Computers in the English Language Classroom

1 PREFACE The present work is the result of ten months research conducted in the UK, with the Language and Literacy Group (LLG) at the School of Education in the University of Manchester. The group’s aims are the pursuit of research into language education, and the education of language teachers at all stages of their career, and it thus offers a variety of courses at different levels. Among these is the M.Ed. in Educational Technology and TESOL/ELT, a Masters course for graduate teachers, which includes six modules to be chosen from an extensive range. One of these, the MD355 module, Computers and Video in the Language Classroom, covers, among the different topics, an introduction to a wide range of technology for ELT, evaluation of software, classroom modalities, and the development of the four language skills through technology. Thanks to Gary Motteram, chair of the Curriculum Committee for ELT, and Diane Slaouti, joint Programme Director of the M.Ed. in Educational Technology and ELT/TESOL, I had the opportunity to attend their lectures in this module, and thus had access to valuable lecture notes, references and bibliographies, as well as receiving support and advice. Additionally, I was able to make use of the university technological resources, teaching materials available at the LLG Resource Centre, and