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# Swets & Zeitlinger
ABSTRACT
It is clear that the introduction of multimedia into our classrooms, and in particular the
introduction of the multimedia computer in our English classes, cannot be carried out overnight.
After establishing a series of variables as the `setting', with the presence or the absence of the
teacher, the age of the students, and the role of the computer, we have to face the reality that, if
we are going to introduce the computer and multimedia in our classrooms, the teacher's role
must change. Not only the role of the EFL teacher will have to change, but also the reticent
attitude of many of our teachers towards this kind of innovation. One of the basic necessities in
our times, apart from the economic one, is the EFL teachers' training in CALL.
1. INTRODUCTION
The introduction of multimedia (`multimedia' being considered the `multimedia computer') in our classrooms is a difcult matter. English classes are
usually still based on `traditional lectures'. Besides the problem of economics,
that is, a lack of resources, most teachers who teach this subject are still
reluctant to introduce the computer into the classroom. The older teachers
sometimes do not even know how to use a word processor, since they have
never had to. The younger ones, however, acknowledge the advantages that
technology can offer, but they have to face a number of barriers which lead
them to avoid the use of computers in their language classes.
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to identify the reasons why the students study the TL (integrative and
instrumental; but also others, such as the use of private codes, showing off,
etc.);
to help the students to establish their goals in a realistic way, to reach them
and to assess themselves, always keeping in mind the variety of learning
styles;
to increase the student's motivation speaking to him of the benets of a L2;
to make the class a positive place where psychological needs are satised
and anxiety is reduced to the minimum;
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First of all it is necessary to specify that the main objective is for the student to
learn English, independently of the method, system or means.
When we speak of learning English with multimedia we have to attend to
the teacher's role, since it is different from the one he plays in traditional
teaching based on lectures.
It is obvious that the possibilities of the multimedia computer are numerous
when it comes to learning a language; and possibly, learning through a
multimedia computer most resembles real or authentic situations; but we must
not forget that the language teacher has got answers the computer lacks; then,
neither should we overvalue the role of the computer, nor should we set
unrealistic goals that will be impossible to reach.
In general terms, one could say that the ideal situation would be for the
students to do `drill and revision' exercises with the help of the computer, and
for the language teacher to devote himself to activities of a more communicative type.
However, we have to keep in mind that in English classes (the case that we
are analyzing) we sometimes have more than 50 students. They can be also
very varied and have very different levels of English. The classes are denitely
not `one-to-one' classes. Consequently, the use of the computer in the
classroom is proposed as an ideal solution to make up for the limitations of the
traditional classroom.
The presence of the computer in the classroom would seem to require
signicant changes in the teacher's role.
Ely and Plomp (1986, p.246) provide us with a series of norms for the
successful implementation of educational programs. In norm 6 they speak of
the change in the teacher's role when media is going to be in charge of part of
the content.
The teacher will be less of an information-giver and more of a
learning facilitator. Fewer professional teachers may be required if
roles are modied and teacher aides or assistants are used alongside
professional teachers. In no way should the teacher be denigrated:
he/she is still the primary resource person now serves as more of a
manager than as a fountain of knowledge. The more a teacher
participates in the planning of instructional delivery, the greater the
delity to an agreed-upon implementation design (1986, p.246).
In rule 4 they recommend that we focus on the individual learner. The fact
that the approach we follow focuses on the student (a `student-centred approach') does not mean that the teacher will not play an important role in the
educational program, but rather that the teacher's role will have to change from:
In summary, the teacher who uses multimedia in his classes will become a
`guide' (Barnett, 1993; Willets, 1992) and a `resource expert' (Willets, 1992),
a `resource provider', a `mentor' (Pennington, 1996).
Accordingly, it is the task of CALL teachers:
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classroom must be very well thought out. Too often the misuse of the same
means, even when they are interactive, can cause reactions of rejection and
gradual decay of motivation on the part of the student (De Prada &
Fernandez, 1998). It is clear that the freedom to which students are exposed
seems attractive at rst sight, but after a time it stops being so, at least in
some degree (De Prada & Fernandez, 1998).
7. THE CALL TEACHER'S ATTITUDES
When we speak of the teacher and of the teacher's role we have to consider his
attitude as well, because the teacher's attitude is a basic element within the
group of elements which integrate the teaching of a language with multimedia.
That is to say, if the teacher does not agree with the system he is using, with the
method, with the quality of the software his students are using; if he believes
that the software is not the appropriate one for his students to reach their
objectives, and in sum, if there is a lack of motivation or an unfavorable
attitude on the part of the teacher, this attitude will be directly transmitted to
the student and the system will fail.
Where a CAL or multimedia package is used, it is the role of the teacher to
provide the enthusiasm for, and explain the relevance of, using the courseware
(Davies & Crowther, 1995, p.4)
8. BARRIERS `TO' THE INTRODUCTION OF MULTIMEDIA
IN THE CLASSROOM
According to Cummings (1995, pp.13-18, 1996, pp.18-20, 30) cited in Blin
(1997, pp.119-137) there are six categories of barriers that discourage the
academic staff from using educational technology, and that consequently will
affect their attitudes:
1. Incentives. The fear that technology will replace them. This is a reason also
pointed out by Tanguay (1997), who believes that the fear is unfounded,
since there will be always a human being on both sides of the teaching
equation. What happens, he explains, is that the computer located between
the two human beings becomes more and more effective, when it improves
both the teaching and the student's learning abilities.
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We seem to want this access for ourselves in our research but not
for our students in our classrooms (Burke, 1994, pp.2/6)
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The fact that he is not so sure whether computers are as important as books
may be related to the fact that he has never worked with computers in
language teaching. In fact, the idea that language teaching would be easier
with the help of computers (59.250%), we think, has something to do
with not having used them so far; since the preparation required by a
multimedia language class, and the work that can involve its implementation
is much more complicated and demands much more dedication than the
complicated it can get to be, or the dedication a language class based on
`lectures' may involve. Let's think only of the time that could be required for
the preparation of a language class where the Internet or a specic CD-ROM is
going to be used, and of the problems and questions that could arise in its
implementation.
Without any doubt, one of the most important and decisive points in the
specic case that we are studying, is related to the economic needs of the
centre, and our teachers are deeply aware of it.
12. CONCLUSION
Nowadays, in Spain, and we generalize, we do not have the desirable number
of computers in all our centres. We do not either have easy access to the
Internet in all them, and many times, if we do, its use is restricted to teachers.
Most English teachers are not familiar with CALL, and consequently most
of them ignore the possibilities that CALL can offer us. This, however, does
not mean that they would never take advantage of computers. What is needed
is training, EFL teachers' training in CALL.
There will be a time when technology is present in our classrooms and
computers will be there to be used and for their possibilities to be taken
advantage of in our language classrooms.
At this moment, their use in the English class is a challenge for most of our
English teachers, but I truly believe that we should begin to think about facing
this challenge before it is too late; and, without any doubt, the faculty's
training in CALL is one of the matters which has yet to be dealt with. By the
moment technology is accessible in our centers, we should take advantage of it.
Humans are powerful and computers are powerful, and together,
they are extremely powerful (Tanguay, 97, pp.3/5).
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