Using of digital technology on learning English as second language - Essay Example

The paper "Using of Digital Technology on Learning English as Second Language" is a great example of an essay on education.  Bull and Kajder (2004) reported that comprehend digital storytelling as an all-encompassing learning activity, which can be used to cultivate different skills. The skills that can be cultivated using digital storytelling among other digital technologies include the development of basic oral skills, writing skills, content comprehension and digital skills (Holmes et al.

, 2001, pp. 3115). The use of digital technologies in teaching English as a second language encouraged the participation of the learners during the course of learning, which was evident through behaviors like some students teaching others, and identifying digital technologies as an effective model for sharing and documenting knowledge. The other advantage is that the use of digital technology cultivates higher understanding because the variations in the tools among different students cultivate further comprehension and knowledge sharing (Greeno, 2006, pp. 80). In relating the usage of digital technologies in the teaching of English as a second language, digital tools offer a very productive tool for teaching English as a second language (Greeno, 2006, pp. 79). This is the case because digital techniques like storytelling offer the stimulus that cultivates the understanding of the language (Greeno, 2006, pp. 81). Further, the dependence of the student on the learner can be redirected to the digital learning tools, because they offer the knowledge, and simulate the observation, measurement and the evaluation of the expected behavioral changes that demonstrate learning (Greeno, 2006, pp. 84). In relating the usage of digital technology to the teaching of English as a second language, to the constructivist theory of learning, digital technology fosters the learning of new language, through the interactive platform (Marzano, 1991, p. 519). This is the case, tracing the appeal of new knowledge to the process of cultivating the development of skills like basic oral skills, content comprehension and writing skills (Bull and Kajder, 2004).

Through the creation of new knowledge, using digital technologies, these tools demonstrate their usefulness in teaching English as a second language (Marzano, 1991, p. 518). With reference to the social learning theory developed by Vygotsky, people learn in social contexts, where students learn through interactions with one another (Holmes et al., 2001, pp. 3114). The theory informs teachers of the importance of offering learners active learning activities (Bull and Kajder, 2004). In relating this theory to the use of digital technology in teaching language as a second language, the social context offered by the use of digital technology offers the right conditions for the learning of the new language; interactions among learners fosters the acquisition of the new language (Leonard, 2002).

Mayer (2001) did a study and pointed out that people learn better when using the multimedia platform, as compared to the case of just reading the text. The study demonstrated that multimedia improves retention and the ways of applying the newly acquired knowledge, in other situations. According to the study, the use of digital technology in teaching English as a second language is more advantageous than using ordinary reading text to teach students (Mayer, 2001, pp. 34). The use of digital technology can enhance the acquisition of English as a second language because digital tools like multimedia teaching aids enhance language retention and the transferability of the knowledge to other situations (Mayer, 2001, pp. 52). Meyer’s study is supported by the dual-coding theory developed by Pavio, which proposes that the formation of mental images of the concepts being taught fosters the learning process (Brunye, Taylor and Rapp, 2008, pp. 877). This shows that the learning of language is fostered by the creation of mental images, which is offered using digital tools like multimedia platforms (Brunye, Taylor and Rapp, 2008, pp. 879).