Alaul Alam :
Like most other countries Bangladesh considers English as the most influential foreign language. English as an academic subject has been compulsory from primary to higher secondary level of education. Even at tertiary education level English foundation courses have been compulsory for the undergraduate students.
However, in the digital age there is no alternative to use digital tools in case of English teaching. English teaching and learning in the ICT integrated classroom is expected more outcome-based to the existing communicative teaching and learning approach. Studies show that the use of digital tools such as multimedia, laptop, speaker, mobile phones, etc. has brought positive outcomes in English teaching in many European and Asian countries in the digital age.
Though some educational institutes in our country are prioritizing on the use of digital tools to maximize English learning outcomes at different education levels, in most cases English teaching at different education levels is still confined to conventional pedagogical practices. The causes may be many why students are facing digital divide in the classroom education despite they belong to the digital age.
The most apparent causes may be that the language classrooms are not equipped with digital logistic supports that can help students to learn English more fruitfully. Again, teachers are not skilled enough to take their classes in the ICT integrated classroom. It is obvious that without electronic communicative competence teachers can hardly help the learners to develop their English skills in this digital age.
This age demands that teachers must come out of their traditional role that they are the only source of knowledge for students; rather they have to be familiar with versatile digital platforms for both pedagogical and content resources. Certainly, the limited boundary of English teaching has widened up in the digital age. Digital tools are providing a great number of scopes for the teachers teaching English.
Many language experts claim that the use of digital devices not only makes language learning easy and comfortable but also accelerates both individual and collaborative learning. With the use of digital devices such as such as the use of blogs, podcasts and digital videos, google, Facebook teachers can easily draw the attention of the learners and spontaneously, students can achieve learning goals with pleasure.
But one thing is very obvious that no effective outcomes in teaching English using digital devices can be attained unless there is a motivation amid teachers and students which plays a significant role like the panacea. Not only that, things may be more frustrating if the online resources are not used judiciously according to the age, interest and need of the students. Finally, it is no denial that enormous possibilities are there to teach students using digital tools. So, let’s unfold more possibilities in English teaching and learning using technologies.
(Alaul Alam teaches at Prime University. He is also a research
scholar at the IBS).
