THE ROLE OF ICT-ENHANCED INSTRUCTION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Haydarov Zafar Hakim ugli,

Teacher of the English faculty-1,

Uzbekistan State University of World Languages

Annotation: This research work is aimed at exploring the effectiveness of using ICT tools in teaching language skills such as listening, reading, writing and speaking skills to English language learners in the context of the Republic of Uzbekistan. More precisely, it studies the effects of the use of ICT technologies or ICT-based activities in teaching integrated skills to learners of English language.

Key words: ICT, ICT-based teaching and learning, ICT tools, technology.

It should be highlighted that language skills have been taught in classrooms through ICT-based activities and techniques up to the present time. One of the ways of teaching language skills through ICT tools is the use of audio and video materials in the EFL classrooms which make language lessons liven up and more interesting and also using different communicative activities based on ICT in teaching language skills for learners.

And, it should be noted that these approaches to language teaching has proved to be effective and evidenced that ICT-based lessons were efficient and productive to a great extent but the use of ICT tools in teaching language skills to English language learners has not been investigated completely yet. Therefore, we have aimed to investigate this question more thoroughly and chosen the topic “The use of ICT tools in integrated skills’ development”. We have intended to explore the effectiveness of ICT tools in teaching integrated skills to learners in English classrooms. Furthermore, the answer to the question that to what extent the application of ICT tools in teaching English language learners can improve language skills of learners.

Nowadays, it is known that contemporary foreign language teaching programsare based on communicative language teaching (CLT) approach principles and laws and the focus of FLT programs is on the fact that language should be taught for communication purposes and be viewed as not a system of signs, yet, means of communication and interaction. From this approach, it can be stated that teaching language skills such as reading, listening, writing and speaking and also sub-skills like vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar is based on the main principles of Communicative Language Teaching [2]. ICT-based teaching is also part of CLT. Below, we will discuss main issues related to ICT-based instruction.

Much researchhave been conducted on the problem of analyzing what extent using ICT tools in teaching language skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking in the classrooms of learners produces positive results; to prove using ICT tools in the language skill focused classrooms could make the learning process more effective and efficient [3]. In addition, several studieshave been made to explore the effectiveness of applying different ICT based activities in the EFL classrooms of upper secondary educational settings and investigate the teachability of ICT tools in teaching learners of English through ICT tools used in the classroom and the degree of input and output of learners during the experimental process of the research [4]. These works tried toprove that using ICT tools in the integrated skills-based teaching contexts of upper secondary educational establishments produces considerable effects on developing language skills of research participants [1].

So, we claim that it is highly expected that English learners will be able to make a progress and educational success in the way they acquire language skills and show their learning in the classrooms where ICT tools are strategically used. Furthermore, we are hypothesizing that learners will be able to easily develop their integrated language skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking through the use of ICT tools in the classroom.  

There are some advantages of using ICT in the lesson which is determined by the effectiveness of using ICT tools and the ICT assisted lessons in making classrooms cooperative, motivating, interactive, challenging, interesting, meaningful, and anxiety free during the lesson which are the main objectives of modern language teaching methodology [3].

From this standpoint, it can be said that the it can be noted that using ICT tools in the language skills development contexts could make the lessons effective and successful by challenging pupils with different ICT tools and activities that promote cooperation, interaction, motivation, meaningful contexts for learners and other learning opportunities.

All things considered, it can be stated that using ICT tools in teaching language skills to English language learners should be explored further so that we can improve language skills of learners without making them bored and anxious during the lesson. Instead, we should liven up the lessons with ICT technologies and make them anxiety-free during the lesson through appropriate ways of using ICT tools in the lessons.

References

1.Chapelle, C. A. Computer applications in second language acquisition.  Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press. – 2001.

2.Harmer, J. How to Teach English: An Introduction to the Practice of English Language Teaching. London: Longman. – 1998.

3.Kern, R. and Warschauer, M. Introduction: Theory and practice of network-based language teaching. – 2000.

4.Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.