The theory and practice of using technology in English teaching

Gamification is another approach that includes using technology in English language teaching. It is the use of game thinking and game mechanics to engage users in solving problems in education and it also helps to make the classroom competitive again. With this approach we are not only teaching the language or grammar unit, but we are also creating a positive atmosphere in the class rather than discipline and punishment. There are a lot of platforms and competitive systems design to greet students and teachers in the process of learning the language and some of them is the so-called system Lyrics training (lyricstraining.com) that is accessible for teachers and students as well if they have a computer and internet in the classroom. It is a competitive system of learning and improving students’ foreign languages skills through the music videos and lyrics of their favourite songs. What is more important is that all the latest music hits are uploaded there and also the activities are already created. All you must do is show your students how to use it and let them compete between each other by learning new words and filling in the empty brackets.
Some of the other technological methods or approaches for language teaching is the AR or augmented reality. is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented or supplemented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. The gadget using this technology is the upcoming Google Glass which is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD). Technology tools that can be worn such as Google Glass, iWatch and foldable screens are about to transform the way we deal with gadgets and their role in education. Many games made with AR such as Pokémon GO that in the summer of 2016 focused public attention on augmented reality can be implemented into language teaching according to some language educators. Although, it was not created for language teaching and learning, many educators have enlisted ways on how we can use the popularity of the game by taking it to our language classroom. As Robert Godwin – Jones says in his study on “Augmented reality and language learning: From annotated vocabulary to place-based mobile games”:
“Most language learning AR applications are quite different from Pokémon GO in approach and scope. They typically are developed by researcher-educators, who lack the resources available to commercial game developers. In fact, early examples of AR technology are rather limited in terms of functionality and sophistication. Most applications do not use the physical location to create an AR experience, but instead rely some optical sensors, most commonly a camera mounted on a computer or embedded into a handheld device. This involves using markers, images that are hard-coded into the application, which trigger some kind of action. The LearnAR site provides web-based examples of AR (using Flash), with modules for vocabulary quizzes in English, French, and Spanish.”
(Godwin-Jones, R. (2016). Augmented reality and language learning: From annotated vocabulary to place-based mobile games. Language Learning & Technology 20(3), pg. 10.)
The above mentioned, LearnAr site is in fact, a new learning tool that brings investigative, interactive and independent learning to life using Augmented Reality. It is a pack of ten curriculum resources for teachers and students to explore by combining the real world with virtual content using a web cam. The resource pack consists of interactive learning activities not only for teaching English but also for maths, science, RE, physical education and other foreign languages that bring a wow-factor to the curriculum. It is available for everyone who has the access to a computer with Internet connection and it is very educational and acceptable for teachers and students all around the globe.
In the previous pages of this paper, the m-learning or mobile learning is mentioned. MALU or Mobile – assisted language use is a subset of both Mobile Learning (m-learning) and Computer-assisted language learning (CALL). MALU as a subset of m-learning and CALL is evolved to support students’ language learning with the increased use of mobile technologies such as mobile phones, MP3 and MP4 players, PDAs, smartphones and tablet PC. With the m-learning and MALU, the implementation of technology in ESL teaching has become easier. Even today, we have the BYOD approach or Bring your own device which gives our students the opportunity to bring a device owned by students and their parents/families is typically a device that the student is already using and has already customized with applications, software and organizational tools. There is even a guide for schools on how to implement this approach in your school, written and published by Alberta Education (https://education.alberta.ca/). The types of personal devices that students can bring to school are not only smartphones but also: laptops, netbooks, tablets, smartphones, e-book readers, and MP3 players. Due to this approach, there are a lot of divided opinions and the most frequently asked question is : “is it not possible to accomplish the same goals with school-owned devices instead of personally owned devices?”
In the Bring your own device guidebook by Alberta education, we have the answer that according to them lies in five key differences between student use of school-owned versus personally owned devices. The first thing that came up is that maybe the school cannot afford the number of iPads or laptop needed, but even if they can, there are some significant differences between school-owned and personally-owned devices. According to Alberta education’s guide the differences are: “the level of student familiarity, transparency and facility with the devices – which can reduce the amount of basic training on the device for teachers; the ease of bridging between formal learning in school and informal learning outside of school; the immediacy with which schools can reach near ubiquity of devices for students; and the learning return on school technology investments.” (Bring your own device, a guide for schools, Alberta education, pg. 5)
These differences are also shown separately in the guide listed together with the opportunities and considerations they present. The authorities from Alberta schools that were involved in writing this guide have found these considerations to be manageable. The first key difference listed in the guide is the familiarity, transparency and facility with the device by the students which gives students the opportunity to have their own personal tool to be part of their learning repertoire and they are more confident with using it. Some of the considerations mentioned here, are that every student has a different iPad or a different smartphone that does not have the same specifications and teachers must be familiar as well with many, many different devices. But, to use the devices effectively, school authorities can make a range of devices that are allowed to be used and that the teachers are familiar with.
The second key difference is the seamless bridge between formal and informal learning which gives the students the opportunity to use the same device when they are working on a project or reading a lecture outside the classroom and the lecture or the project are saved on their personal device. Here is important for the students to have access to the Internet inside and outside the classroom. Although it is not the school’s responsibility whether or not the student will have access to Internet outside the school, many schools stay open longer hours to provide such access, partner with community centres and join partnerships working toward community wide public access.
Currency and Immediate traction is the third key difference. Here, students have an increased number of opportunities which includes: engagement in inquiry learning, an effective communication with peers, experts and their teachers, an opportunity to express their opinions and ideas on public forums etc. The only problem which can occur is when more devices are connected to one network. Because of this, the school authorities need to be ready with sufficient capacity on their wireless system and adequate bandwidth to support student learning with these devices.
The last two key differences are the social creation of knowledge and the cost and sustainability. The first, helps to promote co-construction of knowledge through social learning and the second of course, helps with the cost savings. Schools are faced with the lack of budgetary capacity to provide adequate numbers of up-to date devices to meet teaching and learning needs, and therefore school authorities began to consider BYOD models. But, when we check everything thoroughly, the school costs are not reduced but rather redirected to network reconfigurations and the increased bandwidth required to support the BYOD model. (Bring your own device, a guide for schools, Alberta education, pg. 6-9)
Every method in the process of teaching and learning English as second language has its advantages and disadvantages. The similar happens here. Technology tools, new methods and approaches nowadays might give us more ways to make the teaching interesting for students, keep them engaged in the classroom activities but it is not yet proven to be a perfect way to improve language learning. The variety of resources nowadays demands new organization forms both for students and teachers. But, so far, the advantages of using ICT in the English language classroom as well as EdTech tools are immense. It is important to mention that with the use of ICT and the vast range of EdTech tools, teachers have some new possibilities for sharing teaching ideas with their colleagues from all around the world. Self-publishing among teachers is becoming more and more popular: now it’s possible to avoid tricky issues with publishing houses and even collect money for the publication via crowdfunding. With e-learning, teachers can share their scripts with the students as well, so they can either download it form the course or study from the electronic version of the script by using their laptop or smartphone. Using EdTech has unlimited prospects for effective education in the future and the trends in this area should be studied thoroughly and discussed to apply them successfully.
The use of educational technology and multimedia during the process of learning and teaching English are beneficial. But, of course, there should be some limitations. Many schools and teachers around the world have problems with implementing technology in their language classroom and the major problem is lack of training. Everything seems interesting and motivating for your students and even for you as a teacher, but we know that the world is changing, and we have to learn how to face the new educational tools that come across our career path. If you as a teacher, do not know the platform you are working with or you have difficulties with technological tools, you will not be able to bring out optimum result. As it is said in the Discussion of the journal article “Communicative Language Teaching in a Multimedia Language Lab” by Shih-Jen Huang:
“Teachers should be aware of the possible frustration resulting from the unfamiliarity of computer software. The student's difficulty in the manipulation of the software usually undermine the students' interest in the class.”
(Shih-Jen, H., & Hsiao-Fang, L. (2000). Communicative Language Teaching in a Multimedia Language Lab. The Internet TESL Journal, (2000, February)
Being able to use technology in your English classroom includes being able to face technological issues. We are aware that while you are using a specific software or a platform during your lesson, something may block, or the program can stop working. Then, you need to be prepared and have a back-up plan in order not to lose your students attention and finish your lesson successfully. The technical problems in the management of the „multimedia lab‟ are an issue. Teachers need to have some advance knowledge to face technical issues. But most of the teachers do not have that much knowledge to deal problems like this. Issues such as tracking down appropriate information, misspelt addresses, slow connections, blocked access, system crashes, loose wires, out-of-date plug-ins, out-of-date websites, lack of administrative privilege and antiquated hardware can ensure that many EFL instructors avoid using the web.
So, the most important thing when you are planning an ICT – based lesson, is to be sure in the software or because sometimes an unexpected error might happen, to know how to face it and deal with it. Also, as a teacher, a plan B attached to your main lesson plan, will always come in handy when you are dealing with technological tools.
Educational technology has brought a lot of changes in the field of education and as we can see, it has transformed the approaches of teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Thanks to its innovations the teaching and learning process is enhanced and facilitated. Although there are many different opinions regarding the subject, it is important mentioning the fact that the new technological materials can improve the teaching and learning situation and give the students the opportunity to discover and accept the new technological environment. Even today, the use of educational technology is in progress. EFL teachers and learners depend on the use of different technological tools to make the educational process successful. Having in mind that every day we hear that a new technological tool or a platform is invented and that we need to use a specific software in our school, shows us that as part of this technological era, we are constantly learning. Being a teacher is a demanding job and it includes a lot of learning because new methods and approaches are implemented in the educational system daily. Some of those educational platforms or tools might seem like an experiment made from the government to us or the public (parents of our students) but it is important to have in mind that most of them are created to enhance the process and motivate the students to acquire the language better. But again, as teachers we have the key role in the classroom and is up to us to decide when and how we are going to use these EdTech tools or methods because too much use of technology could affect the diligence of the learner but if it is used properly and effectively, it was more benefits and advantages that negative sides or disadvantages.
In the second part of these paper, a presentation of EdTech tools and platforms is made. During the research made, we have found some interesting information about specific tools and educational platforms that are used world-wide and are not yet presented to schools in Macedonia. Every EdTech tool, software or an educational platform for English language teaching is described and there are examples and ways how we can use it and what age our students need to be in order to use the tool (or platform) effectively.
The list which is created in the next pages of this paper includes different EdTech tools, platform and applications for English language teaching and learning. There is a wide array of free and low-cost EdTech apps that make English learning resources more accessible and deliver personalized, engaging lessons have emerged in recent years. There are tools and apps created for teaching and learning, parent-teacher communication apps, lesson planning software, home-tutoring websites, revision blogs, SEN education information, professional development qualifications and more. Each of these tools promote more personalized and meaningful learning for students, along with a healthy dose of classroom collaboration. These tools can be used to enhance, amplify and facilitate deeper and more authentic learning. 
But, it might come across your mind now: How do you find tools to help meet these needs? Resources are everywhere: books, blogs, social media like Twitter chats, Voxer groups, your PLN, or even conferences, EdCamps and similar professional development opportunities. It is important to know that we cannot use technology only because the ICT based classes are now part of the curriculum and we need to do it. Using technology and EdTech tools in your classroom is beneficial and important if it helps your students find their voice, learn what they want to do, what they can do and what they need help with.

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