Using PowerPoint for ESL Teaching
Don L. Fisher

This article is a basic introduction to the use of PowerPoint in the classroom. It discusses where to find teacher created presentations, how to find resources such as tutorials, and how to use PowerPoint in different settings. There is a short section on the equipment needed to use PowerPoint.
Introduction
Although PowerPoint has been in existence for many years, it has just begun to spread to schools and ESL classrooms. The reason for this delay is that technology requires hardware, which is relatively expensive. However, more and more classrooms and teachers have computers and the equipment to use PowerPoint. Not only are more teachers using these presentations, but more are producing their own. Some are even placing them on websites for others to download. PowerPoint is a useful tool that is now being used in many classrooms.
Before continuing, let me give a brief definition. PowerPoint is a type of presentation software that allows one to show colored text and images with simple animation and sound. PowerPoint is just one of many types of presentation software. Hyper-Studio is another.
PowerPoint is the most popular because it comes bundled with Microsoft packages. PowerPoint will run on either Macintosh or Windows PC`s. The files are easy to create and can be e-mailed as attachments. They can be posted on or downloaded from websites, and can be converted to html webpages. Not only can PowerPoint presentations be traded and exchanged, they can also be modified to fit any individual classroom setting. Although other presentation software may have the same capabilities, PowerPoint is the most common, and it is user friendly.
Classroom Uses of PowerPoint
PowerPoint presentations can be used in many ways in the ESL classroom as well as in other classrooms. Presentations can be used for initial teaching, for practice and drilling, for games, for reviews, and for tests.
Initial Teaching
PowerPoint can be used to teach new ideas and concepts to students. In theory this sounds very good; however, in practice this can be tricky. The teacher must anticipate areas of misunderstanding and difficulty. Once the teacher knows the troubles, which the students will face, he or she can create or adapt a presentation for the students. The presentation must be clear and uncluttered. It should address anticipated areas of student difficulty in an orderly manner. This type of presentation is difficult to prepare, but it can be done. Once an initial teaching presentation is prepared, it can be saved and used again and again, and it can be shared with others.
Practice & Drill
I have used PowerPoint presentations much more for practice and drills. To do this it is necessary to have the type of material, which can be repeated many times. A presentation of irregular verbs is one example of something which can be repeated again and again. Other types of material can be repeated on a weekly or biweekly basis. Presentations using the correct preposition, or the correct form of an adjective, or countable and uncountable contrasts could be practiced and reviewed periodically.
Games are a good way to review and practice English. Teachers can use PowerPoint to create their own games to use in the classroom. Once a game has been created, it can be reused by the author or shared with other teachers.
Review
PowerPoint presentations are great for reviewing ideas which have already been taught. After the students have learned and practiced something, it is good to see a presentation. I do not show presentations every day. I like to save them for a special treat sometime during the week. They provide a break in the routine and a way to see material differently. Not only do students find this interesting, but it is also a good way to check and see if they have mastered a concept. When I use a presentation created by another teacher, my students have a chance to see old ideas presented in different ways. PowerPoint presentations are also good ways to review before a test.
Tests
A teacher in our school uses PowerPoint for his tests. He places pictures of items on slides to be shown at preset intervals. (He sets his timer for a reasonable number of seconds for each slide.) The students then write down the name of each item. It`s a great way to test vocabulary. Using the timer feature, a teacher could design a many types of tests or quizzes.
How to Obtain PowerPoint Presentations
Create Your Own PowerPoint Presentations
Any teacher can create presentations if he or she has the PowerPoint software. There are many good tutorials on how to create presentations. Some of these can be found at the following links:
http://www.actden.com/pp/
http://www.electricteacher.com/tutorial3.htm
For PowerPoint tips and tricks:
http://www.bitbetter.com/powertips.htm
http://www.teachers-connect.net/cc/99-00/advpp.htm
Get PowerPoint Presentations from Others
There are many great websites where a teacher can download PowerPoint presentations. I like to download presentations for elementary school children and then modify them for my ESL students who are