BRITISH COUNCIL-LEARN ENGLISH

This application provides different range of English components for different kind of learners. There are also different types of activities like quizzes, games. The application is a link provided by the well-known organization based in Britain- The British Council.

1. What does the application attempt to teach?
**The application provides many different types of language learning. It also consists of the four major elements of language learning; reading, writing, grammar as well as listening and speaking. This application is designed especially for ESL and EFL learners. The application, based on different types of learners, provides different kinds of activities. For example, for kids, (http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids.htm), the application is more attractive and more colorful. A lot of game applications are available for kids who are using this application. For adult, (http://www.britishcouncil.org/central.htm?mtklink=central-learnenglish-portal-main-promo) there are also many applications available. Slightly more serious content compared to kids application. The interesting thing about this web is that it provides application especially for professionals (http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm?mtklink=professionals-learnenglish-portal-main-promo) the target audiences for this application is generally for journalists and businessmen.


2. What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?
**First thing first, users are expected to choose the appropriate type of learners, users belong to, for example, kids, adults or professionals. Then only they choose the elements of language learning that they want-e.g. grammar. After that, everything goes smoothly form there. Just click on the component that they want to learn and continue with the exercise. As for the exercises, users have to drag the answer at the appropriate blanks and after they have finished, just click on the word ‘submit’ to check all answers. For teachers or educators, they can make full use of this application by making it a concept for their own classroom exercises or activities.


3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?
**No special skills required by the users. Users need only to have good internet connection and a good and comfortable place to do the exercises.


4. While you are ‘playing’/’accessing’/ ‘assessing’ the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate or in self-study?
**It does remind me of my class I had with the organization after I finished my school year. We had grammar practices similar to those provided by this organization. The different is that, we did it written exercises rather than online exercises. Comparing to my school year, the teacher didn’t stress on the rote exercises like the ones provided by this website.

5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?
**The podcast application uses the approach of Audio-Lingual Approach. This is especially practical for users who are always on the move. Other than that, the application also uses the cognitivist approach. This approach believes that the physiological processes of encoding and sorting information and events into short-term memory and long term memory are important. This is especially true when a lot of grammar activities use a lot of drillings.


6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to chosen website(s)?
**The constructivist theory is a theory which believes in students construct their own learning form their experiences. In this application, this theory is not well applied as it generally provides drilling exercises for students. It is a setback for students who have not had any background knowledge about the chosen grammar component. Interaction is one factor lacking for any users wanting to use this application. Users can only check their answers whether they are correct or not and no further explanations given beyond the right or wrong answer. Users will have to engage in another application to get the explanation for any particular components chosen.


7. In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation- was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
**Based on the above statement by Higgins and Johns (1984), from the perspective of teacher, the application can be a replacement in terms of reducing the workload of a teacher. For example, teachers can reduce the burden of preparing the exercises for students by simply getting them to use this application. However, I still suggest the existence of the teacher when the students are using this application because the teacher can further explain about students’ misunderstandings or misconceptions about the grammar item. From the perspective of students, I agree that this can be a servant for students because they can always learn grammar item from extensive drillings on the application (if they are willing to do it).

8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
**Yes, I would like to use this application for my future work as it has varieties of exercises that users can choose from. This is because the application is very practical and easily accessed by many people. Besides that, this application is assessable to everyone as no registration or payment required by users. The professionals can also at the advantage as this application is not only made for kids or adult learners only. http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm?mtklink=professionals-learnenglish-portal-main-promo


9. Suggestions/recommendations.
**As this application is more of a one way learning, I suggest that this application creates more interactive activities among users as well as among users and teachers. This can help tackle the problems of the lacking of interaction especially during the discussions of the answers or issues done by the users.