The Importance of The English Laboratory in Teaching English
The English Laboratory becomes a very important part in teaching English . It is used to teach
specifically listening skills and speaking skills which are the most important skills in learning how to
speak any language.
The English lab is an audio installation used as an aid in modern language teaching. Usually, those labs
are found in schools, colleges, universities, academies and institutes that teach languages.
The purpose of an English lab is to involve students to participate actively in language learning exercises
and get more practice than in a traditional classroom.
The first lab was found at the University of Grenoble in 1908. In 1950s, up until 1990s, the labs were only
tape-based systems using reel to reel cassettes. But, nowadays installations are generally multimedia PCs.
The principle of a language lab essentially has not been changed. It is still a teacher-controlled system
connected to a number of students desks that contain a student’s control mechanism and a head with a
microphone.
Nowadays, there are digital language labs which use software that can be installed and accessed on any
networked PC anywhere on a school or college.
Generally, English labs or any other language labs have the same components : instructor’s computer with
a suitable software, headsets and microphones for the teacher and the students to record and communicate
with each other and a media player for the students to listen to audio and watch videos. This system is
connected either via LAN( Local Area Network) or via wireless area network.
In modern English labs, the content of teaching the language is much richer than before. Modern labs use
audio, video, games and the Internet in teaching the language.
Recently Students can access and work from new “cloud” labs from their own devices anytime anywhere
using online and browsers. Students can record videos and send them online to be marketed by their
teachers.
Using the labs gives all the students in the same class the opportunity to speak simultaneously without
distracting. All the students will have equal time speaking. Moreover, students’ speaking and reading
exercises can be recorded then evaluated by the instructor and sent back to the students for review.
General speaking, no one can argue the importance of the lab in teaching the language as it needs practice
continuously. A language is a means of communicating with others by using the four skills : Listening,
Speaking ,Reading and Writing. In traditional class, the emphasis is mainly on reading and writing more
than the other skills. Moreover, the students will not have the time to speak and participate equally in each
class. That’s why the concept of teaching English as a language will not be achieved because of the lack
of language practicing.
Therefore, the language lab is strongly needed when teaching English as a language.