TEACHING AIDS

Electrical and Electronic Teaching Aids in Language

Electrical and Electronic Teaching Aids in Language

Introduction

One of the biggest challenges to teaching ESL students is the capacity to adapt to the individual needs of students whose native phonology is different from that of English. Each student has individual strengths and weaknesses, but there are many common difficulties in pronunciation that are country- specific. By focusing on something you do instinctively - speaking English, you can explain to students how you use your mouth when speaking, and, with the aid of diagrams and handouts issued electronically, teach the importance of word stress and intonation in pronunciation.

Both primary and second language learners benefit from Total Physical Response activities. The key to this strategy is to ask the students to do something that requires body movement as well as thought. This teaches basic phrases such as "Take out your English book and put it on the desk" or "Put your hand on your head." The strategy is based on the theory that students start speaking more quickly when they learn by doing. It also equips them to understand instructions and commands in a wide range of environments, which increases student confidence.

Language software programs are a useful addition to any teaching strategy as they allow students to practice on their own as well as in the classroom. One of these programs, Pronunciation Power, specializes in teaching students the 52 basic sounds of English and clarifies the difference in pronunciation between words like "tough" and "through," which always pose a problem for second language students. The software is available for different ability levels and includes a package to improve use and understanding of idiomatic speech.

Other strategies include guided student discussions and giving instructions that require the use of body and mind. Electrical and electronic teaching aids are a boon for a teacher in making his or her task easy in making students understand a concept. Electrical and electronic teaching aids involve in the use of the senses of hearing and sight. Scientists and their researches estimated that 86% of the learning process of an individual depends on the senses of hearing and seeing. This paper aims to discuss whether electrical and electronic teaching aids just gimmicks or are they worth the expense?

Discussion

Benefits of using electrical and electronic teaching aids

Using teaching aids in teaching makes student lesson more interesting and real. It motivates the student to imagine and think psychologically. Audio-visual aids used for this purpose will make the senses of hearing and sight of the student. This will ensure quick and effective learning. For example, if a social teacher uses a Globe Model in his teaching, the students feel the lesson realistic and interesting. They can learn things like shape of the earth, the various aspects of the earth like latitudes, longitudes, and poles effectively (Cook, 2003, 249-255).

It saves the time of the teacher in teaching lessons as well as it makes the learning process of the student more solid and ...