The application of the Internet to English Teaching In China

孟凡紅

Abstract：Undisputedly，Internet is a valuable resource and tool in assisting ESL/EFL teaching and learning. But problems still exist along side when used on large scale. In this paper，well discusses the function of the Internet in teaching languages，the current ways that it is used in teaching English and examines the applicability of using it in EFL teaching in China.

Key Words：the Internet；Interaction

中圖分類號：G642.4 文獻標志碼：A 文章編號：1674-9324（2014）11-0177-02

Owing to the fast development of the internet，educators have been provided with a new powerful medium. Especially when it is connected with the EFL teaching ，we can get access to the vast treasure of the native language and culture free of a visa. However，how to make the utmost of the internet to motivate the students still needs substantial discussion.

一、The functions of the Internet in ESL/EFL context

As the internet carries distant information over to its users at an amazingly fast speed，the value of it in educational arena should lie in distance learning，the power to make learning possible from a distance where learners are away from their teachers，sources or from both. MIT recently opened 500 courses on the Internet so that people all over the world away from MIT can get access to their courses and benefit from them. In a sense，the Internet has erased the physical distance.

In more than one way，foreign language study is a natural candidate for distance learning with its major goal being the connection of language learners with the native language input and native speakers （Leloup & Ponterio，2003）. Therefore，the value of using the Internet in the EFL setting is to build a bridge for our learners over to the bountiful English language resources that we cannot otherwise have access to.

二、Popular Ways of Interaction via the Internet

Many ways are currently used in the ESL field to promote Internet interaction. Firstly，Chat is an important means of CMC（Computer Mediated Communication）（Sokolik，2001），which makes use of online chat programs to facilitate communication between teachers and learners，and among learners themselves. Besides，Both MUDS （Multi-user Domains） and MOOS （Multi-user Domains Object Oriented） are programs that provide the users with text-based virtual spaces to describe environments and to interact with those environments（Sokolik，2001）.The users write scenes in planned ways，hold dialogues in an impromptu manner，and “foraging”for information，which，according to Schumann （1994），is critical in the learning process. And finally，the use of E-mail in the classroom has been much studied in the field to facilitate communication both in and out of classes.endprint

三、The Applicability of the Internet in TEFL in China

Even though the prospect of applying the Internet，especially CMC activities in TEFL in China on a large scale does not look promising at present owing to its low availability and high cost，it still can be developed and used to our advantage if we do it properly. The following are some of the activities and tasks that I think are doable now that can realize the value of the Internet better.

1.For reading courses。Currently，we can design online reading courses in various ways so that the students can be exposed to the most up-to-date language. Here are some ideas of organizing goal-oriented activities and guide tasks based on the reading ：a. Search for and read about a certain current event，then write a report and send it to their teachers，or exchange comments with a peer through e-mail.b. Search for and read about a certain event，and then carry on a group discussion through a chat program.c. Search for and read about a certain event and have a face-to-face guided group discussion away from the computers.d. The teacher pre-downloads intended reading materials on a certain topic and put them on his/her web page with questions that require more reading on the same topic. e. Do a sequenced reading project for extensive reading purposes.

2. For writing courses。It is usually hard to find a fixed native speaker for all the students in a writing class and to write on a frequent base. . Therefore，what we can do at present with writing classes are：a. To use the Internet as means of providing input on the topics that the students are asked to write about.b. To use it as a tool of research on the topics that the students are asked to write about.c. To use chat programs for free writing practice. It can be done either in class，or even better，out of class as an assignment.d. To use“forum”programs to engage students in real discussion with people of the same interest all over the world on a certain topic.

3. 3 For speaking courses.What we can do now with the internet is to use it as a medium to provide input for later face-to-face interactive activities. In schools where there are plenty of computer labs available for classes，a spoken English class can be held there to assist interaction.a. Students can be given tasks to search for certain category of information，and then hold group discussion，or class discussion after that.b. Chat may be tried considering that，even though it is in written forms，the language is conversational in nature and it involves the functional use of the language to carry on the conversation.

In summary，the Internet is an extremely valuable resource and tool to ESL/EFL teaching.

However，it is also an expensive and not yet soundly developed technology that calls for caution to use with EFL learners in China on a large scale. But there are certain things we can do to meet both our academic and practical needs.

References：

[1]Leloup，J and Ponterio，R.On the net interactive and multi-media techniques in online language lessons：a sampler[J].Language Learning and Technology，2003，7（3）：4-17.

[2]Schumann，J.Where is cognition？：emotion and cognition in second language acquisition[J].Studies in Second Language Acquisition，1994，16（2）：231-242.

[3]Sokolik，M.Computers in language teaching[A]//In Celce-Murcia （eds）.Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language[C].Boston：Heinle & Heinle，2001：447-488.endprint