Arab World English Journal (AWEJ).Vol.6 No.1.2015 Pp.185- 199
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol6no1.15
An ICT-Based Approach to Teaching Civilisation to EFL Learners
ELAGGOUNE Abdelhak
Department of Letters and English Language
Faculty of Letters and Languages
University of 8 May 1945 –Guelma, Algeria
Abstract:
The present paper, which is based on an experiment conducted with thirty-six third year undergraduate students majoring in EFL, proposes an approach to teaching civilisation to make it an important subject that enhances content and skills, both of which are necessary in the education of well-versed, thoughtful, and judicious students. In this method, small groups of students combine the use of various books and multimedia assets to investigate a given topic covering a specific time period and dealing with a major development in American history. Students are expected both to find a video clip or a filmand to prepare an original PowerPoint presentation on the basis of predefined questions to explore the main themes and deal with key elements, such as events, facts, dates, terms, treaties, regulations, and people.Contrary to conventional approaches, this method, which partly depends on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), can support a student-centred learning environment in which students become more active and self-motivated learners and critical thinkers of historical events and facts. Other anticipated secondary benefits from such a pedagogical endeavour in the American civilisation class are the promotion of students’ reading, thinking, writing, and speaking skills, as well as the increase of their abilities to navigate the internet and master digital technologies.
Keywords: blended learning, ICT, language skills, student-centred learning, teaching civilisation
Cite as: Abdelhak, E. (2015). An ICT-Based Approach to Teaching Civilisation to EFL Learners.
Arab World English Journal, 8 (1).
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol6no1.15