Shiv on Learning

Google, Youtube and a wealth of ELT sites give students access to a wealth of information.  Why does having ready access to information lead to better language practice? Read on to find out….

Access to information online has radically changed the way we find information, analyze and disseminate it.  In the past you had to learn things by rote, remember dates and hold often useless information in your brain.  Now we have access to a world of information from our computer or mobile phone. Therefore, being in a classroom is an artificial environment where traditionally you don’t have those tools – under conventional rules of politeness students shouldn’t use their phone or laptop in an ESL class. When using a virtual world students have access to all those tools and discussions can be stimulating using up to date, personalised information due to the fact they have all the information they need at their fingertips.   They can share music from their country, show pictures and check verbs they are unsure of.  Due to the ready access of information the lesson becomes about using the language and not a memory exercise.

You can catch up on the rest of the series here.

Jessica Driscoll
Education Director, Languagelab.com