Do teachers need to create web-based language activities for EFL students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Why and why not?

       I think the teachers need to that since creating interactive language learning activities for the Web has many advantages .

The advantages are: Accessibility: By putting course material on the Web, teachers provide students with 24-hour, independent access to course information, and updates to Web pages and new assignments are immediately available to students.

Renewability: Once created, materials can be updated easily and often.

Adaptability: Web-based activities can easily be modified to support students at different proficiency levels or with special needs. 
       The teachers can create their own reading, writing, listing and speaking skills activities. It helps to change the traditional methods to use technologies in teaching language in EFL classrooms.

Virtual Rooms in TEFL Classes

        Last week, me and my classmates were in virtual room with Ms.Peggy Tharpe which is an American English consultant, trainer, and teacher, specializing in listening and speaking skills.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language, and is certified as a Master Teacher and Trainer of  Trainers. VR was for almost 45 minutes. She talked about how does Arabic influence the pronunciation of English?

  
       First, she started with this picture which I like.

       This picture is about how to  pronounce the letters in Arabic and English. The right one is for Arabic letters and the left one is for English.

       She compared between vowels and consonant in both language. Vowel letters in Arabic are 3:3+2, while in English are12-18. Consonant letters in Arabic are 27-28, but in English are 20.

         She talked about some examples in Arabic consonant rule, the example is:        

Writing          k         t          b

Writer             ka        ttaa     b

Letter             mak      too      b

he writes it        yak       tu        buh

         She also talked about examples in English vowels rule which is :

                                                bike   bake   book
                                                buck   beak    back
                                                Bic     balk    Bach

       VR has advantages and disadvantages as with other technologies used in classrooms. One of its advantages that it helps the students to practice active listening. Also, it helps the students to acquire the accent of native speakers as Arabic speakers.

        The disadvantages are when the PC in class don’t connect and the student will not benefit or if there is no network. Another thing is related to the time, the teacher needs to prepare before the class and being sure that is everything is ok.

        In Saudi Arabia, I think VR can't  be used in  schools while we don't have PC available in labs of teaching English language. Also, the time is not enough with 45 minutes. In colleges, I think it can be used easier and will be beneficial.