Education has long been abuzz over the place of technology in learning. Educators may heard about online English teaching by now. However, not everyone may have considered it seriously because of the perception of it as a career not being worthy of our time or beyond our capabilities, or sometimes even as not being a real profession. It may also seem unworthy of any serious educators because of its informal learning context. The learning environment online and its very short lesson time that demands a great deal of concentration and focus are some of the things that may hamper one’s desire to teach English online.
But with careful reflection, however, it should become clear that despite the unfamiliar context, the platform and all the technical challenges that come with it, the fundamental teaching skill needed in online English lessons is still the same as in traditional teaching: to communicate clearly and effectively in order to help the student. The teaching steps may need to be more direct and concise because of time constraints, but the overall objective is still to get one’s student to successfully use what was learned and to communicate effectively with another person.
With today’s advancement in technology, it is time to think of teaching English online and take it to the next level. Teaching English online provides educator with an array of user-friendly tools. The definition of words unfamiliar to student is just a few clicks away, thanks to having a reliable dictionary Website open anytime during the lesson. The chat box or whiteboard replaces the traditional blackboard and comes with display capabilities that are a teacher’s dream. One can easily share pictures with a couple of strokes and clicks while still talking to the student online. If the classroom is a teacher’s stage, then online learning environment is but an extension of that stage, one that allows teacher/educator to do so much to help a student learn.
Teaching English online is the wave of the future. Educators should recognize and embrace this new level, as it is all about teaching and learning effectively. This is where 51Talk comes in, as the company is the largest online English education provider in China and the Philippines and the first Chinese online Education company listed in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), under the stock symbol COE (China Online Education group).
For more information, visit www.51talk.com/ph