Longer Essay

The World Wide Web to Enhance Teaching and Learning language

The role of websites in teaching and learning languages has been progressively increasing as a result of the developments in educational technology. As English is one of the most commonly taught language, the numbers of English websites have been developed accordingly. The Web is now causing educators, from pre-school to graduate school, to re-think the very nature of teaching, learning, and schooling. Claims have been made that the Web can free teaching and learning from the physical boundaries of classrooms and time restraints of class schedules. Traditional lectures and demonstrations can become Web based multimedia learning experiences for students. Learning resources of the college and university can be augmented by learning resources of the world via the Web. Moreover, the Web can help us re-focus our institution from teaching to learning, from teacher to student.

Besides course books and other written resources technology integrated language teaching provides many materials for language learners as well. Websites might be regarded as online teaching tools which can be very effective resources both for learners and teachers. But can website make learning more accessible? Each of us likely has a different interpretation of what "access to learning" means, although most will agree that it means making education more attainable by more people. That is, providing educational opportunities in the workplace, community, or the home, for those unable to attend school or college because of cultural, economic, or social barriers. Dedicated distant learning institutions and traditional colleges and universities have provided opportunities to students unable to attend campus for some time. Until recently, they relied mainly on correspondence, traditional print instructional materials, and, perhaps, audio and video cassettes, or television. That is starting to change now as educators devise new ways to capitalize on Web based technology. An inviting, graphical screen layout, interactive multimedia learning materials, simplified access and searching of databases, exponential growth of new resources around the world, and open technical standards that allow any brand of modern computer to access the Web are some of the advantages institutions see in the Web to make learning more accessible.

Internet, computers, and online websites that contain well designed, established and evaluated pedagogical materials offer a significant potential for education Aydin (2007) states that the internet has been a chance for learners who learn English as a foreign language to improve their discourse, grammar, vocabulary and language skills in a real and natural environment. However yang and chan (2008) argue that even though there many studies on developing general guidelines for evaluating educational websites, these studies are not that specific to have a practical value. As a result, needs of English learning websites users are increasing highly, so that’s why, websites nowadays are very needed the most for teachers and learners especially for the language learners and teachers.

There are so many universities in this world that provide their website for helping teachers and learners get their materials for example, Britain's Open University is a prime example of a dedicated distance education institution that uses the Web to support its mission of providing accessible education. The institution normally requires students to spend some time on campus in residency, however it finds that there are always some students who cannot fulfill this requirement. In the summer of 1994, it experimented with offering electronically an advanced psychology course aimed at this kind of student, using Web and other Internet tools. Students reportedly relished the opportunity to be able to continue their studies without interfering with family commitments; instructors found the experience exhausting yet exhilarating; and the project evaluator wrote that the level of contact and interaction among students and instructors very similar to regular summer classes. The following year Open University offered two computer science courses to students throughout the world via the Web. They intend to continue to expand their list of offerings, and even have a Web form on-line, which students can complete to suggest courses they'd like to see offered over the Internet!

The Web is not only enabling improved access to colleges and universities for studying the language. Some experimentation in on-line access to education is happening at the public school level, though it is not as widespread. Three growing areas where the Web is facilitating increased access are also studying the language without the teacher or we can call his like home schooling, alternative schooling, and extension course delivery. A small segment of the parent population has always chosen to withdraw their children from public school and educate them at home. Reasons for doing so vary from geographic isolation, political views, or religious conviction, to a belief that they can do a better job at educating their child. So that’s why using websites for studying can be done anytime, and anywhere. There are so many materials on websites, all student readings are available on the Web and students debate issues raised during the course in electronic "virtual conversations." E-mail provides a way for students to contact the instructor directly and for the instructor to broadcast news to all registered participants. Internet visitors are invited to join class discussions provided they identify themselves as such. This is a refreshing addition to the course as it potentially broadens the range of opinions expressed in on-line discussions.

Not only reading, on the other hands Students can develop written communication skills readily by using the Web too. Writing to an authentic audience--rather than only to the teacher--has long been viewed as critical for the development of students' writing ability (e.g., Graves, 1983). The argument is that when students have a real audience to write to and have a purpose in writing to that audience, they will be more conscious of their vocabulary, syntax, and grammar. On-line work, in general, provides this kind of authenticity, whether it's an elementary student writing to a "key pal" on the other side of the globe, a high school student of a foreign language communicating with a native speaker in a distant country, or a university student querying researchers about their latest work (as in the Birkbeck College course described earlier). E-mail, electronic reply forms, and Internet newsgroup readers are part of most web browsing tools today, so students don't have to leave the Web to do on-line writing. Teachers who design projects or assignments that incorporate this feature of the Web will be giving their students an ideal opportunity to develop their writing skill. Early on teachers must set standards of what is acceptable and be vigilant of their students' on-line writing, however, because most individuals when first writing on-line tend to write rather hastily and informally

The World Wide Web has captured the imagination and interest in educators everywhere. But the days of frivolous experimentation in schools have long passed. Before we introduce any new technology into our classrooms we must be able to justify its contribution. The public expects no less from us how educators are actually using the Web today. Many of these uses are merely extensions of what is already being done with more established media. Website can give many teaching and learning resources especially for studying the language. By using website teachers and students can easily get and access the materials what they want, when they use websites for teaching and learning it means that they also use some new technologies.  This is not surprising, because with any new technology, we tend to think it in terms of the frame of reference with which we are most familiar development on the application of the Web to teaching and learning is needed. Nonetheless, in the meantime, it merits serious consideration as we search for ways to revitalize and enhance what we do for our study

References

Aydın, S. (2007). Attitudes of EFL Learners towards the Internet. TOJET July, Vol.6, Issue 3,                           

          pg.18-26.

Yang, C.T. & Chan, C.Y. (2008). Comprehensive Evaluation Criteria for English Learning

           Websites Using Expert Validity Surveys. Computers & Education 51, pg. 403-422.

Graves, D. H. (1983). Writing: Teachers and children at work. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Kir, E. (2013). The evaluation of websites teaching English as foreign Language.  

          http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813049434