Chapter 1: Why eTESOL

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Chapter 1 Why e-TESOL?

• Computer-assisted English Teaching Course
• ????
• October 4th, 2007

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9 reasons to support e-TESOLResources page 1-16
in textbook e-TESOL by Chin-Lung Wei

• What is e-TESOL see preface
• 1. to facilitate communicative language teaching
  (CLT) see p.4 interaction is the core of the
  CLT.
• Many field scholars see computer technology
  provides possibilities for new interpersonal
  contacts and communicative engagement. (For
  example, chat room, email, MSN, Blog, U tube,
  bulletin board, Skype)

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• 2. To catch up with the age of information
  technology. (computer literacy)
• 3. To promote acculturation Brown (2001)
  language and culture are two sides of one coin.
  Understanding culture is important in learning a
  foreign language. Internet-based communication
  and WWW provide more channels in culture of
  target language.
• 4. To stimulate learning motivations

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• 5. To facilitate flexibility- to support
  multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1993),
  different learning styles (for example, audio or
  visual learning).
• 6. To increase the students exposure to the
  target language - In addition to practices in
  the classroom, texts and audio-visual programs
  available on internet provide resource outside
  the classroom for extensive practice 24/7.

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• 7. To facilitate collaborative instruction
  -collaborative learning can be taken in a
  non-traditional way, for example, distance
  learning.
• 8. To support lifelong learning - distance
  education, students can learn any place and any
  time, learning can be incorporated into students
  lives.
• 9. To enhance global views - internet based
  English learning provides action learning in real
  world contexts and experiences.

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Question of this class meeting

• Many ESL/EFL teachers consider promoting CLT
  difficult. What do you think about the use of
  computer technology as a facilitative strategy?
  Why?
• Note discuss your views with a partner and
  check back your textbook first and then post your
  answer on your Blog. You are asked to type both
  question and response in English (preferably) or
  Chinese (acceptable). It is strongly encouraged
  to finish your response in the lab time however,
  you have about a week to finish this task. This
  assignment is due by the following class meeting.