The impact of Information and Communication Technologies on our lives is inescapable. Who has not used a phone, or collected the salary through an automatic telling machine? Many of us have an e-mail box even if we do not have a computer. It would be surprising if a revolution of this nature were not to have some impact on language teaching.

The power of these technologies resides in being able to communicate with users outside one's immediate physical environment; being able to receive not just words, but sounds and pictures; and being able to produce content, rather than simply passively receive it. The world is changing around us : What is the role of the teacher in this new environment? Will computers take over? Will teachers continue teaching or will computers do their job?

Teachers should not get concerned because they have a central role in this e-teaching-learning process. However, their job as "e-teachers"is different and requires new skills - their work now involves material and interactivity design and building motivation strategies which facilitate learning in the virtual environment.

OBJECTIVES

• Assessing the benefits of implementing appropriate ICT resources in ELT.
• Identifying opportunities for the use of ICT towards satisfying specific needs.
• Making informed decisions on the selection of appropriate ICT resources, within a wide range of applications (data and text processing, computer mediated communications, web publishing)
• Designing learning activities which use ICT, developing units and projects which use ICT as their unique source or as a support for existing material.
• Who is this course for?
• English language teachers or coordinators.
• Institutions who want to apply the new technologies to the teaching of the English language.
• Institutions who have an innovative approach to ELT.

HOW LONG IS THIS COURSE?

5 weeks

DESTINATARY

• English language teachers or coordinators.
•  Institutions who want to apply the new technologies to the teaching of the English language.
•  Institutions who have an innovative approach to ELT.

PROGRAM

• From the past to the present. Where are we now?
• CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) and MM (Multimedia)
• Internet: Communication skills using multimedia resources.
• CMC (Computer Mediated Communication)
• New trends: E-learning applied to ELT.

METHODOLOGY

• This course will be taught on the Internet through the Net-Learning system -completely on-line.
• The material will be downloaded by the students and read off-line.
• There will be discussion forums, chat room sessions and email interchange.
• Also, there will be email interchange.
• The course has a pragmatic approach and there will be weekly assignments applying the theory and techniques seen.

EVALUATION

There will be weekly activities and assignments which will receive the tutor's feedback. Participation in the discussion forum will be expected.

CERTIFICATION

Certificate of attainment will be issued by Net Learning at the end of the course.

INSTRUCTION AND TUTORIALS

The instruction and checking of the activities performed by the students will be delivered from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reception and delivery of the materials and the discussion forum will be through the Internet.

TUTOR

Susana Trabaldo
Graduated from the I. E. S. in Lenguas Vivas "Juan Ramón Fernández", holds a Master's degree in Open and Distance Education, UNED, Spain. She has taught all levels of English at primary and secondary schools and ESP at university and corporations. She is currently a teacher trainer at the National Technological University (UTN) and an e-learning consultant.