Summary of Interactive Whiteboard Technology: A Tool to Enhance Reading Skill in Language Class.

-->

Harry Utama Putra
06101001031

            In this journal, the author tells reader about how the student can more enhance their ability by using the interactive media to learn English as a foreign language especially in reading skill. As we know that teaching English in such a multilingual country is really challenging task. So that’s why, to learn English, the student must able to listen, speak, read and write in form of English. But in this paper, the author stresses in reading skill. Learning to read is essential to success in school and outside the school too. Reading is important to understand a language in a much better way. It’s true ‘We write as we read’.

              After the author interview some student at engineering faculty in meerut university, she notice some reason why English so difficult for them. The reason, sometimes, related to environment, related to the teacher who was teaching English, even related to students’ attitude. In this journal, the writer mentions 12 reasons why English difficult for them. But in this case, I just want mention the 2 most crucial reasons: 

English is not practiced at home or in environment.  

Mostly teachers and Students remain busy in doing other different exercises like question & answer, word & meaning, writing comprehension etc. rather than giving stress on reading and then understanding. 

It is very complicated reason why student get difficult to learn English. The teacher has to solve this problem if the teacher wants their student enhance their reading skill.

            Various methods have done by the teacher for make the student more understand. The main problem is how to make the student interest in reading. IWB (Interactive Whiteboard) is such tool which makes learning interesting and fun. It can be enhance the reading skill of the student.

            IWB is not very new to the world but to India it is in infant stage and penetrating education sectors very fast especially in the private educational institutes and schools. A big whiteboard is connected to a computer and a projector either via wires (USB) or wirelessly (blue tooth). This board in called interactive as it is attached with audio-video equipment as well as multi user sensitivity technique in it. It is really nice to work on IWB with your students as it facilitates both the teacher and student to find new ways of learning. Teachers and students both appreciated it for its versatile nature and flexibility in presenting data, text, pictures, PPTs, in addition to audio assistance. It gives novelty to classroom and creates longer effect on students due to video impact in the mind of the receiver.

            IWB can make reading really interesting. They can bring attention of reader in the class to the content on the white giant board. Once the reader is in the class attracted by the colorful screen he starts taking pain of reading in the class. 

            IWB can support reading skill in many ways. It help student to learn grammar, speaking (discussion), motivation, self-confident, even pronunciation. IWB can cover all skill in English easily to understand.

            Teaching English language in a multilingual country in India is a challenging task. So that, Teaching reading English language is the demand of the hour and the aim of this research is, too, study the impact of interactive technology in enhancing reading skill in English language learning and to help teachers to find a solution to enhance reading English when they leave school.

            This research has been carried out in a reputed Engineering College in Meerut in West U.P, India. The college has set up smart classes in each branch to give student the experience of future generation teaching learning environment. This College was targeted because the students are a good mix of different state boards and government schools.

            Author takes the research in engineering college where interactive technology has been already set up in language classroom. She do the research by questionnaire and directly to informant. 45 students were targeted to fill questionnaire after giving them reading practice in IWB classrooms. After written data an open discussion has been done in the class to discuss the points that why did they felt so.

            In conclusion, student hasn’t seen such type of language classroom before this college and novelty in education is a rare thing. They appreciated the combination of audio- visual presentation with text which helps them to restore the word in their memory for a longer time. IWB motivates students, catch their attention through audio-visual aids and bring a change in their behavior not to see the reading as a boring exercise but do it passionately to enhance their language competence.