The use of technology in class allows teachers to create more engaging and dynamic lessons

Andrés Felipe Colorado P.

            The Colombian government started the Bilingual Colombia Program (BCP), in which the city of Manizales is included, in order to improve English proficiency at all educational levels.  This program has raised a lot of controversy and questions among academic communities.  Some of them are the following: Do we have enough resources? Do we have qualified teachers? Are we ready for a bilingual Colombia? What else is needed? or how do we teach English?

            According to my experience, I have seen the way we teach English can affect the level and proficiency of our students. Therefore, it could also have a big impact on the Bilingual Colombia Program.  In fact, the use of technology in my classes has allowed me to create more engaging and dynamic lessons.  On the other hand, some teachers of English as Foreign Language have complained about the lack of motivation in their traditional classes or about their preparation to face the new shift of teaching through the use of information and communication technology (ICT).

            Technology skills are needed every day in almost all aspects of our lives.  It is becoming a vital part of any social, economic, political or cultural context.  That is why, it is very important to use technology as an appealing and interactive way to help our students acquire the foreign language more easily or, at least, with more fun.  At the same time, and with the appropriate use of technology, we can prepare them to face the new society and make them more competitive in the job market.