The Impacts of Technology Integration
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Cheryl John
Cheryl John<EMAIL_ADDRESS>University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Abstract
Computer technology has enjoyed decades of use in the field of second and foreign language education, but efforts to integrate technology have at times presented various challenges to educators due to rapid advances in technology and occasional changes in language teaching methods. To provide some background on the use of technology for language training, this chapter will begin with a brief look at the history and evolution of the technologies and teaching approaches that have influenced computer-assisted language learning (CALL) over the years, followed by a discussion of recent developments, namely MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) and RALL (robot-assisted language learning). The opportunities and challenges presented by technology use in language education will then be identified, and an example will be provided for the application of a particular technology. Finally, the chapter will conclude with comments on the future of technology use in language education.
Keywords: CALL, language education, language learning, language teaching, MALL, RALL, technology
Introduction
Since the invention of the first computers, efforts have been made to incorporate computer technology in language education. CALL (computer-assisted language learning), the term used in reference to technology-based language learning, is defined by Chapelle & Jamieson (2008) as “the area of applied linguistics concerned with the use of computers for teaching and learning a second language” (p. 1). In these times of multiple technologies, however, there has been some discussion of the suitability of the term (Kern, 2006), and TELL (technology-enhanced language learning) has come to be seen by some as more fitting (Garrett, 2009). Indeed, the literature reveals that technology use in language education is quite diverse, ranging from well-established, computer-based programs, to relatively new tools, some of which are still in the early stages of development; the literature also reports varied results in terms of their effectiveness (Golonka, Bowles, Frank, Richardson, & Freynik, 2014). This chapter aims to provide some background regarding the development of CALL over the years and to highlight various opportunities and challenges related to the use of technology in language education.
Background
A Brief History of CALL
In the pioneering days of CALL, the dominant approaches to language teaching focused on structure and form. An example of one such approach was the audiolingual method, which emphasized the teaching of grammar. The audiolingual method was heavily influenced by the theories of prominent structural linguists and behaviourist psychologists in the 1940s and 1950s, and it remained the method of choice for many years, until concerns were raised about its ability to produce communicative proficiency in learners (Brown, 2001).
Experi