Role of ICT in the Process of EFL Teaching and Learning in an Arab Context

Abstract

The immense growth in information and communications technology (ICT) has introduced a myriad of opportunities to the education sector globally. In today’s educational arena, EFL teachers aim to use technology in foreign language education to contribute to the mode of instruction in language teaching and learning. The aim of the current study is to explore the impact of ICT in teaching English as a foreign language. The quantitative method of data collection and a questionnaire were used for the induction of the ICT spectrum and its impact on the EFL classrooms at the English Language Institute (ELI), King Abdulaziz University (KAU-Saudi Arabia). For data collection, 50 language instructors from the ELI-KAU participated in the process. The study investigates the process of developing skills among EFL learners with the help of ICT and the appropriate training of ICT utilization by EFL teachers. Finally, the study investigates the impact of ICT use in EFL classrooms by observing its advantages and disadvantages and offers prospectus solutions and remedial measures to counter these problems. The literature review in this study focuses on the fact that most of the research conducted in relation to ICT in EFL teaching and learning processes revolves aroundthe use of ICT tools, obstacles and challenges faced by the teachers and their perceptions and views regarding ICT. This review of the study further debates the gaps in previous research and launches a theoretical concrete background for further studies, specifically in Saudi Arabia.