Week 3: What factors influence the development of language learning using the computer over more than 50 year?

I believe that language learning has evolved from the conventional ways of teaching and learning for the past few decades with the help of the arising evolution of the technology. Previously, according to my reading on some websites, it is believed that back in the old days, teachers had realized about the problem with the students' attention span, especially when it comes to learning a target language in the classroom.  As a result, they had come up with so many ways to cater to such problems like creating various classroom activities so that the students will have more opportunity and experience to use the language, and this is very crucial especially for second language learners.

                              An illustration of the usual small group communicative activity.

However, as the technology becomes more advanced each day, the students get to experience meaningful learning to learn and acquire the language. So below are the factors which I believe has influenced the development of learning using computers in the classroom.

1. Motivation.

- I believe that the use of computers help the students to feel more motivated to learn about the language, as compared to the conventional ways of chalk and talk, and drilling with paper and pencil. This is because the students feel like they have the learner autonomy when the teacher asks them to work on the activities using the computers. For an example, the teacher can ask the students to discuss a particular topic and have them to discuss it via Social Networking Site (SNS) and the teacher can monitor the students progress while allowing the students to do the task with an environment that they are familiar with.

2. Comprehensible input.

- I reckon that with the help from the computer, it is easier for the teacher to assign a task to the students according to their comprehension level. This is very crucial as some students are able to pick up the language easily, while some other may not have this kind of ability. Thus, by providing them with the correct input, and being presented in a very interesting way by using computers, I believe that they will become a better learner so that such a gap between fast and slow learners will eventually vanish.