Using technology in an ESL classroom

Using technology in an ESL classroom

Greetings to everyone The digital era is certainly changing the way students learn, and the options available to us are constantly evolving which makes them increasingly useful. Incorporating technology into your ESL classroom will give your students an educational edge and will prepare them to be successful and independent learners outside the classroom. Still not convinced? Then read today’s newsletter and find out how technology can make your lessons more engaging.

Using technology in an ESL classroom The use of technology has become an important part of the learning process in and out of the class. Most ESL classrooms use some forms of technology. It enables us, teachers, to adapt classroom activities, help and improve language learning. However, some teachers often choose not to use any technology due to numerous reasons. Some just don’t seem to have any time to spend on understanding how things work, others just do not think their students will benefit. Shall we give it a try? What if it turns out to be an amazing tool? Today, our teacher, Yulia Danilenko, shares some useful tips on how technology can be used in an ESL classroom.  INTERACTIVE QUIZZES  Nobody likes tests: students don’t like taking those and teachers aren’t particularly fond of grading them. There’s a way to make testing a bit more fun. Websites like Typeform and Kahoot let you create your own quizzes (or use the already existing ones). All you need is a projector, your students’ phones and a stable internet connection. Many students (especially younger ones) are motivated by challenges and competitions - yours might be as well.  VISUAL SUPPORT

Students often complain that texts for listening in class are hard to comprehend. There is no use blaming them: how often do we only hear things without actually seeing them? Sure, we have phones, radio and podcasts… But that’s about it. So, why not give them a bit extra support with showing videos instead of merely playing the sound? Most textbooks nowadays offer video clips for their listening exercises: your students actually see waiters taking orders or friends making plans. It’s also a great way to make young learners like listening. All of a sudden it becomes real to them - they can fully relate to a situation. Isn’t that exactly what we, teachers, want them to do?

BLOGGING

Some students perceive writing to be an extremely unnatural activity. Most of them never write reviews or essays in real life. However, we can’t avoid teaching the skill, can we? What we can do is make it more realistic and appealing for our learners. Let’s make them produce real pieces and make tasks meaningful. They can post a real review on Tripadvisor or share their thoughts on Livejournal. Of course, they will be following a previously presented structure and using the language you want them to use, but at least it will be something genuine. 

OUTSIDE OF YOUR CLASSROOM

People today are constantly on their phones: listening to music, chatting, looking through social media. How can we add ‘learning English’ to that list?

• Vocabulary apps
  There are mobile applications that will help your students keep on learning new words or revising some previously learned ones. Memrise and Quizlet are really nice tools to recommend to your students. You can create vocabulary sets and then share them with your students. Moreover, they can create their own sets of words or use the ones that have already been made before.
• Grammar games

• Doing grammar exercises becomes boring at some point, so why not offer some online games for your students to try? It will make the process more fun and engaging for them. For example, Games to Learn English has a vast choice.
• Podcasts
  Learners often want to have more listening practice. Again, why not make it interesting and actually beneficial for them (not in terms of language only)? FluentU has a nice list of options to offer to your students. 

Teaching English can be fun, and technology is a way to ensure excitement and motivation in your students. The key to the successful integration of technology in your classroom is to first understand how your students will benefit from it. 

If you want to get more ideas on using technology in your classroom, follow the links:

How to use technology effectively to transform your ESL classroom

Technology for the ESL classroom that your students can’t resist

How to use technology to support ELL in your classroom 

From Grade Education Centre