a controversial question
At ELT English TESOL seminars, workshops, and conferences, a question I am often asked is whether I think computers will eventually replace English teachers. I go back to the movie “Matrix”. In one of the first scenes, our neophyte hero “Neo” is learning Kung Fu while being connected to a computer. A few hours later, he opens his eye, sits up and announces, “I know Kung Fu!” The following scenes show how an older and more experienced mentor (also known as a teacher) continues to evaluate the “ability” of the young Neo. “Show me,” the teacher asks in typical fashion. Now, if you have been following me until now, you already have a clue as to my answer to these teachers’ question.
Are computers replacing a human English teacher?
Are you kidding?
“No way, Jose.”
But English teachers, don’t totally relax yet. What I think we DO have to do is “reinvent” a part of the concept of “school”. This is what I mean.
Reinvent the concept of school
Schools, at virtually any level, will need to be linked virtually and interactively to a wide range of external resources. This means that the “traditional” whiteboard, markers and rear projection will have to give way to additional integrated resources that extend the classroom environment to an almost limitless degree. I mean the works; audio, video, Internet, webcams, instant messages, text messages, chat, email, RSS, even real-time multimedia input sources. The classroom and its students would be linked to additional resources such as:
• Corporations
• Libraries
• Museums
• Government facilities
• Science, technology and medical centers
• Industry
• Laboratories
• Other learning institutions
In this way, students would normally use learning activities such as web searches, interactive dynamics, and virtual tours to expand and deepen their understanding of principles and concepts. Students would no longer be limited to the knowledge, resources and facilities available at the institution where they attend classes. Instead, the world literally is your classroom.
Impact on learning
How would this directly affect learning? Well, if you’re learning about computers, wouldn’t having direct access to Microsoft Corp. materials and training be a real help? Technology majors would certainly benefit greatly from direct links to MIT (http://web.mit.edu/), Cal Tech (http://www.caltech.edu/), or Lucent Corp. (http:/ /www.lucent.com/) Engineering students would thrive with access to NASA found online at: (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html), Boeing (http:// www.boeing.com/), Westinghouse (http://www.westinghouse.com/home.html), Dupont (http://www2.dupont.com/DuPont_Home/en_US/index.html), or a host of other technology corporations.
Law, Government, Human Rights, and Political Science students would be at the top of their game connected to federal, state, and local government databases, or to the FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/), the London Metropolitan Police (http://www.met.police.uk/), CIA (http://www.cia.gov/) and ATF ([http://www.atf.treas.gov/] ) databases with their corresponding local, regional and national resources. Health majors could stay up to date with real-time events in pathology, epidemic research, natural disaster response resource information, and population health threats through the CDC (http://www.cdc. gov/), health and medical networks, or the UN. (http://www.un.org/). The possibilities are almost endless.
Therefore, I agree that “traditional” approaches to teaching and learning, not only English and other foreign languages, but many other fields as well, will continue to evolve to meet the needs of students, businesses and organizations. educational institutions. With CBL (content-based learning), well-prepared TEFL English teachers, armed with ever-evolving knowledge, skills, and technology, have nothing to fear from computers. Technology is another powerful tool to promote the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, now and in the future.
What do you think?
