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Title: Technology and the Changing Face of Language Education
Abstract:
The range of technologies available to language teachers and learners has increased dramatically over the past several years, providing both with a diversity of options that can be both exciting and challenging. As new technologies appear, they bring with them possibilities regarding what can be achieved both inside and outside of the classroom, but it is often difficult to keep up with the range of technologies that become available. In addition, the very environments in which language teachers find themselves in are also constantly evolving, with expectations of administration and learners changing rapidly. These changes have resulted in a paradigm shift in the role of technologies that that potentially rewrites the way in which teaching and learning take place. Some of the challenges associated with this paradigm shift will be discussed, and some suggestions regarding keeping up with these trends will be provided. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of six basic principles that may be of use to language teachers in keeping an eye on the larger language teaching and learning environment and assist them in taking a step back and making choices that are most appropriate to their own individual contexts in the midst of this change.
The range of technologies available to language teachers and learners has increased dramatically over the past several years, providing both with a diversity of options that can be both exciting and challenging. As new technologies appear, they bring with them possibilities regarding what can be achieved both inside and outside of the classroom, but it is often difficult to keep up with the range of technologies that become available. In addition, the very environments in which language teachers find themselves in are also constantly evolving, with expectations of administration and learners changing rapidly. These changes have resulted in a paradigm shift in the role of technologies that that potentially rewrites the way in which teaching and learning take place. Some of the challenges associated with this paradigm shift will be discussed, and some suggestions regarding keeping up with these trends will be provided. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of six basic principles that may be of use to language teachers in keeping an eye on the larger language teaching and learning environment and assist them in taking a step back and making choices that are most appropriate to their own individual contexts in the midst of this change.