Abstract:
Information and Communication Technologies have a substantial role in English Language
Teaching. This work explores the potential of computer technology for helping EFL students
overcome some difficulties in writing compared to conventional composing. In particular, it
examines the usefulness of ‘Oxford iWriter’ - an interactive tool integrated with the Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary CD-ROM of 2010 - that was designed to help learners write
more effectively in English. We hypothesize that if students use the software efficiently, they
would be able to improve some aspects of their written products. We conducted an
experiment with 108 third-year EFL students from two groups at the UNIVERSITY OF
CONSTANTINE. The subjects from the treatment group practised writing with the help of
Oxford iWriter in an equipped language laboratory, then their written products were assessed
and compared to those of their peers in the control group. A questionnaire was administered
to the subjects as well as to 42 university teachers to assess their motivation and attitudes
towards using technology in EFL classrooms. The results show some improvements in the
written products of many students and also students’ eagerness and readiness to learn with the
help of technology. As for teachers, some of them are not necessarily technophiles. Curricula
are to be reviewed and teachers are to receive adequate training in order to achieve more
success in implementing educational technology in Algeria in the twenty-first century.
