The Electronic Approaches: The Era of Emergence E-Learning in the Educational System in Iraq

This paper aims to show the importance of using technology in Iraqi EFL classrooms to enhance and support education in Iraq especially after the spread of Covid-19all over the world. Iraqi EFL learners suffer from the old method of teaching which depends heavily on following the Grammar Translation Method, the Audio-Lingual Method and recently, the Communicative Approach. Iraq did not attempt to involve e-learning as a tool of learning. Currently, when the world became as a small country especially with the rapid development of technology around the world, it became a necessity to use technology in Iraqi classrooms. Technology has provided a means of escape from all the tradition teaching and learning based on the textbook. Different types of technology provide learners with a vast number of opportunities to develop their English which are not found in the traditional learning. Bataineh and AlAbdali (2015) stated that “Technology has changed the teachers’ and learners’ roles, teaching changed from “teacher-centered into student-centered” (P. 243). This paper tries to show teaching and learning English language in the era of E-learning in Iraqi education. Keywords— Electronic Approaches and Educational System in Iraq.


INTRODUCTION
Technology, nowadays, is regarded a main tool in the educational system of many countries around the world (Al-Abdali, 2016). Several programs and software has been established to work hand in hand with the main sources of learning and teaching that are teacher, student, and textbook (Elttayef, 2016). It is the responsibility of Ministry of Education to adopt using technology in the educational system in Iraq to help Iraqi EFL learners communicate successfully, in English, inside and outside classrooms because technology creates an authentic environment to enable learners study and learn English in an English-like community. It is justified that the use of technology in Iraqi education is much needed.

II. THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON THE WORLD EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, universities and colleges (UNESCO, 2020 Online learning has become a critical lifeline for education, as institutions seek to minimize the potential for community transmission (Murphy, 2020). Technology can enable teachers and students to access specialized materials well beyond textbooks, in multiple formats and in ways that can bridge time and space (OECD, 2020).Therefore, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools in over the world in general and in Iraq in specific, began conducting classes via video telephony software such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Google Meet, Free Conference Call, Telegram, etc.

III. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN IRAQ
It is claimed that in spite of the fact that the utilization of technology in classroom settings can help in encouraging the educating and enhancing the student's learning More importantly, using technology in education in general and in teaching English language in particular has been the goal for many educators for many years. The use of technology in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning and teaching included mobile phone technology, mobile assisted language learning (MALL), computer-mediated communication (CMC), CDs, DVDs, films, iPads, iPods, computer-assisted language learning (CALL), data shows, iPods, intranet, internet, multimedia, etc. These types of technology can be regarded as effective tools in the educational operation (Al-abdali, 2014). Technologies provided the educational system with unlimited various tools and options that enabled learners and teachers in the process of language development (Al-Abdali, 2016). Additionally, technology has changed teacher's practices in teaching and learning because the classroom becamemore student-centered rather than teacher-centered (Bataineh& Al-Abdali, 2015).
E-Learning, generally, adopts different principles and criteria to what is common to traditional education. These differences stem from the fact that this new approach is based on digital computers and communication lines rather than on timely physical existence in a class. Therefore, a student and an instructor can be thousands of kilometers apart from each other and they can still have productive exchange of interactions. Furthermore, this approach ensures that even time is not an important factor in the process where recorded materials, email and messaging services ensures that recorded lecture viewed on a time later can be as useful as fresh ones. Table 1 provides a useful comparison between the two approaches (AL-Huseiny, 2017).

V. CONCLUSION
From the previous discussion, the researcher concluded that the educational system in Iraq need to adopt various kinds of E-Learning to support not only teaching and learning English but also all other fields of knowledge. Elearning became a must in Iraqi EFL classrooms in both schools and universities to close the gap of face-to-face learning. Despite the fact that e-learning does not replace teachers' roles, but it can help learners to stay-at-home and stay connected with classes, classmates, and instructors. Elearning enables learners to continue their learning using different software of communication.