COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

The current paper is an attempt to improve communications technology in foreign language teaching at tertiary level. It sets forth the need for an orientation among foreign language teachers to embrace Internet technologies as effective resources that enhance instruction and, thus, student learning. The paper suggests several ways of improving students' foreign language knowledge by integrating technological resources into the curricula. Several objectives are taken into account: to get foreign language teachers used to the immense number of communications technologies available; to supply some basic knowledge about several electronic technologies; to underline the pedagogical functions of communications technologies within the tertiary level foreign language courses; to create samples that can integrate foreign language communications technologies in the tertiary level foreign language curricula. After acquiring some basic knowledge about Electronic mail, Electronic Discussion Groups, World Wide Web, Gopher, Internet Relay Chat etc., that knowledge is used in practical situations encountered in the classroom or in everyday life. Foreign language teachers must make a concerted effort to educate their students for the utilization of communications technology resources. They need to realize the multitude of possibilities of integrating technological resources into their curricula.