Revista simpozionului Eficienta si calitate in educatie 2018 Revista simpozionului | Page 15

TECHNOLOGY – A REAL HELP FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY
Macrina Bratu, Scoala Gimnazială nr. 4 Sibiu
Abstract:
The role of technology and computer programs on teaching the vocabulary of foreign languages is
essential, being sometimes more effective than a classic lesson in the classroom. There are many
benefits, but teachers have to select the most suitable devices for a successful lesson.
Key words: technology, teacher, vocabulary, language, computer
‘Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be
conveyed.’ The linguist David Wilkins summarized this way the importance of
vocabulary learning.
Teaching vocabulary has undoubtedly changed over the past years. For many
years the teachers’ approach has been different and they paid more attention to
structure and grammar than to vocabulary. The importance of word acquisition has
been proved lately, as the students need to develop their vocabulary and use the
new words for various communicative purposes. Learning vocabulary is essential
to learning a language.
Both learning and teaching a second language are a complex process, and a lot of
factors are involved in order to obtain the success of the activity. Teachers have to
work a lot of time and bring their contribution to find the best methods of teaching.
Our lives are dominated and changed by modern technology, representing a great
revolution as far as the work, the life and the free time are concerned.
Communication needs technology to be efficient and rapid, so computers are a
must in transmitting information. Education use computers and internet a lot,
presenting information being easier and more effective, and the whole process of
teaching has been influenced and reconsidered due to World Wide Web.
Among teaching vocabulary techniques, we can mention:
- realia
- acting or miming
- explanation
- translation
- vocabulary games
- dictionary use
- computer technology
Computer is an interactive device. It can be of great aid in the process of learning a
foreign language. Even though it is not capable of caring conversations like a
human being, the computer has the capacity of interaction with the user. The
program of learning a foreign language with the help of the computer is called
CALL (the abbreviation from “computer assisted language learning”). (Rivers, 181)
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