TEACHING GRAMMAR USING COMPUTER
Teachers of course can carry out certain procedures which correspond to conventional nation of teaching grammar. Teachers can introduce well contextualized examples of certain sentences patterns. Teachers can demonstrate the similarities between these patterns and draw attention to the regular and predictable ways in which certain forms are selected in certain contexts. Teachers can express those similarities and restrictions in the form of rules. Teachers can make students repeat pattern sentences or drills which involve near repetition, so that they get their tongues round the new form. Teachers can set them based on transforming or completing sentences. When student make mistake teacher can review the rules and invite them to try it more. Obviously teachers are not to be worried about teaching grammar. There are some teaching aids or mediums can use for teaching. Even thought there are many mediums or tools we can use for teaching grammar, it is more effective using computer as a good medium for teaching grammar.
In recent years the computer has established as an important feature of modern life. It is not longer a large expensive machine, so that this one of the reasons why computers have great correlation on education. One of the greatest contribution of computer to education is that can be used in teaching and learning process. Here I would like to discuss about the effectiveness for both teacher and learner in teaching and learning grammar using computer.
First is from points of view of the teacher, computer presents several aspects of particular promise. Obviously among those is it versatility in handling different kinds of materials. The simplest is the one presentation of information in the form of the text, graphic, audio, and video. For example, if a teacher wants to present the material of grammar, she or he just asks to students to open their computer which had been prepared by designer in the computer. The computer can also check and correct the spelling or words or sentences directly. Teacher can also give questions or exercises through computer and teacher should not prepare by any papers. Many other kinds of exercises can be chosen in sequences or random depend on the topics they need. For example, when students have completed the exercises, the computer can record the results, errors, time, and much more information for the teachers to evaluate for the following time. As a result from this kind of information, teachers are able to check and correct the materials at any level. Unlike a textbook lesson, which the teachers can not change to which at the best some subsidiary materials can be added the computer exercises can easily modified.
The computer gives students opportunity to benefit from materials carefully designed or selected by the teachers, without his or her presence. As we said, this type private practice facility differs from book exercises and language laboratories in that to responsive to the individual students and it capable of assessing responses and acting accordingly, it is interactive. All these factors have freely for the teachers from same constraints imposed by heaving teaching schedules. And it is particular case of the computer is handling drill and revising session, to which is it well suited. This will make more time available for creative and imaginative teaching in those parts of these courses where teachers and students contact more necessary. (Johnson 1991.33) states that;
It is important that multimedia authors and teachers do not fall back into trap of setting the same dull old tasks (performing meaningless drill, copying out list of words, doing vocabulary or grammar tests with one- word, memorizing pared associates out of context), subjecting their students to demeaning, futile and often irrelevant ‘tasks’ which they can ‘complete’ their main switched off, or occupied with other things. We need, when designed learning tools to recognized that the language is not just an assemblage of distinct of vocabulary items and ‘structure’ to be learned, but a heaving swirling dynamic whole, the means by which women and children communicate with each other”
The second is from the students point of view, the computer have many effectiveness, first is Computer is flexibility of the time allows the students’ choice of when to study a particular topics and how long to spend on them. This factor makes many educational schools or courses accessible to students who would otherwise have no chance to take them. The computer can also allow the students to take courses far distance. The learning session also can be more concentrated than normal class session. The students have exclusive attention of the computer. There is no low classes, for all practical purposes, each students has computer, full attention and can work at speed best suited to the individual. Each student response receives a reply from the computer, absolute instantly with appropriate feedback in the form of comments, assessment, and guidance. Even the best teachers need at least a day to mark and to return students’ work. The computer does the whole at the same time. The learner is corrected the first time a mistake is made. While individual use computer is the commonest type computer-assisted language learning (CALL), group also can work as single computer or terminal in tutorial or non tutorials model. (Ahmad, at all, 1985.4) states that;
“It often happens that students can not attend the class because of illness, timetable classes, and other problems. This presents no difficulty for the computer. Provided is available, the students can come any time and spend as long as is needed to gain full benefit from the material. It can accommodate different speeds of leaning or alternatively, limit can be imposed on the time available for answering question which is valuable when it is used for testing proposes.”
Experience has also shown that learning with a computer is fast highly by students. There is a new thing of working with the computer, together with it the difference and sophistication, that there is the element of competition. Students like taking on the computer and trying to beat it. Since many young people have any case been introduced to computers precisely quiz, games, which correlate with the materials will be presented or had been presented. They probably expect using computer to be fun because learning language should be fun and enjoyable.
