Young learners' use of ICT facilities and the development of their language skills

• Main Author: Mat Daud, Nuraihan
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: IIUM Press 2012
• Subjects: T58.5 Information technology
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/24273/1/Chapter_8.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/24273/; http://rms.research.iium.edu.my/bookstore/Default.aspx

This paper discusses the ICT facilities that can be used by young learners to develop their language proficiency. A longitudinal study on a child shows that PowerPoint alone provided an interesting tool to develop various aspects of writing. The older children preferred sites which were more interactive. The real audience made these sites a suitable medium for developing their communication skills. The study shows that there is an improvement in their language skills with time. The Internet was found to be a suitable tool for developing their communication skills. The analysis also shows thatthe relationship between having a computer at home and access to the Internet, and students’ performance in the English language at school was statistically significant.