English Language Learning Software

This essay sample essay on English Language Learning Software offers an extensive list of facts and arguments related to it. The essay’s introduction, body paragraphs and the conclusion are provided below.

English language learning software

The Best English Learning Software

English language learning software

Introduction

The application of ICT in the learning process is a new phenomenon that has gained support from different regions in the world. Within academic and economic circles, it is ordinary to hear of meetings, conferences and conversations being conducted in English.

In fact, English is so widely spoken and regularly taught that it would be difficult to engage in any substantial activity without understanding the language. English has been transformed into the customary language for businesspeople and academics. Therefore, verbalizing it effortlessly has numerous benefits.

Technological firms have realized the issue of studying and teaching the English language in most educational institutions and have effectively come up with different products to counter this problem. By far, the biggest issue in learning English is the large numbers of students that makes it difficult to offer individual attention.

The introduction of ICT into the learning system sought to bridge this gap by eliminating the issue of numbers, affordability and technicality of learning using new technology. ICT has also enriched the learning experience by making it more entertaining and informative.

Vocabulary

Generally, reading exposes people to a completely new world beyond themselves as it allows individuals to increase increases their vocabulary knowledge. Reading introduces students to new words, and in many cases, it allows the reader to infer their significance from the context in which they were written.

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Presumably, readers bear in mind most of the new meaning connections, particularly if they maintain reading and encounter the vocabulary words in a different context (Roberto, 2012). It is very reasonable to presuppose that learning new vocabulary through reading benefits readers whose first language is not English. Therefore, vocabulary is a fundamental feature in language, since it emerges in every skill of language from reading, listening, writing and speaking (Rank et al, 2011). Many individuals become conscious of the fact that they have limited vocabulary and that they cannot effectively express their ideas.

English learning software has allocations for teaching vocabulary. These techniques are designed for different age groups from kindergarten to middle school. Popular applications such as Ultimate Vocabulary are interactive and flexible. They offer a broad series of easy-to-do examinations and exercises monitored by a special examination system that displays the student’s progress in a graphic representation (Rank et al, 2011). The software also provided all the correct spelling, the appropriate place to use each word and how the word would be used. These software systems therefore give users a better understanding of English words. Lastly, English vocabulary software has endless resources in the form of a thesaurus and dictionary that further elaborates on any word. The advantage of teaching using this method of vocabulary is that it overcomes any language barriers that the teacher may have. It also eliminates misunderstanding, senseless clarifications and exhaustion among the tutors (Roberto, 2012).

Grammar

Grammar software concentrates on comprehending grammar regulations and utilizing those rules in writing. These applications are developed for learners from primary school through university that have difficulty in grammar (Akinbode, 2008). The software was also developed with English teachers in mind who did not necessarily major in that subject as well as teachers who needed a substitute technique of teaching grammar. Software packages such as Grammar Key have about three levels of study for beginners, intermediate learner, and advanced students. These syllabi were integrated with the school textbooks from kindergarten to university.

Grammar is systematic in nature and therefore it can be taught on a computer mainly because a computer cannot get weary while a tutor will need breaks to rest. The grammar software can say again any word or grammatical guide when instructed to do so. This repetition is important in that the grammar being taught will be internalized in the scholar’s mind. Having many students in one class at a go, a teacher may find it difficult to repeat the grammatical aspects to each child to a level that each child is satisfied. The installation of this software for each child eliminates these oversights and increases the efficiency of the teaching period. The grammar applications such as Grammar Key also show the relationship between clauses, punctuation and verbs thereby teaching the children other parts of English simultaneously (Adams & Brindley, 2007).

Other software learning systems such as Grammar Fitness have added features such as dynamic grammar exercises that seek to test whether the learner grasped the correct grammar. Like vocabulary software, grammar software also has a tracking system that can be customized to monitor the progress of each student separately. The results of each child’s performance are then presented in an easy-to-understand manner. A teacher may not have the time and organization levels to monitor the skill of each student. In such cases, instructors may employ the use of such applications to help them easily find out the weak students.

Speaking

In the present world, the significance of English cannot be refuted or ignored as English is spoken in almost all of the countries in the world. The advent of improved technology, English plays a key function in many sectors for example engineering, medicine and education. Of the three, education is the most important sector that requires proper English speakers. For students having career dreams, English appears as the first criteria whether they apply for a post when they seek admission in a reputed institution. Companies embrace candidates that can speak fluent English apart from having the relevant qualifications.

There are various applications and programs established that teach people how to speak proper English. Within the school environment, applications such as Eye Speak have been introduced to help students who have difficulties in speaking proper English. These applications provide audiences where users can get professionals to have conversations in proper English. While this is also possible with the help of a tutor, the issue of numbers makes it difficult for one instructor to teach each child individually. The applications use either pre-recorded English audio sets or a real-time English speaker to translate and pronounce words for the learners. The advantage of the applications is that hey can be accessed by students all over the world through the internet. This helps in maintaining a high level of spoken English. Common features of English speaking software are the basic English pronunciation exercises and exceptional speech recognition feature that together work to improve the level of a students’ skill until thy can satisfactorily and smoothly speak English (Adams & Brindley, 2007).

Listening

When studying English, most instructors tend to neglect teaching the learners the skill of listening is. Instead, they emphasize on teaching children grammar rules. However, listening is the most vital part of learning the English language. Speaking may be the overall goal but it is a byproduct of listening and reading. The usage of technological methods to teach children how to listen to English words and sentences mainly depends on audio channels (Akinbode, 2008). Again, teachers may require such software because of certain language barriers that may surface when the English teacher has a foreign accent.

Normally, children are intrigued by audio methods of learning and therefore, this approach is quite effective when used occasionally in the classroom setting. The teacher can present the particular listening exercise using a stereo system for all the students to hear specific words and their sound. If stressed repeatedly, learners notice how the sound is supposed to be pronounced. Listening software is best effective when accompanied with flash cards or poster showing the word being spoken. Repetition is vital in these exercises to allow the children mull over the words. There are also listening websites such as Pod casts in English and Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab that offer different categories of pre-recorded audio clips for learners to listen and understand (Adams & Brindley, 2007).

Pronunciation

Pronouncing English words in a wrong way may puzzle people even if the user had spoken advanced English words. A person can speak basic words and uncomplicated grammar structures that can be understood easily by many people but there is nothing like simple pronunciation (Roberto, 2012). For example, you will switch the channel when a reporter covering the news lacks a good pronunciation of English words because it feels confused. Pronunciation software aim to bridge this gap and eliminate the challenges of saying one thing and meaning another by applying different methods.

Pronunciation software contains the correct words and their proper pronunciation. Apart from this, they also have different dialects and the common errors that each dialect is most likely to face in pronouncing the word. In short, students from different language backgrounds can select their dialect, find out their flaws, and fix them. Pronunciation software also makes use of the fact that children learn better by speaking rather than studying a language. Therefore, they usually have simple songs such as rhymes and lullabies that can be sung by children during breaks on a regular basis.

The Sky Software House is a company that is highly reputed for producing quality language software such as Sky Pronunciation (Roberto, 2012). This application has customized learning capabilities that enable a learner to get a course that is tailor-made for their needs. A tutor can use the Sky Pronunciation software to create an exercise for children at the elementary level. The application has pre-defined templates and individual aspects that are both useful to instructors. News houses such as BBC –UK have also taken up the initiative to teach people on the importance of pronunciation when speaking English.

Reading

Students in whatever level of education should be very concerned with reading because according to Akinbode (2008), educational researchers have discovered that there exists a solid relationship between academic success and reading. Consequently, good readers in school are more likely to perform well in their examinations and do well than students who rarely read any book. Avid readers can comprehend the single sentences and the organizational structure of a work of literature. They can understand thoughts and arguments, and notice the consequences of different actions. They are acquainted with most of the words in the books and they can discern the denotation of many strange words from the context in which they were used. If this fails, they even resort to a dictionary.

Reading software for English learners is also categorized according to the level of education. Companies such as Merit Software offer inclusive packages for readers that include products such as Reading Comprehension Booster and Reading Skill Builder. Other independent applications include PIE Transformer that includes diacritics to English sentences to simplify their pronunciations. These applications are useful in the case where the teacher cannot cater to many children simultaneously or physical conditions cannot allow children to attend school. Most of the learners that benefit from reading software are enrolled in home schooling programs. Either way, reading software use interactive texts and comprehension strategies to teach children how to recognize words and how to read them.

Conclusion

In the selection of suitable English learning software, various aspects should be considered. The application should present numerous realistic teaching features like pictures, entertainment, recording options, playback and a dictionary. The software should also be able to teach all the basics of English as mentioned above. Even though there are numerous advantages toward working with ICT to enhance the learning process, there are drawbacks such as infrastructure, inefficient software and computer-related complications that make the software an inferior technique (Akinbode, 2008).

These ICT companies focused on easing the study and teaching of the English language produce specialized, interactive and accessible multimedia software that are administered through the internet. The focus of such products is to allow English students having fundamental computer expertise to utilize and successfully benefit from English learning software. In all the aspects of learning English, it is evident that the issue of having large numbers of students in a classroom greatly increases the burden for the instructor to teach English. It also means that the efficiency of teaching the language will be low as no one student can get individual attention. The introduction of ICT into the education system has created more learning opportunities for learners who could not access school facilities or were not able to afford them. ICT has also enriched the learning experience by making it more entertaining and informative.

References

Adams, A., & Brindley, S. (2007). Teaching secondary English with ICT. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.

Akinbode. J O (2008). The Impacts of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the Teaching and Learning of English as a Second Language in Nigerian Secondary Schools. African Research Review. Vol 1, No 3. African Research Review

Rank, T., Warren, C., & Millum, T. (2011). Teaching English using ICT: A practical guide for secondary school teachers. London: Continuum

Roberto Martinez Mateo. (2012). An Experience on the Integration of ICT into a Teaching-learning Methodology of English as a Foreign Language. ACADEMY PUBLISHER