ABSTRACT
As China continues to modernize at an exceptional rate, issues around integrating educational technology into foreign language teaching methodologies are becoming increasingly pertinent. This paper discusses some of the benefits and difficulties encountered when the Internet is used as a central teaching tool for students studying English as a foreign language in China. The merits of a particular strategy are also discussed. This strategy emphasizes placing a large amount of learning resources online – including lecture notes, contact information, examples of student work, and links to other learning resources on the World-Wide Web. Finally, the Internet is considered for its practicality as a learning tool from both the perspective of the institution (e.g. can schools afford to equip their classrooms with the necessary technology?) and the perspective of the student (e.g. is it feasible to require students to use the Internet as part of their studies?).
INTRODUCTION
Chinese academics have proposed that, since the 1700’s,
there have been two stages in the world modernization
process: the first stage features developing an industrial
economy, and the second is categorized by an information
economy [1]. Assisted by China’s recent entry into the
World Trade Organization, the import of new technology,
and an increasingly open policy towards foreign
competition and investment, China is presently on the fast
track towards the second level of modernization [1, 2, 3].
The development of the information technology sector has
created new possibilities for integrating technology into the
classroom, and as such, educational technology is an
important consideration for developing new teaching
methodologies in Chinese schools...