Two+Innovative+Techniques+in+ELT+Education+by+Salim+AKKIN

 Salim AKKIN  1734466

** Two Innovative Techniques in ELT Education **

 Today, technological devices are everywhere and people are getting used to them nearly in each part of their life. It is also valid in educational area, especially in ELT education. One cannot learn a language just sitting in the classroom without interacting with others. If we want to be successful in language learning, we should certainly integrate technology into ELT educational area. The first innovative ELT technique is mobile phone assisted language learning. Mobile phones are considered as miniature computers because of its additional facilities like texting, gaming, email and recording. The age group which mobile phone assisted language learning  mainly focuses on is the ages of teenagers and adults. Mobile phone assisted language learning covers PDAs, iPods and wireless computing. MPALL applications consists of mini lessons of grammar points, closed ended quizzes or games testing discrete language points available through SMS, the web or downloads, the vocabulary lessons, short definitions of words with examples of use, recording lectures for better understanding, dictionary, and a communicative language learning games using actions. The most important features of Mobile Phone Assisted language learning are, social interactivity, context portability, Sensitivity, connectivity, individuality and immediacy.Due to greater opportunities of computer assisted language learning, more and more language learning is likely taking place outside classroom setting. Although it is a bit hard to implement this technique in Turkey, some schools and universities have started using it. For example, in EDS 304 (Classroom management) course, we sent SMS to vote. However, it should be taken into consideration that not everybody has iPods, PDAs or expensive mobile phones. Only sending SMS, if it is free or sending and giving e-mails, if you have access to Internet, is appropriate for learners.

 The second innovative ELT technique is massively multi-player online games. Game based learning has a great importance on language learning. It results in motivation, critical thinking, and engagement in learning.It is mostly suitable for young learners. Games can be either designed especially for language learning objectives from existing well-known games like the Sims within the latter paradigm; one of the most promising approaches involves web 2.0 games, called massively multi player online games or MMGOG. These games give a platform for online games for millions, and they are particularly user created virtual worlds where user can interact in much the same way in the real world. It is very difficult task to engage the learner in extensive communication in English outside the classroom, but the games provide large scale opportunities for interaction. I want to give an example for such games. In Advanced Reading and Writing course in the first year, we played a game called Second Life. We created an imaginary world and we could be beamed up from one place to the other. Even we could fly in the sky and build something like houses. However, in order to be able to do all of them, we had to communicate with each other including both our classmates and people from other countries. It was such an amazing play. For young learners, these games provide an environment in which students can have fun and increase their creative skills. If the schools in Turkey have enough technological devices such as computers and enough access to the Internet in the classrooms, such games will help language learners improve themselves in all language skills.

 To sum up, as future teachers, we should know how to integrate technology into educational area. Applying these techniques certainly affects learning a second language and learners are able to benefit from them just by using them for their language skills improvement.

**Comment by Zeynep Ceyhan: **
I like mobile phone assisted language learning; I'm a kind of addicted to my mobile phone, so I want to use it in the lessons, too. In fact, we tried to use mobile phones in one of my EDS course to answer questions. I think Salim was also in the same class with me. It can be very useful in the older ages because integrating materials we are always using into the learning is very beneficial. I know it is hard to control students sometimes, but even if mobile phones are not used in the lesson, students use them secretly. Therefore, I think this technique is worth to try to apply. As second technique, Salim shares multi-player online games with us. In fact, I do not like online games, therefore I have thought that they are not useful in education. However, after reading the reflection, I think that I can use it in my class since children love them very much. If they enjoy, they can learn better and more easily. I agree with Salim that as future teachers, we should know how to integrate technology into educational area. Applying these techniques certainly affects learning a second language and learners are able to benefit from them just by using them for their language skills improvement.