EDU 05.2: Unit 4 Resources in Teaching and Learning of English
LANGUAGE LAB
The language lab is a technological break through for imparting language skills. Language laboratory is an audio-visual installation used in modern teaching methods to learn the foreign languages. The language lab offers an exclusive result oriented and efficient methods to enrich the English language learning process. It motivates student’s learning attitude, providing an interactive learning environment. The language lab is the solution and need of the hour to efficiently learn the any language including English. The quality of the language proficiency will be more when they learn it from the digital and computerized Language Lab. By high merit of its unique equipment and its unambiguous pedagogy, it stands alone. The computer now fulfils all the need of language educators and gives life to language for many learners.
The first language lab was at the University of Grenoble. In the 1950s up until the 1990s, they were tape based systems using reel to reel or cassette. But the current installations are generally multimedia computers. The multimedia based language lab helps to learn and enhance the language proficiency by sharing the course materials with in a second where the teacher and the students are involved effortlessly. The language lab is developed on the methodology of LSRW skills.
The 'traditional' system generally comprises a master console (teacher position) which is electrically connected to a number of rows of student booths, typically containing a student tape recorder and headset with a boom arm microphone. The teacher console is usually fitted with master playback source equipment (tape recorder), some means of monitoring of each booth in the class via the teacher headset and an intercom facility offering 2-way communication between teacher and student.
With the most advanced computer hardware performance and multimedia technology, pure software solution will become more and more common. Most of the software companies with the experience in the teaching software, provide pure software based language lab solutions. By using “Function Oriented” design concept, divided teaching method, and a user-friendly interface, users can use it easily. By using professional sound technology with video broadcasting function, the language lab provides a rich environment to learn the language. By breaking through the traditional teaching method with the rich teaching material contents, the digital language lab motivates student’s learning attitude, providing an interactive learning environment.
Foreign language learning lends itself naturally to the use of media. The content that is now used in the new language labs is much richer and self authored or free: now not just audio, but video, flash based games, internet etc. and the speed and variety of the delivery of media from teacher to student, student to teacher, is much quicker and therefore much more engaging for both teacher and student. The students feel different when they learn in different atmosphere. Apart from the traditional classroom, lab creates an easy atmosphere. Language lab plays a pivotal role in learning the spoken English. The basic proficiency in spoken English is imparted to students through the language lab. It is concluded that the language lab is the solution and need of the hour to learn the English language. We need some trained expert to teach the faculties to know how to handle the language lab and the students in a proper way. Surely language laboratories represent the single largest investment and instalment of audio resources in education. By high merit of its unique equipment and its unambiguous pedagogy, it stands alone. The computer now fulfils all the need of language educators and gives life to language for many learners.
Advantages and Benefits of Language Lab
Auditory Oriented: The direct sound transmission gives step by step guidance from the teacher to the heads of the students with crystal clear clarity.
Better Attention: The Lab software is more attention enthralling for the students, where they are engaged with individual systems.
Comprehensive quickly: The Lab increases the pace of comprehension as students coaching is purely based on the level of study.
Damper the idea: The Lab regulates the language through the different thoughts created in the mind of the students.
Effective learning: The lab provides to learn the foreign language practice in a focused setting that eliminates the feelings of self-consciousness.
Focus Veracity: By using text, audio and video can easily be integrated with actuality in every day situations.
Guide the group: It is easy to guide the groups by monitoring each student independently without disturbing the others students.
Have the self evaluation: the students can do a periodical self evaluation to measure the progress as well as evaluate his/her language with that of the expert.
Independent learning: access to resources beyond the timetable encourages independent learning.Advantages and Benefits of Language Lab
Janitor for learners: It care takes the learners to become skilled at the language that they are learning.
Kaput the fear: The automated learning environment removes one’s fear and creates a happy learning situation.
Learn the need: The lab fulfils the need of the learner that is learning the language skills in an effective way.
Medium of interactivity: The students can record their own voice and play back the recordings, interact with the each other and the teacher, and store the results.
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