Teachers of English Conference Abstracts

Pakistan

Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)
Abdul Majeed – Islamabad, Pakistan

With the advance of computer technology and the growth of interest in the use of computers for education, it is necessary for language teachers to become aware of the application of computers in second language learning and teaching. In other words, language teachers need to know about the basics of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in order not to be left behind in the use of instructional technology for enhancing learning and teaching.

In my presentation I will share an internet tool where it becomes possible to incorporate the use of technology to the teaching of a foreign language. Teachers can also enhance their classroom lessons through the use of Internet projects. That is, they can use the Internet to link their students to other classes to work collaboratively to further enrich any topic they are learning. This creates the "shared learning" environment around classroom instruction. Many places on the Web can help teachers engage in such activities. The number of educational tools and Web sites are growing steadily and more and more teachers around the world are using internet for language teaching. ‘Filamentality’ in particular has been an easy to use internet tool where teachers can lead their students to the websites which can supplement their classroom teaching. This tool ‘Filamentality’ has gone on to help teachers and students from around the world learn via the Internet.

Teachers anywhere in the world can search for activities that will engage students in meaningful language learning activities and pile them up on a single starting point for their students from where they can go to all these sites chosen for them by their teachers. This tool provides the opportunity for teachers to regularly update this page to keep up with the pace in their classroom progress. In this way teaching becomes interesting and regular changes in the available resources keep the students curiosity aroused.

Creative Use of Global Media in English Language Teaching
Shujaat Hussain – Islamabad, Pakistan

This paper purports to explore and examine the possible uses of global media like television, movies, internet etc. in enhancing the learning capacities of English language learners throughout the world. English has gained a worldwide popularity and currency in the wake of globalization. Global media which tends to be predominantly in English can create new markets for itself by helping to enhance the learning of English. One way in which the problem of a plethora of accents can be solved and at the same time the understanding of a particular standard international language can be solved is by offering subtitles of all the programs broadcast on satellite channels. It is a matter of common observation that a greater exposure to media leads to an enhanced language learning capabilities. What can be the role of English teacher in such circumstances? Can he/she afford to remain indifferent to such learning that is already taking place independent of him or her?

My contention in this paper would be that the teachers should encourage such learning and facilitate and orchestrate it rather than stay indifferent to it. They would soon assume a higher expertise in language and work towards language for specific purposes and would be teaching language for academic purposes once English language’s popular media use is widespread. This paper would also explore the reasons why the full potential media mediated language learning has not been exploited hitherto. It would focus on the ways and means to remove such obstacles. It is a matter of common knowledge that alien ideas from other cultures encapsulated in a foreign language need to be creatively appropriated before they can be assimilated therefore we shall see how an English teacher can creatively employ and make his students absorb English to suit their local needs.