Computer Technology

Nowadays, computers are becoming an essential tool not only at home, but also in the academic environment. But, is everybody agree and comfortable with this increase of virtual teaching and learning in the educational field? As we will see, many different opinions have been given towards this topic.

To start with, there are some people that have considered computer technology as a great advantage for education. Firstly, we find computers as an incredibly practical instrument because of its accessibility and the independence they provide, "Computer and its attached language learning programs could provide second language learners more independence from classrooms and allowing learners the option to work on their learning material at any time of the day"( William Allan Kristsonis and Cheng-Chieh Lai, 2006).

Additionally, we find positive critics to virtual usage in foreign language teaching and learning by the hand of Lee (2000), concerning with the multiple constructive skills that the learner acquires:

[…]computer and its attached language learning programs can (a) prove practices for students through the experiential learning, (b) offer students more the learning motivation, (c) enhance student achievement, (d) increase authentic materials for study, (e) encourage greater interaction between teachers and students and students and peers, (f) emphasize the individual needs, (g) regard independence from a single source of information, and (h) enlarge global understanding. ( William Allan Kristsonis and Cheng-Chieh Lai, 2006: [Lee, 2000]).

Nonetheless, negative reviews for the computer technology in language courses also exist. Among many others, the main disadvantages remain in the not effective interaction between computer and human, problem that lingers the idea of the ineludible differences between humans and machines (Dent, 2001), and on the lack of possibilities for everybody to learn about computer usage, as William