RESEARCH PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING BENEFITS OF ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Abstract

 The conventional teaching methods have been in practice for a number of decades and centuries but computers and technology has brought a revolution in the field of pedagogics in the past few years and the state of affairs in terms of teaching and learning can be now mapped on a big picture globally. The internet based resources such as podcasts, online forums, wikis and blogs have embellished the traditional face of education and enabled the learners as well as teachers to adapt to the online methods of learning and teaching. This new era of utilizing technology in the educational processes will broaden the vision of people regarding the acquisition of knowledge, its worldwide practical implications and furnish the every individual in the field of pedagogics with exceptional skills and motivation.

A recent Technology Assisted Learning (TAL) resource is the use of Wikis, a word derived from Hawaiian origin which means “fast; to hurry” (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001. Wiki, introduced in 1990s (Wei et al., 2005) is a dynamic web platform that is always prone to change as the reader perform dual duties of author as well as editor and a user friendly format that allows many users to build communities, create and upload content (Parker & Chao, 2007) alongwith worldwide distribution of content and collaboration (Knobel & Lankshear, 2006, p. 81) among readers and authors. Wikis are a collection of interrelated webpages that are expandable, used to serve the purpose of storing and editing information (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001, p. 14) in the form a database with the facility to read, arrange and update the stored information to the latest version (Zorko, 2009) and conveniently edited by users.

Wikis offer multiple distinct features that enable them to be used in the educational contexts particularly in foreign language learning processes. The key features provided by the wikis to the pedagogics in terms of foreign language learning are user-friendly frontier to upload as well as update the content, tracking history of the edits and much more to facilitate both the learner and instructor in the process of teaching and learning. Regarding pedagogical benefits, wikis are a source of communication and knowledge sharing that are applicable beyond the limits of a classroom. Being a foreign language pedagogue as well as a reflective person, I believe that the learning and teaching process must be innovative enough to embark the skills and boost motivation levels of students. I personally agree to the fact that the students of young age groups currently I am working with, must be engaged in learning activities that not only facilitate in achievement of the learning goals but also aid in grooming the personal abilities of students and their learning autonomy.

In this regard, wikis can best serve the purpose of learning that I being a pedagogue prefer my students to achieve because young students are more prone to creativity and learning ideas that can make them express their analysis on a platform that is read and updated globally. Wiki sites are created with a goal of becoming “an archive of knowledge with the ease of updates and expansion over time, with an expectation to achieve a considerable degree of innovation and permanence (Godwin-Jones, 2003). Using wikis in foreign language learning is highly appreciated by me in pedagogics because it will enable students to become more reflective, creative and professional in every field of life rather than just engaging them in conventional teaching methods that are bound to the vicinity of classrooms. This particular study will focus on how wikis can play a role to broaden the learning aspect in educational courses especially in foreign language learning processes and how it can impact and broaden the vision of both instructors and students.