EDITOR'S MESSAGE

by Jarek Krajka

Maria Curie-Sklodowska University,

Lublin, Poland

jkrajka@batory.plo.lublin.pl

The current issue of Teaching English with Technology reflects the diversity of the use of computers in the foreign language teaching and learning process, also in different educational contexts. For a teacher who is well-aware of the teaching goals and whose expectations towards computers are precisely specified, technology can provide a means of facilitating the process, adding a new dimension to it or making possible the impossible. This is true about all the educational contexts and levels, ranging from elementary to advanced, kindergarten to university.

In order to prove that statement right, it is recommended to take an in-depth look at the contents of this issue of Teaching English with Technology – A Journal for Teachers of English. As usual, it covers a wide range of views on the usage of technology to support learning, looking at the phenomenon from different angles and for different purposes. Thus, the Article section features the contribution by Susan Esnawy, from American University in Cairo, Egypt, who presents how CMC tools can be successfully implemented to support a F2F writing course. After describing the framework of the course, the author expands on how the technological component was utilized to facilitate the process, analyzing the ups and downs of the project.

A similar idea is continued in the paper of James Thomas from Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, "Using Computers in Correcting Written Work", which makes an extremely informative and thorough presentation of software and Web services that can enhance the process of computerized marking. It is beyond the question that the tools described in the paper will greatly facilitate the work of the teacher to a large extent.

The Internet Lesson Plans section contains two scenarios by Dorota Kunstler, working at Gimnazjum nr 2 in Ustron near Cieszyn, Poland, "The Largest Dolphins Are Orcas!" and "Visit Popular London Attractions Today!" and a lesson plan entitled "Going Places" by Ewa Krzywicka-Dzioch from Zespol Szkol, Ostrow Lubelski, Poland. The two authors relate their lesson plans to the reality of lower secondary schools (gimnazjum) and low language level (pre-intermediate). It is interesting that the authors manage to refute the popular opinion that the Internet can only be used with really advanced students so that they can understand and digest the linguistic content of many authentic sites.

The final contribution in this issue is a paper by Kate Fazekas, Gábor Dénes College, Budapest, Hungary. The author takes up the issue of online reading development and provides both theoretical background and practical lesson scenarios. Keeping in mind the fact that the use of technology during lessons requires certain amount of "computer" English, the author provides us with a plethora of ideas for passing on that important knowledge.

It is hoped that the articles outlined above will constitute food for thought for the Journal readers and will inspire them to their own technology-supported educational endevaours.

I wish you good reading.