ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY EFL TEACHERS IN THE APPLICATION OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

Abstract

The current study was conducted to explore issues and challenges faced by EFL teachers in District Okara Punjab, Pakistan. The study was quantitative based on descriptive survey design. The questionnaire was constructed using Five point Likert type scale and data were collected from 150 EFL teachers (100 males and 50 male) currently teaching to the intermediate classes. The data were analyzed on SPSS through descriptive analysis of the responses of the teachers while T-test was applied to see the difference of opinions from both genders. The findings of the results reveal that EFL teachers face various issues and challenges like non-availability of the computers and laptops, shortage of electricity, no pre-induction training, theoretical based course work, lack of interest from the old English teachers towards learning or using computers, insufficient time for CALL implementation. Besides, many female teachers who cannot operate computer, they have to do domestic duties and resultantly they cannot afford extra time for learning computers. But those male and female teachers who can operate computers, they say that there are no computers to be used for EFL class. Even if computers are available, shortage of electricity causes great hurdle as there is no alternate. The study concludes that without overcoming these issues, implementation of CALL is impossible. Hence, the policy makers, stake holders and administrative staff should target these issues so that advantages of CALL for teaching English may be properly reached to EFL students in Pakistan