trip” is to give them a worksheet with questions before you go.
Visiting the Louvre is a great way to help students practice adjectives and art-related vocabulary, especially if you have a class that is very interested in art or if you want to help students practice their adjectives and art-related vocabulary.
Or you may introduce your pupils to other cultures and countries by taking virtual tours of iconic places worldwide courtesy of AirPano. This company takes panoramic images and movies of some of the world’s most stunning locations.
These visual excursions provide an excellent opportunity for pupils to practice expressing what they observe. Teachers of both native and non-native speakers of English might benefit significantly from virtual field trips by having students write brief reports about what they saw at the end of class or as homework.
Bringing Technology into Your English Lessons
With the right tools, teaching English may be streamlined with the help of modern technology. Tools like smartboards, tablets, and learning applications make it simple to engage your students, whether you’re teaching native speakers and want to elaborate on tough subjects or you’re teaching ESL and need to present interactive examples.
You shouldn’t waste any more time. Leverage these tools and methods of modern education to provide your English-speaking students with the best possible education.