The Use of ICT for the Improvement of Writing Skills in EFL for Adolescents

Abstract

Student, German Eduardo Bogota Moreno, 2024. The Use of ICT for the Improvement of Writing Skills in EFL for Adolescents. Licenciatura en Lenguas Extranjeras con énfasis en Inglés. Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia. The revolution of new technologies has made foreign language learning more accessible and engaging. The implication of these innovations has provided students with access to a diverse range of resources, stimulating more interactive and dynamic learning experiences. Technology is a significant part of language learning today because it can provide personalized instruction and materials that learners can adapt to their needs. It also makes it easier to access information and communicate with others, enhances access to information, and enables more communication opportunities (Bećirović et al.,2021). Writing skills in English language learning can present various difficulties for learners, especially those whose native language differs significantly in grammar, structure, and style. This is logical because people learn to speak by listening to what Stephen Krashen calls comprehensible input. In Matt's interview with Stephen Krashen, he mentions that, by providing this kind of constant comprehensible input, children unconsciously internalize the rules of the language at their own pace and in a natural way, just as happens in the acquisition of their mother tongue. The learning is implicit and almost invisible to them (Matt vs Japan, 2020). Technology for foreign language learning allows the construction of knowledge through different tools (chats, blogs, shared work tools, social networks). These tools can enhance students' motivation and develop their full potential when learning to write in English.