It has long been a universal belief in the world of linguistics and language teaching that people learn a language by using it. One of the most recent additions to ESL/EFL field has been the introduction of computer technology to help students develop their language and communication skills. However, the world of computers and computer technology changes dramatically, and it often appears to be impossible to stay up to date with these rapid advancements unless you are a specialist in this field. It is a fact that 99% of language teachers do not have access to the most recent developments in computer technology, much less have the facilities to try and include them in their own language teaching practices. I myself am a novice to this area and have had little opportunity to teach in a setting where there were enough computers for students. Still, I would like to share a few ideas on how an EFL teacher can incorporate the Internet into an activity.

One of the most important things before a teacher assigns an Internet-connected activity is for the teacher to feel comfortable using the Internet. This means you yourself will need to become familiar with the terminology involved in using the Internet as well as different search engines, web sites, etc. Take time to explore some topics that are of interest to you as well as some that are related to ESL/EFL. For example, I love to cook and there are literally thousands of web sites that offer recipes or instructions on how to cook a particular dish. You can find out about movies or music. The possibilities are endless. However, it takes practice to figure out which search engines work best for different kinds of searches; sometimes you might type in a phrase, such as American Holidays and the search engine will inform you that it has found over 10,000 links. There is a reason that the Internet is sometimes referred to as the “Information Superhighway” but there is no need to feel intimidated by infinite number of resources available to you and your students.

Some basic terminology includes:

E-mail: electronic mail allows you to instantly send and receive messages from around the world

World Wide Web: fast becoming the most popular area of the Internet, this is an amazing collection of interconnected documents (called Web pages) from around the globe (also called WWW)

Gopher: another way of exploring the Internet

File Transfer Protocol (FTP): a way to transfer files from one computer to another computer over the Internet

Telnet: an application that enables you to log in to another computer system on the Internet

USENET Newsgroups: a network of more than 20,000 discussion groups on thousands of specialized topics

Chat: a way to communicate in real time with other users

Audio: communicating as with a telephone over the Internet

Videoconferencing: voice and video communication

Uniform Resource Locator (URL): the official name for a Web address

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http): the first part of a Web address that is necessary for connecting to pages around the world

The list goes on and on, but let’s now move on to an activity which can get your students started using the Internet in the classroom or at home.

A World Wide Web Scavenger Hunt

This is a guided information-guide assignment in which students search certain Web addresses and home pages to find answers to specific questions. In doing this, students practice such skills as reading and scanning English text, clicking on links, typing in and going to new addresses or locations, and writing simple or extended answers in English. Students can also practice copying and pasting texts and graphics, downloading files or software, emailing, using bookmarks, and printing.

Before the class, create a list of WWW addresses and a worksheet containing tasks to complete at each one. Provide a varied “menu” of at least four or five choices for beginning “surfers.”

In class, give the resource list and worksheet to the students. Have them choose two or three tasks to complete. In this way, students can work at different home pages at different times, thereby decreasing the chances of someone being refused access.

Discuss the problems the students might encounter in searching for information on the Web, and present effective techniques and strategies.

Follow up might include an independent Web research activity.

Some important points to consider:

Vary the level of difficulty and the number of tasks according to the students’ English proficiency and level of expertise with the computer. This lesson is designed for intermediate or higher levels students.

Search for sites and develop questions that strengthen topic knowledge or skills your students are currently developing.

Web addresses change constantly. Run a search for the topic or name of the home page if you cannot get to it via the address. Also, run searches for your local city’s Web pages, in English and Russian.

You will need at least forty-five minutes for this activity. The students can be put into pairs or small groups if your school or institution has a limited number of Internet-connected computers.

References

Boswood, Tim, editor. "New Ways in Using Computers" in Language Teaching, Bloomington, Illinois: TESOL, 1997.
Sperling, Dave. Dave Sperling’s Internet Guide. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1998.

Alice Murray is here working in St Petersburg as a Public Affairs Section EFL Fellow. This is her second year here and she works at several of the economic institutions as well as offers in-service teacher training at the Mayakovsky Library. Ms. Murray has also worked as a teacher trainer in Bratislava, Slovakia and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She has taught both at the secondary school and tertiary levels in the U.S.