English Language Arts

Using ICTs to promote English language Arts learning

Cheryl Walsh, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Smith (2013) identified a number of challenges associated with teaching English Language Arts in K-12 school settings that included not only what to teach students but also how to keep students motivated throughout the learning experience. Teachers spend a considerable amount of time marking English assessments therefore there is an increased length of time for when students receive feedback (Tay, Lim, Lim, & Koh, 2012). There is also a challenge when you have students with mixed abilities in the same class (McGrail, 2005). Added to these challenges is the emphasis that writing is not just an individual project-based activity but a "social, process-oriented activity that stresses critical relationship between writing and other language processes, such as reading, speaking, and listening" (McKenney & Voogt, 2011, p.709). Teachers also need to consider the relationship that exists between "readers, writers, texts, contexts, and the situations in which texts are written and read" (Swenson, Rozema, & Young, 2005). Traditionally, curriculum has centered on the printed text (Young, Long, & Myers, 2010) and students' study of literacy and language was teacher driven primarily occurring in the classroom or as an independent study at home (Swenson, Rozema, & Young, 2005). English educators also face challenges of figuring which textual forms to include in instruction and prioritizing the attention given to the various forms (Young, Long, & Myers, 2010).

Other challenges with face-to-face learning in Language Arts include students with language-based disabilities, expressive and receptive language issues, and those who are too timid and refuse to speak in English class (Cumming, & Rodriguez, 2013). In addition, some students have poor critical thinking skills, difficulty verbalizing and sharing their ideas through their writing and anxiety with learning English (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007). As well, complex tasks sometimes cause frustration as students must pay attention to "topic organization, grammatical correctness, vocabulary, word choice, genre principles and sentence variety" (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007, p. 110).

Problems

Smith (2013) identified a number of challenges associated with teaching English Language Arts in K-12 school settings that included not only what to teach students but also how to keep students motivated throughout the learning experience. Teachers spend a considerable amount of time marking English assessments therefore there is an increased length of time for when students receive feedback (Tay, Lim, Lim, & Koh, 2012). There is also a challenge when you have students with mixed abilities in the same class (McGrail, 2005). Added to these challenges is the emphasis that writing is not just an individual project-based activity but a "social, process-oriented activity that stresses critical relationship between writing and other language processes, such as reading, speaking, and listening" (McKenney & Voogt, 2011, p.709). Teachers also need to consider the relationship that exists between "readers, writers, texts, contexts, and the situations in which texts are written and read" (Swenson, Rozema, & Young, 2005). Traditionally, curriculum has centered on the printed text (Young, Long, & Myers, 2010) and students' study of literacy and language was teacher driven primarily occurring in the classroom or as an independent study at home (Swenson, Rozema, & Young, 2005). English educators also face challenges of figuring which textual forms to include in instruction and prioritizing the attention given to the various forms (Young, Long, & Myers, 2010).

Other challenges with face-to-face learning in Language Arts include students with language-based disabilities, expressive and receptive language issues, and those who are too timid and refuse to speak in English class (Cumming, & Rodriguez, 2013). In addition, some students have poor critical thinking skills, difficulty verbalizing and sharing their ideas through their writing and anxiety with learning English (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007). As well, complex tasks sometimes cause frustration as students must pay attention to "topic organization, grammatical correctness, vocabulary, word choice, genre principles and sentence variety" (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007, p. 110).