The Two Advantages of Learning English through The internet

The Two Advantages of Learning English through The internet

English is the international language which is admitted as an in the international language in this world. This language is one of the languages which become a foreign language which mostly learned in most countries in the world. This thing has been commonly applied as it is known that the spread of English as an international language is spread widely. Year by year, the method used in teaching English always shows improvement and shows the better method used. Relating to the improvement of the methodology used in teaching English is also changed year by year. Nowadays, people live in a 21^st-century era, in which this era is more identical with the technological era. This term shows that the use of technology cannot be separate with the implementation of education in a certain country, especially Indonesia. Moreover, teaching and learning English in the classroom is also totally related to the use of technology and the internet. Therefore, this essay will discuss more the two advantages of using the internet in teaching English in the 21^st century which is causing the easiness for students and in learning English, and making real-time communication can happen.

As what the previous paragraph talks about teaching English through the internet in the 21^st century, the first advantage is causing the easiness for students in learning English. It can be said like that as there are many materials, sources, application serve on the internet. In the 21^st century, the improvement of the internet technology is always improved well. This era is the era in which the development of the internet is at the highest level. That is why the internet technologies provide the students with a lot of materials related to English subject from a lot of sources which are very easily can be access by them. Not only that, the easiness is also shown by the flexible learning time can be done by the teacher. For instance, an English teacher can post a duty or material for the students in a Facebook group, the students can access it anywhere that they want. They are not only needed to access it in the classroom like what the traditional method in the 20^th century did. These are only some examples, but actually, there are still many other examples shows the easiness. This statement becomes more powerful as it is also supported by a statement stated that the benefits of The internet-based language learning are providing students with a lot of original educational materials, causing the students’ autonomy in which as learners supervise exercises related the learning process and decreasing students’ dependent on the teacher herself, provided computers newest materials in various ways , presenting a way in which the students are more interested in electronic things served on the screen rather than traditional methods of learning English language in the previous century, providing students with a possibility to use online references helping them to find electronic resources such as of grammar-check, dictionary and thesaurus (Agarwal 2010). In line with the previous statement which supports the writer’s opinion, this statement below also supports the idea of the previous expert and the writer, statements from The internet has provided the modern method in which it makes learning English becomes more meaningful, not only that new design of literacy which is totally required has been represented in the 21^st century. Moreover, 24 hours a day  has been provided by The internet in which it causes opportunities for students to interact any time with native and nonnative speakers around the world of the target language learned, this thing has caused lifelong independent learners who can find anything that they want and need whenever (Shetzer and Meloni, 2002: 7). Another argument from a researcher states efficiency and high-quality achievement in each individual can be created through learning English on the internet. From the statements from experts and researchers above it can be concluded that the use of the internet especially in the 21st century, can be very useful for the students in learning English as it causes the easiness for the students.   

The next benefit is making real-time communication can happen. Real-time here refers to a term in which the learner can learn English directly from the native of English through the internet. This thing is possible to be applied as nowadays the internet technologies have already been an advance. For instance, the teacher can facilitate the student with some information related to online discussion website for the students to participate in it in which the students can interact with the native speakers of English directly to that website. Another example is the teacher can lead the students to a certain application to interact with the native that they know like Skype. Skype is not the only app that can be used. It is also possible for the students to have a communication to the native speaker of English via voice message provided on the internet. A researcher also assumed the same thing as Uchana, et al (2015) argued that additionally, learners can be helped in understanding language easily through the internet in social and cultural context, practical and the newest information. It can be assumed that practical and the newest information can be got by the students as social and cultural interaction can be done through the internet. Moreover, Islam (2011) states that there are many free programs on the internet served, one of them is second Life. This is a free program provided in the internet in which it lets the user s to create their own virtual environment for them in which there will be more than 12 million subscribers of this program from all over the world where students can have the interaction in real-time of just having chat freely with them.  It was clearly explained that the internet especially in the 21st century, gives a very beneficial function as making real communication is possible to be done. These statements are getting stronger and stronger after it is added as it is shown in this argument that the improvement of a computer as a media for communication through the internet has increased. Learning at the end of the 20^th century has reformed the uses of computers in terms of language learning (Eastment, 1996). With the amazing help of the internet, the use of the computer in society and in the classroom has changed from a tool used for display and also information processing to a tool used for information processing and communication. In the 21st century is the first era in which causing the learners of a language can have direct communication cheaply and fast with other learners and moreover the native speakers of the target language all over the world, Crystal (2006). The similar idea of the statement previously stated by some experts, Warschauer and Whittaker in Richards and Renandya (2002: 368-369) propose a possible reason using the internet in increasing English Language Teaching (ELT). It is found that the belief that the linguistic nature of online communication has a very important role in promoting language learning teaching through the internet.

Moreover, the picture above also shows that the profession in which becomes the highest users of the internet in using the internet as the biggest source based on their needs. The highest percentage belongs to SMA students (46%) and followed by collegian (28%). it shows that students’ interest in using the internet is very high and dominates the percentage. That is why the use of the internet especially in terms of learning English, should be utilized effectively by the teacher.

In conclusion, 21st century is the era in which results from the generation who are addicted to the use of technology. Moreover, the highest number of the internet users is the learner as the 21 century is their era which causes most teenagers nowadays master the internet. This thing caused English teachers’ to be more creative in making the use of the internet as a media to teach English and a good media for the students learning English more effectively. Actually, there are a lot of benefits to the students themselves with the use of the internet as a media used in learning English as a foreign language. The two of them are causing the students’ easiness in Learning English as a foreign language, and actualizing the possibility of real communication between the learners of English as their foreign language happened by the support of the internet. Those two advantages can be felt easily by the students when they apply it in their learning process. The students will not feel bored during learning English as a foreign language as they learn something interesting and something new. It can be concluded that learning English through the internet has very good profits to be applied as a big source and supporter for the improvement of students in learning English as a foreign language.