Using Presentation Software to Enhance Language Learning

Miriam Schcolnik
smiriam [at] post.tau.ac.il
Tel Aviv University (Israel)
Sara Kol
sarakol [at] post.tau.ac.il
Tel Aviv University (Israel)

In this paper we report on two uses of presentation software in our EFL courses: one as a tool for oral reporting and the other as a writing tool. In both cases students use the four language skills actively. They read source materials, discuss their ideas with their peers and teacher, write them and then share their writing with others. In both uses, students function as "doers and creators" and as such are motivated to invest time and energy into their tasks.
Computer applications are now being used in many school disciplines and changing teaching methodologies throughout the curriculum. We have been using computers in our EFL courses for many years and have employed a variety of computer applications and methodologies. We agree with Murphy-Judy (1997) that "the readers whom foreign language education produces now...should not be trained in defunct literacy practices, but rather should be prepared to function in this new world...Literacy, today, is increasingly electronic and telecommunicational."

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Using Video in the EFL Classroom

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This research project provides teachers of English as Foreign Language (EFL) with insights into developing materials and teaching methods that can be incorporated and thus practically implemented in their classrooms.  Emphasis will be on approaching the identity and culture of the native speakers of English through diverse authentic teaching materials.

Video has been proven to be an effective method in teaching English as a foreign/second language (EFL/ESL) for both young and adult learners.  Video can be used in a variety of instructional settings - in classrooms, on distance-learning sites where information is broadcast to learners who interact with the facilitator via video or computer, and in self-study and evaluation situations.  It can also be used in the teacher’s personal and professional development or with students as a way of presenting content, initiating conversations, and providing illustrations for various concepts.  Teachers and students can always create their own videotapes as content for the class or as a means to assess learners’ performance.

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Using Creative Thinking to Find New Uses for Realia

The use of realia is well known to teachers. However, this article suggests different ways of using realia. By thinking creatively we can find new teaching uses for the everyday objects that surround us, by relating them to language and looking at them in new ways.
Introduction

We like using realia, i.e. objects in the class because it adds interest and relates language to the real world.  I have found my use of realia fall into three main areas, first for descriptions, and second as props in drama and another type of activity is a creative thinking exercise, finding different uses for an object, e.g.  a ruler could be a weapon, musical instrument, a symbol of authority and so on. However, there is another possibility suggested by this last use. If we ask our students to find other uses for everyday objects, why shouldn't teachers find uses for objects for teaching? This means making a connection between objects and language. Here are some ideas, looking at specific grammar points, drills, and free speaking.

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The Use of Authentic Materials in EFL Classrooms

Introduction
The use of authentic materials in an EFL classroom is what many teachers involved in foreign language teaching have discussed in recent years. We have heard persuasive voices insisting that the English presented in the classroom should be authentic, not produced for instructional purposes. Generally, what this means is materials which involve language naturally occurring as communication in native-speaker contexts of use, or rather those selected contexts where standard English is the norm: real newspaper reports, for example, real magazine articles, real advertisements, cooking recipes, horoscopes, etc. Most of the teachers throughout the world agree that authentic texts or materials are beneficial to the language learning process, but what is less agreed is when authentic materials should be introduced and how they should be used in an EFL classroom.

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BERPACU MENUJU SEKOLAH HIJAU

Oleh: Soffa Ihsan

Pemerhati Pendidikan dan Direktur Lembaga Daulat Bangsa, Jakarta


Negeri kita saat ini agaknya mulai dipandang kurang nyaman. Dari tahun ke tahun, negeri kita kerap menuai bencana. Banjir bandang, tanah longsor, kebakaran hutan, tsunami atau ke-keringan seolah-olah sudah menjadi fenomena tahunan yang kerap terjadi. Sementara itu, perburuan satwa liar dan illegal loging nyaris tak pernah luput dari agenda para perusak lingkungan. Ironis, kita seolah-olah menutup mata bahwa ulah manusia yang bertindak sewenang-wenang dalam memperlakukan lingkungan hidup bisa menjadi ancaman yang terus mengintai setiap saat.

Meminjam istilah Garret Hardin (1968), inilah yang disebut the tragedy of commons, akibat kegagalan manusia dalam memelihara milik bersama. Kegagalan mengapresiasi sumber daya serentak juga akan melahirkan eksternalitas negatif. Ekses-ekses buruk dapat disebabkan oleh perilaku pihak luar dan tanpa disadari berpengaruh terhadap kehidupan komunitas lain. Ketidakmampuan Indonesia mencegah pembalakan hutan misalnya, akan berimbas negatif kepada rakyat negara ini dan juga generasi yang akan datang. Lalu, bagaimana melakukan "revolusi" demi perbaikan mindset masyarakat agar mencintai lingkungan? Ya, kembali ke laptop, alias ke pendidikan.

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