Technology alone is not sufficient to address shortage of native-speaking teachers
Do you agree with this statement ?
i wonder who are the teachers of English in the Commonwealth countries. Are all the teachers the NATIVE SPEAKERS ? May i know about the situation in Singapore ?
It is the environment or the teachers ?
LETTERS TO THE EDITORTechnology alone is not sufficient to address shortage of native-speaking teachersRe: "Technology exists that will overcome shortage of native speakers for language-teachers", Letters, June 21.
I must disagree with Trirat Petchsingh.
I am a specialist in e-learning and have taken numerous courses online, including an English-teaching course, as well as developing and running several face-to-face and online university staff-development courses in the UK on the implementation of learning technologies. I am an extremely enthusiastic proponent of digital technology as a learning tool but also fully aware of the dangers that can result from its inappropriate implementation.
Trirat began with what appears to be a simple distribution of CDs, DVDs and MP3 resources to students but then changed his strategy to providing these resources to teachers "and of course, conduct workshops on their use". Actually, effective implementation of e-learning technologies is far more about the latter than the former. Without very careful contextual training of teachers by competent and experienced trainers, the use of digital technologies can easily fail miserably. Despite a common misconception about e-learning, it is not an easy, cheap or convenient alternative to conventional face-to-face teaching. It does not replace teachers, good or bad, native or non-native. It is much more about providing greater flexibility and enhancing the learning experience. It can also be a vehicle for encouraging independent learning, something that is needed in Thailand but also means more care is needed in its use in this country if it is not to fail.
I fully agree with Trirat, however, that teaching English is more about "proficiency, commitment, empathy and even a knowledge of the local language and culture" than it is the need for native-speaking English-teachers. However, digital technology is only a tool and, like a hammer used to crack a nut, needs a pair of careful hands to avoid doing more harm than good.
John Mottley
Bangkok
i wonder who are the teachers of English in the Commonwealth countries. Are all the teachers the NATIVE SPEAKERS ? May i know about the situation in Singapore ?
It is the environment or the teachers ?
LETTERS TO THE EDITORTechnology alone is not sufficient to address shortage of native-speaking teachersRe: "Technology exists that will overcome shortage of native speakers for language-teachers", Letters, June 21.
I must disagree with Trirat Petchsingh.
I am a specialist in e-learning and have taken numerous courses online, including an English-teaching course, as well as developing and running several face-to-face and online university staff-development courses in the UK on the implementation of learning technologies. I am an extremely enthusiastic proponent of digital technology as a learning tool but also fully aware of the dangers that can result from its inappropriate implementation.
Trirat began with what appears to be a simple distribution of CDs, DVDs and MP3 resources to students but then changed his strategy to providing these resources to teachers "and of course, conduct workshops on their use". Actually, effective implementation of e-learning technologies is far more about the latter than the former. Without very careful contextual training of teachers by competent and experienced trainers, the use of digital technologies can easily fail miserably. Despite a common misconception about e-learning, it is not an easy, cheap or convenient alternative to conventional face-to-face teaching. It does not replace teachers, good or bad, native or non-native. It is much more about providing greater flexibility and enhancing the learning experience. It can also be a vehicle for encouraging independent learning, something that is needed in Thailand but also means more care is needed in its use in this country if it is not to fail.
I fully agree with Trirat, however, that teaching English is more about "proficiency, commitment, empathy and even a knowledge of the local language and culture" than it is the need for native-speaking English-teachers. However, digital technology is only a tool and, like a hammer used to crack a nut, needs a pair of careful hands to avoid doing more harm than good.
John Mottley
Bangkok
posted by Apeesit อภิสิทธิ์ at 12:36 pm
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