Reflection

This post is my final reflection on the overall effectiveness of this course for me. I am more than convinced that this course meets the needs of Armenian learners in general as it is rich in new ideas, new teaching methods and new sources of information. I can certainly say that this course is one of the most useful ones as it has provided me with some useful information, skills and knowledge.

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Firstly, during the course we have been exposed to new technologies which can be integrated into EFL teaching and learning. I have already tried many of them with my students and they have proved to be very effective in terms of increasing collaboration and interaction between the learners as well as the teacher and the learners. For instance, as many students do not have many chances of using English outside class, I have encouraged them to create their own blogs and reflect on their English learning experience. They say it gives them an opportunity to share their interests and ideas on various topics. Also, it helps them to improve their writing skills.

Some other technologies that I have successfully integrated into my English classes include podcasts and videos. I have noticed that since the day I started using these tools my students’ level of interest and engagement in the class activities have significantly increased. Besides, these technologies greatly contribute to the improvement of their oral and aural skills.

Generally speaking, technologies have helped me to make my classes more interesting, interactive and meaningful. In my view, they are a good means of connecting the classes to real-life situations and to the learners’ personal interests. They also foster team buildingwhich, I think is really important in EFL learning.

However, the integration of technologies into the class syllabus should be carefully considered and planned beforehand. When choosing a specific type of technological tool, educators should take into some essential factors such as user-friendliness, easy and free access, availability and some other related issues.

The action research project that we worked on during this course helped me to consider in detail the steps needed implement a specific tool effectively. You should consider the course syllabus, the topics covered during the course, as well as the time it takes to get the learners used to the tool.
Although I have already inegrated a few technologies in my courses I will certainly try to experiment with new tools so as to make my classes more interesting and useful for learners.

Finally, technologies are subject to constant change and development, and, I think, English teachers should always be informed on the current trends so as to be able to make use of the new tools and try to integrate them into their teaching experience.