Many educators suggest some advantages of the integration of ICT into
teaching. Burns (1994) suggested that having children use some computer programs
as tools for learning increased their motivation more than traditional teaching
methodology in school. Hubbard (2005) reported that multimedia software and web
sites developed by educators offered a range of new opportunities for learners to
develop listening proficiency in the target language. Krischner and Selinger (2003)
stated that ICT offered an essential potential to satisfy the learning needs of individual
students, promoted equality of learning opportunity, offered high-quality learning
materials, and increased self efficiency and independence of learning among learners
of all ages.
For language teachers, ICT is advantageous in terms of various tools and
teaching styles for language teachers to choose and integrate them into their teaching.
Krischner and Selinger (2003) stated that teachers can make use of ICT as an essential
tool in their daily work. It can be used to encourage new ways of working as part of
professional learning teams. Cabanatan (1999) also stated that there is a clear
direction towards using the internet to provided education to students everywhere.
The use of the internet ranges from making course materials available on-line to using
the internet as a communication tool for a course. Thus, teachers can use the internet
as powerful teaching material by using the educational web sites available in the
internet as a part of learners’ tasks. In fact, there are many functions available in the
internet for language teaching. Both teaching material and professional development
forums for innovation teaching methodology are available. There are several kinds of
internet-based activities for ESL/EFL classrooms and some strategies to help ensure
that the activities would keep the students' interest (Lee, 2000).