Are contemporary educational tools diminishing the role of teachers

Effective teachers can be a source of inspiration and, equally importantly, provide a dependable
and consistent influence on young people as they make choices about further education, work and life. A
teacher's role involves more than simply standing in front of a classroom and lecturing. In fact, even
though a teacher spends the majority of the day in the classroom, the actual teaching component is only
part of the job. An effective teacher understands that teaching includes wearing multiple hats to ensure
that the school day runs smoothly and all students receive a quality education.
Instead of just lecturing in the classroom, teachers are facilitators of learning, providing students
with the information and tools they need to master a subject. In addition, a teacher has multiple roles. At
times, teachers act like tutors, working with small groups of students or individual students within the
classroom or after class. Teachers also play the role of evaluators, constantly assessing students' abilities
through formal and informal assessments, correcting mistakes and providing suggestions for
improvement and assigning grades.
Development of informational technologies in last few decades represents probably the greatest
technological revolution in the history of humankind. Moreover, it has introduced great changes and
innovations in every sphere of both social as well as private lives of people. The dramatic acceleration of
this development in the last decade, and especially the development of the internet, made it possible for
the computers to be used in education computer assisted learning. It had made a great impact especially
on language learning - computer assisted language learning.
There is no one tool that addresses the diversity and uniqueness within classrooms, but
technology has proven to be an effective tool with which to teach and learn languages. The general use of
technology in classrooms when learning languages has been reportedly beneficial to students. Students
reported being more motivated, improving their self-concept, experiencing more student-centered
learning, as well as being a more active and engaged student. In order to complement the communicative
approach to language teaching, technological tools can be used to bring more realistic language
experiences to the blended learning environment. Since the teacher acts as a facilitator within this type of
blended teaching, it is his/her role to find a variety of activities that act as a catalyst for authentic
communication. When learning languages, Authentic Learning Environments provide a multitude of
realistic e-learning activities.
Technology can facilitate students' learning of a language and engage them in language activities
through a language-rich environment. Firstly, computers are useful in teaching vocabulary and they also
provide the rich contextual environment for students. Students need to learn vocabulary with visual clues
to help them understand, and computers can provide that and allow students to become active learners in
a one-on-one environment.
Computers can be used to improve all four basic language skills (some more than others) in very
simple ways. Reading skills are the easiest to improve using computers. The Internet makes available any
text that a reader might want to read, both for recreational and educational purposes (even texts that are
especially designed for EFL learners of different levels). As for writing skills, many programs like the

famous Microsoft Word provide spelling and grammar checks. Although it can be clunky at times and
requires strict use of either American or British English spelling, it is an indispensable tool for writing
essays and makes their formatting a lot easier than doing it by pen and paper. For their listening skills,
students have many audio dictionaries available. They can also easily improve their listening skills
passively through simply watching movies and videos on sites like YouTube. The students speaking skills
may be the hardest to develop simply through the use of technology. Only in cases where students
communicate online using the foreign language in question is this a possibility (for example: making
friends with native speakers online and/or being a part of the gaming subculture and communicating with
your online co-players through the universally accepted English language.
Computers can also help EFL students develop their writing skills. There are a variety of
technological tools and methods out there for teaching writing that can make the process easier and more
fun for both teachers and students. Increasingly complex and comprehensive programs are available to
help students fix errors in their writing, and can offer feedback during the writing process, when it matters
most. Students can use the feedback to make changes before handing in a paper and can get it in more
manageable chunks so that it wont feel overwhelming. Much of the communication students do these
days is via online forums. In this way they can compare and contrast products, write short essays detailing
their position on a particular issue, or even build research-based websites that can inform and educate
readers.
Although the role of a teacher in a classroom cannot be disputed, especially in language learning
where a spoken word is the most valuable thing, it must be emphasized that this development of
informational technologies made it possible for teachers to improve communication and interaction in
their classrooms, thus making their job easier, more fun and increasing the effectiveness and productivity
of their work.