OUT-CAMPUS STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS & ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH MATERIALS VIA INTERNET IN THE ESL CLASSROOM

Technology today, is an aid in the process of learning and should thus be at the center of what we do both professionally and personally. Educators all over the world are taking advantage of this aid to expand their knowledge and skills in creating better lesson plans for students’ development towards the targeted subject. In teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), many teachers still have not taken the opportunities offered by existing technologies to a degree suitable to their potential. English lessons that incorporate multimedia applications can exert powerful motivation and provide bored students with exciting new ways to learn. In Malaysia, the execution of teaching English for language teachers is not a simple task. English Language proficiency has been deteriorating over the years due to lack of usage and reflective practice. In addition, for a country where reading is not a cultural norm, but a core necessity in encouraging and improving basic skills in English, combining language teaching with e-education in the classroom could be the definite answer to encourage the use of English among learners. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate on the perception and attitudes towards reading English materials via Internet in the ESL classroom among a group of adult learners who are out-campus students at a local Malaysian university. This survey obtained samples with the following requirements: (i) minimal exposure to the web-based reading approach, (ii) age between 35 to 45 years old, and (iii) lowest level of English proficiency. Consequently, the most apparent research result with regards to reading in general, was the motivation to support the use of a variety of reading modes in their English class besides using only the required textbook. University students show a positive outlook when introduced to a computer-based technology for reading in the ESL classroom. Hence, in addressing the needs of the future, it is clear that changes will have to be made in education in the same way that industry has had to make changes in the way it operates. Malaysian university students have high motivation in learning the international language, especially in working towards achieving the objectives of Vision 2020. ESL educators should adapt instructional and learning environments to new requirements and vary their methods and materials in order to encourage, motivate and improve students’ learning.