Using Presentation Software to Enhance Language Learning
Miriam Schcolnik
Sara Kol

In this paper we report on two uses of presentation software in our EFL courses: one as a tool for oral reporting and the other as a writing tool. In both cases students use the four language skills actively. They read source materials, discuss their ideas with their peers and teacher, write them and then share their writing with others. In both uses, students function as "doers and creators" and as such are motivated to invest time and energy into their tasks.
Computer applications are now being used in many school disciplines and changing teaching methodologies throughout the curriculum. We have been using computers in our EFL courses for many years and have employed a variety of computer applications and methodologies. We agree with Murphy-Judy (1997) that "the readers whom foreign language education produces now...should not be trained in defunct literacy practices, but rather should be prepared to function in this new world...Literacy, today, is increasingly electronic and telecommunicational."
Many presentation software applications are in use. In the Division of Foreign Languages at Tel Aviv University, we use Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint is a computer tool for creating on-screen multimedia presentations or overhead transparencies. The program helps prepare an outline, slides, speaker`s notes and handouts for the audience. Even though this tool was developed for business presentations, we have found it to be very useful in the language classroom.
In this paper we report on two uses of PowerPoint that we have applied in the classroom: one as a presentation tool in an innovative skill integration task, and the other as a novel writing tool. In both cases students can use language actively for speaking, reading, writing and listening.
After observing hundreds of tertiary level EFL students using PowerPoint, we feel this tool allows students to experience a world of real language opportunity. First, students read source materials. Then, they articulate and crystallize their ideas through interaction with their peers and teacher. Finally, they write them on computer slides and share their writing with others. From our observations we learned that students derive great satisfaction from this task and take pride in their creations. With the promise of having something attractive for themselves and to show others, students are motivated to invest time and energy into the quality of their English tasks.
Software-enhanced Oral Presentations in Language Classes
Even though the main focus of our courses is on the comprehension of authentic academic texts, students are required to do oral presentations. In the past, we did not specify a uniform presentation methodology. We did recommend speaking to the audience rather than reading from paper. Most students chose to use index cards or notes for consultation while speaking, without visuals for the audience, while some used overhead transparencies or other visuals along with their notes. Presentation software seemed to us a modern alternative to previous presentation modes. We decided to require use of presentation software for students` oral presentations, since we felt this would enhance the language learning that takes place in the process of preparation and presentation. In this paper we report on the use of this innovative tool. We have not attempted an empirical comparison of the two modes.
Both in the past with oral presentations and now with computer presentations, students were informed in advance of the criteria by which their presentations would be evaluated. Typical criteria (relevant for both modes) include organization and coherence, synthesis and personal contribution, quality of introduction and conclusion, reflection of comprehension.
Language learning seems to occur most effectively when students have opportunities to use language for real purposes. Purposeful activities help bridge the gap between the artificial classroom setting and the real world. The process of preparing and giving oral presentations is such a purposeful activity in that it entails finding information, reflecting upon that information, interpreting it and creating something new. The process culminates in the sharing of the created product with others, which serves as a springboard for meaningful interaction.
Comparison with Purely Oral Presentations
It is not within the scope of this paper to compare use of presentation software with more traditional presentation aids, since in the past, most of our students chose to do purely oral presentations. After using PowerPoint with students for two years, we have found a number of differences both in process and in product between computer presentations and purely oral presentations. In the first place, there is a very important motivational factor when using presentation software. Students can choose the background and foreground colors, texture, design, layout, font and graphics for each slide thereby personalizing their presentations. The lengthy involvement in the integration of content and form adds value to the experiential language learning process. These observations are consistent with the results reported by Phinney (1996) on a study that she and Khouri conducted in 1992. In this study, students were given a choice of doing an electronic final paper or a "traditional paper." The results showed that students who did the electronic paper enjoyed it very much, spent more time on the project than the others, and seemed to be more involved in their product.
Secondly, when students have to write something that their audience not only hears, but