Today’s generation of students are living in an information era that is thriving with technological advances. Worldwide, teachers and students alike have become aware of the importance of integrating media in the classroom. Using media in the classroom has become important in every subject, and can be particularly beneficial when teaching English as a foreign language. Media seems to have a language of its own that can unite people from all parts of the world in the learning experience.

Michael C. Flanigan and Robert S. Boone illustrate the international language of media in their source book, Using the Media in the Language Arts, “In the summer of 1969 millions of people on earth saw a man put his foot on the moon. Instantly people throughout the world understood what had happened. Those watching did not have to understand English. (Flanigan and Boone xi)” It is certainly no disadvantage to learners of English as a foreign language that the majority of media is exported from the United States where the primary language is of course English. In 1996, John V. Pavlik in his New Media Technology: Cultural and Commercial Perspectives wrote, “Unlike many U.S. industries, the information services industry has always had a positive trade balance, and the U.S. Department of Commerce expects this trend to continue. (Pavlik 31)” In 2007 we can see that this prediction was accurate and perhaps even an understatement.

In the past couple of decades, the use of educational media has greatly increased. “There are many reasons for this expansion. One of the most important, certainly, lies in the rapid technological advances that have led to the growing availability of VCR’s, cable TV, home computers, and the Internet (Blumberg, Everson and Rabinowitz 3).” This expansion has taken societies worldwide. People all over the world are watching TV, listening to the radio and using computers. Because these different forms of media have become more prevalent in all of our daily lives, more international students of English are comfortable using these forms of information technology. The teacher of English should acknowledge the use of media in the classroom as the powerful learning tool that it is. Whether the student is a young or old learner, beginner or business, they will understand the information being presented to them through the use of media images.

All students will be able to apply these images to their personal experiences with English and will benefit greatly from the incorporation of media in the English classroom. The teacher can use media presentations to put their lesson plan into action. There should always be room in the lesson plan for using media, especially with the wide variety of equipment that is available. With television, audio and other media publications, students from different cultures can acquire a greater understanding of the English language. Many successful learning activities can be designed around the use of these media devices. These media tools can also be presented as authentic material for learners to analyze the more idiomatic terms of the English language.

In the study, Literacies Across Media, Margaret Mackey explored how a group of boys and girls ages 10 to 14 comprehended narrative material presented to them through various forms of media. In her findings she reveals that, “It was always clear that the students moved easily in a complex textual world, shifting gears both appropriately and nonchalantly as demands changed. (Mackey 14)” It is this comfortability, shown from a young age, which will allow for the teacher of English as a foreign language to easily integrate media into the classroom for more effective learning strategies. This information era in which we are living requires a high demand of people who are open to learning and communicating through the use of a wide genre of media. As twenty- first century teachers of English prepare their lesson plans, they should remember the wise words of Stewart Brand, “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road. (Brand 2)”

Brittany Ryan
May 16, 2007
ITTT Research Article