"The role of WebQuests in learning a foreign/second language"

 

 

Webquest defined as "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet. Webquests are designed to focus on using information and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Webquests have many advantages such as, integrating technology into the curriculum, interesting way of learning, and making students more autonomous. Webquest is a good way for focusing on the learners' thinking, and allowing them to explore the information in a meaningful manner.

The teacher's role is to design attractive Webquest which is suitable to the students and to their levels because most of the works depend on the students and how they are thinking. Students will work in groups to accomplish their works on the Webquest , and it is better to divide the works between each of them. It is a good time for the students to learn the important topics, and to show their creativity when they are working together. Webquests are part of project based learning and project based learning is generally done by groups of students working together, so students will keep themselves in group activities , and they accomplish their works in group. Webquests require from the students to use their creativity and critical thinking skills to solve a problem. Webquests increase and develop the critical thinking skill because they will keep thinking about the information in a good way and working on it.The classroom environment is going to be interesting to the students because this generation loves modern technology like Webquest. Webquests can be motivating and authentic tasks because students will feel that they are doing something real and useful.

As a futur English language teacher, I will use the Webquest with my students after I make sure that they are really understanding it. This is because Webquests contribute to increase students' motivation. When students are motivated, they are likely to work in more effort way, and their minds will become more alert. Also, this will help them to be collaborative learners because they will divide the works between them, and will keep working together. In my opinion, Webquest is a new useful teaching method and will attract the students to the course. So, if the students will enjoy on Webquest, I will use it.

 

 

Website Evaluation

 

http://a4esl.org/

This website belongs to an organization, and it is about how to enhance ESL grammar and vocabulary. This website produces various quizzes with many languages and activities to improve your vocabulary and grammar knowledge, and this website considered as a good website.

 For the content and content accuracy categories, this site has a clear purpose and theme that will help students to develop their learning process. This site about grammar and vocabulary, and the content matches the purpose of the website. Moreover, all the instructions are clear for the students, and the ambiguity is not being available in it. Also, the information provided by the organization is accurate.

For the background, layout, navigation, and the links, the design of the website has an attractive and colorful design.  Also, this website has a usable layout, and the links allow the reader to easily move from one page to another one, and user rarely becomes lost. Most of the links open with us, so these links have high quality and clearly label. Also, the learners can discover all the important elements easily.

For the background, color choices and fonts, this website has an attractive background, and it does not reduce from readability. This colorful background can get ESL learners attentions to each sections. Also, the color choice of the background is appropriate with the fonts and does not reduce the importance of the content. In addition, varies size of fonts are appropriately for heading and text. This consistency between the background, colorful choices and fonts will make this site as a useful site for the users.

For the copy right category, this site points to high quality copyright because all the pages of quizzes, puzzles and activities have at the bottom the citation, and this considered one of the strength point of this website. 

Suggestions:

In this website, we have several criticisms:

First, it needs more attractive layout to capture the attention of the learners.

Second, we suggest for this website to put attractive graphics and images to attract the users and to put more attractive background because the use of graphics and images can enhance readers understanding of the questions.

Third, it’s important to have lessons about learning vocabulary and grammar in this website, so the learners can benefit from the explanations of the lessons and solve the activities in more accurate way.

As future English language teachers:

From the knowledge about website evaluation, we learned how to evaluate any website, and how to direct our students to a good website which is appropriate to their levels and will improve their skills.