Advantages and Disadvantages of Information

and Communication Technologies

in English Language Teaching

By Sofía Gómez

The impact of the use of Information and Communication Technologies(ICT) on the way English is taught has brought not only advantages

to it, but also, some disadvantages concerning to:

1. Availability of technologies to be used

2. Reliability of materials

3. Employment

1. Availability of technologies

to be used

•Teachers and students of English can have access to the most up to date sources and information rapidly and cheaply (Holy Family).

• Information can be found either on the internet or by using specialized software.

• Many focused exercises can be found on the net completely for free and software can be bought via internet or in any store.

• The mandatory implementation of at least a computer would be an impediment rather than a tool.

• Lesson planning using ICP is more time consuming than following an already planned class (Holy Family).

2. Reliability of materials

•Given that there are many sources from which a class can be taught, the teacher can select the ones that fit better to the students’ needs according to their age, level, and abilities.

• Many ELT resources on the Internet can be found.Such us discussion groups, interactive book reading, sound recording, games, talking books, chat lines among others.

• Not everything that is on the Internet can be seen as useful or reliable given that everybody can upload whatever in it.

3. Employment

•The use of ICT in English language teaching provides society with more jobs in areas such us:

Computer programming Systems analyzing

Hardware and software developing

Web designing

•Teachers with no training on this technology have no access to ELT using Information and Communication Technologies, given that they don’t know how to teach classes.

• Not every teacher is capable to update his/her knowledge on ICT when teaching English. That is because:

-It is not possible for some teachers to update their knowledge on technologies that they are not capable to use.

-The updating of knowledge becomes nearly impossible in cases in which there is no sponsor or money to pay for training courses on ICT.

Works Cited Page

Holy Family N.S. ICT Draft Policy. Holy Family N.S., Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. 03 June 2008 <http://homepage.eircom.net/~holyfam/School-ICT.htm>.

“ICT and Teacher Training.” Teachernet.gov.uk. 7 April 2004. Department for Children, Schools and Families. 03 June 2008 <http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/atoz/i/ictandteachertraining/>.

“Information and Communication Technologies.” Education.tas.gov.au. 11 Sep. 2007. Department of Education, Tasmania, School Education Division.

03 June 2008 <http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/technology.htm>.

“Some advantages and disadvantages of information technology.” Smallbusinessbible.org. Small Business Bible. 03 June 2008 <http://www.smallbusinessbible.org/advan_disadvan_informationtechnology.html>.