MULTIMEDIA AND ELTUniversity of Caldas - Master’s program in

English didactics Yamith José Fandiño - Manizales, Colombia

CALL E-Learning B-LearningA form of computer-based learning that allows bidirectional learning and individualized learning.

A specific mode to attend a course or program of study where the students study online.

An approach that combines face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction.

Introduction

Multimedia offers great teaching and learning opportunities as an educational tool to be used in our classes of foreign languages, and combined with more traditional methodologies, promotes much more effective and meaningful learning.

There are many resources and materials on the Net for teachers and learners of foreign languages, but the purposeful selection of these resources and materials has to be taken into account.

Teachers can also create multimedia-based materials, which can be adapted and contextualized to the needs of their students.

The use of multimedia technology in teaching Multimedia refers to computer-based interactive applications that use

both the hardware and software, allowing people to share their ideas �and information. It is a combination of text, graphics, animation, video and sound.

The systematic use of audio, visual, and animation can play a positive role in improving activities and initiatives of students and teaching effect in the classrooms.

The premise should be to incorporate new technologies in lesson and assessment planning without taking over the role of the teacher and without limiting the functions of traditional teaching methods.

Advantages of the use Motivates Students to Learn EnglishMultimedia, with the help of audio, visual and animation effects, motivates the students to learn English quickly and effectively.

Develops Students' Communicative CompetenceMultimedia helps students understand the structure, meaning and function of the language in an integrated way.

Widens Students' Knowledge about the Culture of EnglishMultimedia offers students more information than textbooks, and helps them be familiar with cultural backgrounds and real-life language materials.

Improves Teaching EfficiencyMultimedia breaks the teacher-centered traditional teaching method as it allows teachers to find ways to create more real-life environment for English teaching.

Advantages of the use Enhances Interaction among Students and between Teachers and StudentsMultimedia can create a context for the exchange of information among students and between teachers and students, emphasizing "student engagement in authentic, meaningful interaction.

Creates a Conducive Teaching Environment in the ClassroomsMultimedia can make the language class lively and interesting, which motivates students to participate in the classroom activities.

Provides Opportunities for English Teaching outside the ClassroomsMultimedia provides time and space for expanding activities out of the classroom through asynchronous tools, such as e-mail or conferencing systems.

Disadvantages of the use Emphasis on the Supplementary of Effective TeachingIf teachers become dependent on multimedia in their teaching, they may turn into slaves to technology and will not be able to play the key role as facilitators.

Lack of Communication between Teachers and StudentsThe overuse of multimedia may replace the interaction and dialogue between teachers and students that takes places when the class works issues such as pronouncing words, or comprehending sentences.

Loss of Students' Logical thinkingMultimedia helps students understand contents easily, but it may hinder or affect their development of knowledge from perceptual recognition to rational apprehension.

Expensive Way of Conducting Language ClassesMultimedia demands investment in hardware, software, staffing, and training.

Recommendations Teachers Should Play the Leading Role in Teaching, Teachers Should Not Consider the Computer Screen as a Blackboard or

Whiteboard Teachers Should Encourage Students to Use their Own Mind and Speak

More Teachers Should Use All Possible Teaching Aids and Techniques Teachers Should not Overuse Multimedia Technology

The main purpose of using multimedia technology in language teaching is to promote students’ motivation and learning interest in the English language.

The utilization of multimedia technology should aim at improving students’ thinking, communication and practical language skills.

Multimedia resources on the Net

Over 1,500 flashcard images, hundreds of worksheets, crafts, games, jobs and lots more.

ESL stuff for kids including flashcards, worksheets, classroom games and children's song lyrics.

Free resources for teachers of young learners: flashcards, worksheets, handouts, phonics cards, ESL games, printable certificates, printable stickers and activities all ready for printing.

LearnEnglish-Kids is for children who are learning English. Find games, songs, stories and lots of activities. British Council

A fun study site for learners of English as a Second Language. Word games, puzzles, quizzes, exercises, slang, proverbs and much more.

Free resources with no registration required.

Printable ESL Worksheets, Games for ESL Classrooms, EFL Videos, PPT Lessons Videos, Interactive Kids Vocabulary & Grammar Quizzes, Powerpoint downloads for English teaching and learning.

Multimedia resources on the Net

LearnEnglish Teens can help improve your English with reading, writing and listening practice, tips for exams, grammar and vocabulary exercises, games and videos.

ESLvideo.com provides educational resources for English as a Second Language Students to improve their listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary skills.

There are quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, anagrams, a random-sentence generator and other computer assisted language learning activities.

Multimedia resources on the Net

All of the ideas, materials and lesson plans in this section aim to inspire and engage teenage learners of English and activate learning across all four skills.

Free downloadable materials for teachers.

Lesson plans, tips and suggestions for teaching children.

The resource bank for CLIL Teachers.

ESL / EFL. Primary and Secondary Education.

Multimedia resources on the Net

Pictures to colour.

Free colouring pages, games, jigsaw puzzle

Free website for learners and teachers of English.

The internet place for ESL+EFL teachers and students around the world.

English-Zone.com

Multimedia resources on the Net

Online tools

A Blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. (example 1 , example 2)

Wikis are simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together. They are fast, free and easy to use. (example)

YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. It can be used with educational purposes, as an educational tool.

A podcast is an audio file that you download from the Internet. After you download it, you can listen to it on your computer or on an MP3/portable music player (for example, an iPod or iRiver). You can subscribe to a podcast so that it is delivered to you automatically each day, just like a newspaper.

Delicious is a social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks.

Online tools

Software

A set of computer applications that are used for carrying out different types of educational activities: puzzles, associations, text exercises, crosswords... The activities are not usually used alone, but packed in projects.

Hot Potatoes includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice and short-answer activities (JQuiz), jumbled-sentence exercises (JMix), crosswords or puzzles (JCross), matching/ordering exercises (JMatch), gap-fill exercises (JCloze), and The Masher, which compiles all the Hot Potatoes exercises into one unit. Hot Potatoes is freeware.

It’s used for the elaboration of multimedia activities. It includes video, text, animations and audio. Some activities that can be done are: interactive tales, presentations, didactic units, simple games, electronic magazines.

It is an authoring computer tool designed to create multimedia and interactive didactic units to be used by learners as a means to practice their learning skills in technological environments.

Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. (very easy to use)

The Teacher's Pet toolbar is a unique add-on for your word processor that can transform any text into fun classroom activities. Created by a teacher, the toolbar can make crosswords, bingo cards, jumbles, word search puzzles, flashcards, cloze tests, pair-matching puzzles and much more.

Phonmap makes it easy to write/represent spoken words in 'phonemic script' without having to search through large font tables.

Software

Create, share, embed and collaborate on interactive, visually engaging timelines that integrate video, audio, images, text, links, social media, location and timestamps.

A simple web tool that empowers anyone to create and share powerful visuals (infographics, posters).

A presentation tool for both teachers and students.

Other useful websites

Easily create colorful mind maps to print or share with others.

You can use it to organize what comes to your mind: concept maps, network diagrams, workflows, etc.

It creates animated presentations and videos. Free and amazing.

Create any type of survey—from simple to sophisticated—with our powerful and easy-to-use survey builder.

Create, embed, and share your own quizzes.

Drag, Drop and Delight. Simply upload your document and we’ll convert it to display beautifully everywhere.

Other useful websites

Create and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more-using your own word lists.

A toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide.

References

Milán, M. (2008). The use of ICT in the Teaching and Learning of EFL/ESL. Retrieved from http://anae.biz/download/ICT_EFL.pps

Pun, M. (2013). The use of multimedia technology in English language teaching: a global perspective. Crossing the border: International journal of interdisciplinary studies, 1(1), 29-38.