And with the exponentially increasing speed at which bits can be pumped through the rapidly multiplying fiber optic cables and satellites of the Internet, more and more English students world-wide will be able to interact with language teaching videos and virtual worlds which will bring them to a relatively high level of proficiency, especially since other people will be running around through these virtual worlds as well, talking to each other, getting help from each other, and practicing language functions in contextual situations. This means that high quality computer language instruction will be free for anyone who has a fast enough Internet connection. When I mention these visions to English teachers, some of them are afraid that computers will someday replace English teachers. This will not be the case. There will always be a human on one side of English teaching and another human on the other, it is just that the computer between us is getting more and more effective, which improves our teaching and improves the students' learning abilities.
Humans are powerful and computers are powerful, and together, they are are extremely powerful.
My point in this article is that if you are an English teacher, you need to get more and more involved with computers in order to continue to improve your teaching skills. Get access to a computer with an Internet connection. Learn how to search for information on the World Wide Web. Learn how to send and receive E-Mail. Learn how to join and participate in news groups, and find colleagues with similar interests.