ICT and the Teaching of Reading Comprehension in English as a Second Language in Secondary Schools: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

This study is aimed at identifying both prospects and problems of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching reading comprehension in English as Second Language. To achieve this aim, a total of 25 secondary school English teachers were interviewed through the use of questionnaire. The teachers were purposively and pragmatically selected from 5 private schools and 4 public schools in the Abakaliki metropolis of Ebonyi State of Nigeriato ensure that both private and public schools were represented in the sample. The results of descriptive statistical analyses revealed that the most important prospects of using ICT in teaching reading comprehension included: the obvious improvement in vocabulary building and usage through the use of online dictionary; as well as the excitement about reading comprehension lessons often expressed by the students, which facilitated students’ learning process and promotion of meaningful learning among others. However, there were problems that were very prevalent with the use of ICT in the classrooms. These were: difficulty in classroom control, distractions caused by irrelevant websites, poor maintenance, and lack of infrastructure. The findings of the study are expected to provide the teachers and policy makers with a better and more accurate picture of problems and prospects of integrating ICT in the teaching of reading comprehension in English as a Second Language classrooms.

Keywords: Information and communication technology, Reading comprehension, Problems, Prospect, English as a second language