Listen, Imitate and Say it

Well, this course is more complicated. I am not only learning about the principles of use technology for teaching language in general view, but also learn deeper. Especially for listening, speaking, reading and writing. In my opinion those are four aspects that very important to emphasize someone’s knowledge in learning language. After I learned about technology to teach listening, now is turn for how I teach speaking skill with technology is.

I think the most important when we want to use technology to teach language is the basic vocabulary which our students know. We need basic vocabulary to encourage our students in pronunciation. For example if we use software in computer to make their pronunciation and articulation right but they do not understand the meaning of that words, I think that it useless. Because even they know how to spell one words correctly but they do not know the meaning, they will not use it for communication. I think with technology students can get comprehensible input and they can make comprehensible output.

Listening first and then try to imitate. I think many software and website which use that sentence as the instruction for people who want to have correct pronunciation. Maybe with that way students can get input and then they can produce words based on that input. I heard that there is software and website which provide the shape of mouth when say something. It shows how vocal track in our body produce a sound, in my opinion it is good to increase students’ knowledge in speaking skill.  Even though, it maybe not similar with the native speaker but that kind of software can help students to produce words correctly. In my opinion it is good if we use the software like to help students in speaking that rather than they must taught by teacher who have wrong pronunciation.

Use technology in speaking such as software, website, audio recorder, etc. is not really help the teacher I think. In my mind by those tools the students can produce language accurately in context of pronunciation and speaking in advance level. What about the structure of the language. What is the important teach students about the structure first and then speaking or speak first and then abut accuracy.  I do not think that with technology we can encourage passive students to more speak. I am agree in my friends statement that if students learn with software in computer to increase their speaking ability can maximize their confidence, because if they do a mistakes computer will not laugh at them. That is true I think, but how if they use “Skype” or something website like that which they should interact with the real person by computer. I am not sure that if students make mistakes the other speaker not laughs.

The same question, how about the students with no computer or internet access in their schools. The worst is the students with stubborn teacher who does not want learn or improve their speaking ability and then teach the students wrong pronunciation. I think this is crucial problem in this country.