ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES

R.KARTHICK

Assistant professor in Education

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES

ABSTRACT:

 This article reviews current research on the use of Web 2.0 technologies in second language (L2) learning. Its purpose is to investigate the theoretical perspectives framing it, to identify some of the benefits of using Web 2.0 technologies in L2 learning, and to discuss some of the limitations. The review reveals that blogs and wikis have been the most studied Web 2.0 tools, while others, such as social networking applications and virtual worlds, have been less frequently explored. In addition, the most commonly investigated languages have been English, Spanish, German, and French. Considerably less research has been conducted on applying Web 2.0 technologies to less commonly taught languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, or Russian.

INTRODUCTION

 Web 2.0 technologies have become a ubiquitous component of our daily lives. As Warschauer and Grimes (2007) point out, millions of people now use Web2.0 technology to interact, collaborate, network, and entertain through blogs, wikis, social networking tools, and multiplayer games; many of these individuals enjoy the thrill of instant self-publishing and feel stimulated by their dynamic interactions online. During the past decade, the shift from Web 1.0 to 2.0 has been remarkable. People do not merely read and retrieve information, but also create and share information.

The aim of this study was to explore ELT (English Language Teaching) student teachers’ perspectives on the use of web 2.0 technologies in language learning contexts. In order to do so, 139 student teachers from a state university in Turkey were given training on web technologies along with their practical usages. Three months after this training, a questionnaire adapted from previous instruments was administered to participating student teachers. Moreover, the follow up interviews were carried out with only 20 student teachers in five groups, the aim of which was to take a deeper insight about the items in the questionnaire. Both the questionnaire and the interview results revealed that student teachers seemed to have positive feelings about the use of web technologies despite some challenges such as lack of technological devices encountered.

            Globalization has always been the subject of profound debate and concern in a number of circles. In his influential book, Friedman (2005) analyzes globalization, primarily in the early 21st century and defines ten flatteners that he recognizes as leveling the global playing field. One of the most important flatteners, he claims, is “the steroids” which include wireless, voice over Internet, and file sharing. Furthermore, personal digital devices like mobile phones, iPods, personal digital assistants, instant messaging, and voice over Internet Protocol can be classified, according to Friedman (2005) as the new technologies that cause the world to be flattened each day. Tsui and Tollefson (2007) maintain that “globalization is effected by two inseparable mediation tools: technology and English to respond to the rapid changes brought about by globalization" (p.1). In other words, technology and English are two pioneering aspects of the current age that bring about societal and political changes. New technologies and services are among recent developments that foster participation in formal and informal networks, giving individuals and groups access to global communities. Application of these technologies is, obviously, manipulating different dimensions of people’s lives, such as the way they think, communicate, learn and teach. In a sharp contrast with Web 1.0 applications including browsing and searching on the net and reading an operation, Web 2.0 technologies allow users to construct, that is, to write to the web. This shift from a tool of passive reference to

one of collaboration to active exciting opportunities for individuals in a variety of ways has been commented in various levels thus far. In order to accommodate this shift, many adults struggle with the use of new technologies in their own lives. Because once the world has been flattened and the new forms of collaboration made available to more and more people, the winners will be those who learn the habits, processes and skills of digital age most quickly. As far as education is concerned, Web 2.0 technologies seem to have profound potentials in education due to their open nature, ease of use and support for effective collaboration and communication. It is a fact that today’s students, as Prensky (2001) calls “digital natives”, employ technology differently and learn differently from their parents and teachers. Digital natives are technology savy, and confident in the positive value of technology. They believe in the importance of technology as “an essential and preferred component of every aspect of their lives. In order to teach these digital natives properly, it is mandatory that teachers themselves be aware and proficient users of technology. In recent years, teacher technology preparation has been given more importance as “the single most important step toward integrating technology into education”. A lot of studies carried out on teachers’ perceptions about the use of technology indicate that most teachers are somewhat aware of the importance of using technology in their classrooms to address 21st century students, but this awareness is not reflected in practice. There is a lot of evidence that the majority of teachers do not use technology when they teach with the exceptions of using PowerPoint presentations and email exchanges.

CONCLUSION:

 Thus, teacher education programmers’ are obliged to provide pre-service teachers with recent innovations that occupy key roles in education. This way it is expected that teacher trainees are likely to utilize technologies in their own future classrooms to cater for the increasing needs of 21st century kids. Otherwise, there would be unfilled gaps between teachers and learners.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

            Thomas, M. (2009). Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning. Hershey, PA., NewYork& London: IGI Reference.

Tollefson, W. J. (1991). Planning language, planning inequality: Language policy in the community. London, UK:Longman.

Tsui, A. B. M., & Tollefson, J. W. (2007). Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian contexts.

Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence.U. S. Department of Education. (2004). The National Educational Technology Plan. Toward a new golden age in American education: How the Internet, the law and today’s students are revolutionizing expectations, Washington DC.

Usluel, Y. K., Mazman, S. G., & Arikan, A. (2009). Prospective teachers’ awareness of collaborative web 2.0 tools.

The IADIS International Conference WWW/Internet 2009.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wan, G.,& Gut, D. (Eds.). (2011). Bringing schools into the                                              21st century. New York: Springer.

Wong, M. S. L. (2010). Beliefs about language learning: A study of Malaysian pre-service teachers. RELC Journal,41, 123-136.

Yalın, H.I., Karadeniz, Ş. & Şahin, S. (2007) Barriers to information and communication technologies integration into elementary schools in Turkey. Journal of Applied Sciences 7 (24), 4036–9.

Yaratan, H. & Kural, C. (2010). Middle School English Language Teachers’ Perceptions of InstructionalTechnology Implementation in North Cyprus.