Communication between teachers and students is essential in teaching via CLT approach. However, whether the communication should always occur inside the classroom, especially in this age of computers and social media, could be debatable. Is it possible to teach English language skills according to the CLT approach with student-teacher and student-student communication taking place in the virtual classroom, especially in a country like Bangladesh?
Social Media is a kind of new literacies, new media, new challenges; though it is the demand of time but difficult to cope up with it.
ReplyDeletei agree with Jamal. Although the CLT approach has been introduced in 1998, still the students and teachers are facing problems with it. For teaching language skills according to CLT method teachers need special training (for teaching) and expertise in multimedia. Most of the classrooms in our country are overcrowded and class time is limited. within limited time of 45 minutes per class teachers can't manage to teach effectively in a classroom with 70 to 100 students. CLT classrooms should be learner-centred and needs lots of student-student and teacher-student interaction. but students in Bangladesh are habituated to see their teacher as the authority figure, only s/he will be speaking alone and not the studetns. Students feel reluctant to speak. and most of all, A CLT classroom needs computer, internet, microphone, projectors etc. Bangladesh is a poor country. Schools and Colleges can't provide such infra structural support. These are available in schools, colleges and universities of some main cities but not in rural areas. But we dont have to be pessimistic. now the rural areas have started to know about computer related technologies. May be it would be difficult, but not impossible. In future such kind of teaching would be possible....we have to wait.
ReplyDelete--------Emili Sharmin
Obviously,the students should be familiar with the teachers.Teachers' role is to be a facilitator when student-student and teacher-student activities gear up.Then promotion of Communicative Language Teaching can take place virtually and directly.The system,especially,in Bangla medium education,is unaware or do not even bother to use computer knowledge and practices so-called reading(comprehension) and writing (summary/fill in the gaps) ,whereas;listening and speaking are also crucial.Virtually,all the four components are equally valid.For instance,a teacher can chatand use a facebook group to update the students' worksheet.By using Skype,a facilitator arranges conference between students and teachers(facilitator).Even a student does his or her assignment(writing) under teacher's supervision via email and and other software.Besides,the demographic role can hamper or helps teachers as well as the students to take over the virtual world in CLT.
ReplyDelete=======================================================Sadia Sharmin
Yes, I think it is possible in our country also. Though it is a new concept for our country but i think it is much better to have virtual classrooms besides our traditional classrooms. It can make the teacher-student relationship more friendly as they are always in touch with each other through e-mail, face book etc.This way a teacher can have much better idea about their students. That is not always possible in traditional & large classrooms. So, it will take time to have a virtual classrooms in our country but it is possible.
ReplyDelete--------Nasrin Akter
In the twenty first century we couldn't resist to importance of social media. In the global world most of the people are using television and computer in every part of their life. Can we think our life without computer. If I want to tell truth I can't be. That is my life I can say. I can't go with out any where. I used computer last 12 years and last (almost) 8 years I had it with me. Someone we can call bookworm who reads allot and studies allot. I can say may self I am the computer-worm. I may not connect with internet, even I may not open it but knowing it is with me that's enough, not need to worry anything.
ReplyDeleteMobile; another big challenge in the modern technology, because it is chancing each and every second. Soon we can use it as netbook. But truth is without social media world become tough and we are behind the our world, not to same place, not to same level.
Kadir KOKEN
Yes, of course. As the country's slogan is 'Let's build a digital Bangladesh', it is possible to teach English Language skills according to the CLT approach in a virtual classroom. In fact it is already in progress.A number of schools like Rajuk School, a Bangla medium school, has already installed 'Smart Board' or 'Digital Board' to teach their students. Also as some teachers are not always techno-savvy, so for that training courses are arranged for them.
ReplyDeleteThere are many English medium schools,like The Aga Khan School,Dhaka where teaching through the use of IT is not only mandatory but also an integral part of teachers' evaluation criteria.
As I, myself am a teacher of The Aga Khan School, Dhaka, I can tell that use of IT gives a teacher a chance to come close to his/her student which is not always possible in a large sized class room. It helps by giving the teacher a chance to evaluate the student through their blog, social media account etc.where the student is able to express himself/herself losing the self-awareness which sometimes is not noticed when he/she is confined in the four walls of the classroom.
Next, I would further like to add that in a recent course that I had taken CALL, ( Computer Assisted Language Learning), where the social media was used as a means of communication for the student-student and teacher- student interaction successfully by opening a new arena for me because, before taking an IT class meant either Power point Presentation or using multimedia etc.This new method of using social media and podcast in the classroom and also giving the students certain web address to learn English Language a particular skill in which they are weak by themselves, proved to be so successful that the participating teachers have already started to try out the method with their students which is providing a new dynamic to teaching language.
So, yes, although teachers will need to be tech-savvy for the virtual classroom to be successful, I know that that day is not very far away when all the schools in Bangladesh will be implementing virtual classroom as part of their School Curriculum.
Thank You.