Utilization Technology in Listening and Speaking Skill

By Ira Ernawati

I still remember when I was a student of senior or junior high school, listening was king of boring activity. There was no challenging part of this activity. It was because the teacher just used type recorder and asked student to listen. Hence it is a duty of us as a teacher candidate to create new way in delivering listening material.

Studying Technology Language Learning enriches my knowledge about technology which we can use to teach listening. By using new media that uses high technology. It can make our listening class more interesting. Then the material of listening is various so we can choose based on our need. There are some facilities that we can apply in listening class for instance by video and game. We can find those facilities from blog or you tube.

The other activity is speaking, you know guys? Before joining Technology Language Learning class last Friday, I never thought that we could use technology in speaking class. Based on my experience in junior or senior high school, I never saw my teachers applied technology to deliver their speaking material. Well, maybe it was because the technology which was exists at that time as not advance as right now, and then it could be caused by their limitation in using technology itself. Hence I thought it was very difficult to fine technology which could apply in speaking class. But my opinion was not true anymore. Nowadays, everything is possible. 

By studying TLL, I got much knowledge in utilizing technology especially in speaking class. Today technology can provide some media which can be used in learning and teaching language. It is very good chance. For me it is very important to be understood. So as a teacher candidate, we should be up date in following the development of technology. As we know that technology is a part or our life, every time and every where, we need technology to help our activity as like in teaching and learning English.

There are many media which we can find in internet to aid our learning and teaching speaking process such us Blog, English club and also website. Those media usually provide some interesting facility to help us in developing skill. It is really interesting media.

The kind of blog that we can access is like Kalinago.blogspot.com. this media provides many videos which we can be downloaded. Then we can do some activities in developing speaking skill such us discussion, debate, role play and conversation. The materials of our speaking era shared in that video. I think it is unique way to learn or teach speaking. This media also has benefit because it provides some videos for any level of learner.

The other media that can help us is English club and website. Today there are many English clubs online and website which offer some programs in involving our speaking for example ESL Chat Room in English Club. Usually the program is free.

The ability that we can develop when we use those media and do the activity which is provided is pronunciation, articulation, fluency. As we see, if we use video which has native speaker in it. They can give right example how to pronoun and say the language well. And doing activity as like discussion or debate about the content of video it can support us to speak so it will influence our fluency.

As teacher candidate, we can not believe to all media that we use. We should be selective in using media for our listening or speaking class. Then remember role of teacher is to guide the students.