Report 3 Technologies for a person with a particular need. LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES: (Manjeeta is about to start work for HSBC Bank at their call centre in India. Her English is limited and needs to be improved.)

1.Internet – Distance learning ADVANTAGES Able to access a variety of online materials. Interactive, with audio and video clips to support. Can work at own pace and at any time. Get instant feedback on progress. Can redo exercises. Get some understanding of the British culture. More flexible than attending a local college to learn – no need to leave house. DISADVANTAGES Cost of purchasing a computer, and internet connection. No access to a human. Can ask questions online, but reply will not be instant. Dealing with a ‘faceless’ or ‘remote’ teacher.

2. Communication – Video Conferencing ADVANTAGES Receive training from HSBC staff in England. No need to leave your home to receive training. Costs of training reduced, as no need to hire a building, provide refreshments, etc. Increases cultural awareness. DISADVANTAGES Costly to set up in the first place. Quality of picture may be questionable (delays?) Considerable time and effort to set up in the first place. If system fails, is there expertise available at both ends to fix it? Time differences between 2 countries.

3. Entertainment – Digital TV ADVANTAGES Increase cultural awareness of life in Britain, and dealing with British people. Be able to pick up local accents and dialects of British people. Keep abreast of news and current affairs issues. Programmes often repeated. DISADVANTAGES Requires user to have access to cable or satellite TV, which costs money. Tends to broadcast world news, rather than British news. May be bias in their news reporting about major events.

4. PC Technology - Software ADVANTAGES One off purchase for CD. Can work at own pace, anytime. Saves having to leave the house to go to a college. Do not have to pay for an internet connection, unlike web based learning. Can get instant feedback when you complete an exercise. DISADVANTAGES To move from beginner to intermediate or higher level, you may need to buy another CD. No teacher present in the room to ask a question. May need to install / buy multimedia software to run it. If you have an old computer, software may not install. Need to ensure that your computer has sound working.