by Jarek Krajka
Maria Curie-Sklodowska University
Lublin, Poland
jkrajka@batory.plo.lublin.pl

It is my utmost pleasure as the Editor-in-Chief of Teaching English with Technology, a free electronic journal for teachers interested in the use of computers and the Internet in the classroom, to present you with the next issue of this periodical, concluding the second year of the existence of the Journal. In this month's editorial, I would like to devote some space to the place of Computer-Assisted Language Learning in the process of training English teachers.

Nowadays, the expectations towards knowing the potential of Information and Communication Technology and effective using it in teaching are quite high in Poland – teachers are sometimes obliged by headteachers to make use of the Internet lab, students exercise pressure on their teachers to use the Internet in learning English, while parents are extremely glad to see new methods and teaching aids such as computers and the Web facilitating and enhancing language learning. More and more schools have Internet labs available for English lessons, making it possible to execute Web-based lessons.

In order to make this happen, it seems that in the process of English teacher training there should be stronger emphasis on ICT. It seems that some solution would be to have ICT classes in the curriculum of studies leading either to B.A. (licencjat) or M.A. (magister) degree, so that students' computer knowledge from school would be consolidated and directed towards research for B.A. or M.A. theses.

The elements of Computer-Assisted Language Learning are included in the curriculum of the ELT methodology classes, with some time devoted to the role of the computer in teaching, its opportunities and limitations. Also, the Ministry of National Education and Sport in Poland giving guidelines on teacher education emphasises the issue of audiovisual teaching aids such as ELT software or general software to teach and learn English. However, due to the large amount of material to cover in ELT methodology classes, it is rarely possible to devote more than two/three classes to the elements of computer- or Internet-assisted teaching. In order to amend that situation, it seems that some extra classes devoted to the methodology of using ICT in ELT should be introduced in the curriculum of English teacher training.

The problem of university teacher training in Poland might be the availability of computer labs, where, paradoxically, schools are better equipped in technology with the Internet labs and fast connections than universities and teacher training colleges. Here the solution could be closer cooperation of universities and schools in different areas, with the schools allowing the use of computer labs.

The two articles published in this issue of the Journal seem to prove the need for implementing the above measures, demonstrating the successful introduction of the Web as a medium for doing research and making projects. Interesting enough, the papers describe the situation and findings from two countries fairly distant from each other (China and Poland), but come to similar conclusions of the great opportunities given by the Internet and the need to implement computer-based projects.

In the first article entitled "Promoting Learner Autonomy through CALL Projects in China's EFL Context", Fang Ying, from Suzhou University, Suzhou, China, illustrates the importance of developing learner autonomy by showing how the CALL research project can promote autonomous learning. The second viewpoint is that of Malgorzata Kurek, from Wyzsza Szkola Lingwistyczna, Czestochowa, Poland, whose article "The Internet in ESL College Education: A Proposal for the Internet-enhanced College Course" describes the outline of a college course incorporating technology into a linguistically-oriented syllabus.

Internet Lesson Plans section starts with the plan "Christmas Unknown" by Miroslawa Podgorska, from III LO, Zamosc, Poland, bringing the atmosphere of Christmas and showing how to use different festivals as the basis for a lesson. The second contribution in this section, "Going on Holiday", by the humble undersigned Jarek Krajka from Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland, is a larger four-lesson module exploiting the idea of a virtual holiday trip and combining computer skills instruction (word-processing and emailing) with language work (travel vocabulary, writing a personal letter).

In A Word from a Techie section, Guo Shesen from Luoyang University, Henan, China, shows how to facilitate letter writing with the help of a digital secretary. "Virtual Reality Modeling Language" by Hee-Jung Jung, from Washington State University, USA, is the contribution in Software section which familiarizes the Journal readers with VRML, by describing its functioning, current applications, gains and loses for language learners.

In this moment, I would like to take that opportunity and announce the fact that the Editorial Board of Teaching English with Technology has been joined by Guo Shesen, from Luoyang University, Henan, China, who has kindly agreed to be the Editor responsible for A Word from a Techie section. Looking at Guo's contributions in the section in the former issues of the Journal, there is no doubt that the readers will greatly benefit from Guo's expertise and creativity in the field.

I wish you all good reading.