CALL lab: Teachers' comments

Teacher: Najoua Abdelhak
School: Ouled Haffouz Preparatory School

“Lucky are the English teachers in Tunisia

because they are always given the opportunity to use new and facilitating technologies in helping pupils to get the language. In fact, on the 8th of July this year, I attended a training session called "Multilab" centered around using the computer as a technology in teaching English.
I expected the session to be about ways to improve our pupils' pronunciation but I found something different and I was surprised and excited for two reasons: first, the program was really rich and interesting. Second, Multilab was not just a theory to speak about and a paper and a pen to take notes then leave. Practice was the hero, though more is needed. Multilab is about using the computer in group sessions . It can be used in different ways and I think that it has many benefits. It is a way to:

• better present the materials of the lesson.
• motivate pupils and lover their affective filter.
• enable pupils to get the language and practie it easily.
• better deal with the mixed abilities classes.
• make pupils responsible about their learning.
• get teachers and pupils used to deal with the English language through the computer as a technology.

Using the computer in teaching is really helpful and for those who can not manipulate it well and easily and I am one of them, summer is no longer an opportunity to just relax and read stories, it is an occassion to prepare oneself for a future where the teacher is the pillar of the class and technology is the pillar of teaching.
At the end, special thanks are given to Mr Fathi Bouguerra as well as to Mr Abdennbi Omri for their excellent presentation of the material, their patience and the light atmosphere they provided us with. They were really clear, helpful and friendly and their jokes cooled the heat of day.                   ”