Language learning with computers

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,0 (A), University of Duisburg-Essen, course: Language learning on- and offline, language: English, abstract: This paper is based on an oral report about `computers in school'. Sincemy group and I did a lot of research in schools including interviews and avisit in a language lesson I will use our results for developing this work. The question I asked myself before I started researching is whethercomputers are a good alternative to frontal teaching in language lessons. Iwill compare both teaching methods after I write about research resultsabout the two options. In the end an evaluation of the results will be made. First of all I have to say that Pro and Contra arguments of course slightlyvary from person to person since everyone has different points of view. Istart with listing up the Contra points. The first point is the financial aspect of computers1. To afford the wholeequipment for a whole school costs quite a lot and is much more of aninvestment than maybe some books. If the school does not have enoughmoney it could be unaffordable to pay for the right amount of computers,screens, etc. Another important aspect is that some teachers did not, like most of therecent pupils, grow up with computers and still do not know how to handleit. Some of them think they are too old for trying to get into this new type ofmedia. And even if they would try it they think they are technically not asgood as the pupils themselves and could look like a fool in front of theclass2. [...]1 See Christiane Kallenbach, Markus Ritter: Computerideen fur den Englischunterricht. Anregungen und Beispiele fur den Software- und Interneteinsatz Klassen 5-10. Berlin2000, p. 112 See Kallenbach, Ritter, [See note 1], page 11