Technology has grown into a critical component of English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. Schools like The English Island, located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, use technology to enhance learning outcomes for F-1 visa students in intensive English courses. While there is a wealth of information and research indicating that technology has advantages for learning languages in a classroom setting, there are new technologies advancing every day that have yet to be tested for effectiveness. Some of them may be useful, while others may not be as useful as they first seem Some may potentially even detract from students of English as a Second Language (ESOL).

In recent years, the number of English language learners has gradually increased worldwide. The English language continues to gain importance for business communication, international communication, and the growth of immigrant populations in English speaking countries. Finding efficient methods for teaching English to English language learners has taken on new importance with the growing demand for ESOL courses. Technology presents new methodologies that assist ESOL instructors in meeting the requirements for larger class sizes, diverse student bodies, and higher expectations for learning outcomes.

Technology assists students in multiple ways. Not only can tech help to sustain motivation and excitement for students of English, but it also allows teachers to implement media, apps, and internet-based learning materials in the classroom. The teachers at The English Island utilize these new methodologies to stay on the cutting edge in the F-1 Visa, intensive ESL program. Each classroom at The English Island utilizes technology, such as laptops, projectors, and televisions. Each classroom is fully equipped to provide students with audio and visuals for listening and speaking practice. All these tools keep students engaged and learning at a fast pace to reach their English as a second language goals.

So, what are some of the exact benefits of using technology in ESOL learning environments? One major advantage is that modern technology helps to keep students engaged. Students who can focus over longer periods of time on class materials are more likely to acquire higher levels of language skills. Most people can relate to feeling distracted by their phone through social media. However, that same engagement can be used as an advantage by teachers who use familiar apps, such as YouTube, or humorous short videos to demonstrate examples in the classroom. Teachers at The English Island use multimedia tools such as internet videos and audio to their advantage in this regard.

Another advantage is that students will have direct access to multiple resources to bolster areas of learning in which they may struggle. For example, some students studying in their F-1 Visa Intensive English course at The English Island find speaking to be the biggest challenge while others struggle with vocabulary. Students frequently use phone apps such as translators, online dictionaries, and English language learning apps to engage with their fellow students and teachers to work on their unique requirements as English language learners. Teachers at The English Island are knowledgeable of the best apps to use and can assist students in finding ways to communicate that expedite the learning process.

Video has become an integral part of language learning classrooms that helps students to connect their growing language abilities with public speakers, popular media, and dialectical differentiations. The teachers at The English Island utilize video succinctly in the effort to elucidate students with premium, English language focused content. F-1 Visa students in intensive ESL courses at The English Island in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, may find that popular media and video helps them to not only increase their English language abilities, but also to connect with the culture of the USA.

However, not every technological advancement provides higher levels of learning. One of the most recent advancements in technology to emerge into the field of ESOL is Artificial Intelligence, or AI. AI uses vast amounts of data and stored information to generate answers to prompts given by users. This has encouraged language learners to find creative ways to utilize AI powered software such as ChatGPT to expedite their learning outcomes. However, one large problem with AI technology such as ChatGPT is that not all the answers provided by the AI software will be truthful. False information generated by an AI in response to a prompt is called a hallucination. Although AI may at first seem like a good tool for students to learn language faster, the inevitability of hallucinations from AI makes this technology problematic. There are many ways for students to use AI in a creative, helpful ways. However, this technology has not yet reached the point where English as a Second Language teachers make frequent use of it in the classroom.

Technology bolsters student experiences in the classroom through engagement, multi-media learning, and bridging the language barriers between students and teachers. Teachers at The English Island located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA utilize technology to the benefit of the students enrolled in the F-1 Visa intensive ESL program. Many exciting advancements in the intersection of technology and academia have expanded the capabilities of teachers and therefore elevated student learning outcomes.  Teachers make use of technology both new and established in the ever-evolving F-1 Visa intensive ESL program located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA at The English island.