Technology and the Language Classroom. Available Technology

Abstract

0 When one thinks of technologies in language education, two things generally come to mind: the videocassette recorder (VCR) and the microcomputer. Indeed, these are the basics in terms of equipment for numerous technological approaches to language instruction. Add to this picture the capabilities of closed-captioned video, optical-disc technology such as compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) for microcomputers, interactive videodisc systems that combine the microcomputer with pictures, a plethora of software programs (see Healey & Johnson 1991; Thomas, Passentino, & Hambrook 1991), as well as the possibilities offered by satellite transmission, and the view that emerges is a complex set of technological applications that are increasingly available and popular in educational settings. The mainstay technique for the VCR is the use of prerecorded materials. Teachers record authentic video and television programs on their home VCRs (i.e., feature films, documentaries, sitcoms, news programs) and create their own instructional materials for classroom use. A 1991 pilot survey of 119 U.S.-based members of the TESOL Video Interest Section (Stempleski, 1991) revealed five major tendencies in the use of video: (a) integration of video with other course content; (b) teacher-made support materials; (c) teacher-student inhouse video production; (d) emphasis on aural/oral skills; and (e) focus on cultural content. Video producers and educational publishers are collaborating on the development and production of video-based language courses that follow a predetermined scope and sequence and are complete instructional packages including videotapes and accompanying print materials (see Thomas, Passentino, & Hambrook, 1991),