Technology for Language Learning: Speaking and Listening Skills

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          Technology has been used in educational field for many years especially in learning language. We have already known about CALL or Computer Assisted Language Learning and MALL or Mobile Assisted Language Learning.

CALL makes learning language easier in the classroom by using computer. The program on the computer can be utilized to teach language and even do exercise.  Moreover, MALL helps students and teachers do learning and teaching language in anywhere and anytime. Technology really gives us many advantages even though sometimes technology cannot handle all of learning language activity.

Technology helps student in enhancing reading and writing skills. Then, what about speaking and listening skills? Fortunately, nowadays we have already had technology that enables us to improve our speaking and listening skills. There is a program that can identify conversation and speech.

Students can practice their speaking and listening skills by using the program because they can have conversation with the native speaker on it. It has been programmed to tell the user if they say wrong pronunciation. Then, it is good to practice students’ speaking skill. Moreover, this program can answer students’ basic question such as “what is your name?” Then it is good to practice their listening skill because they can have conversation with the speaker.

Another thing that technology can do for helping students in improving their speaking and listening skills is the internet. We can do almost everything with the internet. Students can go to website that provides free call or free video call to practice their speaking and listening skills. For example, Skype is a websites that provides free call and free video call. Then students can utilize it to have conversation with their teacher, friends or native speaker to practice their speaking and listening skills.

Technology helps us a lot in many life aspects. Then it is very good idea to utilize technology in educational field. Now we can do almost everything with technology. As educator candidate, I hope I can use it as well as possible to help my students in improving their self.